A Boston physician becomes an assassin for the U.S. government in this medical suspense thriller by an award-winning pathologist.
"Hidden under a cloak of legitimacy, I have been pressed to deliver extraordinary service for my country. It has been a successful ruse. A premium blend of dark deception with just an aroma of truth."-Dr. Lily Robinson
Dr. Lily Robinson is a brilliant physician with an encyclopedic knowledge of all toxins and poisons, and a penchant for wearing stilettos. In an unforeseeable twist in her life, the United States Government appeals to her patriotism--and her knowledge of how to kill without bloodshed, to rid the world of threats to our nation. Emotionally blunted and flawed, she struggles to move between assassin and healer, yet still able to fulfill her competing objectives. Now asked to assassinate a terrorist threatening New York City, she quickly realizes the Russians have already released a deadly toxin in a surprisingly innocuous medium.
Brought to life by world-renowned toxicologist Dr. BJ Magnani, The Queen of All Poisons explores the real threat of terrorism by poison in a world riddled with illicit chemicals and drugs. The novel is also a timeless love story of mother-daughter bonds and forbidden affairs.
Reviews
Beyond brilliant.
A masterful masterpiece.
A breathtaking puzzle of beautifully-written words that provide vivid pictures.
A terrifying account of our world today.
Fascinating.
Captivating.
Just an amazing work of jigsaw puzzle verbal art.
Dr. Charles A. Steinberg
Longtime Executive Vice President,
Boston Red Sox
"Rich with detail, layered with fascinating and shadowy characterizations, intertwined in a multi-layered plot so devilishly complex that one’s head is guaranteed to spin, this is a book that will entertain as it chills, even raising a chuckle or two as our sardonically-savvy “poison expert in high heels” rolls up her metaphorical sleeves and takes care of business.
Highly recommended, this book is a delight for lovers of the unusual, champions of strong (yet flawed) female protagonists, and those of us (I know you’re out there) who will warm to any book which features four-inch suede stilettos. " Booklymatters (11) Facebook
"The Queen of all Poisons" is a complex medical thriller that is framed around the life of an accomplished female academic physician who occasionally, on behalf of our government, carries out covert assassinations of foreign operatives who present eminent threats to our national security. Since she is a toxicologist as well as a pathologist, she is uniquely qualified to execute a perfect murder (death appears to be from natural causes). The covert government operations to identify and orchestrate the elimination of deep cover enemy operatives moves the story at an exciting and suspenseful pace, while the reader is introduced to characters that have relationships to others which can be subtle and profound, but apparent only to the reader. The book title comes from a poison used in the novel (aconite, monkshood) that has been considered the "Queen of Poisons" since ancient times. (It comes from the plant pictured on the book cover.) However, the title could appropriately be descriptive of the novel's main character...or the novel's author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys medical thrillers. It is among the best of the many fictional works I have read that involve criminal poisoning.
-David J. George, PhD
Author of Poisons, An Introduction for Forensic Investigators