Synopses & Reviews
The Affair of the Poisons, as it became known, was an extraordinary episode that took place in France during the reign of Louis XIV. When poisoning and black magic became widespread, arrests followed. Suspects included those among the highest ranks of society. Many were tortured and numerous executions resulted.
The 1676 torture and execution of the Marquise de Brinvilliers marked the start of the scandal which rocked the foundations of French society and sent shock waves through all of Europe. Convicted of conspiring with her adulterous lover to poison her father and brothers in order to secure the family fortune, the marquise was the first member of the noble class to fall.
In the French court of the period, where sexual affairs were numerous, ladies were not shy of seeking help from the murkier elements of the Parisian underworld, and fortune-tellers supplemented their dubious trade by selling poison.
It was not long before the authorities were led to believe that Louis XIV himself was at risk. With the police chief of Paris police alerted, every hint of danger was investigated. Rumors abounded and it was not long before the King ordered the setting up of a special commission to investigate the poisonings and bring offenders to justice. No one, the King decreed, no matter how grand, would be spared having to account for their conduct.
The royal court was soon thrown into disarray. The Mistress of the Robes and a distinguished general were among the early suspects. But they paled into insignificance when the King's mistress was incriminated. If, as was said, she had engaged in vile Satanic rituals and had sought to poison a rival for the King's affections, what was Louis XIV to do?
Anne Somerset has gone back to original sources, letters and earlier accounts of the affair. By the end of her account, she reaches firm conclusions on various crucial matters. The Affair of the Poisons is an enthralling account of a sometimes bizarre period in French history.
Review
Praise for
Elizabeth I:
"This is my favorite among the biographies of Queen Elizabeth I. Anne Somerset presents a convincing as well as complex character at the center of her lucid narrative. She breathes new life into old sources so that we live the story again and see it afresh."
- Antonia Fraser
"The most comprehensive, the most reliable and the most readable biography of Elizabeth."
- New York Times Book Review
"Totally captivating...a wry, convincing portrait of a complex character."
- Publishers Weekly
"Somerset's thoroughly researched and exhaustively documented study will capture the reader's imagination."
- Library Journal
"An ample, stylish, and eloquent life of the queen."
- The Washington Post Book World
"Finely crafted, abundantly detailed...few biographies have explored the depth found here."
- The San Francisco Chronicle
"A gorgeous tapestry...even readers unfamiliar with the dynamic personalities of the Tudor era would do well to start their quest for knowledge here."
- Booklist
"A clear, moving, informed narrative."
- Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Anne Somerset was born in England in 1955 and studied history at King's College London. She is the author of acclaimed biography,
Elizabeth I. Her most recent work was the UK bestselling
Unnatural Murder, which was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger award for nonfiction. She is married and lives in London with her husband and daughter.