The Inheritor's Powder: A Tale of Arsenic, Murder, and the New Forensic Science - Hardcover

Hempel, Sandra

3.2

831 ratings by Goodreads

9780393239713: The Inheritor's Powder: A Tale of Arsenic, Murder, and the New Forensic Science

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393239713 ISBN 13: 9780393239713

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2013

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In the first half of the nineteenth century, an epidemic swept Europe: arsenic poisoning. Available at any corner shop for a few pence, arsenic was so frequently used by potential beneficiaries of wills that it was nicknamed "the inheritor's powder." But it was difficult to prove that a victim had been poisoned, let alone to identify the contaminated food or drink since arsenic was tasteless.

Then came a riveting case. On the morning of Saturday, November 2, 1833, the Bodle household sat down to their morning breakfast. That evening, the local doctor John Butler received an urgent summons: the family and their servants had collapsed and were seriously ill. Three days later, after lingering in agony, wealthy George Bodle died in his bed at his farmhouse in Plumstead, leaving behind several heirs, including a son and grandson--both of whom were not on the best of terms with the family patriarch.

The investigation, which gained international attention, brought together a colorful cast of characters: bickering relatives; a drunken, bumbling policeman; and James Marsh, an unknown but brilliant chemist who, assigned the Bodle case, attempted to create a test that could accurately pinpoint the presence of arsenic. In doing so, however, he would cause as many problems as he solved. Were innocent men and women now going to the gallows? And would George Bodle's killer be found?

Incisive and wryly entertaining, science writer Sandra Hempel brings to life a gripping story of domestic infighting, wayward police behavior, a slice of Victorian history, stories of poisonings, and an unforgettable foray into the origins of forensic science.

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Review:

Hempel's fascinating look at how the science of poison detection developed is certain to draw in readers with its masterful combination of telling details, engrossing prose, and drama... The Bodle case reads like something out of Dickens, and those fascinated by modern shows like CSI will delight in learning about the field's early days.

Hempel skillfully weaves whodunit and courtroom drama to take us back to the beginnings of the controversial science of forensic toxicology.--Hugh Aldersey-Williams, author of Periodic Tales and Anatomies

This book will appeal to readers interested in the origins of forensic science as well as to readers of popular histories of science. Though nonfiction, it will likely appeal to mystery readers as well, with its vivid details, cast of potential poisoners, and curious twists in plot.

Sandra Hempel's fascinating book is a story of one of history's most important poisons--and most important murders. And the latter is true because this murder and the resulting trial--beautifully explained here--changed the course of criminal detection. It's essential reading for anyone interested in the history of forensic science--and in the way we catch our killers.--Deborah Blum, author of The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz-Age New York

Readers of Sandra Hempel's un-put-downable true crime narrative will not only find themselves caught up in a grippingly suspenseful murder mystery; they will be treated to a string of brilliantly delivered lessons on everything from the origins of toxicological science to pre-Victorian medical practices to the beginnings of modern forensic detection. I can't think of another recent work that so thrillingly fulfills the two major aims of literary art: to delight and instruct.--Harold Schechter, author of The Devil's Gentleman: Privilege, Poison, and the Trial that Ushered in the Twentieth Century

About the Author:

Sandra Hempel is a medical journalist whose work has appeared in the Times, the Sunday Times, and the Guardian. The author of The Inheritor's Powder and the award-winning The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump, she lives in London.

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