Beloved Poison

Jem Flockhart, Book 1

By: E. S. Thomson

Narrated by: Rachel Atkins

A dark and richly atmospheric thriller, perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Sarah Perry.

London, 1846.

Ramshackle and crumbling, St Saviour's Infirmary awaits demolition. Within its stinking wards and cramped corridors the doctors bicker and fight. Ambition, jealousy and hatred seethe beneath the veneer of professional courtesy.

Always an outsider, and with a secret of her own to hide, apothecary Jem Flockhart observes everything, but says nothing.

And then six tiny coffins are uncovered, inside each a handful of dried flowers and a bundle of moldy rags. When Jem comes across these strange relics hidden inside the infirmary's old chapel, her quest to understand their meaning prizes open a long-forgotten past—with fatal consequences . . .

©2016 E.S. Thomson (P)2016 W. F. Howes Ltd

I couldn’t stop listening

I’ve never listened to this author before and I hesitated to spend a credit on it. But I’m very glad I did. The story was compelling and the characters engaging. I figured out the plot well before the end but still couldn’t stop listening.

What a wonderful find!

Stumbled onto this and took a chance (even though there were no reviews. SO glad I did! The story is rich and complex - not a mystery that’s not quite cozy, but totally captivating. The time and place are beautifully evoked, the characters are compelling, and the narrator does a splendid job.

A fare amount of gore, so if that bothers you this may not be the book for you - but I (who hate violence in books, but don’t mind the gore as much) found it tolerable, and so worth it. Am quite happy the author has more in the series!