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The Poisoner's Handbook

Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
May 28, 2013TheresaAJ rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I was surprised that a book based on chemical elements read so easily and quickly. Blum traces the rise of forensic medicine through poison from 1915 through 1929 in New York City. Prior to Chief Medical Examiner Charles Norris' arrival, murder by poison was often assumed to be a natural death. Norris took on Tammany Hall, the U.S. government, and lack of money to establish a scientific lab that would detect poison as a means of murder. Fascinating glimpses of Prohibition, rampant use of new chemicals that quickly proved hazardous, and budget battles with City Hall enliven this book. This title was read by the Willa Cather Book Club in May 2013.