Skip to content

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Paperback - 2011

by Deborah Blum

A beguiling concoction--equal parts true crime, 20th-century history, and science thriller--"The Poisoner's Handbook" is a fascinating Jazz Age tale of chemistry and detection, poison, and murder, and the birth of forensic medicine.

Summary

Equal parts true crime, twentieth-century history, and science thriller, The Poisoner's Handbook is "a vicious, page-turning story that reads more like Raymond Chandler than Madame Curie" (The New York Observer)

A fascinating Jazz Age tale of chemistry and detection, poison and murder, The Poisoner's Handbook is a page-turning account of a forgotten era. In early twentieth-century New York, poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime. Science had no place in the Tammany Hall-controlled coroner's office, and corruption ran rampant. However, with the appointment of chief medical examiner Charles Norris in 1918, the poison game changed forever. Together with toxicologist Alexander Gettler, the duo set the justice system on fire with their trailblazing scientific detective work, triumphing over seemingly unbeatable odds to become the pioneers of forensic chemistry and the gatekeepers of justice.

From the publisher

Pulitzer Prize winner Deborah Blum is a professor of science journalism at the University of Wisconsin. She worked as a newspaper science writer for twenty years, winning the Pulitzer in 1992 for her writing about primate research.  She is the author of Ghost Hunters, coeditor of A Field Guide for Science Writers, and has written about scientific research for the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Psychology Today, and Mother Jones. She is the president-elect of the National Association of Science Writers and serves on advisory boards for both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academy of Sciences.

Details

  • Title The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
  • Author Deborah Blum
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 336
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Penguin Books, New York, New York
  • Date 2011-01-25
  • Features Bibliography, Index, Price on Product - Canadian, Table of Contents
  • ISBN 9780143118824 / 014311882X
  • Weight 0.6 lbs (0.27 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.48 x 5.56 x 0.73 in (21.54 x 14.12 x 1.85 cm)
  • Ages 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Reading level 1190
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: Mid-Atlantic
    • Cultural Region: Northeast U.S.
    • Geographic Orientation: New York
  • Library of Congress subjects Poisoning - New York (State) - History, Forensic toxicology - New York (State) -
  • Dewey Decimal Code 614.130

Media reviews

The Poisoner’s Handbook breathes deadly life into the Roaring Twenties.”—Financial Times

The Poisoner’s Handbook is an inventive history that, like arsenic, mixed into blackberry pie, goes down with ease.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Deborah Blum has not lost the skills of good storytelling she honed as a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist.” —Chicago Sun-Times

Reads like science fiction, complete with suspense, mystery and foolhardy guys in lab coats tipping test tubes of mysterious chemicals into their own mouths.” -- NPR: What We're Reading

Fans of those TV forensic shows or of novels by Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs or Jefferson Bass will find plenty to satisfy their appetites here.” —The Washington Post

“Blum’s combination of chemistry and crime fiction creates a vicious, page-turning story that reads more like Raymond Chandler than Madame Curie.”—The New York Observer

The Poisoner's Handbook opens one riveting murder case after another in this chronicle of Jazz Age chemical crimes where the real-life twists and turns are as startling as anything in fiction. Deborah Blum turns us all into forensic detectives by the end of this expertly written, dramatic page-turner that will transform the way you think about the power of science to threaten and save our lives.”—Matthew Pearl, author of The Technologists and The Dante Club

“With the pacing and rich characterization of a first-rate suspense novelist, Blum makes science accessible and fascinating.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Citations

  • Entertainment Weekly, 01/21/2011, Page 78
  • New York Times Book Review, 01/30/2011, Page 24

About the author

Deborah Blum is director of the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, and editor of Undark magazine, (undark.org). In 1992, she won the Pulitzer Prize for a series on primate research, which she turned into a book, The Monkey Wars. Her other books include The Poisoner's Handbook, Ghost Hunters, Love at Goon Park, and Sex on the Brain. She has written for publications including The New York Times, Wired, Time, Discover, Mother Jones, The Guardian and The Boston Globe. Blum is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a lifetime associate of the National Academy of Sciences.

More Copies for Sale

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
UsedGood
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882X
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Skokie, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$3.97
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedGood. Noticeable signs of wear/scuffs/creases/sticker residue/minor inscribing on front/back cover, bottom edge, corners, & bind but book is in good condition. Text is mostly clean & readable.
Item Price
$3.97
$3.99 shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
UsedVeryGood
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Skokie, Illinois, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$3.97
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
UsedVeryGood. Pages are clean! Minor shelf wear Fast Shipping - Each order powers our free bookstore in Chicago and sending books to Africa!
Item Price
$3.97
$3.99 shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$5.49
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Books. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Item Price
$5.49
$3.99 shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Add Blum, Deborah

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 3 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$6.07
$3.99 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
New. Fast Shipping - Safe and secure Mailer
Item Price
$6.07
$3.99 shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882x
Quantity Available
10
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882x
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Mishawaka, Indiana, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • Used
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882x
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Reno, Nevada, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects.
Item Price
$7.92
FREE shipping to USA
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

by Blum, Deborah

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780143118824 / 014311882X
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$10.47
FREE shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Penguin Books, 2011-01-25. paperback. New. 5x0x8.
Item Price
$10.47
FREE shipping to USA