The Poison Principle

The Poison Principle

by Gail Bell (Author)

Synopsis

When Dr William Macbeth poisoned two of his sons in 1927, his wife and sister hid the murders in the intensely private realm of family secrets. Like the famous poisoner Dr Crippen, Macbeth behaved as if he were immune to consequences; unlike Crippen, he avoided detection and punishment. Or did he? As time passed, the story of Dr William Macbeth, well-dressed poisoner, haunted and divided his descendants. Macbeth's granddaughter Gail Bell, who grew up with the story, spent ten years reading the literature of poisoning in order to understand Macbeth's life. A chemist herself, she listened for echoes in the great cases of the 19th and 20th centuries, in myths, fiction and poison lore. This intricate story, with a moving twist at the end, is a book about family guilt and secrets, and also an exploration of the nature of death itself - as Bell turns to her grandfather's poisonous predecessors, from Cleopatra, Madame Bovary and Napoleon, as well as looking at Harold Shipman.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Edition: New edition
Publisher: Pan Books
Published: 06 Jun 2003

ISBN 10: 0330491261
ISBN 13: 9780330491266
Prizes: Winner of NSW Premier's Literary Award Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction 2002. Shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards for Australian Crime Writing: Best True Crime Category 2002.

Media Reviews
'Miraculously well written, compellingly readable... a book of rare distinction' The Times; '[Bell's] solution to the mystery was - and is - a triumph of perseverance... enthralling' Guardian; 'Beautifully written' Sunday Times
Author Bio
Gail Bell has written award-winning short stories, travel journalism, and many thousands of words about medicines and poisons. This is her first book.