The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

Deborah Blum is the author of The Poisoner’s Handbook and is well-known for her work as a science writer, having penned both non-fiction articles and books. Blum originally achieved prominence for her Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles investigating the ethics of scientific testing on animals, titled “The Monkey Wars” and published in 1994. Afterwards, Blum shifted from newspaper journalism to writing non-fiction science books, often exploring historical scientists and advancements in scientific knowledge. In The Poisoner’s Handbook, Blum merges scientific discussions about the chemistry of poisons (including chloroform, methyl alcohol, and radium) with narrative discussions of high-profile criminal cases during the 1920s. 

Norris served as New York’s first chief medical examiner from 1917 up until his death in 1935. The position was first created as an attempt to reform New York’s medical coroner system, which had been corrupted by the political machine of Tammany Hall. Whereas the prior coroners required no medical expertise to serve in their position, applicants for the new position of chief medical examiner were required to pass a test proving their medical knowledge.