Perfect Poison

A Female Serial Killer's Deadly Medicine

By: M. William Phelps

Narrated by: J. Charles

Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

In Northampton, Massachusetts, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kristen Gilbert was known as a hardworking, dedicated nurse - so why were her patients dying?

So many emergencies and sudden deaths occurred while Kristen made her rounds on Ward C that her colleagues jokingly called her the "Angel of Death". Yet most people didn't suspect the horrifying truth behind the nickname: that Gilbert's polished façade concealed a scheming, manipulative liar and a homicidal, narcissistic sociopath.

From August 1995 through February 1996, Gilbert dealt out wholesale death. Her victims were helpless patients who trusted her as a caregiver, only to learn too late that she was a killer, her weapon a drug capable of causing fatal heart attacks.

She got away with murder until three of her fellow nurses could no longer ignore the proliferation of deadly "coincidences" on Gilbert's watch. Investigators believe Kristen Gilbert may have been responsible for as many as 40 deaths. As the law closed in, she struck back, faking suicide attempts, harassing witnesses, stalking her ex-boyfriend, and terrorizing the hospital with bomb threats.

In March 2001, after being found guilty of four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, "Angel of Death" Kristen Gilbert was sentenced to life imprisonment.

©2008 M. William Phelps (P)2008 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"A first-rate investigative examination." (Dr. Michael Baden, forensic pathologist and host of HBO's Autopsy series)
"Charles' precise reading takes listeners into Gilbert's paranoia." ( AudioFile)

Great book. The Author really did his homework!

If you like true crime, this is the book for you. You really feel like you are getting the whole story. You will not be bored, but you will be perplexed. How someone could take a life is a sad mystery to all.

Well written.

Unlike other true crime authors Phelps doesn't bore us with extraneous information just to fill pages. He gets to the meat of the story that keeps you gripped and coming back for more.

Fascinating and creepy

What did you love best about Perfect Poison?

Well written, hard to put down, intriguing look at a woman with a dangerous borderline personality disorder.

What about J. Charles’s performance did you like?

The reader does just fine when simply narrating and oddly enough does well with the female character's voices. He does seem to go over the top when voicing some of the male characters. Why, for instance, does the DA sound like Ted Baxter from the old Mary Tyler Moore Show?

Any additional comments?

Still a great read especially if true crime stories fascinate you.

Excellent!!

What a great delve into such a twisted mind. Well written and researched. Highly recommended

Truely haunting

What a diabolical women. It's hard to conceive of someone so completely evil. I was riveted.

Long...

I enjoyed the first 2 parts,it seems like when it got to the trial and sentencing it dragged out.
I do understand all the details have to be included though.
Such a terrible thing for all those families to have to endure.

kudos to phelps and charles for a great read!

Would you listen to Perfect Poison again? Why?

oh yes, i will for sure. it was a well researched book, and well written. the narrator was great!

What did you like best about this story?

the story was complete--i don't like books that leave me hanging.

i felt like i knew the victims and the incidents that happened were described well.

Have you listened to any of J. Charles’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes i have. i liked both (another phelps book). this one better tho. i liked the inflections in his voice that add to the story. he speaks clearly and the conversations over the phone sounded like they were over the phone.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

i would have liked to but it was too long. however i read it in two days.

Any additional comments?

a very good story. i enjoyed it immensely.

poor Narration, interesting story

The narrators voice is pleasant and he reads well, however, he has a bad habit of starting a sentence loud and trailing off to barely audible at the end. Very frustrating! Constant volumn changes and distraction.

I found the story interesting and well written.

First Rate Investigative Reporting!

I just loved this one. I was in a funk and couldn't get into any of my audiobooks until I got this one. I looked for excuses to listen! It helped that the story took place in my neighborhood, so it was cool being familiar with all of the places, and even some of the people, mentioned.

Incredible, hard to believe story.

COULD NOT PUT DOWN

Here is another of my "FIVE STAR READ"! My credo is to only review great reads! If I can't review a book with a 5 STAR rating, I will not say anything. That way you can take what I say to the bank. So much has been said about Kristan as the Killer Nurse. The story got front page headlines throughout the world. For Good Reason...This is one of the most interesting and books I have ever listened to. EVERY WORD IS TRUE. Yes, I do my research as well. Usually I am not a fan of true crime (Female Serial Killers) However, this is so unique and strange, I know any person that enjoys listening to true stories about people that do bad things, you won't be sorry with William Phelps' PERFECT POISON! From her lovers to her life sentence or was it the Death Sentence...You will have to read it to find out. Throughout all of my reviews, I try to rate my best reads or audio listens. This is number 2 in my top 10 list of TRUE CRIMES. It was very close to being number 1. The price is right and the story is unbelievable. Look up female serial killers and read only a small portion of the case. DO NOT SPOIL THE STORY BY READING ALL THE INFORMATION about a nurse that probably killed over 400 people during the time she worked at a Veterans's Hospital. Although, she was only found guilty on five or six very sick men, this unlikely looking murderer probably killed many many more. The book is so well written, your imagination will run wild.

GET THIS READ...YOU WON'T BE SORRY!!!