Table of Contents
A Note to the Reader viii
Prologue Simmering Death x
Part 1 Silent Killers
Chapter 1 The Matron and the Reporter 2
Chapter 2 Quiet Menace 12
Chapter 3 Silent Killers 22
Chapter 4 Humble Beginnings 26
Chapter 5 Devout Christian 30
Chapter 6 Left Behind 34
Chapter 7 The Bible Thumper 37
Chapter 8 Thousands Overcome 40
Chapter 9 Forecasting the Weather Is No Science 44
Chapter 10 The Biggest Boardinghouse in New England 49
Chapter 11 Cold Storage 56
Chapter 12 Red Skies at Night 61
Chapter 13 The Beginning of Franklins End 64
Part 2 Investigation & Innovation
Chapter 14 They Come and They Go 68
Chapter 15 Death at First Sight 74
Chapter 16 The Last Good-bye 78
Chapter 17 Death by Marriage 81
Chapter 18 Sweet Little Amy 87
Chapter 19 The Con 97
Chapter 20 Red Falcon 104
Chapter 21 "I Can Fix That All Right" 108
Chapter 22 The Wrong Victim 114
Chapter 23 "Fit as a Fiddle" 120
Chapter 24 Public Service 127
Chapter 25 Too Late 134
Chapter 26 Done to Death 140
Chapter 27 May the Curse of God Come Down on You 145
Chapter 28 Poison Control 149
Chapter 29 The Facts 154
Chapter 30 Grave Robbers 157
Chapter 31 Motive 166
Chapter 32 In the Dead of Night 170
Chapter 33 Oh, What a Beautiful "Mourning" 173
Chapter 34 "Murder Factory" 183
Part 3 Trials & Tribulations
Chapter 35 A Changing World 194
Chapter 36 The Greatest Success 198
Chapter 37 Witch of Windsor 203
Chapter 38 Victory for the Vanquished 208
Chapter 39 The Experts 216
Chapter 40 "Dark Murder Hole" 223
Chapter 41 Drug Addict 227
Chapter 42 One Last Trick 237
Chapter 43 Arsenic and Old Lace 239
Epilogue Whatever Happened to Amy? 244
Acknowledgments 252
Endnotes 255
Selected Bibliography 291
Selected Essays & Documents 294
Index 295
About the Author 304