Poison Queens

Description

Giulia, raised amid cunning healers peddling poison as medicine, is scarred by a devastating betrayal during her youth. Years later, her husband?s brutality inspires her creation of Aqua Tofana, a traceless toxin. Fleeing suspicious papal authorities after her husband’s sudden death, Giulia and her ambitious stepdaughter, Gironima, seek refuge in Rome under the protection of famed astrologer, Andrea Lorestino. There, Gironima hones her skills in astrology?and poison-making?alongside her stepmother. Together, they orchestrate Italy?s largest poison ring, empowering wealthy noblewomen to eliminate abusive husbands, but their empire draws the scrutiny of the Church, threatening their lives and legacy.

Poison Queens unveils the gripping tale of Giulia Mangiardi and her stepdaughter, Gironima Spano, the infamous duo behind Aqua Tofana?the seventeenth-century poison that killed over six hundred men. Blending suspense, betrayal, and intrigue, this meticulously researched story explores ambition, betrayal, and the dark art of murder in Baroque Italy.