A Poisoner's Tale - by Cathryn Kemp (Paperback)

About the Book

Palermo, 1632: Giulia is thirteen when she learns her mother's greatest secret: Teofania makes an undetectable, slow-acting poison that she uses to free the abused women of Palermo. Giulia soon realizes that in a time when women have no voice, justice is sometimes best served in a cup of wine or broth.
Rome, 1656: Years later, Giulia forms her own circle of female poisoners to sell poison to women in need. But even in a time of plague, it doesn't go unnoticed that Rome's men are falling like flies. And with the new pope purging the city of witches and heretics, Giulia's more vulnerable than ever. How far will she go to continue her mother's legacy?

Book Synopsis

The legendary figure of notorious seventeenth-century Italian poisoner Giulia Tofana, thought to be the first female serial killer in history, is brought to life in this feminist retelling.

Palermo 1632: Giulia is thirteen when she learns her mother greatest secret: Teofania makes an undetectable, slow-acting, lethal poison--Acqua Tofana--which she uses to free the broken and abused women of Palermo. Now Teofania wants to pass her recipe on to her daughter, and Giulia soon realizes that in a time when women have no voice, justice is sometimes best served in a cup of wine or broth.
Rome, 1656: Years later, within the alleys and shadows of the Eternal City, Giulia forms her own circle of female poisoners, who work together under the guise of an apothecary shop to sell poison to women in need.
But even in a time of plague, when death looms over the city, it doesn't go unnoticed that the men of Rome are starting to fall like flies. And with the newly elected pope determined to rid the city of witches and heretics, Giulia is more vulnerable than ever. How far is she willing to go to continue her mother's legacy?

Weaving together the stories of the women Giulia helped, the men she killed, and those who wanted her dead, this is a tale of magic, secrets, vengeance, and sin in the back streets of Rome--and, ultimately, a fight for power.

Review Quotes

"This novel is inspired by the true story of the first documented female serial killer in history. So that's an instant order. . . . A captivating historical novel that weaves intrigue, deceit, and politics into a richly detailed narrative. . . . Kemp's vivid storytelling creates an engrossing read that explores themes of power, survival, and the fine line between right and wrong."--Glamour UK (Best New Books July 2024)

"Kemp's debut novel effectively portrays the seething underbelly of Rome and powerfully emphasizes the way gender and class sharply circumscribed the existence of women of the time. A worthy addition to the body of Renaissance historical fiction." --Booklist

"Kemp's historical novel puts the focus . . . smack on her moral grayness, to create a compelling narrative of a semi-fictional life."--Grimdark magazine

"Imaginatively building on contemporary rumors and few known facts about Tofana, Kemp weaves a compelling tale of female victimization, resistance, and rebellion in a society which granted women few rights, little protection and limited access to justice."--Perspective magazine

"An utterly captivating tale of poisoners and papal intrigue, this novel is a taut, thrilling and wholly immersive journey through Rome's underbelly. Kemp is an astonishingly talented storyteller, and her characters will linger long after you've finished reading."--Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings

"A gorgeous historical novel about the legend of female poisoner Giulia Tofana, brimming with rich detail and intrigue."-- C. J. Cooke, author of The Lighthouse Witches

"Kemp has created a complex and courageous heroine who is not afraid to walk a dark and dangerous path for what she believes in, and I fell in love with her from the start."--Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women

"Gripping. Devastating. A beautifully intense read."--Isabelle Schuler, author of Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Lady Macbeth

"Poignant from beginning to end."--Laura Carlin, author of The Wicked Cometh

About the Author

Cathryn Kemp is a Sunday Times bestselling ghost writer and author with a prolific career writing celebrity, inspirational, true crime, and nostalgia titles. Her personal memoir, Coming Clean, won the Big Red Read Prize for Nonfiction. For A Poisoner's Tale, her first foray into historical fiction, she was awarded a foundation grant by the Society of Authors to pursue the research for this book, reaching into the state archives of Palermo and the Vatican's secret Holy Office of the Inquisition. She lives on the south coast of England.