They Love Not Poison

Antony Maitland #19

by Sara Woods

In an unusual departure, Sara Woods takes her latest suspense novel back in time to 1947, when Antony Maitland, recently discharged from service, is reading law at the farm of a friend in Yorkshire. But the anticipated pastoral quietude is blemished by four seemingly disparate occurrences—the growth of gossip concerning the revival of local witchcraft, rumors of a treasure of gold plate hidden and then lost during the seventeenth-century Civil War, suspicions of lucrative black market activity in the vicinity, and the death of a woman from arsenic poisoning on a nearby farm. Weaving these incidents together against the rustic background of the Yorkshire countryside in what certainly must be Antony Maitland’s first big case, Miss Woods tells a fascinating and entertaining story that will surely please her many fans.

“They love not poison that do poison need,
Nor do I thee: though I did wish him dead,
I hate the murderer, love him murdered.”
—Richard II, Act V, scene vi

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, British Literature

215 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

(Lana Hutton Bowen-Judd)
UK (1922 - 1986)
aka Anne Burton, Mary Challis, Margaret Leek

Born in England, she was educated at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Filey, Yorkshire.

During the Second World War, she worked in a bank and as a solicitor's clerk in London. Here she gained much of the information later used in her novels. Lana married Anthony George Bowen-Judd on April 25, 1946. They ran a pig breeding farm between 1948 and 1954. In 1957 they moved to Nova Scotia, Canada. She worked as a registrar for St. Mary's University until 1964. In 1961 she wrote her first novel, Bloody Instructions, introducing the hero of forty-nine of her mysteries, Anthony Maitland, an English barrister.

Her last years she lived with her husband at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Reviews

[P.D.R. Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first, or perhaps we should call it the back story, in the Maitland QC series.
These books are old, the series is in the intelligent reader, middle class, no gore/blood or four letter words style of mystery writing.

This novel is set in 1947 and is a good resource for any writer wanting details of life in England just after WWII.

It's a good solid plot. The characters are of their time and quite interesting. It's a pleasant read and a nice distraction from the nastier modern whodunnits.

Don't expect a fast pace and snappy dialogue. This is a book to enjoy slowly.

[☯Emily Ginder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of Sara Woods earlier books about Antony Maitland and his wife. It is 1947 and Britain is under rationing and the country is still suffering from the aftermath of World War II. Antony is studying for his law degree when several mysterious events come to his attention. Since the study of law is not as interesting as mysteries, Antony gets distracted into solving two separate murders, or are they really separate events? This early work is not as interesting as Woods' later works, but Antony and his uncle, Nicholas, haven't changed too much. Jenny plays a more pivotal role in this book than she does in many of the later books.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a mystery set in post World War II England. A generally un-liked woman dies, but surprisingly the local doctor does not think the causes were natural. If that’s the case, then who-done-it?

The locale in northern England is sparsely populated so there aren’t too many suspects. Even so I guessed incorrectly, which I attribute to good writing on the part of Woods. (Clearly that’s the case since she fooled me.)

One aspect I frequently like about books that are written in the past, are the glimpses they give to life back then. They Love Not Poison had such a moment for me. Rationing is a running theme in the story, as it was a prominent factor for post-war England. At one point (and don’t worry, this has nothing to do with the plot and so does not give anything away) a Catholic priest from Ireland almost causes a crisis at his parish house when he eats as one who does not know meat is rationed. I was so intrigued I looked into this, as had I ever given it any thought I would have assumed Ireland had the same rationing issues as England. As it turns out, it didn’t. Ireland had some rationing, but it was not nearly as inclusive as that in England. So someone coming over to live in England could easily not have known that there was a shortage of meat. An interesting way to learn some history.

Back to the mystery, the doctor states the deceased was poisoned by a substance readily available to everyone in the area. The question now becomes, of all those who did not like her, who disliked her enough to kill her?

A thoughtful and interesting mystery to enjoy.