“Not only a serious, meticulously researched work of nonfiction, it is an irresistible story…full of danger, mystery, and excitement.” Candice Millard, New York Times bestselling author
Description
Appointed to conquer the “crime capital of the world,” the first police chief of Paris faces an epidemic of murder in the late 1600s. Assigned by Louis XIV, Nicolas de La Reynie begins by clearing the streets of filth and installing lanterns throughout Paris, turning it into the City of Light.
The fearless La Reynie pursues criminals through the labyrinthine neighborhoods of the city. He unearths a tightly knit cabal of poisoners, witches, and renegade priests. As he exposes their unholy work, he soon learns that no one is safe from black magic―not even the Sun King. In a world where a royal glance can turn success into disgrace, the distance between the quietly backstabbing world of the king’s court and the criminal underground proves disturbingly short. Nobles settle scores by employing witches to craft poisons and by hiring priests to perform dark rituals in Paris’ most illustrious churches and cathedrals.
As La Reynie continues his investigations, he is haunted by a single question: Could Louis’ mistresses be involved in such nefarious plots? The pragmatic and principled La Reynie must decide just how far he will go to protect his king.
From secret courtrooms to torture chambers, City of Light, City of Poison is a gripping true-crime tale of deception and murder. Based on thousands of pages of court transcripts and La Reynie’s compulsive note taking, as well as on letters and diaries, Tucker’s riveting narrative makes the fascinating, real-life characters breathe on the page.
Praise
“Not only a serious, meticulously researched work of nonfiction, it is an irresistible story…full of danger, mystery, and excitement.” Candice Millard, New York Times bestselling author
“A stylish study of crimes committed by the high and mighty… Tucker writes with gusto…[and] finds high drama.” New York Times Book Review
“Imagine a novel full of sex and betrayal, conspiracy and politics, murder and magic, detective work and justice…This isn’t fiction: it just reads like it.” Malcolm Gaskill, author of Witchfinders
“A fierce tale of conspiracy and retribution…[in which] even in gilded palaces the human psyche seems familiarly deceitful and self-justifying.” Michael Sims, author of Arthur and Sherlock
“A cop drama of sorts, intermingled with a historian’s tenacious pursuit of the evidence…Fascinating.” Times Higher Education (London)
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Mar 20, 2017 |
| Release Date | March 21, 2017 |
| Release Date Machine | 1490054400 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Biographies & Memoirs, History, Professionals & Academics, True Crime, Europe, Nonfiction - Adult, Nonfiction - All |
Author Bio
Holly Tucker is a professor of French and biomedical ethics and society at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris and Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
Narrator Bio
Kate Reading, named an AudioFile Golden Voice, has recorded hundreds of audiobooks across many genres, over a thirty–year plus career and won the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. Among other awards, she has been recognized as an AudioFile Magazine Voice of the Century, Narrator of the Year, Best Voice in Science Fiction and Fantasy, and winner of an Publisher’s Weekly’s Listen-Up Award. She records at her home studio, Madison Productions, Inc., in Maryland.
Overview
Appointed to conquer the “crime capital of the world,” the first police chief of Paris faces an epidemic of murder in the late 1600s. Assigned by Louis XIV, Nicolas de La Reynie begins by clearing the streets of filth and installing lanterns throughout Paris, turning it into the City of Light.
The fearless La Reynie pursues criminals through the labyrinthine neighborhoods of the city. He unearths a tightly knit cabal of poisoners, witches, and renegade priests. As he exposes their unholy work, he soon learns that no one is safe from black magic―not even the Sun King. In a world where a royal glance can turn success into disgrace, the distance between the quietly backstabbing world of the king’s court and the criminal underground proves disturbingly short. Nobles settle scores by employing witches to craft poisons and by hiring priests to perform dark rituals in Paris’ most illustrious churches and cathedrals.
As La Reynie continues his investigations, he is haunted by a single question: Could Louis’ mistresses be involved in such nefarious plots? The pragmatic and principled La Reynie must decide just how far he will go to protect his king.
From secret courtrooms to torture chambers, City of Light, City of Poison is a gripping true-crime tale of deception and murder. Based on thousands of pages of court transcripts and La Reynie’s compulsive note taking, as well as on letters and diaries, Tucker’s riveting narrative makes the fascinating, real-life characters breathe on the page.
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