Murder by Milkshake: An Astonishing True Story of Adultery, Arsenic, and a Charismatic Killer

by Eve Lazarus

When forty-year-old Esther Castellani died a slow and agonizing death in Vancouver in 1965, the official cause was at first undetermined. The day after Esther's funeral, her husband, Rene, packed up his girlfriend, Lolly; his daughter, Jeannine; and Lolly's son, Don, in the company car and took off for Disneyland. If not for the doggedness of the doctor who treated Esther, Rene, then a charismatic and handsome CKNW radio personality, would have been free to marry Lolly, who was the station's pretty twentysomething receptionist. Instead, Rene was charged with capital murder for poisoning his wife with arsenic-laced milkshakes in one of British Columbia's most sensational criminal cases of the century.

Murder by Milkshake is the compelling story of the Castellanis, and of their daughter, Jeannine, who was eleven at the time of her mother's murder and who clung to her father's innocence, even committing perjury during his trial. Rigorously researched, and based on dozens of interviews with family, friends, and co-workers, Murder by Milkshake documents the sensational case that kept Vancouver spellbound, while providing a snapshot of the city's Mad Men-esque social and political realities in the 1960s.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Crime, Canada

224 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Eve Lazarus is an author, reporter and the host and producer of the Cold Case Canada podcast. Her bestselling books include Cold Case BC, Vancouver Exposed, and Murder by Milkshake which was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Best Non-Fiction Crime Book, the City of Vancouver book award, and Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award (BC Book Prizes). Eve's latest book is Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck.

Reviews

[Clued-in With A Book (Elvina Ulrich) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another brilliantly written book by Eve Lazarus! This is the second book I read by her and it did not disappoint! Murder by Milkshake is the shocking true story of Rene Castellani, a radio promotional manager for Vancouver CKNW radio in the 1960s, who was convicted for poisoning his wife, Esther, with arsenic laced milkshakes, where she later died a slow and agonizing death. The motive? Rene wanted to be with his young mistress, Lollly, a receptionist in CKNW.

This is a page-turner and reads like a thriller! Lazarus brings out a lot of details of this case - from the childhood of both Rene and Esther, to the eventual debacle of their marriage which led to her painful death. I enjoyed learning the political, legal and cultural scenes in 1960s Canada. During that time, Divorce Act in British Columbia stated that the grounds for divorce is adultery and it must by mutual consent or not at all. Perhaps knowing that Esther will not agree to a divorce, Rene finds it is easier to terminate the marriage by murdering her.

Lazarus tells this story (even the grim details) in a mellifluous and gentle way, and it was simply unputdownable. I finished this book in two days! It is one of the best true crime books I've read this year and I highly recommend this to true crime aficionados! It is well-researched and well-written! One fascinating book! And now, I'm off to read Lazarus' next book - Cold Case Vancouver.

[Tara Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder By Milkshake is a devastating, fascinating and brilliantly researched account of the murder by arsenic of Esther Castellani by her husband Rene Castellani in 1965 - a man who she should have been able to trust, a man who even on her hospital bed, while she was enduring the torturous effects of months of poisoning, was feeding her yet more of it by milkshake. The day after she died he took a trip to Disneyland with his new, 25-year-old lover.

It’s an extraordinary case, and a lesson in the deft public and private manipulation of psychopaths, and the aftermath of violence. This great true crime read is dedicated to - among others - Jeannine, who was just 11 when her father murdered her mother, and who managed to somehow survive the incredible pain of his violent legacy. What a strong woman.

I have so much more to say about this case, but I’ll leave it there.

Read the book. 📖

[Anne]

I really wanted to like this book. It's local to me and I love anything biography adjacent. I couldn't get past the agonizing level of detail of names of relatives, churches attended and addresses lived at and never got to the murder part. Now it's due back to the library and I'll maybe remember to take it out again. Lazerus has previously written a shorter piece on the case and writes about Vancouver history of the time period, with a focus on true crime. While I respect her dedication to research, this book would have done well with a ruthless edit in order to have a better pace and more tension.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy reading true crimes and a case here in Canada peeked my interest. It's a easy to read true crime book,but the ending has a lot to be desired. Do l think Rene killed his wife? Absolutely. I think he would have gotten away with it had he kept his mouth shut. I also think he was caught due to Esther's doctor wanting to know why she died because her case was a puzzle to him. Lolly l don't think was as innocent as she tried to make herself out to be. I think she had a pretty good idea what Rene was doing and kept her mouth shut to protect herself. If you like true crime books this one will make a good for a long weekend or beach.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

My latest true crime obsession and I can’t wait for the Netflix adaptation that needs to happen.

[Dee Guolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a page turner that I was actually sad when I got to the last page.

I love stories about Vancouver back in the 50s - 70s as it reminds me of a much cooler time than right now! Although this is a sad story about a wife/loving mother who died at the hands of her husband, it also goes into the different events going on in Vancouver at the time and makes you realize how much history the city really does have. I’ve read Cold Case Vancouver from Eve Lazarus, and both books just flow so nicely. I picked this book up 4 days ago and have tried to cater my life around reading it these past few days it was that good. Eve has such a great way of feeding you the content and there was never a boring or dull moment, all I wanted to do was keep reading. Amazing book! Please do more and more and more.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4.5 STARS

Since I picked up Lazarus's book, Cold Case Vancouver: The City’s Most Baffling Unsolved Murders, she has been on my "must-read-everything-by-this-author" list. Lazarus really does her research and you can tell right away in her writing. Her true crime nonfiction reads like a gritty suspense novel. She sucks you into the story and you are hooked until the last word. This book, like her other two true crime books, are based in Vancouver, BC (Canada). In Murder by Milkshake, Lazarus focuses on one case of a solved crime.

In 1965, Esther Castellani dies after an unexplainable agonizing death. Coincidentally, she feels better when her husband, Renee was away from her. Why would her husband want her dead? Turns out Renee is carrying on an affair with her former co-worker, Lolly. Soon after the funeral, he and Lolly take her son and his daughter on a trip to Disneyland. Renee would have gotten away with his crime if the doctors hadn't tried so hard to diagnose Esther and save her life.

This case of arsenic poisoning and adultery will have you hooked from page one. Esther and Renee's daughter was interviewed for this book, as were few other key players. Even if you aren't normally a true crime reader, if you enjoy unraveling a mystery and history I would highly recommend this fascinating read!

My Novelesque Blog

[Virginia Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Esther Castellani died in Vancouver in 1965, the official cause was at undetermined as she had been battling stomach troubles for sometime. However, when her husband, Rene, a charismatic radio salesman, set off the day after her funeral for Disneyland with his girlfriend, Lolly; his daughter, Jeannine; and Lolly's son, suspicions began to be raised, ending with a charge of capital murder. The writing is journalistic and a bit pedestrian, but it is an interesting case in that arsenic, so common a poison in Victorian times, was not suspected here. Author also had access to many of the people directly related to the case.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was really looking forward to reading this one, but was disappointed with it in the end. a very intriguing case, a real life story, but it felt like it just kept building ever so slowly...and then it was over. There was a lot of back story, more than was necessary. Just ok for me.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really waffled with how to rate this book. It's a famous case, and Eve Lazarus definitely puts in the work to bring out the details of this case and the people involved. She does a particularly good job of focusing on how this family, which clearly had the most tenuous relationships at best, was torn apart in the aftermath of this crime. However, there were several moments where I felt Lazarus didn't successfully substantiate or question information she received through interviews, such as Gloria incredible claims of tremendous physical and sexual abuse at the hands of there father. I appreciate the effort she put into telling Jeannine's story and shedding light on the long-term trauma and challenges she & Don suffered.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caught my interest when Book Riot talked about the method of killing - arsenic delivered by milkshake. And Lazarus does a deep dive into the story but it's very interesting that, as a biographer, she inserts her own opinions into the story. It is most obvious at the end but it is sort of a thread throughout the book.
I was also slow to wade through the vast amount of information at the beginning and the end. I get that Lazarus did a lot of research (and probably needed to pad the book length) but it was not really interesting to read nor did I really feel like it added anything to the overall story. And there may not have been the research material to learn more about Rene but I wish we had heard more about him in particular.

[Sofie N · Rating 4 out of 5]

very in detail cover of the Castellani murder case and the lives of the family. A journalistic overview of the family with how much seemingly unwarranted information is involved, although a lot of it is necessary to make sense of the trial and those who were involved that gave their statement. can't help but admire the amount of extensive research and resources pulled to document the entire Castellani story.

Rene was truly a textbook narcissist. charming, and overconfident, to the point where he didn't even hide the murder weapon.
"If it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck"

[Christina Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good lord, there are some awful people out there. Not just our esteemed murderer, but the family members who deny that he could possibly be guilty and deny a grandchild access to decent family members. *AND* he gets out of prison after only 12 years?!

But he only killed his wife. Nobody important. She was middle-aged and overweight, so she probably wanted to arsenic-murder herself. Boys will be boys, and there aren't enough lamp-posts to hang all the adulterous husbands, right?

The children of the adulterers turned out decent people, so there's that.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have no recollection of the specific events covered in this account, the story of this murder was intriguing for me to read. I was a teenager living in the city that was the scene of the crime in the mid-60s, and have lots of memories of the background events and local characters of the time. It is amazing that a man would murder his wife in such a seemingly brazen way, be found guilty (twice) and then have such an easy time of it afterwards. A good read.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting read-not because of the story about a man murdering his wife through arsenic ingestion-but due to the historic significance of the setting being Vancouver in the 1950's and 1960's. From the Beatles performing at a stadium in 1967, to the infamous Bowmac neon sign, to parts of Vancouver, this book attracts the reader by its places.

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit long-winded and with quite a few details that turned out to be irrelevant and distracting from the main story. It was a short book otherwise. I read it over 2 afternoons. I do appreciate the amount of research that was put in, and recognize that some of those details were essential to telling the complete and fascinatingly horrifying story.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because of all the references to Vancouver people/places/events of the 50's and 60's. It's the story of Rene Castellani who was convicted of murdering his wife Esther. Their daughter Jeanine went to LFA - she was a few years ahead of me. This is the first book I've read by Eve Lazarus but I look forward to reading more.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* Very interesting, mostly because of the psychology of it as well as that it is a local historical story. At times all the different names were confusing as was who was saying quotes and things like that.

[AmandaGrace22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid 3.5. The writing wasn’t amazing but it was solid and a compelling story. One of the final lines had me in fits - “so if you are looking for a lesson out of all of this, the lesson is arsenic is still a pretty good bet if you want to kill someone.”

[Jacquie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book takes an interesting story and manages to make it dull! There is too much attention paid to the forensic aspects and not enough to the human side.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve Lazarus writes a good chronological account of this local crime with accounts from those directly involved & those whose lives were drastically changed.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs developmental editing.

[Quentin Wrgiht · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nostalgic true crime tale hampered by style choices eg. strict chronological sequencing and comprehensive fact-stating which undermine what could otherwise have been a real nail-biter.

[Idiosyncratic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bring a bit of favouritism to this book. Years ago (late 1970s-early 1990s), when I worked in advertising in Vancouver (and wrote radio ads), I dealt with a truly wonderful sound engineer named Dick Abbott. He was universally recognized as one of the most professional, dedicated engineers around, as well as being one of kindest, most genuine people you'd ever meet. (Here's a profile of him, just for interest's sake - he's on the left. Sadly, he died recently. https://bcradiohistory.com/Biographie....) I remember Dick telling me this story, as Dick worked at CKNW when this whole event was unfolding, and knew Castellani well. Needless to say, he was just absolutely stunned that he was working with a murderer. (Btw, I also really enjoy Eve Lazarus's writing. )

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many extraneous details slowed down the narrative, rendering the book tedious at times.