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The Poison Thread

By: Laura Purcell
Narrated by: Jayne Entwistle, Elizabeth Knowelden
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Publisher's summary

"[An] uncanny Gothic mystery... Satisfying." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A romping read with a deliciously dark conceit at its center... Reminded me of Alias Grace." (Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Deathless Girls)

From the author of The Silent Companions, a thrilling Victorian gothic horror story about a young seamstress who claims her needle and thread have the power to kill

Dorothea Truelove is young, wealthy, and beautiful. Ruth Butterham is young, poor, and awaiting trial for murder.

When Dorothea's charitable work brings her to Oakgate Prison, she is delighted by the chance to explore her fascination with phrenology and test her hypothesis that the shape of a person's skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes. But when she meets one of the prisoners, the teenaged seamstress Ruth, she is faced with another strange idea: that it is possible to kill with a needle and thread - because Ruth attributes her crimes to a supernatural power inherent in her stitches.

The story Ruth has to tell of her deadly creations - of bitterness and betrayal, of death and dresses - will shake Dorothea's belief in rationality, and the power of redemption. Can Ruth be trusted? Is she mad, or a murderer? For fans of Shirley Jackson, The Poison Thread is a spine-tingling, sinister listen about the evil that lurks behind the facade of innocence.

©2019 Laura Purcell (P)2019 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

"Suspenseful.... This smart and sophisticated historical thriller will appeal to fans of Sarah Waters’s Fingersmith and Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace." (Publishers Weekly)

"A potent, powerful novel: seductive, spellbinding, and - in every sense of the word - haunting. As atmospheric as Sarah Waters, as psychologically astute as Tana French." (A.J. Finn, number one New York Times best-selling author)

“[The Poison Thread is] a compelling slice of early Victorian gothic.... Vivid and well researched, this book is an evocative portrait of a society that punishes women who dare to contravene social norms...a splendid mystery with suitably melodramatic flourishes.” (The Guardian)

What listeners say about The Poison Thread

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absolutely fantastic introduction to Ms Purcell

I grabbed this book by chance and I am beyond glad that I did! not only is the story enthralling, the characters interesting and well-developed, but the performance is fantastic. 10/10 would recommend for any fan of slow burning horror.

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Compelling read!

Very compelling read with twists and turns. Good performances, excellent story. Well executed overall. Recommended.

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Dark Story, but I really liked it

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the different voices of the two characters. Really well done!

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  • Overall
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Just WOW!

Wow! Excellent story, excellent narrators. I could not put this one down. Great book club or beach listen.

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6 people found this helpful

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Ending?

Loved the performance & story but, what happened on the last page? I don’t want to mess it up for others but, am I just dense or did others not get the meaning of the handkerchief in Dads hand?

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Excellent!

It was hard to put this book down. Ruth and Dorothea are excellent characters and I really liked the progression of each. Laura Purcell had me think I knew what was really going on but at the end I questioned everything. I would recommend this to anyone with a strong stomach and for a love of morbid drama.

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Interesting story about poisoning

Great story with just the right amount of mystery. Great performances too. I do recommend.

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I couldn’t stop listening

One of the best books I have listen in a while. The story is original and unpredictable. I could not stop listening. I recommend it!

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Blew away my expectations

I'm not going to lie, the beginning is slow. I was thinking that I had yet again run into another drawn out book with no purpose. I almost returned it. However the more the mystery unfolded, the more intrigued I became. I got more and more curious to see where this story was going. The voice actors are great and convey emotions very well. If you decide to read it, give it a few chapters. There's are a lot of very unexpected twists and turns to be had and the ending will leave you breathless.

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6 people found this helpful

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LOVED!

This book was wonderful. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and the voice actors were wonderful! I would recommend this book to lovers of the Victorian era and thrillers. It was a wonderful combination of both.

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1 person found this helpful