A Writer’s Guide to Nineteenth-Century Murder by Arsenic (A Curiosity of Crime)
Intended as a writers’ guide, this book explores the methods and implications of arsenic poisoning in the 19th century. Cathers sifts out the superfluous information and brings together a concise resource of relevant tidbits to add realism and context to any 19th-century historical mystery. Creator of a website geared for historical crime writers, “A Curiosity of Crime,” this book is K. K. Cathers’s debut.
Cathers structures the book according to how a story would naturally unfold. We walk from the ease of procuring arsenic all the way through to courtroom dramatics and strategies. Instead of chapters, there are separate Acts, aptly named “Setting the Scene”; “Murder, Most Foul”; and “Solving the Crime,” followed by helpful appendices. Each Act also includes subsections titled “What This Means for Your Story,” which explores ways to utilize the information authentically for the time and place. From early forensics science to the social climate, Cathers has compiled a unique fact-filled book.
In addition, Cathers’s writing style is entertaining. The prose isn’t just instructive, it’s also an interesting and, at times, humorous read (the things that were legal back then… wow!). The scientific information and analyses are easy to follow and accessible. This is a great aid for authors, full of tantalizing, almost unbelievable facts. As a true crime fan and an author, I highly recommend it.
