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A Poisoner's Tale
Discover the dark and gothic historical novel inspired by the true story of Giulia Tofana, the first documented female serial killer in history. Perfect for fans of The Familiars and The Lost Apothecary.
Murderer or saviour? You decide. . .
Rome, 1656
In the shadowy backstreets of the Eternal City lies an apothecary’s shop – a place for women to take their heartbreaks and troubles. Herbs for childbirth. Tarot readings to tell their fortunes. An undetectable poison that can kill in four drops.
Alongside her circle of female poisoners, Giulia Tofana dispenses her deadly potion to free the downtrodden women of the city from their abusive husbands.
A path she’s determined to follow after a harrowing childhood in Palermo.
But even in a time of plague, it does not go unnoticed when the men of Rome begin to fall like flies.
With a newly elected Pope hell-bent on ridding the city of heretics and witches, and the Holy Office of the Inquisition on her tail, Giulia is in more danger than ever. . .
How far will she go for the women who need her help?
Exploring the realities of what it is like to be a woman who rebels against society, A Poisoner’s Tale takes the reader on a tense, challenging but spellbinding journey. This is not just a retelling of the legend of Giulia Tofana but an ode to sisterhood and motherhood, to defiance and secret rebellion.
Murderer or saviour? You decide. . .
Rome, 1656
In the shadowy backstreets of the Eternal City lies an apothecary’s shop – a place for women to take their heartbreaks and troubles. Herbs for childbirth. Tarot readings to tell their fortunes. An undetectable poison that can kill in four drops.
Alongside her circle of female poisoners, Giulia Tofana dispenses her deadly potion to free the downtrodden women of the city from their abusive husbands.
A path she’s determined to follow after a harrowing childhood in Palermo.
But even in a time of plague, it does not go unnoticed when the men of Rome begin to fall like flies.
With a newly elected Pope hell-bent on ridding the city of heretics and witches, and the Holy Office of the Inquisition on her tail, Giulia is in more danger than ever. . .
How far will she go for the women who need her help?
Exploring the realities of what it is like to be a woman who rebels against society, A Poisoner’s Tale takes the reader on a tense, challenging but spellbinding journey. This is not just a retelling of the legend of Giulia Tofana but an ode to sisterhood and motherhood, to defiance and secret rebellion.
394 pages, Paperback
First published July 11, 2024
376 people are currently reading
14427 people want to read
About the author
Cathryn Kemp
18 books100 followersCathryn is a Sunday Times bestselling ghostwriter and journalist, with a prolific career writing celebrity, inspirational, true crime, addiction and nostalgia titles.
A Poisoner's Tale, published by Transworld/Penguin Random House on July 11th, 2024, is her first foray into historical fiction.
When not writing, Cathryn can be found braving the waves off the south coast or restoring her glorious Victorian wreck with her son Leonardo and cat Gingey.
A Poisoner's Tale, published by Transworld/Penguin Random House on July 11th, 2024, is her first foray into historical fiction.
When not writing, Cathryn can be found braving the waves off the south coast or restoring her glorious Victorian wreck with her son Leonardo and cat Gingey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
July 16, 2024
3.5 Stars (rounded up)
One Liner: A dark yet poignant read
17th Century, Rome
The plague has taken over the city. People are dropped dead in hundreds. Deep inside the Eternal City are the witches and sorceresses, hiding from those in power who are ever-ready to hang them in public.
Giulia has spent her life helping broken women from all parts of the society. She is a healer, midwife, abortionist and poisoner, depending on what the women need.
Pope Alessandro VII is determined to rid his city of the witches and the mysterious women, no matter what. Will he succeed? Can Giulia come out alive and escape the witch hunt?
The story comes in Guilia and Pope Alessandro VII’s first-person POVs in the present tense.
My Thoughts:
This is a dark book with several triggers (listed at the end). It is a fictional take on the life of Giulia Tofana, the woman who helped hundreds of women poison the men in their lives for various reasons (abuse mostly). I first read about her in the The League of Lady Poisoners: Illustrated True Stories of Dangerous Women by Lisa Perrin. However, I confess it took me some time to connect the dots and realize that the book is about the same person.
The narrative starts with a prologue where Giulia and four other women are being hanged for witchcraft. So we already know how the book will end. Now, we go back to when Giulia was thirteen and first let into the secret world of her mother.
The content is pretty graphic and can be hard to read at a stretch. There’s a lot of abuse (physical & sexual), which makes it hard to keep going. The book openly shows what women faced from men (husbands, fathers, brothers, lovers, clients, strangers, and just about everyone).
While I appreciate the first-person POV, I’m unsure why we get it in the present tense. Based on the prologue, this would have worked better in the past tense. Also, the voice is not too different, whether the FMC is thirteen or thirty-six. This would have made sense in the past tense.
However, I have to ask- why does the Pope get a first-person POV? This is a poisoner’s tale. It is supposed to be Giulia’s narrative. The Pope could have been limited third person. It would have been better and easier to keep the focus on the FMC.
As with most real-life-based retellings, this one also leaves me with mixed feelings. While I like that the FMC is a flawed person who made wrong decisions (which put others at risk), I’m not sure how it seems when comparing the book to a real person. As a character, Giulia makes a strong impression.
Sadly, I can’t say the same about her daughter who feels like a surreal butterfly or a spoiled brat. However, I do like the pattern we see here – the younger generation thinking it is better than the elders while making similar mistakes.
Tarot reading is one of the devices used for foreshadowing. No surprise that I liked how it played in the plot. I did find it ironic that the Hierophant card is called the Pope when the Church thinks things like tarot are a sin [Hierophant is the traditional head of spirituality (any religion), the masculine counterpart of High Priestess.] Of course, the card’s interpretation in the book aligns with Pope’s role in the story (and reality).
The abuse and torture are not too graphic but disturbing enough to affect the reader. Some of those details are necessary to show why the women did what they did and how they had to pay for it. And oh, some of those torture devices were used during the Goan Inquisition to covert people.
To summarize, A Poisoner's Tale is a dark, disturbing, and difficult read based on a real person. Make sure you are in the right mindset to read this one. There’s a bibliography at the end, which I appreciate.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers (Bantam), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #APoisonersTale
***
TW:
One Liner: A dark yet poignant read
17th Century, Rome
The plague has taken over the city. People are dropped dead in hundreds. Deep inside the Eternal City are the witches and sorceresses, hiding from those in power who are ever-ready to hang them in public.
Giulia has spent her life helping broken women from all parts of the society. She is a healer, midwife, abortionist and poisoner, depending on what the women need.
Pope Alessandro VII is determined to rid his city of the witches and the mysterious women, no matter what. Will he succeed? Can Giulia come out alive and escape the witch hunt?
The story comes in Guilia and Pope Alessandro VII’s first-person POVs in the present tense.
My Thoughts:
This is a dark book with several triggers (listed at the end). It is a fictional take on the life of Giulia Tofana, the woman who helped hundreds of women poison the men in their lives for various reasons (abuse mostly). I first read about her in the The League of Lady Poisoners: Illustrated True Stories of Dangerous Women by Lisa Perrin. However, I confess it took me some time to connect the dots and realize that the book is about the same person.
The narrative starts with a prologue where Giulia and four other women are being hanged for witchcraft. So we already know how the book will end. Now, we go back to when Giulia was thirteen and first let into the secret world of her mother.
The content is pretty graphic and can be hard to read at a stretch. There’s a lot of abuse (physical & sexual), which makes it hard to keep going. The book openly shows what women faced from men (husbands, fathers, brothers, lovers, clients, strangers, and just about everyone).
While I appreciate the first-person POV, I’m unsure why we get it in the present tense. Based on the prologue, this would have worked better in the past tense. Also, the voice is not too different, whether the FMC is thirteen or thirty-six. This would have made sense in the past tense.
However, I have to ask- why does the Pope get a first-person POV? This is a poisoner’s tale. It is supposed to be Giulia’s narrative. The Pope could have been limited third person. It would have been better and easier to keep the focus on the FMC.
As with most real-life-based retellings, this one also leaves me with mixed feelings. While I like that the FMC is a flawed person who made wrong decisions (which put others at risk), I’m not sure how it seems when comparing the book to a real person. As a character, Giulia makes a strong impression.
Sadly, I can’t say the same about her daughter who feels like a surreal butterfly or a spoiled brat. However, I do like the pattern we see here – the younger generation thinking it is better than the elders while making similar mistakes.
Tarot reading is one of the devices used for foreshadowing. No surprise that I liked how it played in the plot. I did find it ironic that the Hierophant card is called the Pope when the Church thinks things like tarot are a sin [Hierophant is the traditional head of spirituality (any religion), the masculine counterpart of High Priestess.] Of course, the card’s interpretation in the book aligns with Pope’s role in the story (and reality).
The abuse and torture are not too graphic but disturbing enough to affect the reader. Some of those details are necessary to show why the women did what they did and how they had to pay for it. And oh, some of those torture devices were used during the Goan Inquisition to covert people.
To summarize, A Poisoner's Tale is a dark, disturbing, and difficult read based on a real person. Make sure you are in the right mindset to read this one. There’s a bibliography at the end, which I appreciate.
Thank you, NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers (Bantam), for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #APoisonersTale
***
TW:
August 1, 2025
Un très bon roman historique, Giulia comme sa mère connaît les secrets des plantes, celles qui peuvent guérir mais aussi celles qui peuvent tuer. Elle se sert de ces dernières pour sauver la vie de femmes maltraitées par leur époux. C’est une belle reconstruction de l’Italie de l’époque moderne, c’est un roman qui se veut féministe et qui n’hésite pas à dénoncer la condition des femmes à cette époque les violences psychologiques et sexuelles, tout ça bien entendu validé par la société patriarcale.
April 5, 2024
We support women’s wrongs.
All of us wearing our own noose, now slack, now heavy around our necks.
The Foul Sorceress Giovanna. The Treacherous Witch Graziosa. The Most Wicked Temptress Maria. The Devil's Whore Girolama. Then me, the Poisoner of Palermo. The woman who started it all.
Giulia learnt the art of healing and poisoning from her mother, passed down from her mother. They make something that frees women from bad marriages, or from men who hurt them in a world where no woman is free but bound to men like chattel.
However, this could lead to allegations of ‘witch’ leading to a sure way to execution.
I wonder if we are always waiting: a woman's lot to be forever existing in the gaps, the pauses between the acts of men.
This is an empowering, gripping, feminist story full of righteous anger, injustice, and control.
Kempf knows how to lead readers to all the right emotions, using strong evocative prose that grips your heart.
Interestingly, this also has a time jump of 23 years, as well as a location change. This works to show how different circumstances still see women degraded and labeled out of fear to keep the dominant in power.
As men strut and preen, we make do with what we can, mere supporting players in the theatre of life. But what they don't know is what grows in the darkness backstage; the fraternity of women, the collusion of female-hood, the kindred understanding that blooms away from the harsh gaze of men.
Unbeknownst to me, this book is based on the legend of Giulia Tofana, a woman said to have poisoned a thousand men in seventeenth-century Palermo, Naples and Rome.
There’s a lot of Catholic-bashing and even another perspective which contains flagellation and utter devotion to his order and God.
If you enjoyed The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, I would recommend this!
Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing the physical arc in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
All of us wearing our own noose, now slack, now heavy around our necks.
The Foul Sorceress Giovanna. The Treacherous Witch Graziosa. The Most Wicked Temptress Maria. The Devil's Whore Girolama. Then me, the Poisoner of Palermo. The woman who started it all.
Giulia learnt the art of healing and poisoning from her mother, passed down from her mother. They make something that frees women from bad marriages, or from men who hurt them in a world where no woman is free but bound to men like chattel.
However, this could lead to allegations of ‘witch’ leading to a sure way to execution.
I wonder if we are always waiting: a woman's lot to be forever existing in the gaps, the pauses between the acts of men.
This is an empowering, gripping, feminist story full of righteous anger, injustice, and control.
Kempf knows how to lead readers to all the right emotions, using strong evocative prose that grips your heart.
Interestingly, this also has a time jump of 23 years, as well as a location change. This works to show how different circumstances still see women degraded and labeled out of fear to keep the dominant in power.
As men strut and preen, we make do with what we can, mere supporting players in the theatre of life. But what they don't know is what grows in the darkness backstage; the fraternity of women, the collusion of female-hood, the kindred understanding that blooms away from the harsh gaze of men.
Unbeknownst to me, this book is based on the legend of Giulia Tofana, a woman said to have poisoned a thousand men in seventeenth-century Palermo, Naples and Rome.
There’s a lot of Catholic-bashing and even another perspective which contains flagellation and utter devotion to his order and God.
If you enjoyed The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, I would recommend this!
Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing the physical arc in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram
February 4, 2025
How far would you go to help a woman in need?
Inspired by Giulia Tofana, a woman known for creating an undetectable poison and providing it to desperate wives in 17th-century Italy, Cathryn Kemp’s story asks readers to question if this poisoner was really a murderer or a saviour.
Allow Kemp to capture your attention with her spellbinding narrative that begs readers to uncover why someone would risk their life to help the oppressed women of Rome and Palermo. Was it her harrowing childhood? Grief? Rebellion? Retribution? Something else?
Kemp considers the political climate of the time and suggests that perhaps Tofana was a product of the times. With plenty of showing, not telling, Kemp makes readers aware of the few options woman had in the restrictive 17th society. Divorce wasn’t legal and most marriages were arranged. Women were uneducated and could not support themselves. In addition to these conditions, readers note the flourishing criminal underworld already in place in Rome. Alchemists, apothecaries and those who dabbled in the dark arts/magic, had already congregated and found a welcoming underground community in which to produce solutions to problems that doctors or religious orders didn’t condone or couldn’t heal.
Kemp has formatted her narrative to provide the best experience for her readers. My head was full of questions and I couldn’t read fast enough to understand this mastermind and her weapon of choice. How did Aqua Tofana become the tool of the femme fatale? You’ll have to read to find out. You’ll be championing Guilia and the women she empowers, and will be left feeling thankful for your own circle of women who support you on your journey.
Considering the reason many women sought out this powerful potion producer, readers will most likely already be prepared for some uncomfortable passages. Kemp writes with sensitivity and doesn’t skim over the darkness some women experience.
Next time I get an opportunity to wander through the bustling Campo de’Fiori, I’ll be thinking of Giulia. I wonder if this square will continue to hold its charm for me?
I was gifted this copy by Union Square and Co and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Inspired by Giulia Tofana, a woman known for creating an undetectable poison and providing it to desperate wives in 17th-century Italy, Cathryn Kemp’s story asks readers to question if this poisoner was really a murderer or a saviour.
Allow Kemp to capture your attention with her spellbinding narrative that begs readers to uncover why someone would risk their life to help the oppressed women of Rome and Palermo. Was it her harrowing childhood? Grief? Rebellion? Retribution? Something else?
Kemp considers the political climate of the time and suggests that perhaps Tofana was a product of the times. With plenty of showing, not telling, Kemp makes readers aware of the few options woman had in the restrictive 17th society. Divorce wasn’t legal and most marriages were arranged. Women were uneducated and could not support themselves. In addition to these conditions, readers note the flourishing criminal underworld already in place in Rome. Alchemists, apothecaries and those who dabbled in the dark arts/magic, had already congregated and found a welcoming underground community in which to produce solutions to problems that doctors or religious orders didn’t condone or couldn’t heal.
Kemp has formatted her narrative to provide the best experience for her readers. My head was full of questions and I couldn’t read fast enough to understand this mastermind and her weapon of choice. How did Aqua Tofana become the tool of the femme fatale? You’ll have to read to find out. You’ll be championing Guilia and the women she empowers, and will be left feeling thankful for your own circle of women who support you on your journey.
Considering the reason many women sought out this powerful potion producer, readers will most likely already be prepared for some uncomfortable passages. Kemp writes with sensitivity and doesn’t skim over the darkness some women experience.
Next time I get an opportunity to wander through the bustling Campo de’Fiori, I’ll be thinking of Giulia. I wonder if this square will continue to hold its charm for me?
I was gifted this copy by Union Square and Co and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
November 23, 2024
Being executed for killing 600 abusive men is the biography I aspire to have. Giulia Tofana you will forever be an icon.
Note: However, this book is in desperate need for some serious content warnings (e.g rape).
Note: However, this book is in desperate need for some serious content warnings (e.g rape).
October 25, 2025
3.75 stars
Love the UK cover design. Interesting story, but I was never really gripped.
Love the UK cover design. Interesting story, but I was never really gripped.
March 6, 2024
I thought this would be an interesting story set in Italy in the Middle Ages and following the journey of a persecuted witch. Although the main character is strong-willed, her narrative voice was bitter and complaining and the start of the book at least (DNF at 25%) featured a lot of horrific child abuse. I just couldn’t bring myself to continue the torture of reading - there was no hope to be found for the poor young witch and I could not see it getting any better or becoming interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and letting me give it a try.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review and letting me give it a try.
July 18, 2025
i love when pathetic men get what they deserve
September 13, 2024
“History may remember us as a troupe of evil-hearted witches, but we are women who live and breathe and love”.
This book took me by storm, although I rarely am rarely this engaged in historic fiction. Despite being in yet another reading slump I found that I was fully able to immerse myself with what I was reading, and found myself so in tune with the characters. They’re laughing, I’m laughing. They’re crying, I’m crying.
If there’s a book that has successfully displayed the struggles of women, and the bonds they from with one another, this is it.
Additionally found it so eye opening and relieving to read a book where the author has clearly done a decent amount of research of the subjects discussed, despite the book being fictional. The inclusion of a bibliography and explanation presented in the Author’s Note is something I rarely ever see in fiction (might just be the fiction I read), and something that I actually find myself thinking about quite often.
Hats off to Cathryn Kemp for this book. A must read.
This book took me by storm, although I rarely am rarely this engaged in historic fiction. Despite being in yet another reading slump I found that I was fully able to immerse myself with what I was reading, and found myself so in tune with the characters. They’re laughing, I’m laughing. They’re crying, I’m crying.
If there’s a book that has successfully displayed the struggles of women, and the bonds they from with one another, this is it.
Additionally found it so eye opening and relieving to read a book where the author has clearly done a decent amount of research of the subjects discussed, despite the book being fictional. The inclusion of a bibliography and explanation presented in the Author’s Note is something I rarely ever see in fiction (might just be the fiction I read), and something that I actually find myself thinking about quite often.
Hats off to Cathryn Kemp for this book. A must read.
March 19, 2025
This could have been so good, so good but it ended being wasted potential
It started really strong, the premise of the story was amazing, but towards the middle and end it was just meh
It started really strong, the premise of the story was amazing, but towards the middle and end it was just meh
March 31, 2025
L’autrice in questo romanzo, cerca di ripercorrere la vita di Giulia Tofana, personaggio molto discusso, a partire dal fatto che se ne dubita la reale esistenza. Nel 1632, in pieno periodo dell’Inquisizione, Giulia e sua madre, percorrono i vicoli bui di Palermo per portare la loro Acqua Tofana alle donne, da somministrare a mariti, padri, fratelli o amanti che le sottomettono attraverso violenze, soprusi e sopraffazioni. Giulia ha solo tredici anni, mentre aiuta sua madre e le sue amiche in queste faccende, eppure conosce già bene la violenza degli uomini. Nel 1656, Giulia è a Roma, sua madre è morta a Palermo accusata di stregoneria e lei ha giurato che avrebbe onorato la sua vita, continuando il lavoro che aveva iniziato. Ma a Roma sta imperversando la peste e se per un certo periodo le morti sospette sono passate inosservate in mezzo alla miriade di morti a causa dell’infezione, ora qualcuno ha messo gli occhi su questi uomini deceduti senza contrarre la febbre e che da morti hanno un aspetto migliore di quello che avevano da vivi. Infatti l’Acqua Tofana, il veleno che preparava la madre di Giulia prima e ora lei, è molto richiesto, forse fin troppo, per cui lei, sua figlia Girolama e le donne che lavorano con lei si sentono in pericolo.
Come vi dicevo il personaggio di Giulia Tofana è rimasto una leggenda, e in alcuni testi se ne mette in dubbio l’esistenza. Resta però il fatto che in un periodo tra il 1600 e il 1700, ci sono state morti di uomini molto sospette e in numero più elevato rispetto alle condizioni fisiche di quei tempi. Nel raccontare la storia di questo personaggio, anche se sotto forma di romanzo, si vede chiaramente il grande lavoro di ricerca fatto dall’autrice per farci conoscere questo personaggio. Personaggio da molti visto come strega, eretica, mentre ricercato dalla platea femminile come angelo vendicatore contro le continue vessazioni che subivano le donne.
Un libro che mi ha fatto molto pensare, che mi ha fatto inc@&&@re in alcuni, ma un libro da cui non riuscita a staccarmi. Un libro bellissimo!
Come vi dicevo il personaggio di Giulia Tofana è rimasto una leggenda, e in alcuni testi se ne mette in dubbio l’esistenza. Resta però il fatto che in un periodo tra il 1600 e il 1700, ci sono state morti di uomini molto sospette e in numero più elevato rispetto alle condizioni fisiche di quei tempi. Nel raccontare la storia di questo personaggio, anche se sotto forma di romanzo, si vede chiaramente il grande lavoro di ricerca fatto dall’autrice per farci conoscere questo personaggio. Personaggio da molti visto come strega, eretica, mentre ricercato dalla platea femminile come angelo vendicatore contro le continue vessazioni che subivano le donne.
Un libro che mi ha fatto molto pensare, che mi ha fatto inc@&&@re in alcuni, ma un libro da cui non riuscita a staccarmi. Un libro bellissimo!
August 26, 2024
A Poisoner’s Tale by Cathryn Kemp
Rating: 4.5/5
In the heart of Rome, a secret apothecary shop offers more than just herbs and fortune-telling. It's a haven for women seeking escape from their troubles, including an undetectable poison that can end a life with just four drops. Giulia Tofana, haunted by her childhood in Palermo, leads a group of female poisoners who help oppressed women break free from abusive marriages. But as Rome's men start dropping like flies during a plague, suspicion grows. With a new Pope determined to purge the city of witches and heretics, and the Inquisition hot on her trail, Giulia faces unprecedented danger. How far will she go to protect the women who depend on her?
A Poisoner's Tale isn't just a retelling of Giulia Tofana's legend. It's a gripping exploration of female rebellion against societal norms, celebrating sisterhood and motherhood through a tense, spellbinding journey.
This debut novel, based on the true story of 17th-century Italian poisoner Giulia Tofana, has it all. Expect strong witchy vibes, compelling female characters you'll root for, found family dynamics, vivid imagery, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Divided into three parts and told from multiple perspectives, we follow Giulia from childhood, when she discovers her mother's secret poison-making, to adulthood as she raises her own child in the family business.
Giulia constantly grapples with moral dilemmas, deciding who deserves her deadly concoction. This leaves readers questioning whether she's truly a murderer if she's not personally administering the poison or if she is truly as bad as the one who is.
The relationship between Giulia and Girolamo is particularly touching, mirroring the bond Giulia shared with her own mother years earlier. The say like mother, like daughter, shines through with these two.
The author's meticulous attention to detail is impressive, bringing every scene to life. Whether it's the cramped backroom of the apothecary or the gritty cobblestone streets, readers are fully immersed in the setting. Kemp should be applauded for this, especially as this is her debut novel.
In conclusion, this gothic historical novel is highly recommended. It's a captivating read that excels in every aspect.
Rating: 4.5/5
In the heart of Rome, a secret apothecary shop offers more than just herbs and fortune-telling. It's a haven for women seeking escape from their troubles, including an undetectable poison that can end a life with just four drops. Giulia Tofana, haunted by her childhood in Palermo, leads a group of female poisoners who help oppressed women break free from abusive marriages. But as Rome's men start dropping like flies during a plague, suspicion grows. With a new Pope determined to purge the city of witches and heretics, and the Inquisition hot on her trail, Giulia faces unprecedented danger. How far will she go to protect the women who depend on her?
A Poisoner's Tale isn't just a retelling of Giulia Tofana's legend. It's a gripping exploration of female rebellion against societal norms, celebrating sisterhood and motherhood through a tense, spellbinding journey.
This debut novel, based on the true story of 17th-century Italian poisoner Giulia Tofana, has it all. Expect strong witchy vibes, compelling female characters you'll root for, found family dynamics, vivid imagery, and a rollercoaster of emotions. Divided into three parts and told from multiple perspectives, we follow Giulia from childhood, when she discovers her mother's secret poison-making, to adulthood as she raises her own child in the family business.
Giulia constantly grapples with moral dilemmas, deciding who deserves her deadly concoction. This leaves readers questioning whether she's truly a murderer if she's not personally administering the poison or if she is truly as bad as the one who is.
The relationship between Giulia and Girolamo is particularly touching, mirroring the bond Giulia shared with her own mother years earlier. The say like mother, like daughter, shines through with these two.
The author's meticulous attention to detail is impressive, bringing every scene to life. Whether it's the cramped backroom of the apothecary or the gritty cobblestone streets, readers are fully immersed in the setting. Kemp should be applauded for this, especially as this is her debut novel.
In conclusion, this gothic historical novel is highly recommended. It's a captivating read that excels in every aspect.
July 12, 2025
"[This book] is dedicated to female rage and resilience, to our strength and frailties. It is an ode to courage, to loss and to freedom."
A retelling of the legend of Giulia Tofana, one I personally was not familiar with prior to reading this but am now obsessed with.
The novel follows Giulia Tofana as she grows up learning her mother's trade of distrubuting remedies to women that suffer at the hands of men. Among those remedies: an odourless tasteless poison referred to as acqua.
After the death of her mother, Giulia moves to rome finding a handful of women to form her tight-knit coven.
This story is heartbreaking and intense (pls check content warnings!!) but it tells a beautiful story of female friendships, loss and rage while asking the question whether or not Giulia's actions are justified. (They are. Always support women's wrongs!)
"From the moment I was born, a shadow was cast over me. Outcast. Whore. Witch. Poisoner. I am also Daughter, Mother, Survivor, Healer, though those parts of my history will never be written, of that I am sure."
A retelling of the legend of Giulia Tofana, one I personally was not familiar with prior to reading this but am now obsessed with.
The novel follows Giulia Tofana as she grows up learning her mother's trade of distrubuting remedies to women that suffer at the hands of men. Among those remedies: an odourless tasteless poison referred to as acqua.
After the death of her mother, Giulia moves to rome finding a handful of women to form her tight-knit coven.
This story is heartbreaking and intense (pls check content warnings!!) but it tells a beautiful story of female friendships, loss and rage while asking the question whether or not Giulia's actions are justified. (They are. Always support women's wrongs!)
"From the moment I was born, a shadow was cast over me. Outcast. Whore. Witch. Poisoner. I am also Daughter, Mother, Survivor, Healer, though those parts of my history will never be written, of that I am sure."
May 24, 2025
Un romanzo in grado di suscitare nel lettore empatia per un personaggio ambiguo come Giulia Tofana. Consigliato.
January 24, 2025
4.5 on storygraph.
That was so beautiful! I fell so in love with every single character, especially Guila and Girolama. I didn't know anything about the legend going in, so all of this was brand new to me, but has definitely sparked an interest. There were so many scenes that made my skin crawl, so many that felt relatable in today's political climate, but this was such a fantastic read that the uncomfortability was worth it.
"But you'll be killing an innocent man..."
"Is there such a thing?"
That was so beautiful! I fell so in love with every single character, especially Guila and Girolama. I didn't know anything about the legend going in, so all of this was brand new to me, but has definitely sparked an interest. There were so many scenes that made my skin crawl, so many that felt relatable in today's political climate, but this was such a fantastic read that the uncomfortability was worth it.
"But you'll be killing an innocent man..."
"Is there such a thing?"
October 21, 2025
Why do women kill ? If you need to ask, you don’t deserve to know.
In España and Italy, at a time where the Church is on a quest against heretics and sorcery, women are getting together, finding their own ways to fight back, living secret lives. Saving themselves, their loved ones, as well as neighbors and strangers.
Sorority, rage and sacrifice.
Love, understanding and pain.
The FMC, Giulia, is beautifully written, complex, faulty, secretive, undeniably brave. The stories she hears are ones we’ve all heard. The looks she shares with other women are ones we’ve all shared, at least once.
In España and Italy, at a time where the Church is on a quest against heretics and sorcery, women are getting together, finding their own ways to fight back, living secret lives. Saving themselves, their loved ones, as well as neighbors and strangers.
Sorority, rage and sacrifice.
Love, understanding and pain.
The FMC, Giulia, is beautifully written, complex, faulty, secretive, undeniably brave. The stories she hears are ones we’ve all heard. The looks she shares with other women are ones we’ve all shared, at least once.
April 10, 2025
Per lunghi secoli le donne sono state costrette a subire pregiudizi e violenze che le hanno messe in una prigione morale, oltre che fisica. Ed è sicuramente, anche per questi motivi, che Giulia apprende con apparente facilità l'arte della madre, Teofania: quella di preparare una sostanza mortale che aiuta le donne a disfarsi di mariti e amanti misogini senza lasciare traccia.
L'avvelenatrice di uomini è un romanzo storico che offre la prospettiva femminile in un momento in cui alle donne era concesso poco o niente e forse quello che fanno Giulia e le sue compagne non è ribellione ma cercare di mantenere la dignità che, in quel momento, era più un'opzione che un diritto fondamentale.
L'avvelenatrice di uomini è un romanzo storico che offre la prospettiva femminile in un momento in cui alle donne era concesso poco o niente e forse quello che fanno Giulia e le sue compagne non è ribellione ma cercare di mantenere la dignità che, in quel momento, era più un'opzione che un diritto fondamentale.
June 10, 2025
Alors malheureusement on est plus sur un 2,5 / 5, tristement ce roman fut une déception pour moi même si je préfère préciser que j’avais de forte attentes sur ce roman de part son titre qui m’avait vendu du rêve en terme de roman historique avec une héroïne mythique. La plume est fort agréable et très Turner page ce qui fait qu’on s’immerge très rapidement dans le récit qui au début pose efficacement les bases de l’intrigue et la naissance de ce que deviendra plus tard Giulia et lui donnera la renommée qu’elle a encore aujourd’hui. Cependant la suite n’a fait que me décevoir plus on avancer ( surtout avec le personnage de girolama qui m’a agacé au possible), il a plusieurs choix qui m’ont laissé dubitatif et qui du coup m’a laissé un goût amer. La fin initié au début du roman est un joie que je trouve judicieux mais qui vers la fin ne m’a pas ému car les personnages n’ont fait que diminué dans mon estime. Terriblement triste de ne pas avoir aimé ce roman à sa juste valeur car c’est un personnage mythique qui m’a poussé à faire des recherches à côté mais du coup ce roman n’as pas comble mes attentes peut être si mes attentes n’était pas aussi élevé j’aurais davantage apprécié ce roman.
March 3, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for the ARC
First off, this needs content warnings. It's a doozy. CW for pedophilia, rape, murder, religious bigotry, stalking, and torture. The murder is fairly obvious and usually implied, though, as this is about a real, serial poisoner of Renaissance Italy. I did like this feminist retelling of Guila Tofana's life. It relies on the facts about her life as best as possible, which is difficult because there is so little that can be pinned down. She's a fascinating figure, and this does her story well. I did find her daughter really annoying and selfish, beyond what is kinda expected of young daughters. I also didn't understand the mental connection Guila has with the poison itself? The story was mostly realistic except for these segments, and it feels out of place.
First off, this needs content warnings. It's a doozy. CW for pedophilia, rape, murder, religious bigotry, stalking, and torture. The murder is fairly obvious and usually implied, though, as this is about a real, serial poisoner of Renaissance Italy. I did like this feminist retelling of Guila Tofana's life. It relies on the facts about her life as best as possible, which is difficult because there is so little that can be pinned down. She's a fascinating figure, and this does her story well. I did find her daughter really annoying and selfish, beyond what is kinda expected of young daughters. I also didn't understand the mental connection Guila has with the poison itself? The story was mostly realistic except for these segments, and it feels out of place.
June 12, 2025
I was a bit underwhelmed by this book tbh. The internal monologues were repetitive, the characters flat and naive. The POV of the pope was written in the same manner as Giulias, making it kind of useless and uninteresting (Besides him being the biggest mama-boy in history?!).
It got better in the end tho and it has an underlying feminist perspective that shines a light on the tortures and horrors women had to endure (&some of them still exist). I am glad i finished it, it wasnt an easy read nor was it a very well built plot with clever intrigues etc. It was mostly just Giulias (often very annoying and weirdly 'poetic' and naive) thoughts.
It got better in the end tho and it has an underlying feminist perspective that shines a light on the tortures and horrors women had to endure (&some of them still exist). I am glad i finished it, it wasnt an easy read nor was it a very well built plot with clever intrigues etc. It was mostly just Giulias (often very annoying and weirdly 'poetic' and naive) thoughts.
May 2, 2025
Trigger warnings so you don’t get blindsided : rape, pedophilia.
A bit disappointed by this one. I wasn’t expecting sexual assault on a child nor graphic violence, but here we are. I didn’t really root for any of the characters, although Giulia Tofana’s story was what draw me to the book. Most characters were glossed over, and even if I can understand Giulia’s motivations, the whole thing felt a bit lacking in story and character development.
A bit disappointed by this one. I wasn’t expecting sexual assault on a child nor graphic violence, but here we are. I didn’t really root for any of the characters, although Giulia Tofana’s story was what draw me to the book. Most characters were glossed over, and even if I can understand Giulia’s motivations, the whole thing felt a bit lacking in story and character development.
January 29, 2025
Mary sue narrator with dozens of bad calls and horrific, repetitive child abuse? No thanks
June 22, 2025
Have been intrigued to read this since attending a reading on this book last year in Edinburgh and it did not disappoint me at all. The storytelling puts you right in Giulia’s mind and of the other characters as-well, and trully makes you try to understand them. The writing sometimes kept going to long but other than that I truly enjoyed this book!
January 4, 2025
This is a beautifully written book about extremely dark subject matter. It had a lot of triggers in that way so was a tough read, but I loved the sisterhood theme and found it very compelling.
August 31, 2025
4,5/5
January 1, 2025
Not only was this book enlightening as to how women were treated in the 1600s, but it created a scenario of moral discussion. As by the tagline “Murderer or Saviour?”, the main character Giulia allows for great discussion and insight into the motives behind her actions, oftentimes delving into the thought process of why she did what she did, and the burden she carries whilst doing it.
The story is also inspiring for what I could only imagine would be many women. The dynamic between Giulia, her mother, and Giulia’s daughter Girolama, helps to show the different ways in which a woman of that time might fight against the system that tries so hard to keep them subservient.
The book also serves as a brilliant potential introduction into the historic events of Aqua Tofana, and the way it’s written makes it feel like it’s not something to shy away from, and rather something to embrace; the potential power a woman might hold, and the lengths they’re willing to go to be who they want to be
The story is also inspiring for what I could only imagine would be many women. The dynamic between Giulia, her mother, and Giulia’s daughter Girolama, helps to show the different ways in which a woman of that time might fight against the system that tries so hard to keep them subservient.
The book also serves as a brilliant potential introduction into the historic events of Aqua Tofana, and the way it’s written makes it feel like it’s not something to shy away from, and rather something to embrace; the potential power a woman might hold, and the lengths they’re willing to go to be who they want to be
May 10, 2025
I really didn't like this.
There were several reasons:
- As this is a historical fantasy book set in Rome during a period where the inquisition was very active, I expected a lot more from the setting. I expected a thrilling cat and mouse game between the inquisitors and the cunning poisoners, but no. The plot is exactly what the cover and backcover say and the ending is immediately told in the prologue. Also there were some historical inaccuracies, like the Pope being a fan of the Malleus Maleficarum, which was actually never sanctioned by the Pope.
- The story is mostly told from the perspective of the poisoner, which deprives the reader of historical context and is also boring, as there never is any character development and no character is characterized that well.
- The book doesn't have neither nuance nor substance. It is perfectly clear why they do what they do and as written before, the whole plot is summarized on the backcover. Nothing else happens. They brew poison and help women get rid of their abusive husbands and then hang for it. That's all. No cat and mouse game, no intrigue, no doubting themselves or others, no remorse for maybe killing an innocent, not even a "I fell in love with the enemy" kind of complication.
I was constantly wondering if something is gonna happen toward the end of the book, but I read and read - and thankfully the writing itself isn't bad - and I arrived at the end with the same knowledge I had after reading the prologue.
I can acknowledge that there might be people that this book is for, people who can enjoy the way this book is written, but it definitely wasn't for me.
There were several reasons:
- As this is a historical fantasy book set in Rome during a period where the inquisition was very active, I expected a lot more from the setting. I expected a thrilling cat and mouse game between the inquisitors and the cunning poisoners, but no. The plot is exactly what the cover and backcover say and the ending is immediately told in the prologue. Also there were some historical inaccuracies, like the Pope being a fan of the Malleus Maleficarum, which was actually never sanctioned by the Pope.
- The story is mostly told from the perspective of the poisoner, which deprives the reader of historical context and is also boring, as there never is any character development and no character is characterized that well.
- The book doesn't have neither nuance nor substance. It is perfectly clear why they do what they do and as written before, the whole plot is summarized on the backcover. Nothing else happens. They brew poison and help women get rid of their abusive husbands and then hang for it. That's all. No cat and mouse game, no intrigue, no doubting themselves or others, no remorse for maybe killing an innocent, not even a "I fell in love with the enemy" kind of complication.
I was constantly wondering if something is gonna happen toward the end of the book, but I read and read - and thankfully the writing itself isn't bad - and I arrived at the end with the same knowledge I had after reading the prologue.
I can acknowledge that there might be people that this book is for, people who can enjoy the way this book is written, but it definitely wasn't for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2025
Questo romanzo racconta la storia di Giulia Tofana, una donna vissuta nel XVII secolo che la leggenda narra avrebbe avvelenato uomini colpevoli di maltrattare le loro mogli, amanti e figlie e da qui soprannominata “l’avvelenatrice di uomini”.
Dal prologo è possibile intuirne il finale ma nonostante ciò si viene trascinati nella narrazione e ci si immerge nella vicenda che l’ha portata fino a quel momento.
Fin dalle prime pagine infatti il lettore è portato ad empatizzare con la protagonista le cui azioni lo portano a meditare, a riflettere sulle sfumature e a capire ma senza giudicare.
Giulia è una donna forte e indipendente che nonostante i soprusi subiti è riuscita a conquistare la sua libertà ed ha vissuto la propria esistenza come desiderava. Questa emancipazione purtroppo le è costata la vita in un periodo storico in cui le donne non potevano sentirsi libere ma dovevano sottostare al potere maschile.
È sicuramente un pugno nello stomaco soprattutto in questi giorni dove balzano alle cronache storie di donne vittime delle “attenzioni” di uomini.
Suggerisco la lettura perché è una storia che “smuove” e come ogni narrazione di questo genere è utile aprire la mente e nutrire l’anima.
Molto consigliato.
Dal prologo è possibile intuirne il finale ma nonostante ciò si viene trascinati nella narrazione e ci si immerge nella vicenda che l’ha portata fino a quel momento.
Fin dalle prime pagine infatti il lettore è portato ad empatizzare con la protagonista le cui azioni lo portano a meditare, a riflettere sulle sfumature e a capire ma senza giudicare.
Giulia è una donna forte e indipendente che nonostante i soprusi subiti è riuscita a conquistare la sua libertà ed ha vissuto la propria esistenza come desiderava. Questa emancipazione purtroppo le è costata la vita in un periodo storico in cui le donne non potevano sentirsi libere ma dovevano sottostare al potere maschile.
È sicuramente un pugno nello stomaco soprattutto in questi giorni dove balzano alle cronache storie di donne vittime delle “attenzioni” di uomini.
Suggerisco la lettura perché è una storia che “smuove” e come ogni narrazione di questo genere è utile aprire la mente e nutrire l’anima.
Molto consigliato.
May 12, 2025
I was not aware of this title before it was picked for our May book club. After reading the description of this novel, I was giddy and excited to start reading. Women poisoning evil men to save women from their abusive marriages? We love celebrating women’s rights (and wrongs!) The premise had so much potential with its blend of historical intrigue and dark mystery, and I was hoping to be blown away by this one.
Instead, I feel utterly disappointed, and I trudged through this book just to finish it, switching to an audiobook almost immediately. While Kemp is obviously a talented writer, I found her prose to be utterly lackluster. The twists were predictable, and the resolution lacked impact. The plot suffered with its pacing, making it a struggle to stay engaged. I should have felt more for these characters, but by the end of the novel, I felt nothing.
I would not recommend this book to anyone I personally know.
Instead, I feel utterly disappointed, and I trudged through this book just to finish it, switching to an audiobook almost immediately. While Kemp is obviously a talented writer, I found her prose to be utterly lackluster. The twists were predictable, and the resolution lacked impact. The plot suffered with its pacing, making it a struggle to stay engaged. I should have felt more for these characters, but by the end of the novel, I felt nothing.
I would not recommend this book to anyone I personally know.
March 14, 2025
C’est un roman historique que j’ai beaucoup apprécié et qui m’a aussi beaucoup énervé. Je l’ai beaucoup apprécié car on n’a pas l’impression d’avoir lu 400 pages, ça passe très vite même si je pense que certains y trouveront un peu de longueur. Les personnages sont bien introduit et en douceur ce qui permet de bien suivre. Cette lecture m’a beaucoup énervé car cette partie de l’histoire est aberrante pour la situation de la femme…j’ai parfois l’impression que certaines situations présentées pourraient tout à fait se dérouler aujourd’hui. J’aime beaucoup ce type de lecture car on y trouve beaucoup de sororité et d’entraide.
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