What do you think?
Rate this book
Captivating Whodunnit British Murder Mystery Series with a twist of poison! Hugely popular author makes this beautiful historic city of Cambridge, England, leap off the page, with the eccentric Professor of poisons, Elizabeth Green, in this English crime fiction series. What the fast-growing number choosing the popular Cambridge Murder Mysteries have to say… “Murder in Cambridge? Check out the novel by local author @queencharlot...a truly gripping read!” Cambridge Literary Festival @camlitfest Twitter “If you love Darwin College Cambridge & murder mystery books Alumna @queencharlot novel Poison is made for you!”Darwin College, Cambridge @DarwinCollege Twitter “A clever tale, well written, nice strong characters with an interesting blend of personalities. Everyone has strengths and frailties which makes them well-rounded and believable. If you like a mystery that is a well told story, not just a collection of horrors, then this could be the book and the series for you” Amazon review The plot When junior lecturer Edward Wiley dies a horrifically painful death and police pathology cannot establish the cause of death, amateur sleuth Professor Elizabeth Green is desperate to help, especially with the crime scene being her own back garden by the river. A professor of poisons, Professor Green is determined to find the murderer before there is more death on the cobbles of Cambridge. When the Dean of Bene’t’s College seems to be involved, when other Fellows keep tight-lipped, and even Inspector Abley is spending too much time on the golf course instead of investigating, it feels like the killer will strike again. Following another grisly murder, a tense Inspector Abley realises he can't solve this crime without Elizabeth. With people dropping like flies and dead bodies increasing in number, Elizabeth's unbridled curiosity embroil this meddling sleuth right in the heart of this mysterious thriller of a case in this historic city. The Series The Cambridge Murder Mysteries series feature an amateur sleuth Professor Elizabeth Green, and her sidekicks Inspector Abley and grandson, Godric. As the series unfolds, we learn more about these characters. If you like crime fiction, murder mysteries, whodunnits, women sleuths, traditional British detective stories, then you might like these books in the Bk1 ‘Poison’, Bk2 ‘Cursed’, Bk3 ‘Blood Moon’, Bk4 ‘A Christmas Mystery’, Bk5 ‘Valentine’s Day – Kiss of Death’, and the novella ‘Christmas Eve in Grantchester’. Or, if you just like a good mystery set in Cambridge with all the quirky peculiarities of the English, then the Cambridge Murder Mysteries might be for you too. If you enjoy intelligent storytelling, strong and vulnerable characters with twists and turns of the plot, then you’ll love the puzzles of these whodunnits. Charlot's fondness for Cambridge is replicated in her series, which has been described as evocative and authentic of this historic English city. And what of Professor Elizabeth Green? In her fifties, this female protagonist woman sleuth is quintessentially English. An eccentric professor in her ivory tower, she maintains a sharp wit, yet is flawed by her inability to connect well with people, instead giving off a cold, opinionated and sometimes acerbic air.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2015
151 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Charlot King
14 books145 followersCharlot King is an international best-selling author, best known for creating evocative murder mystery novels including 'The Cambridge Murder Mysteries' series set in Cambridge England, which have been described as “gripping”, “page-turning”, and “refreshingly new”, and which are rapidly becoming well known and popular reads in the whodunnit mysteries genre.
'Poison' (Bk 1 of The Cambridge Murder Mysteries) was the debut novel published in 2015 and became a popular title for traditional British detective readers and women sleuth fans. Charlot has an increasing number of loyal readers who get notified through pre-order of deals, and also when her books go on sale through her mail list. Bk's 1-5 in the series are out now: 'Poison', 'Cursed', 'Blood Moon', 'A Christmas Mystery', 'Valentine's Day - Kiss of Death', and Bk6 coming later this year. There is also a prequel novella in the series, 'Christmas Eve in Grantchester'.
Charlot studied for a doctorate at the University of Cambridge and went on to lecture as a Don at Oxford University. She then moved to work for the BBC in Drama and worked in development in the UK film industry. Charlot is now a part time tutor at Madingley Hall, the University of Cambridge.
'Poison' (Bk 1 of The Cambridge Murder Mysteries) was the debut novel published in 2015 and became a popular title for traditional British detective readers and women sleuth fans. Charlot has an increasing number of loyal readers who get notified through pre-order of deals, and also when her books go on sale through her mail list. Bk's 1-5 in the series are out now: 'Poison', 'Cursed', 'Blood Moon', 'A Christmas Mystery', 'Valentine's Day - Kiss of Death', and Bk6 coming later this year. There is also a prequel novella in the series, 'Christmas Eve in Grantchester'.
Charlot studied for a doctorate at the University of Cambridge and went on to lecture as a Don at Oxford University. She then moved to work for the BBC in Drama and worked in development in the UK film industry. Charlot is now a part time tutor at Madingley Hall, the University of Cambridge.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Read
February 18, 2018If you follow the author on Twitter, you will view not only some lovely photographs of Cambridge University architecture and scenery, but have the pleasure of meeting Moonbear, who absolutely has to be the most stunningly drop-dead-gorgeous to-die-for dog you could ever imagine. Which meant I absolutely had to give Poison a try. Unfortunately we encounter the standard collection of off-the-shelf characters for a mystery with an academic setting. There’s the main character, the eccentric don who insists on intruding into police business (Edmund Crispin was a very very long time ago), the fifty-something widow Elizabeth who is an expert on deadly plants, the victim the usual sleazy academic adulterer and his unpleasant mistress, and the usual stereotyped ambitious politician. At the point Elizabeth announced she was an atheist I decided to DNF. I didn’t care what happened to anybody in this book. Thinking particularly of King’s College Chapel it amazes me that such artistic and spiritual excellence is wasted on a generation who have no idea of their use or what they are for. Made me reflect on the Cambridge of Simon Raven, the stories of which formed my young manhood. Though Raven’s characters were just as morally and spiritually dead in the ’50’s and ‘60s as these, at least they knew they were on what once was holy ground, they were perhaps a generation or two away from a community who actually knew what a chapel was for and why they needed it. The people in this novel are also spiritually dead, but they don’t even know that there’s anything to miss. But OMG, that dog is beautiful!
November 8, 2016
A mystery set in Cambridge, featuring an eccentric female amateur sleuth - what's not to like? The author has an unusual style which I found it a little difficult to get used to but once I got into the story I found I didn't notice it. The body of a lecturer and colleague is washed up on Professor Elizabeth Green's riverside garden.
Elizabeth is still mourning her dead husband and her friend Detective Inspector Bob Abley thinks it is too soon after his death to involve her in another murder case. Elizabeth wants to be involved as she wants to be needed. When the pathologist is unable to identify the cause of the victim's death, Abley finds himself forced to consult Elizabeth who is an expert in poison.
I loved the background to this interesting mystery and I like Elizabeth as a character She has a sharp tongue and an equally sharp intelligence and she really doesn't care who she upsets when she is in pursuit of the truth. It soon becomes clear that there is more behind the unexplained death than at first appears when another murder is committed.
There is an interesting sub-plot involving stolen grapes which keeps Elizabeth and the reader guessing and provides some light relief from the murder mystery. I thought all the characters were well drawn - especially the obnoxious MP - the brother-in-law of the first victim. His sister's behaviour seems rather stranger than is perhaps necessary for the plot but that is my only real criticism of this interesting start to a new series which will delight those who enjoy well written mysteries with an Oxbridge background.
Elizabeth is still mourning her dead husband and her friend Detective Inspector Bob Abley thinks it is too soon after his death to involve her in another murder case. Elizabeth wants to be involved as she wants to be needed. When the pathologist is unable to identify the cause of the victim's death, Abley finds himself forced to consult Elizabeth who is an expert in poison.
I loved the background to this interesting mystery and I like Elizabeth as a character She has a sharp tongue and an equally sharp intelligence and she really doesn't care who she upsets when she is in pursuit of the truth. It soon becomes clear that there is more behind the unexplained death than at first appears when another murder is committed.
There is an interesting sub-plot involving stolen grapes which keeps Elizabeth and the reader guessing and provides some light relief from the murder mystery. I thought all the characters were well drawn - especially the obnoxious MP - the brother-in-law of the first victim. His sister's behaviour seems rather stranger than is perhaps necessary for the plot but that is my only real criticism of this interesting start to a new series which will delight those who enjoy well written mysteries with an Oxbridge background.
June 4, 2018
I liked the main characters in this book and I was engaged with the story which was interesting and intriguing. But I was slightly put off by the style. It's written in the present tense and I found this rather clunky at times, with paragraphs I had to read over again to get the meaning which interrupted the flow of the story.
I'm going to carry on with the series and I've given the book 4 stars because I enjoyed it despite the, at times, heavy-handed writing style.
I'm going to carry on with the series and I've given the book 4 stars because I enjoyed it despite the, at times, heavy-handed writing style.
June 28, 2021
First book for a long time that I didn't really want to finish as I had no connection with characters. Overly descriptive writing main reason I think. Did complete book to see how the rather convoluted conclusions were led to.
February 23, 2018
First, the bad: this is another Kindle-published book in need of an editor. My chief nitpick is the failure of the narrative to stay in the present or past tense. The author also introduces some confusion when one character's dialog carries over several paragraphs; I was taught to begin each paragraph with a quotation mark and leave the end of the paragraph open to signal to the reader that the next paragraph would be spoken by the same character, whereas the author leaves the beginning of successive paragraphs open. And some dialogue exchanges need tags, as it is not clear which character is speaking.
As another reviewer noted, Rebecca is a bit more volatile than needed, but perhaps we're meant to deduce something about the victim: he seems to have deliberately chosen two women lacking sufficient self-esteem to confront him. Jonathan, the MP, and his long-suffering girlfriend are more complex characters, and the author develops them to the extent that the final scene of the book does not seem out of context with their characters.
But, on to the principal characters, Elizabeth, her grandson, Godric, and DI Abley. Elizabeth is lovely; she's not just another lay person medling in crime but a university don with the expertise Abley needs in this case. I found the efforts of Abley and Elizabeth's friend to shield her from involvement irritating; not only is that plot device overused, but Godric seems to be only person who sees her as a strong and intelligent women, and not as some dottering widow needing to be put out to pasture.
The author's introduction of her characters, in the first book of a series, is light-handed; she doesn't give us more background than we need to know, and allows the main characters to reveal bits of their past where appropriate. That sets Charlot King a bit above the crowd of Kindle-published authors and offers some hope for the next books in the series.
As another reviewer noted, Rebecca is a bit more volatile than needed, but perhaps we're meant to deduce something about the victim: he seems to have deliberately chosen two women lacking sufficient self-esteem to confront him. Jonathan, the MP, and his long-suffering girlfriend are more complex characters, and the author develops them to the extent that the final scene of the book does not seem out of context with their characters.
But, on to the principal characters, Elizabeth, her grandson, Godric, and DI Abley. Elizabeth is lovely; she's not just another lay person medling in crime but a university don with the expertise Abley needs in this case. I found the efforts of Abley and Elizabeth's friend to shield her from involvement irritating; not only is that plot device overused, but Godric seems to be only person who sees her as a strong and intelligent women, and not as some dottering widow needing to be put out to pasture.
The author's introduction of her characters, in the first book of a series, is light-handed; she doesn't give us more background than we need to know, and allows the main characters to reveal bits of their past where appropriate. That sets Charlot King a bit above the crowd of Kindle-published authors and offers some hope for the next books in the series.
October 14, 2015
I've had this one in my queue for a while now, and decided it was time to move it along. Mot one I'd recommend as it's rather boring and there are some grammatical issues... The voice of the author is always changing - parts are in 2nd person past and some are in 2nd person/3rd person present. Kind of sloppy if you ask me. This is really long winded, and not for a good reason. The action drags as we discuss all sorts of trivial things; the weather mainly. Tightening up the dialog and prose, and moving the story along at a much quicker pace would surely help, but even the characters are kind of meh. Sorry.
March 20, 2023
Poison by Charlot King is the first book in the Cambridge Murder Mysteries series. The dying body of Cambridge lecturer, Edward Wiley, washes up on Professor Elizabeth Green's lawn. Professor Elizabeth Green is a botanist, specialising in poisonous plants, and acts as consultant to the Cambridgeshire police. A nice introduction to the characters and I liked getting to know Elizabeth who is intelligent and rather eccentric. I enjoyed learning a little about Cambridge and I loved the descriptions of the University and surrounds.The mystery itself was rather slow and I found Inspector Abley's portrayal unrealistic and offputting.
October 18, 2015
A Kindle-only murder mystery of the traditional style but set in modern-day Cambridge. I love reading stories set in the city where I live, and this was very authentic. The characters were also well-drawn, but not always likeable, even those who will presumably become series characters, but endearing nevertheless. The resolution was suitably satisfying. I look forward to reading the next in the series and indeed to seeing this one in book form.
February 25, 2019
A contemporary murder mystery set in Cambridge, a woman of a certain age detecting, poison and corruption make for an excellent and sometimes humourous novel. This book has charm and some passion as clues, motives and mysteries pile up around the unorthodox team of Professor Elizabeth Green, her grandson Godric and Inspector Alby. Cycling around the city or driving the aging Talbot, botanist Elizabeth gets close to her suspects, just as she knew the first victim. This is far from a straightforward murder mystery, as many people have their reasons for remaining silent, and the Cambridge system contrives to make the investigation even more delicate. I am glad to have come upon a copy of this book, the first in a series, in the rather brilliant Heffers bookshop.
The book opens with an assignation which goes wrong, and ends in death. As Edward finds himself in the river Cam, Elizabeth sadly remembers her recent loss, and is traumatised when she discovers a dying man. When Inspector Alby turns up they both remember past investigations and yet Alby warns her off getting involved in this case. This does not stop her finding and talking to Susan, who it seems knew Edward rather too well. Meanwhile, his widow, the despairing Rebecca, contacts her brother, the ambitious M.P. Jonathan Smythe, and he tries to help her with the assistance of his girlfriend. At the same time a college dean begins to realise that he has perhaps taken on too great a challenge in the quest to fund his college. Elizabeth must use her specialist knowledge despite the advice of her friends, Alby plays golf, and Godric does everything except academic work. As revelations and red herrings pile up, Elizabeth defies all advice in order to get to the truth, as well as attempt to discover just who is stealing her grapes…
This book is in some ways a simple story in the well described setting of Cambridge. It presents a vivid picture of life in the city in the twenty first century, when links across the world mean that murder is not just an enclosed matter. In terms of detection it is actually more logical than some other novels that I have read set in the University. I certainly enjoyed its carefully constructed world, and I liked the character of Elizabeth immensely, as she is quite determined to set the world to rights despite everything thrown at her. The wayward Godric certainly has possibilities as a foil and assistant, though Inspector Alby is not always the sharpest hope, despite his evident concern for Elizabeth’s well being. I found the continuous use of the present tense a bit of a problem, but that was the only downside of this otherwise very enjoyable book. I have already bought a copy of the second book, and look forward to becoming involved again in the puzzling world of Cambridge University in the company of Elizabeth Green and co.
The book opens with an assignation which goes wrong, and ends in death. As Edward finds himself in the river Cam, Elizabeth sadly remembers her recent loss, and is traumatised when she discovers a dying man. When Inspector Alby turns up they both remember past investigations and yet Alby warns her off getting involved in this case. This does not stop her finding and talking to Susan, who it seems knew Edward rather too well. Meanwhile, his widow, the despairing Rebecca, contacts her brother, the ambitious M.P. Jonathan Smythe, and he tries to help her with the assistance of his girlfriend. At the same time a college dean begins to realise that he has perhaps taken on too great a challenge in the quest to fund his college. Elizabeth must use her specialist knowledge despite the advice of her friends, Alby plays golf, and Godric does everything except academic work. As revelations and red herrings pile up, Elizabeth defies all advice in order to get to the truth, as well as attempt to discover just who is stealing her grapes…
This book is in some ways a simple story in the well described setting of Cambridge. It presents a vivid picture of life in the city in the twenty first century, when links across the world mean that murder is not just an enclosed matter. In terms of detection it is actually more logical than some other novels that I have read set in the University. I certainly enjoyed its carefully constructed world, and I liked the character of Elizabeth immensely, as she is quite determined to set the world to rights despite everything thrown at her. The wayward Godric certainly has possibilities as a foil and assistant, though Inspector Alby is not always the sharpest hope, despite his evident concern for Elizabeth’s well being. I found the continuous use of the present tense a bit of a problem, but that was the only downside of this otherwise very enjoyable book. I have already bought a copy of the second book, and look forward to becoming involved again in the puzzling world of Cambridge University in the company of Elizabeth Green and co.
November 5, 2018
Almost from the beginning of this book, I had worked out the murderer. That never spoils a film or a book for me, I enjoy the conformation of being proved right. Charlot, the author, made sure her readers were given a good insight into all her characters, their lives, loves and faults. The only person the murderer couldn't possibly be was - the Cambridge sleuth, the police Inspector and the deceased himself. I was given an interesting view on poisonous plants, the intrigues of an upcoming Politician and an in depth tour of the wonderful City of Cambridge, where I have to admit, my Grandfather was a Chemistry Lecturer, until his retirement. Well done to Charlot, a thoroughly intriguing book. I now hasten to read the second book in the series where I meet once again, Elizabeth, her Grandson and the Inspector. One last comment... I was wrong in my thoughts as to whom the murderer was, thanks to Charlot for feeding me so much wrong information.
February 26, 2020
Charlot King's first book in this series, Poison, is excellent. Her description of the beautiful Cambridge University and surrounding area is exquisite and made me feel like I was right there. Dr. Elizabeth Green, poison expert and dedicated gardener, along with Inspector Abley, Sergeant Lemon and grandson, Godric, make an interesting team with a variety of skills to tackle the murder of a junior lecturer. The plot is intriguing and thoroughly satisfying. I heartily recommend this book to lovers of British mystery.
October 11, 2020
Charlot Kings book called poison has had me on the edge of my seat and I've not been able to put this book down as charlott takes me on on a journey to solve the murders that have taken place in Cambridge.
The characters are amazing, especially Elizabeth Green who is a expert on poisonous Substances.
The dialogue is brilliant and the writing is brilliant.
I felt so wrapped up with the characters like I knew them personally.
I have really enjoyed this novel.
Charlotte has a lot of potential as one of the best mystery/suspense writers of our time.
A throughly enjoyable read.
The characters are amazing, especially Elizabeth Green who is a expert on poisonous Substances.
The dialogue is brilliant and the writing is brilliant.
I felt so wrapped up with the characters like I knew them personally.
I have really enjoyed this novel.
Charlotte has a lot of potential as one of the best mystery/suspense writers of our time.
A throughly enjoyable read.
February 17, 2022
I nearly gave up after the first couple of chapters, the author seems to want to describe everything and I was just getting bored. I kept going in the hope that Elizabeth might turn out to be really interesting. Unfortunately she isn’t, although she does have potential and I might have stayed with the book if the author had developed her a little quicker.
The author also has a strange sort of staccato style and I sometimes found it difficult to work out whose viewpoint it was. In the end I’m afraid I gave up on the book as it didn’t really seem to be getting anywhere.
The author also has a strange sort of staccato style and I sometimes found it difficult to work out whose viewpoint it was. In the end I’m afraid I gave up on the book as it didn’t really seem to be getting anywhere.
October 28, 2019
An entertaining puzzle
Poison caught my interest from the opening lines. It's rare that a book written in present tense is so well done, but Charlot King has managed it well. I enjoyed the way the characters' secrets and interactions increased the mystery, and the murderer was quite a surprise to me! I'm eager to read more from this writer.
Poison caught my interest from the opening lines. It's rare that a book written in present tense is so well done, but Charlot King has managed it well. I enjoyed the way the characters' secrets and interactions increased the mystery, and the murderer was quite a surprise to me! I'm eager to read more from this writer.
December 28, 2023
Good British mystery set around Cambridge. First of series. Good complex characters, nice twists and turns to the plot. I recently read the 4th book in the series, set at Christmas, and the relationships between the recurring characters made me want to start at the beginning and read what came before. The first book doesn't disappoint!
July 11, 2024
At about 15% I'm just not drawn in. The characters I've met so far are not enjoyable to me ... a little mean, a little self centered. I suppose they're meant to grow, but I'd really prefer them to be at least a little likable to start. I actually had bought this one, so I may try again later but, for now, DNF
October 7, 2024
A very fast paced mystery
Ms. KING writes a well thought out story. I accidentally read BOok 2 first. This is book one and the introduction to the characters is very helpful. Elizabeth is an obnoxious, pushy detective, but an intelligent woman who gets the job done. Clever and a quick read.
Ms. KING writes a well thought out story. I accidentally read BOok 2 first. This is book one and the introduction to the characters is very helpful. Elizabeth is an obnoxious, pushy detective, but an intelligent woman who gets the job done. Clever and a quick read.
March 26, 2025
Cambridge is a scary place it seems
Elizabeth is an authority on plants and an amateur on solving murders. The book is full of well developed characters and also details about life in Cambridge. It is also well written. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
Elizabeth is an authority on plants and an amateur on solving murders. The book is full of well developed characters and also details about life in Cambridge. It is also well written. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the next in the series.
May 31, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. I like the mystery element and I enjoyed the characters and unusual style of writing. The Cambridge setting is well written and adds a nice element to the story too. I'd say this was definitely worth a read.
June 3, 2018
I loved this book. Set in Cambridge, the eccentric Professor Elizabeth Greene is like a modern day Miss Marple, keen to insinuate herself into the investigation and assist the police. A perfect book for lazy, summer days.
September 7, 2020
I found this author by accident and what a lucky discovery she was! Thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series. Beautifully written and cleverly plotted. I didn't guess the killer! Highly recommend. I will be buying book two.
November 29, 2022
Fun characters!
At first I found it hard to get into. But after a few pages I got into the authors style. The characters were quirky, and fun.
A lot of possible suspects. A good mystery in a good location!
At first I found it hard to get into. But after a few pages I got into the authors style. The characters were quirky, and fun.
A lot of possible suspects. A good mystery in a good location!
February 23, 2018
An interesting lead character in the "interfering amateur" category and a most intriguing plot. Looking forward to reading the next one.
Read
July 27, 2020elizabeth green, i love this character and superbly working alongside insp abley , a wonderful read, i recommend getting into these books and follow along.
July 28, 2020
Very good mystery! Really enjoyed this book, hard to put down. Looking forward to more in this series!
February 20, 2021
3.5 stars 🌟
June 5, 2021
Really enjoyed this, but it needs a proper edit. The typos and grammatical mistakes were irritating.
September 11, 2022
I intensely disliked most of the characters.
March 17, 2023
It took forever to get into this book. While the basic story was good the ongoing descriptions kept the plot moving slowly. Won’t continue with the series.
July 26, 2023
I have always enjoyed an adventure with Professor Green, and this was no exception. However, it did get a bit convoluted. That being said, i will always pick up a book by Charlot King.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews