Cyanide Books

A friend lent me this book by Josephine Butler.

It is extraordinary. She reports that Sir Winston Churchill told her to tell the absolute truth and she does so.

She tells an amazing story of being Jay Bee, a member of a secret circle of agents, taking orders directly from Churchill and the operatives who reported to him directly.

She tells us what it was like to be an agent of the British government, in touch with the Resistance, in occupied France during WW II.

Her exploits are stupendous. She has a photographic memory. She speaks French fluently, and therefore is able to operate effectively in occupied France.

What was most inspirational and astounding to me was her faith in the human spirit and eventual world peace, in the midst of war, torture, and horror.

Despite her direct experience with some of the most horrific atrocities in the history of humankind, she still believes in the inherent goodness of human beings.

A great book -- exciting, full of information about WW II, and spiritually inspiring.

Susan McGee
somewhere near the redwoods in California

A terrific book. I could not stop listening. It is a great story and the fact that it is a true story makes it even better. It is a fascinating story of world war II espionage. This woman is a true hero and her story should be given more attention. I would reccomend this to anyone.

This is a book-on-tape selected by accident while searching for British mysteries. And what a fortuitous accident it was. This is the story of a British female physician, very familiar with France due to a long period of residence there, who was selected to be a member of Winston Churchill's Secret Circle of spies. The detail of the accounts of her preparation and adventures in France, running from the Gestapo, establishing collaborator networks, rival the best of fictional novels. This autobiography will rivet your attention from beginning to end, and hope someday for the movie. Bravo, Jay Bee, and thanks!!

An absolutely marvelous book on 19th and early 20th century photography. Topics include the dangers of 19th century photographic practices, the camera fiend, hat cameras, spirit photography, photography by the light of a putrid haddock, and much more. Bill Jay writes with an enjoyable style. He has gone through many publications of the period,literally page by page,to acquire this unusual assortment of information. It is well documented so that one can go back to the original sources. I cannot understand why Nazraeli Press doesn't reprint it so that I can buy my own copy.

This awesome book was the beginning of my Agatha Christie and mystery addiction. I've read most of her books, and it's still my favorite! She had me questioning every character the whole time! Everyone should read this book!

"Ten little Indian boys went out to dine..."

And so starts the nursery rhyme that was the basis for Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (also published as Ten Little Indians). The story opens with 8 people from all walks of life traveling to Indian Island, where they have been invited for a summer holiday by the mysterious U.N. Owen. Upon reaching the island, they discover that their mystery host is no where to be found; the only other people on the island are the butler and his wife. The guests are soon confronted with the reason for their invitation: their host knows about the secrets of their pasts, and has decided that justice must be served.

Truthfully, of the little Christie that I have read so far, this has been my least favorite. Don't misunderstand, however, I still greatly enjoyed the book! Christie's knack for misdirection is amazing, leading you to believe with utmost certainty who the killer is, at least until the next chapter when she sheds new light on a new suspect, and then you know for sure that they are the killer, again until the next chapter. What I didn't like about this book is the murders seemed too contrived and forced to match up with the nursery rhyme. Of course, these murders needed to fit the pattern of the rhyme, otherwise, what would be the point? It just came across as too convenient for me, yet I did enjoy flipping back and forth to the rhyme at the beginning of the book to try to figure out how the next murder would take place!

The pinnacle of Agatha Christie. This is a fast-paced series of murders that manages to be thoroughly engrossing and disgusting and twisted. Wonderful.

Then There Were None, also published as The Ten Little Indians, was one of the most page-turning thrillers I've read. This book will keep you up all night and day wanting to finish it. This book is about 10 unsuspecting people going to an unknown island for a vacation. Each person is persuaded over for various reasons. The longer they stay, the weirder things get. Each day someone is killed, but there is no other people on the island despite a butler. As the members are being killed off, it leaves everyone thinking. Who is the murderer?

This book will be the best thriller/mystery book you may read. It's darkness and spookiness keeps you interested. The way the book's written makes you feel like you're in the book, trying to save yourself. But you never know which order you may go in. I highly reccomend this book, so enjoy.

and I'm no kid, believe me. I didn't think I'd like mystery, but this one makes me want to come back for more. It was assigned for my daughter's English class at school, so I picked it up and read it -- in one day. It kept me guessing and flipping back to find clues all the way to the end. Bravo!

Agents are being air dropped into Nazi occupied France to aid the underground, and they are being captured
as soon as they land. The British have to find out why all of their activities are known to the Nazis. Leo Marks,
a 21 year old puzzle genius is put in charge of coding and decoding information going in and out of Britain. This sounds like a formula movie, but is what really happened during WWII, and it is fascinating, exciting and often touching. There is no doubt in this conflict who the good guys are, and this look at what was really happening during this era is hard to put down. It is well written and a real adventure.

I found this via a web search for 84 Charing Cross Road; I started reading the eval pages online, and loved it so much that I ordered it immediately.

I fun and interesting read...I simply didn't want it to end.

I'm getting it for my granddaddy, who was in WWII.

Between Silk and Cyanide is a humorous and engaging account of code making in England during World War II. Leo Marks was not good enough to be sent to Bletchley Park for code breaking, instead he was sent to work on code making and teaching people who were to be sent to Europe how to encode their messages. He was immediately appalled at how insecure the British codes were. The book is about his fight to make better, more secure codes and make sure that no messages that were received where indecipherable.

I was about to direct the play "Breaking the Code" and plucked this book from somewhere because I thought it would provide background. The project fell through so I put the book aside thinking that it would be extremely dry and technical - not exactly what you want on your nightstand. Two years go by. I had finished my current read and was desperate for something else to tide me over until the next right book came along - Between Silk and Cyanide came off the shelf and I could NOT put it down.

The code war has always been a fascination of mine. I'm convinced that the arm of British Intelligence which created codes for agents working under the most horrific circumstances strong-armed and thwarted the German war machine as handily and Churchill, Montgomery and Eisenhower (better late than never, I always say). These agents of Britain, the Free French and the DeGaulle French (there were two French sections for reasons which are stated in the book but will come as no surprise to anyone who has encountered the French on any level. Talk about Resistance), the Dutch, the Scandinavians were so gallant and selfless.
Leo Marks, young, smart code-maker extraordinaire, does justice to their incredible bravery while providing insight into the machinations of the code war the success of which was paramount to the war effort.

And he's funny. It's rather like Black Adder going forth to fight the war in the quintessentially British fashion with many bewildering dicta handed down from on high without the obvious plausibility of sound judgment. Or so it appears to Marks, at 23, who can recognize a good black market cigar and a pretty FANY when he sees one and also a true hero.

It's technical but like Shakespeare if you read it quickly enough, you get the gist. The miracle is that understatement, self-deprecation and imagination can win a war. Those who have no sense of humour will never conquer.

I'm surprised to find this wonderful book had no Amazon reviews yet. I offer mine as a stopgap since it's based on memory. The physical book was mailed to a friend several years ago.

I found it remarkable for several reasons: 1) that it concerned an obscure branch of British intelligence of which I'd been ignorant; 2) it was wonderfully readable, straight to the point without being terse (often being laugh-out-loud funny), and 3) it deftly profiled the inner functioning of an often dysfunctional agency charged with life & death security decisions for its field agents in occupied France. The immense consequences of wartime intelligence decisions, and the curiously whimsical internal judgements and happenstance events on which they turn are highlighted with a light-hearted irony that I found irresistible.

If you want a dry catalogue of official events clothed in academic prose and interminable footnotes, skip this. If you read history for insight into human nature or the pure pleasure of a good read this is your book.

This is one of the best true crime books I've ever read. It kept my interest because you kept wondering what made Stella tick, was her daughter involved in any way, and how she managed to cover up for so long. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy true crime.

Bitter Almonds : The True Story of Mothers, Daughters, and the Seattle Cyanide Murders
I have read all of the Ann Rule and Jack Olsen (Give a Boy a Gun; Son, etc.)true crime books and enjoy them very much. Bitter Almonds is as good as any of their books (or anyone elses for that matter). I just finished reading it for the second time, and enjoyed it even more than the first reading. This book is a classic among true crime books.

Okay, I remember the aspirin scare where people were getting poisoned. When I got this book because it was one of the few crime books sold that [...]I was intrigued. It was set in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle, which is really Ann Rule country regarding true crime but Gregg Olsen, the author of Bitter Almonds, does a fabulous job in bringing to life about two victims, an expendable husband by the murderous wife who got her daughter involved in a deadly scheme, and then an innocent woman, Sue Snow, who didn't do anything to Stella, the murderous wife, except prove that there was a problem with aspirin in the Pacific Northwest. What happens is a terrible scare and it led to bottleproofing to pills for our safety. Sadly, Sue Snow's unlikable husband was blamed for killing her at first but slowly the truth unfold that Stella was behind the crimes. She only killed another person to cover her other crime. Regardless, Stella's daughter helps bring her to justice if my memory serves me correctly. The story is quite revealing about two different victims who would have never been connected if it had not been for Stella who brought them together. I think it's unconsciousable to take out your spouse for financial gain and then a completely innocent person just to prove your case. Snow's family also had to deal with blaming her spouse who is usually the first suspect in such a case regardless of whether they liked him or not. To know that somebody, a complete stranger with ulterior motives, was responsible for killing a beloved mother, twin sister, relative, and friend. Both victims are as different as night and day and bought have one thing in common: Stella Nickel. She is in prison now probably for the rest of her life.

I'm glad that I chose "Bitter Almonds" as my first Gregg Olsen book. I'm amazed at the research & detail that went into this tale of greed, deception, promiscuity & a whole bunch of various adjectives to describe Hot-to-Trot Stella Maudine Nickell.

Without giving too much away, should you read this book, pay particular attention to the difference in relationships Stella had with each of her daughters.

I was amazed at the similarities between Stella & Sue Snow's eldest children and seemingly lost younger girls.

Who is Sue Snow? Read up and find out! You will not be disappointed with this book. The trial was probably the most detailed I have ever read and a bit difficult for me to follow and stay interested, but I made it through and look forward to reading the rest of Gregg Olsen's titles!

I also appreciate the updates Gregg has provided at the end of the story. Any T.C. reader is always wondering what key characters are up to in recent days.

This wasn't the first book by Mr. Olsen that I've read, and it certainly won't be the last. He skillfully weaves together the many intricate details of Stella Nickell's murders and her victims' lives into a fascinating, cohesive tale. The book is extremely well-researched and detailed. It's worth the effort to read through this complicated case. Another fine work, Mr. Olsen!

Young and beautiful Rosemary Barton died while dining at a fine restaurant. Her death was purportedly caused by Rosemary's spiking of her own champagne with cyanide. A year having passed, Rosemary's grieving husband and younger sister are coming to believe that Rosemary's death was not by her own hand. There are, as one might expect, several good suspects and little good evidence. Rosemary's husband has a plan to flush out the killer, a recreation of the fatal dinner. Will the killer be given away or will death be again on the menu?

Remembered Death (or Sparkling Cyanide) has lots of the elements that make a Christie novel identifiably a Christie novel. There are the idle rich, a suspicious death with few and vague clues, a group of people all with good reason to want the murdered person dead and a subtle detective plodding to a revelatory denouement. This book, however, is clearly not one of Ms. Christie's better efforts. The plot lacks forward momentum, the characters are flat and non-compelling and, perhaps worst, the solution isn't entirely persuasive. Go ahead and read this if you're a Christie completist. If not, you're best off picking another.

After the sad suicide of Rosemary Barton, life went on. Her sister, Iris, got used to her absence. Her husband mourned her, but began to pick up his life again. Suicide is difficult to recover from, but it appeared that recovery was in sight for the family. That is, it was until some mysterious notes make a terrible accusation: Rosemary Barton, they claimed, was murdered. Murder, not suicide.

With that suspicion, everything changes.

Sparkling Cyanide is loosely linked to The Man in the Brown Suit through the character of Colonel Race. The plot also has some similarities in terms of the romances between the respective leading ladies and their suspicious men. The Man in the Brown Suit is much earlier and somehow stronger. The rollicking romance of the first book gave way to the claustrophobia and cynicism of the second.

It certainly is not one of the weakest Christie novels, and for the period in which it was released, it stands quite firmly in its shoes. I enjoyed it, as I nearly always do when AC is involved. This was a first time read for me, which was delightful. I had honestly thought that I had read every Christie at one point or another. Nice to discover that I was wrong.

Recommended.

Sparkling Cyanide is definitely one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels. I love the setting in which the big bang of the story takes place: in a fancy restaurant with the lights out after a big musical number. Just imagine the setting as being in those 1950s night clubs, like in the I Love Lucy episodes. The murder takes place during a birthday bash, when the lights are turned off to bring in the cake. Cyanide is dropped into the birthday girl's champagne. Once the lights are turned back on, the birthday girl is found dead, slumped over the table.

You'll have to find out how the story revolves around this murder scene. I thought the pacing was really nice. The characters were very interesting, and if memory serves me right, the novel is narrated from the perspectives of several of the members present at the birthday party. In the end, the husband, of the woman murdered, tries to reenact the murder scene by holding a "birthday" reunion at the same restaurant a year later hoping that he'll be able to catch the murderer the second time around.

What "improvements" have been made for the St. Martin's Minotaur edition? There are already major differences in punctuation, word choices, and scene breaks between the original Collins and Dodd Mead (REMEMBERED DEATH) editions of this novel. There are further differences between the Dodd Mead editions republished by Random House/Avenel and the Dodd Mead editions republished by Simon & Shuster/Pocket. There are further additions still in the Signet, Bantam, Berkley, and Black Dog & Leventhal editions. For every publishing house putting out her works, there seem to be a new batch of editors altering Agatha Christie's words and the sound of her voice. What's the matter with these publishers? Whose voice do they think we want to hear when we sit down to a novel by Agatha Christie? And what will she sound like twenty years from now? It's frightening that her estate has failed to see the importance of guarding her words as she wrote them. Please tell me I'm not the only one here who senses that a crime has been committed.

Charming socialite Rosemary Barton had committed suicide during her birthday party. Or had she been murdered? She had been a bit depressed after a prolonged bout of the flu but Rosemary had everything to live for, she was young, rich, had both a devoted husband and a lover. And why choose a busy glamorous restaurant during a dinner party held in her honor? Over the next few months doubts began to surface over Rosemary's death, but if she had been murdered then who could have done it but a guest at her party - her husband, adoring younger sister, loyal secretary, friend, her lover or his unsuspecting wife? Then the second murder happened.....

This 1943 mystery (also published as REMEMBERED DEATH) is told from the points of view of starting with Iris, Rosemary's younger sister, shifting to the other members of the ill-fated dinner party. The detective called in here to solve the crime is the mysterious Col. Race.

As always with a Christie novel the clues are all fairly laid out for the reader to follow, the mystery is clever with some interesting twists and turns along the way.

One March morning in 1952 Archie Goodwin got a phone call from an acquaintance, Austin Byne, who wanted Archie to fill in for him at a dinner party that evening. Archie had an unpleasant experience with the hostess a few years earlier, he knew that the excuse Austin had given him was false and he was aware that the dinner party, an annual event where the guests of honor are unwed mothers, was unusual and more than a bit awkward. Despite all the reasons not to go Archie's curiosity got the better of him and he agreed to go. Before the evening was over though he came to regret his decision though. One of the unwed mothers committed suicide by putting cyanide in her post dinner champagne. At least that was the official explanation, Archie was convinced that the young woman had been murdered, and based on Archie's conviction Wolfe found himself involved in the mess. It was a decision that he must have had second thoughts about though when multiple women came through the brownstone on several occasions before the culprit was found.

As always with Stout's stories the plot is clever, full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing as Archie ferrets out the clues. The dialog between Archie and Wolfe is witty and the scenes of Wolfe coping with a roomful of females is hilarious. Those who are new to the series would do well to start here and those who are fans will enjoy this one with its delightful peeks into life in the brownstone.

For over 20 years, I have been collecting Nero Wolfe mysteries, and this was the one I couldn't find. I was delighted to have found it on Amazon! It didn't disappoint - Wolfe, Archie, Fritz and Inspector Cramer were all there, in rare form, as usual. I read and reread my Nero Wolfe mysteries all the time. Rex Stout was a literary genius, using big words that I sometimes I have to look up, plot lines to keep anyone interested, and a large dose of humor. I would recomend this book, as well as any Nero Wolfe mystery by the incomperable Rex Stout.

I am a fan of the Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries and think that Michael Prichard's readings capture all that is best in them. His individualistic voices for the Stout characters are right on target. His Nero Wolfe conveys Wolfe's unflappable superiority, his remarkable presence (and bulk), and his high IQ. But my favorite has to be Prichard's tongue-in-cheek, smooth-talking, sophisticated tough man, Archie Goodwin, the narrator of each tale. Prichard's reading of "Champagne for One" amply shows off his acting talents, as much as the intriguing plot and many characters demonstrate Stout's writing abilities.

another in a series of simple, well devised Nero Wolfe mysteries. if you like the series this is a "gotta have".

Champagne for One begins with Archie Goodwin getting roped in to attending a somewhat unusual dinner. A small group of "unfortunate" young women (unmarried but had children) are paired with men of society in an attempt to broaden their horizons. It's sort of an odd premise but it does provide a great setup for Archie to practice his flirting skills. As you might guess, this being a Nero Wolfe novel, one of the young ladies swallows poisoned champagne and dies at the party. Most of the people there believe it's suicide, but Archie was watching her and knows she didn't poison the glass. From there, we are treated to a mystery with all the usual twists and turns until you're practically certain that no murderer will ever be revealed. And then, of course, Wolfe reveals the killer.

Champagne for One is a good read. It isn't quite up there with the very best Wolfe novels but it is far from the worst. The characters are probably better than average, the humor typical of the series is present and accounted for, and the mystery is more than interesting enough to hold the reader's attention. I probably wouldn't give this to a first time Wolfe reader if I wanted to be sure they'd get hooked on the series, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a fan looking for their next fix of the corpulent detective.

I was quite impressed with the detailed account of the trial and the events leading up to it !!!!

On the other hand I was sorely disappointed with the seeming total disregard for the workers safety !!!!

It is fly-by-nite outfits like this that give the rest of the chemical industry a bad name.

Many of us have spent our entire or large portion of our working life ensuring the workers safety !!!!

Thanks for a great book and being a voice for the worker.

I bought this book for a friend for Christmas and found I had to go back and buy two more copies (one for myself and as another gift), because I started reading it before wrapping it and couldn't put it down. I won't call this tragic "story"--because the word story implies it is a work of fiction. However, the detailed endnotes based on sworn affidavit, deposition and trial testimony, as well as numerous citations to witness interviews show it is well researched recital of shockingly true facts. Written in the third person, it reads as easily as a fiction novel (including simplified medical, chemical and legal jargon), but it clearly is not. Given the monstrosity of the events, it is easy to understand how witnesses involved in the investigation and trial would easily remembered what they said and saw at the time the events occurred. This is a definite read for anyone interested in a well written and researched compelling story of finding justice in a small Idaho-company based town. The only people who might not want to read it now would be those who don't want to have their holiday preparations waylaid (because it will pull you into the story), or those who are still denying the facts of what happened.

Picking up a well-written book always scares me. It means everything on my carefully planned TO-DO list (except job and kitties, of course) will get reprioritized. Oh well.

I'm about halfway through a real page-turner of an exposé, `The Cyanide Canary,' by Joseph Hilldorfer and Robert Bugoni. This true account of an environmental waste cover-up brings to mind Jonathan Harr's "A Civil Action," with parallel themes of corruption and negligence. Here Hilldorfer is the primary EPA agent in charge of bringing hazardous materials transgressor Allan Elias to justice. Elias is described as an outrageously amoral con-artist whose in-your-face OSHA violations are breathtaking in their heedlessness. Working with larger chemical waste corporations such as Kerr-McGee, Elias' chicanery and unabashed stonewalling has allowed him in the past to slip through the net of the Environmental Protection Agency. Hilldorfer becomes personally vested in this case when he learns of the significant neurological damage sustained by one of the men Elias sent to clean out the `tank.'

The `EPA' is generally regarded as a behemoth greatly to be feared, but the agency as depicted here has few enforcement `teeth' and even fewer agents with a desire to sink those teeth into violators. While the public believes that pursuing environmental lawbreakers on criminal or civil levels is second-nature to the EPA, that's not evident in the book so far. The author suspects the EPA is picking and choosing its battles involving criminal prosecution.

`The Cyanide Canary' was inspired by that sine-qua-non of all good writing: passion and compassion. An issue is only as credible as how well it's expressed, and the articulation in this book is superb. Objectivity and balance --even understatement--pack a powerful punch with me. Writers Joseph Hilldorfer and Robert Dugoni manage to make their case dramatic and compelling through a wry Jack Webb `just-the-facts-ma'am' style that allows readers to easily tap into their own reserves of disgust and wonder, outrage and sympathy.

Like the author in `A Civil Action,' Joseph Hilldorfer finds this investigation leeching into his personal life, his thoughts, his sleep.

And so do I. I must find out how things end here. The cats are fed, but the bills, dishes and deadlines will wait. I can't resist the mesmerizing siren of a particular `canary' one minute more.

Therese Hercher

We lived and worked in eastern Washington State during the mid-1990s for environmental companies and both had to take safety classes where they explained the dangers of confined space entries and the precautions you have to take for working in those environments, not to mention all the other regulatory and safety requirements needed for working with hazardous chemicals. We were lucky: we were educated, well-paid, working for environmental clean-up companies with lucrative government contracts where safety was good business practice.

The circumstances detailed in The Cyanide Canary are 180 degrees different. Allen Elias, the owner of the Evergreen facility, was not engaged in environmental cleanup, but working on the cheap trying to develop a commercial means of reprocessing waste. His employees were high-school graduates desperate for a job, with no safety training or understanding of the requirements for confined space work, nor any clue, really, about the hazards of certain chemicals--things Elias did know. Which is why Elias was charged with criminal conduct after one of his workers was injured during a tank cleanout. The story of the accident, along with the resulting investigation, and trial, makes up this book, which reads like a long Law & Order episode, almost complete with the "Ka-Chung" sound at the end of each chapter. As such, it should appeal to L&O fans, or anyone with an interest in how environmental law is being developed.

The weakest part of the book is the beginning chapter, where the authors attempt to portray the events of the accident in an almost novelistic method, including trying for some suspense about whether the victim, Scott Dominguez, would survive or not. After they get that out of the way (more than likely, a suggestion from some bone-headed editor who felt the beginning needed some punch or a grab for the reader), the book settles down into its portrayal of Hilldorfer's investigation, bolstered by all the interviews and transcripts that were eventually used to indict Elias and bring the case to trial. The truly riveting part of the book is not the opening, but the trial, the question of whether Elias will be found guilty, and whether or not he will attempt to flee justice.

I enjoyed the book quite a bit, reading it in two sessions during a train ride to and from NYC. It's a revealing look into the legal world, and also an interesting case study between the kinds of murder cases usually seen on Law & Order and the "white collar" crime that usually does not end up in jail sentences for the convicted.

I'm a long time Idaho resident and libertarian. I am pretty cynical about help from the Federal government, but...

In Idaho, someone tried to get ahead by cutting corners in ways that impacted others. We have a perfect role for government to step in. This is a true tragedy. The story is almost over and then takes another twist that really had me sprinting to the end of the book.

As I promote free markets, people always ask what will keep big business from destroying the world. This is a great story about the difficulties, and ultimate triumph of the government's effort to make one citizen accountable for his actions.

I found this to be a highly enjoyable read particularly since it is based on Martha's Vineyard, and shows a side we know about but rarely see. The characters aren't based on real people, but its easy to imagine who would play them in a movie. Jason's character reminded me of Dave Eggers in "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius", which I also enjoyed.
I found it easy to follow the who's who of characters and enough of a mystery to keep you trying to guess until the end.

Lots of depth. Unexpected; Caught by the plot, one may miss the brilliant subtleties of character development. I need to read it again; this was a very interesting novel. I think this may be an underrated work.

Although the premise of this book was good, there were too many characters to keep straight. The author, pretty much, has "the island" as it actually is and the flow of the book is excellent. Next time less is more.

If you like mystery novels about celebrities, then "Champagne Kisses, Cyanide Dreams" should, on the whole, satisfy. The mystery unfolds mostly on the island of Martha's vineyard, at one of Mildred Silk's coveted dinner parties. Martha Silk is a rather poisonous but powerful writer and hostess, and most people take great care to stay on her good side. So that when Martha throws a dinner party to celebrate the publication of her latest tell all book, the dinner guests are understandably nervous and curious. Not Jason Alexander however. A rich and indolent young man, Jason has been invited to fill-in for an unavoidably detained guest. He's sure that this is going to be a dinner to remember and dine out on, and he's proved right when Mildred Silk keels over while sipping her after dinner drink. The cause of death proves to cyanide poisoning, and the police believe that the motive was to stop Mildred's book from being published. This would make nearly every single guest at the ill fated dinner suspects in the murder. And when the suspects themselves start dying one after the other, Jason enthusiastically throws himself into the pursuit of cyanide murderer.

Ralph Graves droll and wry writing manner alone makes this novel worth reading. Mystery wise, it's a rather straight forward read with very few twists and turns and red herrings. And I found myself missing the old-fashioned 'grilling' of the suspects for dirt -- esp in a mystery novel about celebrities, some of that might have been rather fun. However, I did enjoy reading this novel very much.

When my friends see this book on my bookshelf they often look puzzled. Perhaps they think twice about letting me cook for them! After all with a title like "Little Cyanide Cookbook," the book is bound to raise some eyebrows.

In reality this is a collection of recipes rich in cyanide containing foods, specifically amygdalin, which the author believes should be called `Vitamin B17.' This chemical is also known as `laetrile' which is the biggest name (some would say biggest shame) in alternative cancer therapies. Some scientists hold the theory that eating enough of these cyanide-containing sugars (which incidentally are anti-oxidants) will prevent cancer. Indeed many societies that are free from cancer (such as the Hunzas) consume quite a bit of these sugars. I have investigated the whole laetrile controversy for many years, which is why I own the book.

I can't say that I completely swallow all of the theory, but if you do, or are just investigating cyanide-containing chemicals as a cancer preventative, this book should be of use. The only drawback is that many of our favorite foods do not contain these "cyanogenic glycosides," so the recipes may be hard to put together. Also, many of the recipes call for ground-up apricot seeds, which are semi-legal and bitter tasting. For those wondering, there is no real danger of cyanide poisoning from the recipes that De Spain promotes. Some of the foods that contain cyanide which we eat everyday in large amounts are: lentils, millet, blackberries, raspberries, buckwheat, lima beans, and peas.

Although it often seems a bit unfair to rate a book lower based on my expectations, that's where I'm going with this. I think my expectations might be similar to yours.

I expected this book to have healthy, mostly vegetarian recipes, so I was surprised that so many, many of them were for meat dishes. I couldn't use the book, so I passed it on to someone else immediately.

Many of the recipes also use a very small amount of ground apricot kernels sprinkled onto an otherwise ordinary dish, which doesn't seem like enough to qualify the dish as rich in B17.

I'd suggest learning which foods have B17, and doing a computer search for recipes for them.

A comprehensive list of foods containing Vitamin C and interesting ways to cook with them. It is good to know that apricot kernels are not the only source.This book should enable everyone to consume a diet rich in this important nutrient, thereby minimising chances of cancer striking them.

the thing with not eating meat is that you really do miss some vital nutrients. it doesn't mean you have to walk around with a slab of bloody beef at all times, but fish (salmon?) and poultry are needed, if even in small quantities.

funny thing is, vegetarians take b-12 to make up for the lack of such through a non-meat diet. thing is, i was reading that these forms of b-12 don't absorb the natural way, if anything, it's actually worse than eating meat, as it blocks the b-12 from getting through.

effects of lack of b-12 can be neurological problems (i seriously read that) as well as depression....