Your cart

Close

Total AUD

Checkout
Search
Search Clear
View All Results
  1. Books
  2. Lesley McDowell
  3. Love and Other Poisons: a gripping historical tale of scandal and murder, based on a true story
Play Sample

Imprint

  • Wildfire
  • Wildfire
  • Wildfire
  • Wildfire
  • Wildfire

  • Runtime

    10hr 0m

Love and Other Poisons: a gripping historical tale of scandal and murder, based on a true story

Lesley McDowell

8 Reviews

Rated 0

Scotland, c 1800 to c 1900, Historical mysteries, Historical fiction

LOVE AND OTHER POISONS is the gripping historical novel based on the true story of Madeleine Smith, a young Scottish socialite who was accused of murdering her lover and the fascinating mystery around her sudden disappearance years later.

'A fascinating, forensic deep-dive' DENISE MINA

'Beautifully written, richly evoked and utterly gripping' EVA DOLAN

'A seductive tale of sex and death' SARA SHERIDAN


***

1857, Glasgow.
Madeleine Smith, a young socialite, is on trial for murdering her lover. The scandal shocks the world, with intimate letters published in newspapers. The jury can't decide - delivering a rare 'Not Proven' verdict. Madeleine walks free.

1927, New York.
Hollywood scout Harry Townsend believes he's found Madeleine, now an elusive widow living under a new name. Once a dazzling figure in bohemian London, she vanished in 1890.

Could this quiet woman really be the infamous Madeleine Smith?
She holds one last secret. Will Harry convince her to share it?

***

More praise for Lesley McDowell:
'Riveting - a clever portrait of a fascinating, flawed heroine.' THE TIMES
'An intimate and enlightening tale of one of Romanticism's forsaken muses.' SUSAN STOKES-CHAPMAN
'An absorbing, intoxicating page-turner about a woman who deserves to be remembered.' JENNIFER SAINT
'A must-read. McDowell brings to vivid, embodied life; a flirtatious, flawed woman fighting for her place in a man's world.' THE HERALD

Read More Read Less

More books by Lesley McDowell

Left
Clairmont: The sensuous hidden story of the greatest muse of the Romantic period loading...

Lesley McDowell
Right

Praise for Love and Other Poisons: a gripping historical tale of scandal and murder, based on a true story

  • Riveting - a clever portrait of a fascinating, flawed heroine. - The Times

  • Clairmont is an intimate and enlightening tale of one of Romanticism's forsaken muses - artfully told in beautiful prose, a story that lingers in the mind far beyond the last page - Susan Stokes-Chapman

  • A must-read. McDowell brings Claire to vivid, embodied life; a flirtatious, flawed woman fighting for her place in a man's world. - The Herald

  • Clairmont emerges as a brave and sympathetic heroine in this engrossing novel - The Scotsman

  • A sensitive, beautifully told fictionalisation that gives a voice to one of literature's greatest muses. - Laura Shepperson

  • A must for all lovers of historical fiction. Clairmont is a true-life story of hope, passion, and regrets with Claire Clairmont (step sister of the writer Mary Shelley) enduring against all odds after an ill-starred affair with the poet, Byron. - Essie Fox

  • Clairmont is a fascinating journey into the dark underbelly of Romanticism. I was gripped, horrified and enlightened - and in awe of a woman who risked such pain and sorrow to 'mix in the throng' - Meg Clothier

  • Beautifully written, Clairmont tells the sensuous hidden story of an influential historic woman. - Sara Sheridan

Read More Read Less
Left
Right

Hachette Australia acknowledges and pays our respects to the past and present Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our head office is located on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

© Hachette Australia, All Rights Reserved · Site by Chook

Close
Loading Sorry, something's gone wrong. Please refresh the page and try again.
This website uses cookies. Using this website means you are okay with this but you can find out more and learn how to manage your cookie choices here.Close cookie policy overlay