A Bitter Brew: Faith, Power, and Poison in a Small New England Town

by Christine Ellen Young

On April 27, 2003, in the tiny hamlet of New Sweden, Maine, Walter Morrill was with friends, sipping coffee in the fellowship hall of the Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church. Within hours, he was dead-and fifteen other members of the congregation had fallen gravely ill.

Ruled a homicide, the largest arsenic poisoning in U.S. history fueled fearful questions: Why did someone set out to murder the members of the church? Which one of them was a killer? Who was next? As New Sweden was torn apart by panic and suspicion, another beloved community member was found dead of a gunshot wound. A cryptic note found near the body only served to arouse further suspicions of revenge, conspiracy, and blood feuds behind the unsolved murder of Walter Reid Morrill. What unfolded in New Sweden, Maine, was a real-life mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. But it was far stranger than any fiction.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Christine Young is a veteran print and television reporter who is currently writing a book about a 1987 murder and wrongful conviction in Manhattan. Ms. Young is the author of "A Bitter Brew: Faith, Power and Poison in a Small New England Town," published by the Berkley Imprint of Penguin USA, and was a contributing author of "True Stories of False Confessions," published by Northwestern University Press.

In 2009 Ms. Young became a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Economics and Business Journalism at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she received a master of science degree in 2010. Prior to that she spent four years at an upstate New York newspaper, where her reporting helped to free an innocent man from prison. She spent 15 years in Maine, where, as a reporter and anchor for the ABC TV affiliate in Portland, she exposed the inhumane treatment of migrant workers at one of the world's largest egg farms and the illegal election practices of a powerful religious lobbying group.

Ms. Young's awards include the 2009 John Jay/Guggenheim Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting, the 2009 New York Associated Press Award for Distinguished Investigative Reporting; the 2008 Online Journalism Award for Investigative Reporting; the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton for Excellence in Journalism, the National Headliner Award for Broadcast Investigative Reporting, the Clarion Award for Television Investigative Reporting, the Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting, and she was the on-camera host of the Emmy-winning public television series, "Quest," She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Southern Maine and now lives in her beloved native city of New York with her husband and children.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This account of the arsenic poisoning within the church in New Sweden Maine was intriguing. For me, though, the most striking aspect of this story is in regards to the dynamics of the church congregation. In such a small community, the church is where many people can assert their own control and feel a sense of personal power; they become (at least in their own minds) big fish. Big fish in a very small pond. The examples of the various church power struggles remind me of the church my husband and I attended in a small northern Maine town, a church where my huband was the pastor. I competely identified with the nastiness and bitter fueds, church divisions, and power plays found in the New Sweden congregation. I empathize with the former pastor of the New Sweden church. He was bullied, manipulated, and ultimately driven from a community supposedly committed to living a Christian life. Sadly, in many rural churches, members are not (seemingly) Christian at all; they are self-centered, bitter, and hate-filled. And these cancerous attitudes fester. For these people, the church is simply the social gathering spot in a place where there isn't much in the way of "entertainment." In the end, readers begin to see a picture of the New Sweden church members as mean, unforgiving, and downright hateful. It would seem the person guilty of the crime has been revealed, and yet gossip and mistrust remain on the part of some against a particular person in the town. This book describes this small-town drama. In the end, readers get the sense that the police investigation has contributed to the continued gossip and atmosphere of animosity. A true tragedy indeed.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because it's about a poisoning in a little Swedish church in a little town in Maine, and I am in Maine right now. So I thought it would help to give me a little more of the flavor of the Maine culture. And that it did. And the idea of a church poisoning was intriguing. But this is the author's first book, and it shows. It appears that there wasn't enough material for a book, so she added in a bunch of barely-related or irrelevant stories, to take up some pages, I guess. I wouldn't read anything more by this author.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young does an admirable job of presenting the story in a chronological manner and manages to present the various perspectives of the feuding church members without showing partiality. A quick read because the crime and circumstances are so very bizarre. A cautionary tale to any who become involved in an organization/church/group in which the stuggle for power has taken precendence over the mission of the group.

[Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

If just half of this story is true, I would never move to this town, never go to this church,never drink coffee again, and always wonder what detectives are really doing at scenes of crimes.

To have the killer still not identified after all this time is a true tragedy for the younger generation of this isolated community.

Sometimes I had to review previous text to catch the relevance or sequence of things and found the use of 1st names distracting.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

In New Sweden, Maine, someone put arsenic in the social hour coffee at the Gustav Adolph Lutheran Church. One member died, fifteen others were seriously ill. One of the reporters kept digging, and this bok is her research. A really disquieting view of nasty, self-centered people squabbling over who will be in charge. Power and position have become more important than any thought of kindness, love, or the teachings of the church. Sad--but very human.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen some squabbling among members of my Unitarian church, but their antics pale in comparison to the deep seated animosity among the Lutherans in New Sweden, Maine. This book tries to make sense of an intentional poisoning of the coffee shared during social hour after services at Gustaf Adolph.

[Barb Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a small Swedish village and church in Maine. It is a true account of a murder and near multiple murders caused by arsnic poisioning in their chruch social room! It is Bizarre how warpped Christians can get when they are more concerned about control and power struggles than the benefit of their congregation.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thought provoking... and sad! Shows the drama in the church. We are called to love one another, not have power struggles over ridiculous things! Sad how it can make Christ loving people behave =(

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never heard of the events detailed in this book, but it was well-written and a very fast read (I finished it in less than a day). The petty problems inherent in small town politics is described to a T. Very good book.

[Evelyn M · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring

[Cyn (RaeWhit) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting true-crime narrative, but I felt it was too long, and really didn't care for the author's addition of 'internal monologues' to embellish these real-life characters.

[Chicken Little · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story line is okay, too bad the book ends up being boring. Lucky me I don't like neither coffee nor churches. =)

[Ann Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it. a real life situation dramatized to reveal what did and may have been said in the days before, during and after a real-life poisoning in a small maine town.

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

My book club has picked this book for our next read.

[Kristi Bumpus · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a journalist myself, I was really bothered by this book of speculation, character assassination and outright fiction.

[GrannyLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

creepy true story about a Lutheran church member poisoning the fellowship coffee...very interesting.

[Peg B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book but looks like the arsenic poisining is not solved yet

[Adam Kovynia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book. It's very well written & not too long. an easy read that I got through quicker than other true crime books. a lot of churches are like this with all the people not getting along in my experience I've seen a lot of people come and go over the years to the churches I've attended because they don't get along with other members. ego, pride, money and the type of teachings being too liberal or the opposite are what I see people not agree on. Often I feel I should be the one giving the sermon because I would talk about what other people don't want to talk about (the stuff everyone sweeps under the rug at church because it's too uncomfortable to talk about). Also I would involve the members of the church to talk and get up and share their story during service and take questions from the audience. Those are my own personal thoughts (getting off topic from this book).

[Thomas M. Burby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the few books that documents a memorable event in Maine history: a mass poisoning using arsenic. The events took place in New Sweden at a church - and the book uses detailed information gathered by the author during her time actually investigating the case as it unfolded. No spoilers, but one of the best parts of this book is that it leaves you wondering what actually happened. The author doesn’t try to give you answers to questions she does not know. Fast-paced and compelling.

[Hannah Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. Decently written and well written enough to make me want to keep reading. Liked that both sides were told. Did not enjoy the unclear timeline of the chapters! Sometimes you’re in the past and sometimes you’re in the present but it’s never super clear when you happen to be in either time!

[Shelly Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, but I felt it really dragged along. I thought that a lot of the book was irreverent to the actual story. The book didn't really keep my attention and I also didn't realize the mystery of the arsenic mystery was never solved.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating story with no real conclusion. Well written from a folksy point of view. Glad I read it but wouldn't probably recommend it.

[Susan Lehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like every church I've ever belonged to. Infighting and back stabbing. This one took it a bit too literally.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true crime novel about a mass arsenic poison at a church in Maine. This book was written shortly after the event, so it seems that there are some things still left unknown. This is a well written book that shows both sides. I would have liked a little more information about the police case. But that might have made it a different book. I'm glad I read this one and I'm looking forward to reading more true crime.

[Betty Stoneking · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was good book just dont drink the coffe