The Poisoner's Handbook

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum, 319 pages

A lot of books about Prohibition Era New York focus on the speakeasies and criminal element. The Poisoner's Handbook does that too, but looks at these elements through the lens of forensic medicine, which was in its infancy at that time. Blum zeroes in on Charles Norris (the city's first scientifically trained medical examiner) and his protegee, Alexander Gettler, the city's first toxicologist, as they worked to analyze the many poisons that killed New York City's residents. From arsenic to methyl alcohol, Blum tells the story of how Norris and Gettler fought city politics and public opinion to get the straight facts on each poison, giving examples of how the poisons worked and specific instances in which they were used. It's a fascinating tale, and will appeal to fans of The Disappearing Spoon and Stiff.