The Bee’s Knees

Aconite, Queen of Poisons by L.M. Jorden

This mystery featuring main character Dr. Josephine Reva is captivating enough, but knowing it is based on the real life of the author’s grandmother, the first female doctor in Brooklyn, NY, makes the story even more delightful.

It’s the Roaring 20s. The world is changing rapidly, and with those changes come disputes over everything from alcohol use to public health to a woman’s place in society. Enter Dr. Reva, a determined young woman who rose from a Little Italy orphanage under the tutelage of Mother Cabrini to become a medical doctor. She stands up for what she thinks, she is vocal in expressing her belief that the medical profession needs more female doctors, she’s whip-smart, and she’s an all-around spitfire. I liked her from the first page.

When a dead body is found not far from Dr. Reva’s home in Brooklyn, she arrives on the scene thinking she can provide medical help. She’s too late for that, but she realizes the victim is someone she knows. In fact, it’s someone she had just spoken with mere hours before his death.

It’s not long before the detective working the case fixes his sights on Dr. Reva, in part because the victim died from poisoning by a plant—and it just so happens Dr. Reva is a student of homeopathy and the use of plant derivatives to promote health and healing.

Things go downhill from there for Dr. Reva. She’s been framed, and she is forced to start asking questions and investigating on her own behalf before she ends up in prison. And when a second victim is found dead, the race is on to find the real killer before he or she can strike again.

This mystery was such a fun read. Not only did I love Dr. Reva, but I found that the secondary characters added rich layers of texture to the story, too. Reading about their relationships with the doctor lent insights into the doctor’s personality and gave me even more reasons to root for her.

The pacing was perfect. The action builds up steadily with the mounting number of suspects, and it was thrilling to read about the simultaneous exhilaration and danger of visiting speakeasies and poking around in some rather seedy places.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a strong female sleuth, mysteries set in the 1920s, and a terrific and unique whodunit.