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The Husband Poisoner: Suburban women who killed in post-World War II Sydney
Shocking real-life stories of murderous women who used rat poison to rid themselves of husbands and other inconvenient family members. For readers of compelling history and true crime, from critically acclaimed, award-winning author Tanya Bretherton.
After World War II, Sydney experienced a crime wave that was chillingly calculated. Discontent mixed with despair, greed with callous disregard. Women who had lost their wartime freedoms headed back into the kitchen with sinister intent and the household poison thallium, normally used to kill rats, was repurposed to kill husbands and other inconvenient family members.
Yvonne Fletcher disposed of two husbands. Caroline Grills cheerfully poisoned her stepmother, a family friend, her brother and his wife. Unlike arsenic or cyanide, thallium is colourless, odourless and tasteless; victims were misdiagnosed as insane malingerers or ill due to other reasons. And once one death was attributed to natural causes, it was all too easy for an aggrieved woman to kill again.
This is the story of a series of murders that struck at the very heart of domestic life. It's the tale of women who looked for deadly solutions to what they saw as impossible situations. The Husband Poisoner documents the reasons behind the choices these women made - and their terrible outcomes.
After World War II, Sydney experienced a crime wave that was chillingly calculated. Discontent mixed with despair, greed with callous disregard. Women who had lost their wartime freedoms headed back into the kitchen with sinister intent and the household poison thallium, normally used to kill rats, was repurposed to kill husbands and other inconvenient family members.
Yvonne Fletcher disposed of two husbands. Caroline Grills cheerfully poisoned her stepmother, a family friend, her brother and his wife. Unlike arsenic or cyanide, thallium is colourless, odourless and tasteless; victims were misdiagnosed as insane malingerers or ill due to other reasons. And once one death was attributed to natural causes, it was all too easy for an aggrieved woman to kill again.
This is the story of a series of murders that struck at the very heart of domestic life. It's the tale of women who looked for deadly solutions to what they saw as impossible situations. The Husband Poisoner documents the reasons behind the choices these women made - and their terrible outcomes.
320 pages, Paperback
Published February 23, 2021
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March 7, 2022
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The winner of the 2020 Danger Prize returns with another compelling and well researched true crime story. The Husband Poisoner delves into two case studies, outlining the ghastly murders committed by women who killed via a simple household poison. These shocking deaths occurred across NSW in the unsettling post World War II period.
Bretherton’s fourth historical based true crime novel looks at a handful of calculated murders, that were part of a wider trend of deaths that took place in suburban Sydney after the close of WWII. These murders begin their journey in the working-class suburb of Newton. A housewife named Yvonne Gladys Butler is on a mission to dispose of her husband. Filled with despair, hopelessness and unhappiness, Yvonne laced her husband’s drinks and meals with an easy to access household item. In the kitchen, Yvonne secretly deposited the rat poison solution named thallium in her husband’s bonox drink solution. Thallium proved to be the perfect weapon for an unhappy housewife. It was colourless and tasteless. This solution also had no smell, making it the ideal killing machine. However, its effects were ruthless, turning seemingly healthy men into quivering nervous wrecks. Caroline Grills, another typical and disgruntled Sydney housewife was able to send a number of family members to their deaths in a slow and painful manner via this deadly solution. It was easy to get away with one murder and then another for these desperate women, as the deaths were all from natural causes, compelling these perpetrators to strike again.
It was great to return to the writing of historical true crime specialist Tanya Bretherton thanks to her 2021 release, The Husband Poisoner. This award winning author has published a collection of texts that are closely researched and thoughtfully composed. I have great admiration for Bretherton’s uncanny ability to highlight intriguing snippets of our country’s criminal past, which is expertly combined with Australia’s social conditions. In The Husband Poisoner Bretherton looks to post World War II Sydney and she closely examines a streak of murders that were committed by ordinary housewives looking for an escape from their painful lives. The Husband Poisoner was compelling and chilling read.
As with her previous true crime texts, The Husband Poisoner sees Bretherton allocate some time to fleshing out the historical and social context in which the crime cases occurred. Bretherton zones in on the typical conditions of Australian society during the unsettling post World War II period. The author also devotes a section of this novel to highlighting the general feelings of women at this time in terms of displacement, their re-entry into domestic life after the freedom of the war and the often cruel treatment of women at this time by their spouses. It creates quite fertile ground for the measured poison crimes to emerge with gusto. In some ways I could see why these women were driven to perform such desperate acts of salvation, the conditions were ripe for these murders to occur. This is due to a number of factors such as an inability for women to support themselves economically if they were the leave their husbands, the lack of acceptance of spousal separation and no freedom in divorce laws. The medical and mental health system is examined in detail thanks to these cases, along with the work of the detectives assigned to these baffling poison cases. I appreciated the simple recipes typical of the era added in each new chapter and I liked how they were drawn from the author’s own family archives.
I was thoroughly impressed by Tanya Bretherton’s dedication to the research aspect of her book. The endnotes and acknowledgements sections provide a clear insight into the sheer range of material Bretherton has inserted into The Husband Poisoner. These include newspaper articles, magazine articles, medical journals, law journals, pictorial history books, reports, essays, Department of Defence documents, court transcripts and interviews. The documentation scaffolds the stories contained in Bretherton’s text, which is combined with the author’s narrative style to compound the shocking events of this book.
Relayed over nineteen shocking and illuminating chapters, Tanya Bretherton expertly takes the reader back to a shady time in our country’s past. The Husband Poisoner is a haunting read that I highly recommend to true crime fans.
*Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The winner of the 2020 Danger Prize returns with another compelling and well researched true crime story. The Husband Poisoner delves into two case studies, outlining the ghastly murders committed by women who killed via a simple household poison. These shocking deaths occurred across NSW in the unsettling post World War II period.
Bretherton’s fourth historical based true crime novel looks at a handful of calculated murders, that were part of a wider trend of deaths that took place in suburban Sydney after the close of WWII. These murders begin their journey in the working-class suburb of Newton. A housewife named Yvonne Gladys Butler is on a mission to dispose of her husband. Filled with despair, hopelessness and unhappiness, Yvonne laced her husband’s drinks and meals with an easy to access household item. In the kitchen, Yvonne secretly deposited the rat poison solution named thallium in her husband’s bonox drink solution. Thallium proved to be the perfect weapon for an unhappy housewife. It was colourless and tasteless. This solution also had no smell, making it the ideal killing machine. However, its effects were ruthless, turning seemingly healthy men into quivering nervous wrecks. Caroline Grills, another typical and disgruntled Sydney housewife was able to send a number of family members to their deaths in a slow and painful manner via this deadly solution. It was easy to get away with one murder and then another for these desperate women, as the deaths were all from natural causes, compelling these perpetrators to strike again.
It was great to return to the writing of historical true crime specialist Tanya Bretherton thanks to her 2021 release, The Husband Poisoner. This award winning author has published a collection of texts that are closely researched and thoughtfully composed. I have great admiration for Bretherton’s uncanny ability to highlight intriguing snippets of our country’s criminal past, which is expertly combined with Australia’s social conditions. In The Husband Poisoner Bretherton looks to post World War II Sydney and she closely examines a streak of murders that were committed by ordinary housewives looking for an escape from their painful lives. The Husband Poisoner was compelling and chilling read.
As with her previous true crime texts, The Husband Poisoner sees Bretherton allocate some time to fleshing out the historical and social context in which the crime cases occurred. Bretherton zones in on the typical conditions of Australian society during the unsettling post World War II period. The author also devotes a section of this novel to highlighting the general feelings of women at this time in terms of displacement, their re-entry into domestic life after the freedom of the war and the often cruel treatment of women at this time by their spouses. It creates quite fertile ground for the measured poison crimes to emerge with gusto. In some ways I could see why these women were driven to perform such desperate acts of salvation, the conditions were ripe for these murders to occur. This is due to a number of factors such as an inability for women to support themselves economically if they were the leave their husbands, the lack of acceptance of spousal separation and no freedom in divorce laws. The medical and mental health system is examined in detail thanks to these cases, along with the work of the detectives assigned to these baffling poison cases. I appreciated the simple recipes typical of the era added in each new chapter and I liked how they were drawn from the author’s own family archives.
I was thoroughly impressed by Tanya Bretherton’s dedication to the research aspect of her book. The endnotes and acknowledgements sections provide a clear insight into the sheer range of material Bretherton has inserted into The Husband Poisoner. These include newspaper articles, magazine articles, medical journals, law journals, pictorial history books, reports, essays, Department of Defence documents, court transcripts and interviews. The documentation scaffolds the stories contained in Bretherton’s text, which is combined with the author’s narrative style to compound the shocking events of this book.
Relayed over nineteen shocking and illuminating chapters, Tanya Bretherton expertly takes the reader back to a shady time in our country’s past. The Husband Poisoner is a haunting read that I highly recommend to true crime fans.
*Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
March 10, 2021
“Her recipe for murder was simple.”
The use of rat poison has long been a favoured method to commit murder - arsenic, strychnine, phosphide, warfarin, and thallium are common ingredients, as deadly to humans as they are to rodents. Ubiquitous and inexpensive, until relatively recently, deaths caused by rat poison were also difficult to detect, and many a victim went to their grave, often after a slow and painful decline, their cause of death attributed to illness, suicide, or accident.
In post war Sydney, rats were a public health concern, and most households would have kept, and used, some sort of rat poison. Thallium - a colourless, odourless, and tasteless substance, was used in several brands of rat poison from around the 1920’s, and it was the main ingredient in a product called Thall-Rat which was available for sale in Australia.
In The Husband Poisoner, Tanya Bretherton focuses largely on two women who were found guilty of administering Thall-Rat to commit murder in the post World War II period. Yvonne Fletcher killed both her first and second husbands by regularly dosing them with Thall-Rat, while Caroline Grills poisoned several family members. All of their victims suffered in agony, with the toxin causing symptoms that ranged from severe muscle pain to blindness, and even madness. Their stories are tragic, yet fascinating and well told by Bretherton who primarily writes in a narrative style, humanising both the victims, and their murderers.
In telling these stories, Bretherton also explores the social context of the period, and the circumstances which gave rise to a spree of poisonings. Fletcher and Grills weren’t the only ones to seize on thallium as a means for murder, between March 1952 and April 1953, ten deaths and forty-six hospital admissions were attributed to thallium, leading to the newly established Poisons Advisory Commitee amending the Poisons Act in 1953, regulating its sale.
It seems somewhat incongruous that a book about poisoning also includes recipes for pikelets, jam roll-poly, roast pork, and potato and bacon pie, among others, but it was through the provision of banal family meals, sweet treats, or soothing hot drinks, that many victims were poisoned. The use of rat-killer as a murder weapon is a decidedly domestic crime, and the perpetrator is almost always a member of the same family.
I was less interested in the tangent Bretherton followed with regards to the two detectives, Fergusson and Krahe, who investigated both Fletcher and Grills. Though interesting men, their character deficits didn’t seem particularly relevant to the subject at hand.
Well researched and written, The Husband Poisoner is a fascinating and macabrely entertaining read and will appeal to those who enjoy the genres of true crime and history.
The use of rat poison has long been a favoured method to commit murder - arsenic, strychnine, phosphide, warfarin, and thallium are common ingredients, as deadly to humans as they are to rodents. Ubiquitous and inexpensive, until relatively recently, deaths caused by rat poison were also difficult to detect, and many a victim went to their grave, often after a slow and painful decline, their cause of death attributed to illness, suicide, or accident.
In post war Sydney, rats were a public health concern, and most households would have kept, and used, some sort of rat poison. Thallium - a colourless, odourless, and tasteless substance, was used in several brands of rat poison from around the 1920’s, and it was the main ingredient in a product called Thall-Rat which was available for sale in Australia.
In The Husband Poisoner, Tanya Bretherton focuses largely on two women who were found guilty of administering Thall-Rat to commit murder in the post World War II period. Yvonne Fletcher killed both her first and second husbands by regularly dosing them with Thall-Rat, while Caroline Grills poisoned several family members. All of their victims suffered in agony, with the toxin causing symptoms that ranged from severe muscle pain to blindness, and even madness. Their stories are tragic, yet fascinating and well told by Bretherton who primarily writes in a narrative style, humanising both the victims, and their murderers.
In telling these stories, Bretherton also explores the social context of the period, and the circumstances which gave rise to a spree of poisonings. Fletcher and Grills weren’t the only ones to seize on thallium as a means for murder, between March 1952 and April 1953, ten deaths and forty-six hospital admissions were attributed to thallium, leading to the newly established Poisons Advisory Commitee amending the Poisons Act in 1953, regulating its sale.
It seems somewhat incongruous that a book about poisoning also includes recipes for pikelets, jam roll-poly, roast pork, and potato and bacon pie, among others, but it was through the provision of banal family meals, sweet treats, or soothing hot drinks, that many victims were poisoned. The use of rat-killer as a murder weapon is a decidedly domestic crime, and the perpetrator is almost always a member of the same family.
I was less interested in the tangent Bretherton followed with regards to the two detectives, Fergusson and Krahe, who investigated both Fletcher and Grills. Though interesting men, their character deficits didn’t seem particularly relevant to the subject at hand.
Well researched and written, The Husband Poisoner is a fascinating and macabrely entertaining read and will appeal to those who enjoy the genres of true crime and history.
May 23, 2021
‘Her recipe for murder was simple.’ … ‘Your Bonox, dear.’
In this book, Ms Bretherton writes about several different women, who used rat poison to end the lives of husbands and other inconvenient family members. They used thallium (a colourless, odourless, tasteless poison used to kill rats) in drinks such as Bonox.
Ms Bretherton writes of the social changes after World War II, how some of the freedom women experienced during the war came to an end when employment opportunities changed as men returned to try to take up their pre-war lives. Yvonne Fletcher killed two husbands, Caroline Grills killed her stepmother, a family friend, her brother, and his wife. Each of these deaths was initially attributed to natural causes, despite the suffering endured by many of the victims.
Nearly every household in Sydney (and elsewhere) would have had some type of rat poison on hand, and I wondered just how many ‘natural deaths’ were really the result of poisoning. In this book, Ms Bretherton writes about the cases of Yvonne Fletcher and Caroline Grills, and mentions other cases but I wonder how many more escaped detection?
Between March 1952 and April 1953, ten deaths and forty-six hospital admissions were attributed to thallium. Fortunately, the Poisons Act was amended in 1953, regulating the sale of thallium.
Using thallium may have been comparatively easy for the murderer, but it inflicted agony on their victims. The details are harrowing and heartbreaking. They include severe pain and blindness. One poor victim was accused of malingering, was determined to be insane and committed to the Callan Park Hospital for the Insane.
Ms Bretherton includes various recipes of the period in this book: the perfect vehicle for delivering the poison and a reminder that poisoning is usually a domestic crime. Shudder.
If you are interested in true crime, then you may find this book interesting. And unsettling.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In this book, Ms Bretherton writes about several different women, who used rat poison to end the lives of husbands and other inconvenient family members. They used thallium (a colourless, odourless, tasteless poison used to kill rats) in drinks such as Bonox.
Ms Bretherton writes of the social changes after World War II, how some of the freedom women experienced during the war came to an end when employment opportunities changed as men returned to try to take up their pre-war lives. Yvonne Fletcher killed two husbands, Caroline Grills killed her stepmother, a family friend, her brother, and his wife. Each of these deaths was initially attributed to natural causes, despite the suffering endured by many of the victims.
Nearly every household in Sydney (and elsewhere) would have had some type of rat poison on hand, and I wondered just how many ‘natural deaths’ were really the result of poisoning. In this book, Ms Bretherton writes about the cases of Yvonne Fletcher and Caroline Grills, and mentions other cases but I wonder how many more escaped detection?
Between March 1952 and April 1953, ten deaths and forty-six hospital admissions were attributed to thallium. Fortunately, the Poisons Act was amended in 1953, regulating the sale of thallium.
Using thallium may have been comparatively easy for the murderer, but it inflicted agony on their victims. The details are harrowing and heartbreaking. They include severe pain and blindness. One poor victim was accused of malingering, was determined to be insane and committed to the Callan Park Hospital for the Insane.
Ms Bretherton includes various recipes of the period in this book: the perfect vehicle for delivering the poison and a reminder that poisoning is usually a domestic crime. Shudder.
If you are interested in true crime, then you may find this book interesting. And unsettling.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 14, 2021
First and foremost, if you’re living with someone who has long been on edge thanks to your love of true crime, can I recommend keeping a copy of this book lying around just to keep them on their toes when they might be getting on your nerves 😏
But seriously – thallium was new to the market, easily accessible and had no colour, scent or taste. Add to that that victims of this poisoning would present with symptoms that led medical “professionals” (I use that term lightly) to believe them to be depressed and their “madness” treated as attempted suicide – which was illegal activity – so they’d be locked away from crimes against themselves. Talk about the perfect crime!
Bretherton explores the lives and crimes of several different women, using this method to dispose of abusive husbands, husbands they’d just had enough of, and other family members that were simply in the way.
The crimes themselves and cold and calculated and the symptoms and drawn-out suffering were undeniably brutal to read about and had me squirming in my seat more than once.
A truly captivating exploration into this period of time, what presents as a poisoning crisis, and the steps taken to bring it to a close; regulating the sale of thallium.
While the latter pages may feel a little less structured and I definitely found my interest waning by the end, the bulk of this book was enthralling!
3.75/5
But seriously – thallium was new to the market, easily accessible and had no colour, scent or taste. Add to that that victims of this poisoning would present with symptoms that led medical “professionals” (I use that term lightly) to believe them to be depressed and their “madness” treated as attempted suicide – which was illegal activity – so they’d be locked away from crimes against themselves. Talk about the perfect crime!
Bretherton explores the lives and crimes of several different women, using this method to dispose of abusive husbands, husbands they’d just had enough of, and other family members that were simply in the way.
The crimes themselves and cold and calculated and the symptoms and drawn-out suffering were undeniably brutal to read about and had me squirming in my seat more than once.
A truly captivating exploration into this period of time, what presents as a poisoning crisis, and the steps taken to bring it to a close; regulating the sale of thallium.
While the latter pages may feel a little less structured and I definitely found my interest waning by the end, the bulk of this book was enthralling!
3.75/5
April 4, 2021
This was a fabulous working-week read. The details were just enough to keep my working memory hanging-in-there for each evening.
The stories exposing the weaknesses of the society of it’s times (not that it’s changed that much).
But, the local history and details were the real delight. I even detoured while doing the grocery shopping to find Ferndale St, so I could see the house myself.
A great insight into local social history and relationships.
The stories exposing the weaknesses of the society of it’s times (not that it’s changed that much).
But, the local history and details were the real delight. I even detoured while doing the grocery shopping to find Ferndale St, so I could see the house myself.
A great insight into local social history and relationships.
April 25, 2021
I received this book as part of a subscription, I don't think I would have bought it. It's easy to read, but for a true crime, there's no anticipation or climax. It was written as an easy read, and didn't take long to get through. Still not sure why there are randomly scattered recipes in the book.
April 14, 2022
Trigger warnings: murder, poisoning, mental health, vomit, graphic descriptions of medical decline, mentions of suicide, animal death
3.75 stars.
This was a fascinating read about a handful of women who poisoned family members with thallium over several years in post-war Sydney. I understand why the title was chosen, but many of the cases aren't about women poisoning their husbands, so it's a liiiiiiittle misleading. I also found the recipes at the end of each chapter to be distracting, though they did tie in nicely to the ways in which the various victims ingested the thallium.
This was definitely interesting reading and a well told story. But I do wish there'd been...some kind of final wrap up chapter wrapping up the cases as a whole, because the book jumped back and forth between the cases and I found it a little difficult to keep track of who died, who lived in agony for years and who went to prison and who wasn't even charged.
I'm also curious whether thallium poisoning was an issue in other states/countries or if it was exclusively a Sydney/NSW thing. If it was just NSW, WHAT?!?!?! That's wild. If it was a thing elsewhere too? I would have loved to hear about those cases too.
3.75 stars.
This was a fascinating read about a handful of women who poisoned family members with thallium over several years in post-war Sydney. I understand why the title was chosen, but many of the cases aren't about women poisoning their husbands, so it's a liiiiiiittle misleading. I also found the recipes at the end of each chapter to be distracting, though they did tie in nicely to the ways in which the various victims ingested the thallium.
This was definitely interesting reading and a well told story. But I do wish there'd been...some kind of final wrap up chapter wrapping up the cases as a whole, because the book jumped back and forth between the cases and I found it a little difficult to keep track of who died, who lived in agony for years and who went to prison and who wasn't even charged.
I'm also curious whether thallium poisoning was an issue in other states/countries or if it was exclusively a Sydney/NSW thing. If it was just NSW, WHAT?!?!?! That's wild. If it was a thing elsewhere too? I would have loved to hear about those cases too.
February 27, 2021
So admittedly my husband was a little concerned when he discovered this book sitting on my kitchen bench – lol.
This was such a fascinating read, and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I don’t usually read a lot of non-fiction books unless they are true crime related and often about stories that are well publicised so it was so interesting to read this one and the lesser known crimes of some suburban Sydney housewives who decided to do away with their husbands or random members of their families.
Mainly set around the late 1940’s to the mid 1950’s, while this was an inside look into how you can find some nifty ways to use rat poison if you wanted to remove someone from your life, it was so much more than that. It was a look into how so many of the regulations we know today came into effect. From banning dangerous poisons like Thallium that were once easily purchased at your local chemist, to introducing the food safety acts to ensure the food we purchase is healthy, safe and not contaminated in anyway.
For the locals out there the author also did a fabulous job of heavily building into the story two police detectives who played a huge part in uncovering the use of Thallium as a poison, but also of how their careers came to grow and prosper thanks to their heavy involvement in the NSW Police corruption of their time. They may have been responsible for catching killer housewives, but they were effectively criminals themselves.
There were certainly frightening elements to the story, and certain sections of the book are absolutely not for the faint hearted as we learn about what actually happens to the human body at decomposition stage, personally, I now wish I didn’t know.
It was also a heartbreaking reminder of how the mentally ill were treated in that era, often subjected to horrific treatments and inexcusable neglect. One of the terrible symptoms of Thallium poisoning is severe damage to the nervous system and when no doctor could determine a cause for the victim’s excruciating pain they were simply diagnosed as being neurotic or suffering a nervous breakdown and ultimately sent to an asylum.
As a little light relief I loved how each of the chapters were finished off with a recipe that would have been popular in its time, such as Bonox, Brawn, or Potato and Bacon Pie, all minus the added ingredient of rat poison of course J
This really was a truly fascinating book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m so thankful for the chance to have read it thanks to Hachette Australia. I would absolutely recommend this one to anyone that loves historical fiction, true crimes and anything that is that little bit different.
This was such a fascinating read, and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I don’t usually read a lot of non-fiction books unless they are true crime related and often about stories that are well publicised so it was so interesting to read this one and the lesser known crimes of some suburban Sydney housewives who decided to do away with their husbands or random members of their families.
Mainly set around the late 1940’s to the mid 1950’s, while this was an inside look into how you can find some nifty ways to use rat poison if you wanted to remove someone from your life, it was so much more than that. It was a look into how so many of the regulations we know today came into effect. From banning dangerous poisons like Thallium that were once easily purchased at your local chemist, to introducing the food safety acts to ensure the food we purchase is healthy, safe and not contaminated in anyway.
For the locals out there the author also did a fabulous job of heavily building into the story two police detectives who played a huge part in uncovering the use of Thallium as a poison, but also of how their careers came to grow and prosper thanks to their heavy involvement in the NSW Police corruption of their time. They may have been responsible for catching killer housewives, but they were effectively criminals themselves.
There were certainly frightening elements to the story, and certain sections of the book are absolutely not for the faint hearted as we learn about what actually happens to the human body at decomposition stage, personally, I now wish I didn’t know.
It was also a heartbreaking reminder of how the mentally ill were treated in that era, often subjected to horrific treatments and inexcusable neglect. One of the terrible symptoms of Thallium poisoning is severe damage to the nervous system and when no doctor could determine a cause for the victim’s excruciating pain they were simply diagnosed as being neurotic or suffering a nervous breakdown and ultimately sent to an asylum.
As a little light relief I loved how each of the chapters were finished off with a recipe that would have been popular in its time, such as Bonox, Brawn, or Potato and Bacon Pie, all minus the added ingredient of rat poison of course J
This really was a truly fascinating book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m so thankful for the chance to have read it thanks to Hachette Australia. I would absolutely recommend this one to anyone that loves historical fiction, true crimes and anything that is that little bit different.
July 7, 2022
I gave this book three stars for a few reasons, 1) I couldn't find a hard copy in the US and could only get it through Audible, and I found the narrator's voice annoying. 2) The author goes into excruciating detail about the police officers involved in solving the cases, which I think unnecessarily bogged down the pacing story in some parts. 3) The last few chapters were superfluous in my opinion. Maybe it's just me, but I wasn't at all interested in the after-story of the police officers or the police department in Sydney. I found myself thinking, is the story over yet!? (That may have been exacerbated by the annoying narrator) .
Overall, the topic was fascinating and since it is based on actual events, I found it extremely gripping! This book is written by a sociologist and the author gives us a look at the lives and challenges of women in the 1940's to 1950's society. Why these women felt driven to poisoning husband's and family members is not clearly explained, but Tanya Bretherton tries to reveal the social constraints of women at that time in order for the reader to understand their desperation. I found the accounts and methods of poisoning by the various women in the book chilling and a little bit outrageous. If you like true crime, I think you will enjoy this read.
Overall, the topic was fascinating and since it is based on actual events, I found it extremely gripping! This book is written by a sociologist and the author gives us a look at the lives and challenges of women in the 1940's to 1950's society. Why these women felt driven to poisoning husband's and family members is not clearly explained, but Tanya Bretherton tries to reveal the social constraints of women at that time in order for the reader to understand their desperation. I found the accounts and methods of poisoning by the various women in the book chilling and a little bit outrageous. If you like true crime, I think you will enjoy this read.
May 23, 2021
The title is a little misleading as only one of the subjects of this book poisoned her husbands - yes, she knocked off 2 of them!
The first half reads easily. The second is a bit harder going as we move onto the corrupt police officers involved in investigating the murders.
Still an intriguing read. Thank goodness modern medicine can pick up rat poison!
The first half reads easily. The second is a bit harder going as we move onto the corrupt police officers involved in investigating the murders.
Still an intriguing read. Thank goodness modern medicine can pick up rat poison!
June 3, 2021
I sped thru this book because I found it very boring. I’m not sure what the point was - I just didn’t get the recipes at the end of each chapter?? I wouldn’t recommend it.
April 29, 2021
My husband raised his eyebrows when he saw this book at my side. Why would I possibly want to read about poisoning husbands??? Tanya Bretherton really captured post WWII Sydney scene well, and I must admit, I was quite surprised at how how easy it seemed for Sydneysiders to buy Thallium, rat poison of the 1950s, to end the lives of family members and once-dear friends. There were several cases in this time period that made the news that the author focused on, and the book also highlighted the drive for some of the women to go down this path that was compelling them to murder their partners: domestic violence and the way in which it was swept under the carpet by the police was mortifying. The way in which the police also undertook the investigations of these poisonings was equally as captivating, especially in an age where scientific and forensic policing was only staring to emerge. Not to mention the way in which public health refused to do anything about it for so long in NSW.
This book brings to life real crime cases, and also tells us a story. It highlights the painstaking detail in planning the perfect murder, a slow and painful death by rat poison. The fact that it was hidden in plain sight in the most common meals and dishes, from cakes to liquid Bonox shows the cunningness of some of the women who undertook these acts, as well as the acts they put on to hide behind before, during and after they were uncovered. Horrifically, these were factual events. People were being slowly poisoned to death, and their murderers watched on as they slowly and painfully suffered. A work of fact, not fiction, so gruesome are the details. The question is how many more died this way, and how many others got away with it. Harrowing, macabre and fascinating!
This book brings to life real crime cases, and also tells us a story. It highlights the painstaking detail in planning the perfect murder, a slow and painful death by rat poison. The fact that it was hidden in plain sight in the most common meals and dishes, from cakes to liquid Bonox shows the cunningness of some of the women who undertook these acts, as well as the acts they put on to hide behind before, during and after they were uncovered. Horrifically, these were factual events. People were being slowly poisoned to death, and their murderers watched on as they slowly and painfully suffered. A work of fact, not fiction, so gruesome are the details. The question is how many more died this way, and how many others got away with it. Harrowing, macabre and fascinating!
July 13, 2021
This is an extraordinary insight into the life and times of Sydney early in the last century and using actual people and events brings the history to life. The Husband Poisoner is well-researched but skilfully gives a fictionalised account of several women who used thallium, a colourless and tasteless chemical present in rat poison, to attempt to murder their husbands and/or relatives. The book carefully describes the lifestyles, housing and employment of the women and their families in Sydney during the years after World War 11 and also finishes most chapters with a simple recipe of a drink, dinner or cake that was typically served at that time and in which a poison could be easily added.
The two young detectives at the time, Donald Fergusson and Frederick Kraye became experts in the poisoning murders in Sydney. Their method was to interview in situ the friends, neighbours and relatives of the victims instead of taking them to the police station and thus they were able to compile a wide range of information about the each case and good descriptions of the victims and their symptoms of Thallium poisoning before they died (or nearly passed away). This was a fascinating analysis of early forensic science especially the gruesome exhumation of bodies in different stages of decay and the collection of body remains that could be analysed for traces of poisons.
The other interesting material included the corruption within the NSW police force at that period and the indication that these two detectives were developing reputations of criminal practises in the 1940’s which then continued and flourished until their deaths or retirement.
The two young detectives at the time, Donald Fergusson and Frederick Kraye became experts in the poisoning murders in Sydney. Their method was to interview in situ the friends, neighbours and relatives of the victims instead of taking them to the police station and thus they were able to compile a wide range of information about the each case and good descriptions of the victims and their symptoms of Thallium poisoning before they died (or nearly passed away). This was a fascinating analysis of early forensic science especially the gruesome exhumation of bodies in different stages of decay and the collection of body remains that could be analysed for traces of poisons.
The other interesting material included the corruption within the NSW police force at that period and the indication that these two detectives were developing reputations of criminal practises in the 1940’s which then continued and flourished until their deaths or retirement.
March 12, 2022
Overall, I found this book to be a little bit underwhelming. While the subject matter was interesting, the style wasn’t my cup of (bonox) tea.
Highlights:
- the two cases she focused on were interesting, and she covered them quite thoroughly
- clearly well researched. I particularly enjoyed the section on thallium in the American market, and how they were pulling it from shelves as we were beginning to use it
- she puts recipes at the end of some chapters. I wish this was consistently throughout the book though, as not all chapters have them. Though I suppose using a recipe from this book might raise some eyebrows!
Lowlights:
- I think it was strange to end the book on focusing on the two corrupt cops that charged the two women. I get that there were supposed to be some parallels between the crooked cops and the women I suppose but it felt like a departure from the topic in a way I didn’t particularly jive with.
- I felt she focused on Yvonne Fletcher more than Caroline Grills, which was fine but of the two, Grills had a higher amount of victims and I would have been interested in that a bit more. Also, Caroline never poisons her husband but I suppose that wouldn’t have made for a catchy title.
- She introduced the Bobby Lulham case which was interesting! But she switched between Alfred and Albert when referring to Judy’s father which was a minor enough error but also a very frustrating one because at the first switch up of the name I found myself going “who is Albert??”
3/5 - a fine read but I probably won’t be pushing it on my friends anytime soon
Highlights:
- the two cases she focused on were interesting, and she covered them quite thoroughly
- clearly well researched. I particularly enjoyed the section on thallium in the American market, and how they were pulling it from shelves as we were beginning to use it
- she puts recipes at the end of some chapters. I wish this was consistently throughout the book though, as not all chapters have them. Though I suppose using a recipe from this book might raise some eyebrows!
Lowlights:
- I think it was strange to end the book on focusing on the two corrupt cops that charged the two women. I get that there were supposed to be some parallels between the crooked cops and the women I suppose but it felt like a departure from the topic in a way I didn’t particularly jive with.
- I felt she focused on Yvonne Fletcher more than Caroline Grills, which was fine but of the two, Grills had a higher amount of victims and I would have been interested in that a bit more. Also, Caroline never poisons her husband but I suppose that wouldn’t have made for a catchy title.
- She introduced the Bobby Lulham case which was interesting! But she switched between Alfred and Albert when referring to Judy’s father which was a minor enough error but also a very frustrating one because at the first switch up of the name I found myself going “who is Albert??”
3/5 - a fine read but I probably won’t be pushing it on my friends anytime soon
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2022
This is not the book that any man wants to see on their wife’s bedside table! But seriously, The Husband Poisoner is an engaging read about women in Sydney in the postwar 40s and 50s who killed their husbands and other family members using the rat poison, Thallium. Generally suffering abuse or disharmony, the women mixed the scentless, colourless and tasteless substance into favourite Australian meals, drinks, soups and sweets, causing great discomfort, bodily pains, gastric upset, jelly legs, paralysis, delusions, balding and blindness to their unsuspecting family members. A corrupt police partnership helped uncover the crimes to convict the murderous villains and by the late 50s Thallium was not so easy to obtain. Reading mostly like a novel, but with some long-winded sections detailing back story, this is an enthralling book that is quite shocking due to its remorseless protagonists and the way they watched their family members suffer. I sped through it, fascinated that it took so long for doctors to work out what was happening.
May 9, 2022
Honestly Ive never wanted to scream pussy power louder than I do right now. These women are icons. After ww2 the ladies in the house were sent back to their kitchens, however these girls weren't having it, they poisoned husbands, their own families and their wives using Thallium in rat poisoning. It's an incredibly interesting and definitely a dark and macabre read so you shouldn't enter lightly. It's not light murder either you can see exactly when and why they chose to plan their murders. I've never really read much historical pieces but this was amazing. Such a cleverly written piece especially the first and last chapter with the link.
July 9, 2022
Global Girls Book Club: June 2022 (yip, I'm a bit behind!)
I have only ever read a couple true crime books, and while they are interesting I'm not really motivated to seek them out. This had the same kind of sensationalist tone as the voice over in a crime documentary (again, not my favourite,) but it was readable and interesting and included explanations about things that related to the three main cases. It let you know what happened to any surviving victims and the Detectives who worked the cases, as well as explaining how scientific discoveries helped over time.
I got mixed up with all the people - but that's normal for me.
Prompt: 52 Reading Challenge: True Crime
I have only ever read a couple true crime books, and while they are interesting I'm not really motivated to seek them out. This had the same kind of sensationalist tone as the voice over in a crime documentary (again, not my favourite,) but it was readable and interesting and included explanations about things that related to the three main cases. It let you know what happened to any surviving victims and the Detectives who worked the cases, as well as explaining how scientific discoveries helped over time.
I got mixed up with all the people - but that's normal for me.
Prompt: 52 Reading Challenge: True Crime
September 7, 2021
I always enjoy a true crime book, especially if those are historical crimes. This one doesn't disappoint, covering the spate of thallium poisonings of the 40's and 50's in Sydney, generally by women. Bretherton fleshes out the stories well and intersperses them with historical context.
My only criticism is that there was way too much detail about the police involved in investigating and prosecuting the cases, expecially at the end of the book. I would have preferred less about them and more about other cases.
My only criticism is that there was way too much detail about the police involved in investigating and prosecuting the cases, expecially at the end of the book. I would have preferred less about them and more about other cases.
March 28, 2021
Another great true crime story from Tanya Bretherton. I found this one very easy to read even though it’s meticulously researched and full of facts about all the murders. A complete picture of suburban Sydney in the post-war period is painted so you can really picture being there.
Highly recommended for anyone into true crime or even if you just want to find out more about that period. Great analysis of the policing of the time too.
Highly recommended for anyone into true crime or even if you just want to find out more about that period. Great analysis of the policing of the time too.
April 20, 2021
My husband certainly looks very concerned when he found this book in my TBR pile. 😄
Those were the days after World War II when the society can easily purchase Thallium in any local chemists and used it to unburden themselves from unwanted or difficult family members. Be careful with whom served your food or drink on those days 😬.
"Her recipe for murder was simple... she didn't arrange an alibi, she felt so confident of getting away with it she left the victim's body out in plain sight... "
Those were the days after World War II when the society can easily purchase Thallium in any local chemists and used it to unburden themselves from unwanted or difficult family members. Be careful with whom served your food or drink on those days 😬.
"Her recipe for murder was simple... she didn't arrange an alibi, she felt so confident of getting away with it she left the victim's body out in plain sight... "
May 24, 2021
My first novel I've read from Bretherton. It was an easy read, lots of research, and I liked the way she approached the story, everyday recollections, not just quoting court documents (which is fine, but a bit academic-y). It really placed you in the story. I also enjoyed her explanation of the social mores of the time, and the background of various characters. I would read another book by her.
October 29, 2021
Much like Fergusson & Krahe’s investigation style, Bretherton’s book felt like there was a lot going on at once.
An insightful glimpse into the thallium poisonings in Sydney throughout the 50s & 60s. However, the final chapter following the progression of Fergusson and Krahe’s career felt tangential.
An insightful glimpse into the thallium poisonings in Sydney throughout the 50s & 60s. However, the final chapter following the progression of Fergusson and Krahe’s career felt tangential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2022
Great Tales Of A Sydney Past
You don’t need to be a crime lover to enjoy this. A different time when life was much different for Sydneysiders. All good stories about the people involved. Recommended.
You don’t need to be a crime lover to enjoy this. A different time when life was much different for Sydneysiders. All good stories about the people involved. Recommended.
April 25, 2021
Really well historically researched book. I was astonished that nobody figured out what these women were doing. I was horrified that these women could do this to another person without remorse.
May 1, 2021
3.5 Stars!
May 4, 2021
It was pretty good a bit of a slog but interesting history
July 25, 2021
First half was interesting. Second half was had to read.
August 17, 2021
Another BRILLIANT read from Tanya
I absolutely love reading her books , they are all page turners and I've learnt alot about history reading them
Well done Tanya
5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I absolutely love reading her books , they are all page turners and I've learnt alot about history reading them
Well done Tanya
5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟
September 29, 2021
Not an instruction manual.
Tanya Bretherton has written a number of really interesting true crime books. All set in Sydney.
LOVE her books.
Tanya Bretherton has written a number of really interesting true crime books. All set in Sydney.
LOVE her books.
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