Black Widow: the True Story of Australia's First Female Serial Killer

by Carol Baxter

'Never before in the hundred year history of Australia has a female prisoner become so notorious as Louisa Collins.' - Evening News..Two inquests, four trials, three hung juries and the executioner...but was Louisa Collins really a husband killer? Was she the callous adulteress, drunkard and liar known as the Botany Bay Murderess and the Lucrezia Borgia of Botany Bay? Or was this mother of seven a spirited and defiant woman who was punished for breaching society's expectations of womanly behaviour?..Compelling, freshly told and richly detailed, Black Widow uncovers the truth of a story that challenged the morality, the politics and the notion of law in an Australia on the edge of nationhood...

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History

376 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Carol Baxter is the prize-winning author of three popular histories with a criminal bent – 'An Irresistible Temptation', 'Breaking the Bank' and 'Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady' – all of which have been published to critical acclaim in her native Australia. Previously, she was General Editor of the Biographical Database of Australia and, before that, Project Officer of the Australian Biographical and Genealogical Record, in which roles she edited many records relating to convicts transported to Australia to serve out their sentences. These helped her to discover the subjects for her tales of true crime. She is a Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists and an adjunct lecturer at the University of New England (NSW). A full-time writer and speaker, she lives in Sydney.

Reviews

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Louisa Collins, the woman, will always remain an enigma, an intriguing mystery that cannot be solved. Louisa Collins, the murderer, however, has achieved a notoriety that will never be eclipsed.’

On 9 January 1889, Louise Collins (aged 39) was hanged. The first woman to be hanged at Darlinghurst Gaol, the last woman to be hanged in New South Wales. She was hanged after being found guilty – at her fourth trial – of the murder of her second husband Michael Collins. Four trials? Yes. The first three trials resulted in hung juries. Who was Louisa Collins? Dubbed the Lucrezia Borgia of Botany Bay, she was twice widowed, and had seven living children. Did she really murder two husbands? Was she a callous adulterer, drunkard, liar and murderer?

‘Six court hearings; hundreds of pages of depositions and court transcripts; a hundred thousand words of testimony: for a writer of historical true-crime thrillers, this amount of original source material makes Louisa Collins’ case a dream story.’

In this book, one of two specifically about Louisa Collins, Ms Baxter focusses on the judicial process that led to Louisa Collins’s execution.
On 2 July 1888, Louisa Collins sought medical help from Dr Marshall in Elizabeth Street, Sydney. Her husband Michael, was very ill at home. Dr Marshall visited Michael Collins several times, and became suspicious about the cause of his illness and his failure to respond to prescribed medicine. Dr Marshall suspected arsenic poisoning, and when Michael Collins died, he refused to sign the death certificate. Dr Marshall notified the police and also provided them with the remains of a tumbler of milk which, when tested, proved to contain arsenic.

Another doctor at the same practice remembered treating Louisa Collins’s first husband, Charles Andrews, for a gastric illness that had also proven fatal. Once arsenic was confirmed in the body of Michael Collins, Charles Andrews’s remains were exhumed and tested. Minute quantities of arsenic were found. Michael Collins and Louisa had married very soon after the death of Charles Andrews: Michael Collins had previously boarded at the Andrews house. All very suspicious.

While the death of Charles Andrews had left Louisa with a large insurance payout (£178), Michael Collins was uninsured. So what motive did Louisa have for poisoning him?

It took four trials to find Louisa Collins guilty, and each of the trials was reported in detail by the newspapers. Ms Baxter has quoted extensively from the transcripts, thus providing a contemporary sense and view of proceedings.

This book raises a lot of issues for the reader to consider. If Louisa Collins was guilty (and I’m inclined to think she was, as no-one else seemed to have the opportunity to poison either man), should she have been hanged? Do then ends justify the means? Was it appropriate for her to have had four trials? Should information about Charles Andrews’s death have been introduced into her trial for the death of Michael Collins? Louisa Collins was found guilty (finally) on circumstantial evidence in a process that seemed to be highly prejudiced against her. A woman, tried and convicted by men in a system where women had no vote, no voice. Would the outcome have been different if women had been part of the judicial process? Should the outcome have been different?

I found this book fascinating. Before I read it, I knew only that Louisa Collins was the last woman hanged in New South Wales. I knew nothing about her crimes, and certainly had not considered the possible consequences of her trial and execution. These days, her trial would not be considered fair.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly researched and written like a novel but this is true history. Quotes are taken from court records and used engagingly by a clever writer. Looking forward to reading one of her other books: Captain Thunderbolt soon.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book from this author I've now read, I'm growing to like the manner in which she tells her true stories. Woven into a narrative that reads like a tall tale but true, BLACK WIDOW isn't a dry retelling of facts. Having said that, there appears to be sufficient research and veracity in the facts of the case to make it all the more shocking.

Louisa Collins was executed in Sydney, the first female "serial killer" in colonial Australian history. There is so much in this story that seems wrong. For a start there seems to be major question marks about her guilt, not helped by four trials that allowed witnesses, especially her own daughter, to "practice" their evidence. There's even that question of 4 trials in total. Surely there's the whiff of witch hunt there, certainly it's had to avoid the feeling that the male dominated society were not happy about an alleged female husband killer walking free no matter how dodgy the allegations might be. There's also the connections drawn in the book between the demeanour of Collins and that of a more recent case (Chamberlain) where the defendant appeared to be tried, found guilty and convicted based on the court of public opinion. Just because Collins conducted herself in a particular manner in the dock.

Then there's that perennial chestnut of political interference and corruption. The more history is revealed, the more chastened and depressing it is to realise that there has been precious little time when politics was above question - maybe the shining light at the end of that particular tunnel is that these days we know if we care to pay attention.

BLACK WIDOW is a fascinating book to read, it's beautifully constructed, making history come alive, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions on many of the aspects of the story of Louisa Collins.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Yrinsyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't believe Baxter's conclusion of Michael threatening to leave if Louisa didn't stop drinking. By all accounts, and there is plenty of evidence that Baxter provides that supports this, Michael was a very lazy man and would avoid work if at all possible. So, why would he leave when he had a free roof over his head where he could get away with doing as little work as poss? If he left, he would have to pay for accommodation and therefore have to work. Louisa didn't confess to the murders or proclaim her innocence but this absence does not mean she did it; absence of evidence does not mean no evidence - an essential in criminal and medical investigation. Louisa didn't use the opportunity to make a statement in court but whether she understood the significance is debatable. I also have doubt's about the insurance money from her first husband. They were hard up and Louisa had more bills to pay now that she had to pay for her husband's funeral, a burial plot and a coffin, plus pay for food for all her children and attend to some debts. So I don't think too badly of her attending to the insurance money as soon as she could, although there is some doubt about that raised by the person telling her about it. Perhaps she didn't know she could wait for a little before having to claim it? People who have never been poor don't know what it is like to have barely anything and also have a conscience about borrowing money. I have been there and it isn't pleasant.

I have some suspicions and there will be always questions, but Baxter's conclusions don't hold water.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: poisoning, death of a spouse, death of a child, execution, lots and lots of vomit.

3.5 stars.

I've been intrigued by this book for years now after spotting it on my library's Overdrive site. So I figured I'd pick it up this year for NonFiction November this year. For the most part, it was as engrossing and intriguing as I'd hoped it would be (although I do think "serial killer" is a bit of a misnomer here, given that she's believed to have killed a total of two men, both of whom were her husbands).

I did feel like the lead up to her trials was perhaps a little more dragged out than I would have liked, but the later stages of the book with the discussion of her conviction and her attempts at getting her sentence overturned were tense and gripping. And the description of her execution was...pretty damned horrifying, to be honest. Also, who knew that the death penalty was only abolished in New South Wales in 1985? NOT ME, THAT'S FOR SURE.

[Belle · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. The first section was slow and too detailed but intriguing. But once it got into court cases and legalities it was mostly just slow and too detailed. The author included way too much research that wasn't necessary, like detailing what each person said at a particular meeting and how others reacted to what they said. I did get something out of it, but it could have been more enjoyable without so much unnecessary clutter.

[Vintagecobweb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so looking forward to reading this book as I'd read a little about Australia's Louisa Collins being our first female serial killer and the unprecedented number of trials she endured, don't get me wrong, I don't feel sorry for her.

Two dead husbands, same modus operandi and in such a short space of time - she thought she was oh so clever.

Louisa Collins undoing was her quiet confidence, she got away with murder once, no one suspected foul play so she stuck to what she was good at when hubby number two needed to be bumped off.

The problem for the prosecution in the Louisa Collins case was finding a motive for the second murder. The motive for the demise of hubby number one was fairly cut and dried, he had a life insurance policy and Louisa was the sole beneficiary in his hastily drawn up will. There were a also few other little secrets waiting to be uncovered as to provide further motive.

Her second husband had no life insurance policy so money wasn't the motive this time around, he was so much younger than Louisa and quite the lazy sod, she probably realised she wouldn't be any worse off without him, she poisoned her first husband to be with him, I don't think he turned out to be quite the catch she had hoped for, he helped squander the life insurance money away, he disliked her drinking and would probably do a runner sooner or later so she got in first - I'd call all of those reasons - motive enough.

From the start of the book, I had no ill feelings towards Louisa Collins (even though I'd formed some from reading previous snippets of information, I decided to wipe the slate clean before reading this book). There wasn't enough information or anything out of the ordinary in her character to show that she was capable of murder but as the story progressed and further information about her first marriage came to light, my feelings towards her changed.

I came to view Louisa Collins as a cold, cunning, selfish woman and quietly arrogant, she offered up no defence and wrongly assumed she'd never be hanged.

To be fair, the trials were a shambles and the subsequent execution was botched, there's no doubt in my mind she poisoned both her husbands. If she were put on trial today, she'd definitely walk free even though her guilt wouldn't be in question.

There's a whole lot of information woven into the story about the death penalty that I won't go into here, but I will say that I don't believe Louisa Collins should have been executed, a life behind bars would have been punishment enough for this woman who possibly used 'Rough on Rats' poison to top off both her husbands.

There's so much more to this story and it's well worth the read, I gave up a day of housework as I couldn't put this book down.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for my copy of this interesting book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating true crime story, meticulously researched and well written by Baxter. This book follows the many trials of Louisa Collins, charged of the murder of her second husband from arsenic poisoning. Having recently read Caroline Overington's Last Woman Hanged (2014) on the same subject, it is hard to separate the two books. Definitely worth a read if you have an interest in Australian history or the legal system.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a prime example of why I don't read nonfiction books. The true story it relates is interesting enough, but there's just too much of it. The deaths, trials, and everything that happens after are all quite drawn out, to the point of tedium. I would have been content to read it as a long-form article. I skipped large parts of the book to get it finished.

[Christine Yunn-Yu Sun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have previously explored the notion that writers can, and perhaps should, share their story ideas. I argued,

"Different writers/artists can and should have the freedom to present the same story idea in considerably different ways. Each may tackle a unique aspect of humanity, a prominent phase of an event, a distinct part of the event’s political, social and/or cultural background, etc. … [More importantly,] Different writers can and should be confident that they are capable of fully utilising their literary voices and developing the same idea into considerably different stories. There is no reason why a story idea should be “locked down”…because every idea deserves a chance to be fully and carefully explored by different writers from different perspectives."

Curiously, two years after the presentation of that argument, I bumped into two Australian female writers who have explored the same story idea…with considerably different results. That story idea is Louisa Collins, the Australian woman who was accused, convicted and hanged for the death of her husband by arsenic in 1889. The two writers are Caroline Overington, who published her book Last Woman Hanged: The Terrible, True Story of Louisa Collins in November 2014, and Carol Baxter, who published her book Black Widow: The True Story of Australia’s First Female Serial Killer in May 2015.

My review of Last Woman Hanged can be seen here. Now, as I compare and contrast that book with Black Widow, it feels like I have come to understand two unique individuals that are both named Louisa Collins. The Louisa in Last Woman Hanged was a victim of her time, a woman with no political, economic and social rights, an accused murderer whose crime was never 100% ascertained, despite her conviction and subsequent execution. She was an ordinary woman whose plight inspired extraordinary opinions and actions that helped to shape Australia as a modern and truly democratic nation.

In sharp contrast, the Louisa in Black Widow is, as the book title implies, a serial killer “who broke not only the written criminal law but the unwritten social law. She breached society’s expectations of ‘womanly’ behaviour when it was particularly unwise to do so. Moreover, the face she presented to the world was cold and unemotional – ‘unwomanly’” (p.337). I find the following passage especially astonishing:

"This was a time when society believed that external appearance denoted internal nature, that crime was most often a male behavioural trait, therefore, an unwomanly woman – that is, a more manly woman – was more likely to be criminal by nature.

"This, also, was a time when women were becoming more assertive in demanding equality in employment, educational opportunities and voting rights, so the question of gender inequality was topical. One gender inequality that favoured women was the application of capital punishment. Men were executed; women were not… As one newspaper argued, if men were to be hanged to protect women, then women should also be hanged to protect men.

"It was time to set an example, time to show the public that society was not as unequal as the reformers might claim – and, conversely, that society was making efforts to increase women’s autonomy. By a bizarre piece of logical illogic, it was time to hang a woman." (p.337)

This version of Australia is dramatically different from the one presented in Last Woman Hanged. Indeed, Black Widow begins with depiction of Australia as a society that was isolated and supposedly under threat. While the two telegraph cables connecting Australia with the rest of the world had ruptured somewhere in Bali Strait, the Victorian and South Australian governments “were taking precautionary measures to guard against a possible attack” that could be coming from China, France, Germany or even Russia (p.3-4). Perhaps it was such gloomy, tense and unnerving national mood that prompted two doctors to start collecting evidence, “just in case” Louisa Collins had something to do with the deaths of her first husband and baby and then with the illness of her second husband.

Black Widow reads like a crime novel, something with which I am not unfamiliar. Indeed, as a “history detective”, Baxter is known for telling stories of seemingly ordinary individuals as true-crime thrillers. Her four other non-fiction books were published to critical claim, and it seems fair to suggest that many historical figures and events in Australia only became known to common readers as a result of her representation.

So I proceeded, as led by Baxter, to explore why Louisa Collins committed her crimes. I was informed that as a murderer, “she was the first female serial killer in Australia, appearing on Sydney’s criminal stage in the same year that Jack the Ripper launched himself onto the world stage” (p.344). I was told that Louisa was guilty because she never cried out, “I am innocent!” Worse, while her motive for killing her first husband was “lust and greed” (p.329), she killed her second husband because she “’loved too much’ – if such a possessive, controlling attitude considered ‘love’” (p.333). In other words,

"[Louisa] wanted to maintain the power and authority that her first killing had bequeathed her, particularly over her young, lazy, perhaps not-too-smart but much-loved [second] husband. A threat that he would leave, with everything such a threat encompassed, would have served as a powerful trigger for one who had already killed to gain him." (p.332)

So, what do I think, as a reader, about the two considerably different versions of Louisa’s story? How do I feel, as a fellow woman, about her life, love, loss and violent death? It sounds silly, but I would rather believe that once upon a time there were a “bright” Louisa and her “dark” twin sister. No one could tell them apart, yet the “bright” Louisa inspired while her “dark half” destroyed.

Now, talk about story ideas…

[Janice Raquela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louisa Collins, an enigma to the end. The first female serial killer to appear in Sydney’s criminal stage. She also happens to be the last woman to be executed on the world stage.

True crime this one
grabbed my attention and time.
I couldn’t let go without finishing this one cover to cover.

[Joycelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing story of its time. Amazing research. Whether Louisa was guilty or not she was certainly not afforded due process. Carol has done a wonderful job addressing the numerous issues. Highly recommend

[Tomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting in a history perspective. Pretty dull language. Not too engaging.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carol brings history to life in her writings

[Erin Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The murders themselves aren’t that interesting, but the look at pre-Federation law and gender relations is. Also Parkes!

[Hazel Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Useful to hear history of the first Australian female serial killer . Could also be of interest to crime buffs and genealogists. Could have been edited to be much shorter

[Becka Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★'s
Just finished this bad boy!!!
This is the first time I've read a historical piece that's also under the umbrella of true crime and biography.

This book blew my mind. What a captivating account of late 19th century working class Sydney.

Louisa Collins is our hero, or anti-hero depending on which way you look at it. She comes under fire for the alleged murder or her second husband, Mick.

The book slowly dissects what is to become an arduous, confusing and gruelling journey through her multiple court cases. It was hard not to shake my head in anger when author Carol Baxter subtly alludes to mishandled evidence, doubtful statements in court and nosy neighbours and media gossip.

Yes, I'll admit it, from the start I was very much pro-Louisa, but towards the middle of the book I did start to wonder about her character.
But then, she did have a large family to provide for and times were tough, would I have been one of those bystanders judging her harshly for the way she lived her life?

Then we get to the final court case; after failure to convict her of murdering the second husband the prosecution turns to convict her for that of her first husband.

It just feels like vigilante justice on part of the Crown. It's like everyone wants this lady done in so let's do our darnedest and get it right this time.

NB: what I found intriguing here is that all juries back then were made up entirely of 12 men! Yet each trial prior, none of these juries were unanimous in their decisions.
How any group of men could convict a woman -based primarily on circumstantial evidence - with knowledge her punishment was the gallows bears disbelief.
There was less evidence in the first death than the second!!!

Is this justice? Was there really enough evidence pointing toward her?
Why did they allow evidence from the failed trials to bear weighting in the final trial?
Was the arsenic content in her first husbands system substantial enough to prove it as cause of death or was the arsenic introduced environmentally post burial?
Was her daughter May's testimony the result of a 'coached' response?
Even with all these pending questions a jury was still able to decide on such a vindictive fate. 'Louisa Collins was to be hanged, not only because of what she had done but because a female sacrifice was needed. She was the perfect scapegoat'. (P 337).
I'm still shaking my head at the futility of the case.

Just a moment to credit the author Carol Baxter on her impeccable style. I'd get bogged down reading about, say for instance - the political back story to capital punishment in 1888, only for her to throw down a Massive plot twist right at that pivotal moment as Im about to put the book down!
I'm like, 'Nicely Played Ms. Baxter'.
*applauding wildly*
Kudos to her flowy style and the unique way she sets the scene so that you're right there amongst the hustle and bustle of downtown Sydney sepia-era.
It would have been a monumental task researching this book and then bringing it alive the way she has masterfully done.

A great recounting also of the conflict between common law and judicial proceedings in a country that was attempting to break away from the colonial stigma. -And how woman were very much considered the 'weaker' sex (especially the poorer class) capable of little else than being a stain on society.

Definitely a worthwhile read.

I'm about to start another of Baxter's works.
Looking forward to reading about another unassuming female pariah from Australia's past.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not something I would normally pickup to read, but my mum suggested I read it and I think its good to read/watch things you wouldn’t normally pick yourself every now and then and it turned out to be a really good read.

It is a true story but the way it is written seems like it could be fictitious, in the sense that it is so scandalously written rather than a non fiction book just listing facts about the case, which it does do but in a way that is engaging and interesting to read.

This book kept changing my opinion on whether Louisa is guilty or not, which is still up for debate today, at first I thought she was guilty of Collins’ murder only and then neither and then both of her husbands, it is the same dilemma the courts judging her faced and what caused her to have four trials. In the end segment that has the authors opinion based on how the trial would have happened today made it clear that she must have been guilty as there were no other suspects that could have done it. I do not think she deserved to hang however.

Louisa was definitely a scapegoat and made an example of and I came to the conclusion she was wasn’t shown mercy because of the time in which her crime happened. The woman’s rights movement was starting to pick up and the people trying her had political agendas of their own. The excuse given was that if men and woman are to be equal they should suffer the same punishment for their crimes which is fair enough, however at the time woman were not allowed to vote or take part in trials so the equality excuse was only used as it suited the outcome the lawmen wanted. One of the letters sent into the newspaper In my opinion sums up the reason for her execution:

“Louisa Collins will be hanged, because she is poor, friendless and because a portion of the press in Sydney and Victoria shrieked for her blood”

The fact that she had to have four trials, three of which the jury had a hung vote and that the only reason she was found guilty in the fourth was because of the introduction of her first husbands circumstantial evidence when she was being tried for Collins murder shows that there was not enough evidence to prove her guilt without a doubt let alone enough reason for her to hang. The media also helped to seal her fate by printing demeaning things about her character and coming up with speculation that could sway jurors, basically everybody was against her. I think the pleas of mercy should have been answered but then I have to wonder if life imprisonment is better than death? of that i’m not sure.

The book made me very angry at how sexist and corrupt the governments and society of that time was, Woman’s rights have come a long way since these old fashioned times and it will be interesting to see how our current woman’s issues are looked on in the future.

It was a good read that got me caught up in the case and the society of that time. well written and extensively researched, it was a great look at a notorious case and how far we have come in equal rights for woman, and how far we still have to go, I’m very glad I listened to my mums recommendation and read it.

3 1/2 stars

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

l thoroughly enjoyed Black Widow.l am not a fan of true crime stories as such, but the method of writing drew me in.Loved the narrative style.
l found it very hard to feel anything for Louisa Collins and her predicament, she certainly did not do herself any favours along the way.

l was most interested in the fact that in some ways women have not come very far in the treatment they receive at the hands of the wider community in such matters, anyone really.Though today we have instant social media. Judge and Jury,who can inflict wide spread damage in mere seconds.But lets not forget a savvy lawyer can also use that to their best advantage as can the media at the behest of political gain.

It was an insight to the political mindset of the times, another thing that has changed little, how often today such a case is more about political gain rather than any moral or ethical outcome.

A great read, an insight to the behind the scenes goings on that was an unexpected pleasure.

l received this book as a First Reads, thank you so much.gave me much to think about on many levels.

[Alison Adare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific book about the last woman hanged in NSW, Louisa Collins.

It's highly readable, with the events presented in the words of the participants. The historical context is explored without obstructing the narrative flow.

The author analyses the legal and factual flaws in the prosecution case, and the cultural context which saw Collins condemned for failing to fit expectations of femininity. However, she doesn't ignore what evidence there is against Collins or come up with far-fetched theories to make her an innocent martyr.

"Black Widow" is a worthy addition to not just Australian true crime, but the true crime genre more generally, as well as a vivid picture of late 19th century Sydney. My only caveat is the (brief and infrequent ) attempts to give the book more drama by exploring the imagined feelings of the participants. The story has all the drama needed (I knew every twist and turn but still couldn't put it down) and the author's own dryly sympathetic voice is far more appealing than the imagined ones of her subjects .

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. I don't know whether she was guilty or not although all the circumstantial evidence suggests she was.Regardless she was unfairly treated by by the law and the men in power of the day. The whole affair was a legal disgrace. Women were treated as inferiors at the time and just the bare suggestion that she MIGHT be guilty set society and the law against her. The legal fraternity and the government used every dirty trick in their arsenal to find her guilty and to hang her. I doubt justice ever entered their tiny minds. Sir Henry Parkes, the so called father of federation, is shown in a very different light that doesn't do him any credit. It was suggested in a chapter near the end that in today's courts she would probably have been acquitted due to insufficient evidence. It was a witch hunt that took 3 hung juries and a very carefully picked jury for the fourth to achieve the result they wanted.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story. Going through the story and journey, visualising the places back in early Australian settlemen times to now, it's just facinating mapping everything, how life has chanaged.
I felt the story was just drawn out too long and was saying the same thing but differently over and over. Did she or didnt she, no one really will know except her. Maybe she did do it, but it was an accident, or she did do it on purpose. Why didnt she say anything or stick up for herself? Her children ended up suffering. Thinking about today's times and the family tree, when you think about it, it really isnt that long ago, but what a family history it is. Wonder what her family think!

[Ilyhana Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Widow is more a documentary than a novel.
Louisa Collins was tried four times and eventually convicted of the killing of two husbands by arsenic poisoning in the late 1800s in Australia. Her case became embroiled in political issues around capital punishment and pointed to gender oriented attitudes of that period.
It's a well researched account that is engaging as well as provocative.

[LibraryKath · Rating 1 out of 5]

So. Boring. Chapter after chapter of minutiae. Zzzzzzzzz.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Marci - · Rating 5 out of 5]

questions still linger even today. I have questions too but they will forever be unanswered.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Graphic emesis
Death of a child
Death of a spouse
Murder
Poisoning