A Taste for Poison : Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them

Title: A Taste for Poison : Eleven Deadly Molecules and the Killers Who Used Them
Author: Neil Bradbury
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Release Date: February 1, 2022
Page Count: 304
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

Bradbury blends solid scientific details with violent murders by poison, and the result is a fascinating book.  Bradbury gives us detailed information about the history of a poison, explains how this poison works, and then ties it all together with a historic case using the poison, as well as a modern-day poisoning. 

I went into the book looking forward to the true-crime elements and was surprised to find myself actually understanding Bradbury's explanations of the nature of the poison and how it works to destroy human cells.  For example, here's his explanation of how cyanide kills:

"Once in the body, cyanide can stick to hemoglobin in red blood cells and hitch a ride, to be rapidly distributed by the blood. However, cyanide binds quite poorly to hemoglobin, and causes its devastating effects not by affecting the blood but by hopping off hemoglobin and entering the cells.  Once inside the cells of the body, cyanide disrupts their ability to generate the energy needed to live.  Located deep within each of our cells are mitochondria, small rod-shaped structures that act as tiny power plants to generate the chemical energy adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which keeps us alive."

Cyanide kills by stopping the production of ATP in the central nervous system, brain and heart. And don't get me started on how the heart's intricate system of sodium and potassium channels and pumps regulate the heart in 1/5th of a second and does so over 3 billion times in an average life span! He also explains how a substance can be used as a poison and alternately as an effective treatment. " .... such toxins are inherently neither good or evil; it is the purpose to which they are put that makes them poisons."

I found Bradbury's book absolutely fascinating and would highly recommend to anyone interested in true-crime, as well as someone (I'm raising my hand here) who enjoys learning more about the amazing human body and how all its intricate systems are designed to work together.  5 stars.

I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.