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The angel makers : arsenic, a midwife, and modern history's most astonishing murder ring  Cover Image Book Book

The angel makers : arsenic, a midwife, and modern history's most astonishing murder ring / Patti McCracken.

McCracken, Patti, (author.).

Summary:

In a rural hamlet in Hungary, a midwife known to all as Auntie Suzy dispensed homemade elixirs to the village residents. She has salves for the aching backs of farmers and tinctures for upset stomachs. Nightshades as painkillers and healing poultices for good folks who mostly lacked a proper doctor. And for the women of the village, there were whispers she had a secret solution so powerful that it could solve any problem, from unwanted pregnancies to abusive husbands. "Why are you bothering with him?" the midwife would ask... In the beginning, the women used Auntie Suzy's arsenic furtively enough. After all, babies are often stillborn and drunkard husbands sometimes get sick and die. But as the number of bodies grew without arousing much suspicion, the killers grew bolder. With each vial of poison emptied, a new reason surfaced to drain yet another. For more than fifteen years, the unlikely murderers aided death unfettered, tending to it as if it were simply another chore--spooning doses of arsenic into soup and wine, stirring them into coffee and brandy. By the time their crimes were discovered, the body count was feared to be in the hundreds. -- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780063275034
  • ISBN: 0063275031
  • Physical Description: viii, 316 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2023]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references.
Formatted Contents Note:
Pt. 1. The murders 1916-1925 -- Two graves and a girl to marry -- Homecoming -- A deadly flu, a fallen kingdom, a foiled plan -- "Sing, my dear boy!" -- A doctor's suspicions -- By any means, and magic -- Judge's loss -- A hasty christening -- Eight crying orphans -- Forging ahead -- pt. 2. The investigation 1929 -- Mr. Ebner's secret -- Yours anonymously (again) -- May Day festival -- "The Gendermes are here!" -- A case for Kronberg -- "Nagyrev is the hornet's nest" -- Cucumber season, no more -- An air of guilt -- Up in the loft -- The great honeypot -- Vigil -- Goose girls and open graves -- Old man Cser -- An unburdening -- A rescue, and resolve -- A poulace seethes, a prosecutor schemes -- Undercover, under bed -- One mad dash -- "Forgive the sins of those who obeyed Satan" -- Coda: Top hats and gowns, and to the gallows she goes -- The aftermath -- Postscript.
Subject: Women serial murderers > Hungary > Case studies.
Women murderers > History > 20th century.
Serial murders > Hungary > Case studies.
Poisoners > Hungary > Case studies.
Murder > History > 20th century.
Arsenic > Toxicology.
Murder > Hungary.
Poisoning.
Hungary > History > 20th century.
Genre: True crime stories.
Case studies.

Available copies

  • 22 of 22 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Camden County Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 22 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Camden County Library District - Camdenton 364.152 McCracken (Text) 31320003911414 Adult Nonfiction Available -

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24514. ‡aThe angel makers : ‡barsenic, a midwife, and modern history's most astonishing murder ring / ‡cPatti McCracken.
250 . ‡aFirst edition.
264 1. ‡aNew York : ‡bWilliam Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, ‡c[2023]
264 4. ‡c©2023
300 . ‡aviii, 316 pages : ‡billustrations ; ‡c24 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references.
5050 . ‡aPt. 1. The murders 1916-1925 -- Two graves and a girl to marry -- Homecoming -- A deadly flu, a fallen kingdom, a foiled plan -- "Sing, my dear boy!" -- A doctor's suspicions -- By any means, and magic -- Judge's loss -- A hasty christening -- Eight crying orphans -- Forging ahead -- pt. 2. The investigation 1929 -- Mr. Ebner's secret -- Yours anonymously (again) -- May Day festival -- "The Gendermes are here!" -- A case for Kronberg -- "Nagyrev is the hornet's nest" -- Cucumber season, no more -- An air of guilt -- Up in the loft -- The great honeypot -- Vigil -- Goose girls and open graves -- Old man Cser -- An unburdening -- A rescue, and resolve -- A poulace seethes, a prosecutor schemes -- Undercover, under bed -- One mad dash -- "Forgive the sins of those who obeyed Satan" -- Coda: Top hats and gowns, and to the gallows she goes -- The aftermath -- Postscript.
520 . ‡aIn a rural hamlet in Hungary, a midwife known to all as Auntie Suzy dispensed homemade elixirs to the village residents. She has salves for the aching backs of farmers and tinctures for upset stomachs. Nightshades as painkillers and healing poultices for good folks who mostly lacked a proper doctor. And for the women of the village, there were whispers she had a secret solution so powerful that it could solve any problem, from unwanted pregnancies to abusive husbands. "Why are you bothering with him?" the midwife would ask... In the beginning, the women used Auntie Suzy's arsenic furtively enough. After all, babies are often stillborn and drunkard husbands sometimes get sick and die. But as the number of bodies grew without arousing much suspicion, the killers grew bolder. With each vial of poison emptied, a new reason surfaced to drain yet another. For more than fifteen years, the unlikely murderers aided death unfettered, tending to it as if it were simply another chore--spooning doses of arsenic into soup and wine, stirring them into coffee and brandy. By the time their crimes were discovered, the body count was feared to be in the hundreds. -- ‡cProvided by publisher.
650 0. ‡aWomen serial murderers ‡zHungary ‡vCase studies.
650 0. ‡aWomen murderers ‡xHistory ‡y20th century.
650 0. ‡aSerial murders ‡zHungary ‡vCase studies.
650 0. ‡aPoisoners ‡zHungary ‡vCase studies.
650 0. ‡aMurder ‡xHistory ‡y20th century.
650 0. ‡aArsenic ‡xToxicology. ‡0(ME)832985
650 0. ‡aMurder ‡zHungary.
650 0. ‡aPoisoning. ‡0(ME)499440
651 0. ‡aHungary ‡xHistory ‡y20th century. ‡0(ME)730419
655 7. ‡aTrue crime stories. ‡2lcgft ‡0(ME)369065
655 7. ‡aCase studies. ‡2lcgft ‡0(ME)618811
902 . ‡aMQP ‡b05/22/2023 ‡cmerged
904 . ‡aMARCIVE 2023
904 . ‡aMARCIVE 2024
901 . ‡a4512585 ‡bAUTOGEN ‡c4512585 ‡tbiblio

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