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Love and Other Poisons

a gripping historical tale of scandal and murder, based on a true story

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Love and Other Poisons

By: Lesley McDowell
Narrated by: Helen McAlpine
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About this listen

 'A fascinating, forensic deep-dive' DENISE MINA

'Beautifully written, richly evoked and utterly gripping' EVA DOLAN

'A seductive tale of sex and death' SARA SHERIDAN


***

1857, Glasgow.

A young socialite named Madeleine Smith stands accused of murdering her lover. Thousands wait outside the court to hear the result. The scandalous nature of the affair, detailed explicitly in letters published in newspapers across the world, has made her case a worldwide sensation. But when the jury find themselves unable to decide whether she is guilty, they render a verdict of 'Not Proven' - and Madeleine is freed.

1927, New York.

Harry Townsend, a handsome Hollywood film scout believes he has found the woman once known as Madeleine Smith. He wants to tell her story on film for the new 'talkie' generation. Since her trial she has lived under many names, as a glamourous society hostess in bohemian Bloomsbury to the likes of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, George Bernard Shaw and William Morris. Until suddenly, in 1890, when she disappeared off the face of the earth.

Could this quiet, secretive widow of an Irish labourer be the same Madeleine Smith who once stood trial for murder and escaped?

She has one last secret to reveal. Will Harry persuade her to tell it?

***

More praise for Lesley McDowell:
'Riveting - a clever portrait of a fascinating, flawed heroine.' THE TIMES
'An intimate and enlightening tale of one of Romanticism's forsaken muses.' SUSAN STOKES-CHAPMAN
'An absorbing, intoxicating page-turner about a woman who deserves to be remembered.' JENNIFER SAINT
'A must-read. McDowell brings to vivid, embodied life; a flirtatious, flawed woman fighting for her place in a man's world.' THE HERALD©2025 Lesley McDowell Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

A fascinating, forensic deep-dive into the true crime case of Madeleine Smith. Mesmerising. (DENISE MINA, author of Garnethill)
A feverish period thriller about the seduction of a young Scottish heiress. Beautifully written, richly evoked and utterly gripping. Based on a true story this one deserves to be huge! (EVA DOLAN, author of One Half Truth)
A gorgeously written, seductive tale of sex and death, that delves into the darkness of Victorian women's hidden lives. (SARA SHERIDAN, author of The Fair Botanists)
It's an enthralling novel, a beautifully organised tale in which McDowell shifts the perspective with great skill . . . thoroughly enjoyable - a remarkably intelligent and at times very moving fictionalisation of an extraordinary life.
Meticulously researched . . . gripping throughout
All stars
Most relevant
Set in Victorian Glasgow and 1920s New York, this includes both grit and glamour. As a fictional rendering of a real murder trial and the events surrounding it, the novel pulls no punches; it isn’t exactly a jolly read, but neither was the case on which it was based - a young woman on the verge of marriage to a wealthy man accused of poisoning her impoverished, abusive, controlling lover.

What McDowell does so well here (and also did brilliantly in her last novel, ‘Clairmont’) is take a woman who could easily be dismissed as a two-dimensional bad girl or stereotypical victim, and give her great complexity, colour, and agency. She’s not necessarily always likeable, and she’s not for the faint hearted, but she is fascinating and I felt deeply for her and was definitely on her side.

There are also some great period details, cameos from the Pre-Raphaelites, and a couple of superbly executed surprises along the way.

Hard hitting, cleverly told tale of desperation, desire and deceit

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Mixture of truth and fiction.; the story of Madeline Smith is both intriguing and captivating and the narration is authentic. A thoroughly gripping read. Definitely recommend this novel.

Excellent read

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