Description
Poisoners
Book Summary
What drives a woman to kill? In this fascinating essay, pharmacist and criminologist Marisol Donis explores nearly fifty real crimes committed by women throughout recent history. With a rigorous and humane approach, the author analyzes not only the methods employed—almost always poison—but also the heartbreaking personal circumstances that led these women to commit the most extreme act. An essential book for lovers of criminology and true crime that goes beyond simple morbid curiosity to understand the complexity of female crime.
What is it about?
The book addresses the history of crime perpetrated by women, focusing on a recurring pattern: the use of poison. From the kitchen and the domestic sphere, these women used what they had on hand—methylated spirits, match heads, pin tips, strychnine, or arsenic—to end the lives of their victims. Marisol Donis examines each case in detail, paying attention to the facts, the methods employed, press coverage, police investigations, and the public attention they aroused. However, the true value of the work lies in its analysis of motivations: necessity, escaping poverty or abuse, desperation, compassion, or, at times, sheer malice. The author reconstructs the profiles of these poisoners, women who killed in silence, bloodlessly, and with macabre imagination, offering a unique perspective on female criminality.
Main themes
- Female criminality and its historical evolution.
- Poison as a domestic weapon and its relationship to the role of women in the home.
- Analysis of crime motivations: necessity, abuse, desperation, and compassion.
- Criminal investigation, police follow-up, and media coverage of real cases.
- Psychological and social profiles of poisoners in recent history.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers passionate about criminology, true crime, and real-life cases. It will also be of great interest to those seeking a historical and social perspective on female crime, far from sensationalism. It is ideal for those who wish to understand the complex motivations behind these acts and how the domestic and gender context influenced the choice of poison as a method.
What this book offers
- A rigorous and documented analysis of nearly fifty real cases of poisoners.
- A unique perspective that combines criminology with social and gender history.
- Deep understanding of the motivations and circumstances that led these women to kill.
- A look devoid of morbid fascination, focused on the human and social context of the crimes.
- Detailed information on methods, investigations, and the media impact of the cases.
Technical specifications
- Author: DONIS, MARISOL
- Publisher: ED.ALREVES,S.L
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: TRUE CRIME, MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FICTION
- Collection: NARRATIVE
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: February 2025
- Number of pages: 314
- Weight: 867 g
Editorial review
Poisoners is a work that stands out for its rigorous and humane approach, moving away from the sensationalism typical of the true crime genre. Marisol Donis manages to combine her scientific background with a narrative sensitivity that allows the reader to delve into the complexity of these crimes. The book offers a valuable perspective on female criminality, contextualizing each case within the social and domestic limitations of the time. For enthusiasts of criminology and social history, it is a read that adds depth and nuance to a subject often treated superficially.