Rockstar Book Tours presents... A POISONER'S TALE by Cathryn Kemp - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A POISONER'S TALE by Cathryn Kemp Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

A POISONER'S TALE

by

Cathryn Kemp

Pub. Date: February 4, 2025

Publisher: Union Square & Co.

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 376

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/A-POISONERS-TALE

The legendary figure of notorious seventeenth-century Italian poisoner Giulia Tofana, thought to be the first female serial killer in history, is brought to life in this feminist retelling.

Palermo 1632: Giulia is thirteen when she learns her mother greatest secret: Teofania makes an undetectable, slow-acting, lethal poison—Acqua Tofana—which she uses to free the broken and abused women of Palermo. Now Teofania wants to pass her recipe on to her daughter, and Giulia soon realizes that in a time when women have no voice, justice is sometimes best served in a cup of wine or broth.

Rome, 1656: Years later, within the alleys and shadows of the Eternal City, Giulia forms her own circle of female poisoners, who work together under the guise of an apothecary shop to sell poison to women in need.
       But even in a time of plague, when death looms over the city, it doesn’t go unnoticed that the men of Rome are starting to fall like flies. And with the newly elected pope determined to rid the city of witches and heretics, Giulia is more vulnerable than ever. How far is she willing to go to continue her mother’s legacy?

Weaving together the stories of the women Giulia helped, the men she killed, and those who wanted her dead, this is a tale of magic, secrets, vengeance, and sin in the back streets of Rome—and, ultimately, a fight for power.

 

 

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Some families hand down stories. Others hand down precious belongings. Still others pass down traditions most unusual, information seemingly impractical, and yet together they work to serve the greater good in the darkness of night. 

From the start, I was whisked away by this one, and, whether I wanted to be there or not, I became a virtual accomplish to the events that unfolded. Grant it, I'm not the take the law into your own hands type, however.... however. I do believe there is a special place in hades for certain people, especially those that treat others with such disrespect, as if they were property, and those that force their will (or more) upon others. The darker side of the story is certainly on display, but so are the desperate works of those that would serve their own brand of justice in a time when a woman couldn't count on help from the powers that be (so not getting into the here and now state of that statement 🙄). Watching Guilia come into her own, find her footing, and embrace her "heritage" was like walking that double edged sword. She was more perceptive from the beginning, it came like second nature to her, and yet her desire to help those that needed it most could lead to her undoing. 

It's a twisty ride with some surprises along the way, and yet a fascinating look at a person in history through a fictional lense. Which side of the action will you land on? Would you be for the limited use of the mysterious poison when the need was great enough? How would you choose? Fans of Historical Fiction definitely need this one in their reading list!

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About the author...

Cathryn Kemp is a Sunday Times bestselling ghost writer and author with a prolific career writing celebrity, inspirational, true crime, and nostalgia titles. Her personal memoir, Coming Clean, won the Big Red Read Prize for Nonfiction. For A Poisoner's Tale, her first foray into historical fiction, she was awarded a foundation grant by the Society of Authors to pursue the research for this book, reaching into the state archives of Palermo and the Vatican’s secret Holy Office of the Inquisition. She lives on the south coast of England.

Website | Twitter (X) | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

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*** Giveaway ***

1 winner will receive a finished copy of A POISONER'S TALE, US Only.

Ends February 18th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/3/2025	@tartan_teapotsandbooks_croft	IG Post
2/4/2025	Frugal Freelancer	Excerpt/IG Post
2/5/2025	The Eclectic Review	Excerpt/IG Post
2/6/2025	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review
2/7/2025	@bookgirlbrown_reviews	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

2/10/2025	jlreadstoperpetuity	Review/IG Post
2/11/2025	@alexandriavwilliams_	IG Review
2/12/2025	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
2/13/2025	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
2/14/2025	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!