The Arsenic Eater's Wife by Tonya Mitchell - Book Review

Publication Date: 08th Feb 2024

Genre: Historical Drama, Inspired by True Story 

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Dark and stark but a worthy read 

1889, Liverpool 

Constance Sullivan is a twenty-six-year-old widow of William Sullivan. She is brought to trial for poisoning her husband. As her lawyer tries to prove her innocence, we see what happened between the closed doors and the changing relationships between the couple and other family members. 

Is Constance innocent or guilty? What will the jury decide? What’s the truth? 

The story comes in Constance Sullivan’s third-person POV in the present tense. 

My Thoughts: 

The book starts with Constance being arrested for her husband’s death and goes back and forth between the trial and the past events that led to this situation. Despite the non-linear narration, there is no confusion anywhere. 

The writing is strong and flows well. I wasn’t expecting this, so it took me a while to get into the mood. Once I did, I liked it better. The pacing is a little uneven, but works. 

The court scenes are my favorite, and I wish we had more of those. Apparently, back then, the accused wasn’t allowed to talk, so we don’t see Constance speaking. Sir Charles, her lawyer, makes a strong impression. 

That said, there is no gothic house. While the place is called oppressive, it has no role in the plot. They could be living in any rich house, and the story would have been the same. At the most, the Gothic elements would be the constant gloom and twisted nature of the characters. 

Constance is, of course, a flawed character. We are told she is too naïve and trusts the wrong people, which destroys her life. While some of it may be true, I wouldn’t call her innocent. Instead, her actions, thoughts, decisions, etc., show she is the center of her world. She is self-absorbed and has a narrow perspective that starts and ends with her. Anything beyond that is an inconvenience that is to be ignored. Even after all the years, the changed version of her is not that different from the original. She still makes the same mistakes in a roundabout way. Let me emphasize that this doesn’t make it okay for the injustice she faced. Also, the author makes us root for her despite these flaws, which is quality writing. 

The ending becomes a bit OTT, which isn’t great. However, I do like the intentions behind this. It does provide a sort of closure and a sense of hope for the MC, which is something I want from the books I read. 

There’s a detailed author’s note at the end, providing insights into the actual case and the areas that have been fictionalized. This is useful in understanding and comparing both versions. A list of references is provided. We also get book club questions for discussions. 

This is a dark book with almost zero light-hearted moments. It’s not something to relax with and has triggers for domestic abuse, infidelity, self-harm (multiple scenes), and animal death. 

To summarize, The Arsenic Eater's Wife is a well-written story inspired by real events. It holds a mirror to the injustices and inequalities women faced (and continue to face) in society. Do check the triggers (listed above) before you read. 

Thank you, Bloodhound Books, for the eARC. 

Check this report for a brief insight into the actual case.