by I.V. Ophelia
Part of The Poisoner
First published 2024
Alina Lis knows exactly how long arsenic takes to kill. She counts the minutes as her victims die. In Victorian London's shadowed streets, this botanist runs an apothecary by day and dispenses her own justice by night. She selects unsavory men who deserve their fate, at least in her mind. Her latest mark is Silas Forbes, a wealthy playboy she considers beneath contempt. But when Silas walks into her shop days later, very much alive, Alina realizes she faces complications beyond a failed poisoning. Their unexpected encounters spark rumors throughout London's upper circles. As the unlikely pair grows closer, Alina discovers that Silas harbors secrets as dark as her own. Hidden identities surface and enemies emerge from the past. The connection between them runs deeper than either imagined. Both carry the weight of violence and the hunger for something more than survival.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, mystery, adult-fiction, thriller, dark-romance
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, gothic, intimate, morally-complex, suspenseful
Tropes: dark-past, enemies-to-lovers, secrets-and-lies, slow-burn
Setting: Victorian London
Period: 19th-century
400 pages · Paperback · Simon Maverick
Content warnings: death, murder, violence