The book is based on the stories of 540 English poisoners, most of whom ??? being poor and illiterate ??? had previously been lost to history Using original historical sources, it challenges old assumptions and breaks new ground, by studying the majority, rather than the small minority that journalistic 'true crime' books tend to focus on Most people assume that the typical English poisoner was a woman or a doctor, but this was not the case A highly readable account of a subject that both fascinates and horrifies