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A Passion for Poison

The Extraordinary Crimes of Graham Young

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A Passion for Poison

By: Carol Ann Lee
Narrated by: Colin Mace
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About this listen

'The whole story is so terrible. You will be disgusted and amazed.' (Graham Young, confessing his crimes to detectives)

There are few criminal cases more astonishing yet less well-known than that of Graham Young. A quintessentially British crime story, it involves two sensational trials, murders both certain and probable, a clutch of forgiving relatives, and scores of surviving victims.

A Passion for Poison tells the absorbing life of master poisoner, Graham Young, who killed many 10s of people in a murderous career, which began as a 13 year-old schoolboy in a north-west London suburb, with the murder of his step-mother in 1960 before culminating in four further life sentences in 1971.

Best-selling true crime writer Carol Ann Lee takes the listener on an extraordinary journey through suburban streets with which we are all familiar, but where the commonplace - dull, even - soon becomes oppressively sinister. Set against the backdrop of modern Britain, from post-war austerity to the gloom and glam of the 1970s, it sheds light on a rapidly changing society and a gruesome British true crime story.

©2021 Carol Ann Lee (P)2021 Bonnier Books UK Crime Murder True Crime

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All stars
Most relevant  
A fascinating account of a chilling story, excellently narrated.
Finished in just a few days.

Excellent

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The story of Graham Young told in an excellent way. Full of interesting info..worth a credit

What’s your poison?

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Very full deep dive into a largely forgotten case these days. Pity there was not more about his time in prison after his second conviction

Really enjoyed this

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I had high hopes for this but have to say I found my attention wondering on more than a few occasions.
I found the narration to be rather dry and stilted which put me off
Fascinating story though and lots of information and history on poison and Broadmoor

Could have been brilliant

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I really enjoyed this book as it was so well written and narrated. The attention to detail was so good and very informative. I listened to it over two days as I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

Amazing

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Carol Ann Lee writes with amazing insight into the life and crimes of Graham Young. I’ve seen a couple of tv true crime programmes which outlined this terrible story. Carol Ann Lee really gets into the skin of Graham Young and those around him, giving chilling insight into a flawed and terrifying individual.

Youngs early years weren’t particularly remarkable in that he came from a stable home, although his mother died and his father remarried. Young developed an all consuming interest in poisons at the age of 8 and by the time he was 10, he was conducting dreadful experiments. By the age of 14, he had a knowledge of toxicology to rival many medics and academics and his passion was now an obsession. He was experimenting on people and thanks to a concerned teacher, he was investigated and arrested. He was sent to Broadmoor and what happened there is scandalous. As a manipulative and controlling individual, he was able to persuade one eminent psychiatrist that he was ‘cured’ and fit to be released back into society, now an adult.

This true crime account is one of the most chilling I’ve read. Young was gifted and intelligent, but fatally flawed as a human being with no empathy or compassion for others. A Passion for Poison is his story, written with sensitivity and honesty. I wasn’t keen on the narrator who sounded disjointed and breathy. But the power of the narrative kept me gripped from start to finish.

Comprehensive insight

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Purchased this book at airport to read on holiday, but never got around to it! husband did instead,saw it on audible so listened instead, different to say the least, would reccomend

Good book

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only got this book because I had heard of young but knew very little about the case.found the book very detailed and insightful I must for any true crime buff

brilliant and well read

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A eye widening story that also covers history of poisonous crimes great listen x

Great listen

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This book is written in such a way that you feel that you are closely involved. It’s very well written, and shows what happened from all aspects.

Very absorbing

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