Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Poison Thread  By  cover art

The Poison Thread

By: Laura Purcell
Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle, Elizabeth Knowelden
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.25

Buy for $20.25

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

"[An] uncanny Gothic mystery... Satisfying." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A romping read with a deliciously dark conceit at its center... Reminded me of Alias Grace." (Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Deathless Girls)

From the author of The Silent Companions, a thrilling Victorian gothic horror story about a young seamstress who claims her needle and thread have the power to kill

Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder.

When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread - because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.

The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations - of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses - will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister listen about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence.

©2019 Laura Purcell (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Suspenseful.... This smart and sophisticated historical thriller will appeal to fans of Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith and Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace." (Publishers Weekly)

"A potent, powerful novel: seductive, spellbinding, and - in every sense of the word - haunting. As atmospheric as Sarah Waters, as psychologically astute as Tana French." (A.J. Finn, number one New York Times best-selling author)

“[The Poison Thread is] a compelling slice of early Victorian gothic.... Vivid and well researched, this book is an evocative portrait of a society that punishes women who dare to contravene social norms...a splendid mystery with suitably melodramatic flourishes.” (The Guardian)

What listeners say about The Poison Thread

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    489
  • 4 Stars
    159
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    506
  • 4 Stars
    101
  • 3 Stars
    23
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    427
  • 4 Stars
    138
  • 3 Stars
    49
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

absolutely fantastic introduction to Ms Purcell

I grabbed this book by chance and I am beyond glad that I did! not only is the story enthralling, the characters interesting and well-developed, but the performance is fantastic. 10/10 would recommend for any fan of slow burning horror.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Compelling read!

Very compelling read with twists and turns. Good performances, excellent story. Well executed overall. Recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Dark Story, but I really liked it

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the different voices of the two characters. Really well done!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Blew away my expectations

I'm not going to lie, the beginning is slow. I was thinking that I had yet again run into another drawn out book with no purpose. I almost returned it. However the more the mystery unfolded, the more intrigued I became. I got more and more curious to see where this story was going. The voice actors are great and convey emotions very well. If you decide to read it, give it a few chapters. There's are a lot of very unexpected twists and turns to be had and the ending will leave you breathless.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

LOVED!

This book was wonderful. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and the voice actors were wonderful! I would recommend this book to lovers of the Victorian era and thrillers. It was a wonderful combination of both.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narrarator

This narrator was amazing and Consistent but her voices were very aged for the women she was representing. It was hard to remember some were so young.
The story was well written and I enjoyed it very much. I wish a few things had happened differently but I’m just picking it apart with my own imagination. Overall interesting and enjoyable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping!

Wow! I simply had to binge listen and couldn't put it down until I finished it!

The story is gripping, poignant and unexpected, and it is written so well that the many layers reveal themselves while entangling the listener in its threads.

The Poison Thread is one of those books that I selected randomly in a sale and it turned out to be fantastic!
Bravo, Ms Purcell!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The Ending???

Overall, I enjoyed this book. But the end, no pun intended, left me hanging. And apparently I’m not the only listener who feels this way. The ending of this story cost two stars…

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Just WOW!

Wow! Excellent story, excellent narrators. I could not put this one down. Great book club or beach listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Ending?

Loved the performance & story but, what happened on the last page? I don’t want to mess it up for others but, am I just dense or did others not get the meaning of the handkerchief in Dads hand?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful