Customer Reviews

A Dram of Poison

5 star:		(4)
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3 star:		(1)
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I can't remember the last time I was so engaged by a book that I read it in a single day. I loved "A Dram of Poison" and highly recommend it. In the first half, it's Hitchcockian--a small group of ordinary people with complex emotional relationships beneath the surface and not fully understood, the situation building suspense inexorably. The reader knows an explosion is coming but cannot predict what form it will take. When the "break" comes, the tone of the book changes completely into a frenetic quest sequence that is increasingly hilarious. But the suspense starts to build again, and we remain on tenterhooks, as we wait to see whether the quest will be successful. In the meantime, the characters discuss life, and we are made acutely aware of how the reality of the relationships and situation we saw only dimly in the first half of the book are, in fact, very different from what we were lead to expect. The ultimate message (Yes, this little suspense thriller has a message!) is one of optimism and respect for individuality and how one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. A gem. Highly recommended.

This book has plenty of intrigue and suspense when poison innocently labeled as olive oil goes astray. But it's also a life-affirming romp with an assortment of delightful characters whom you love enough to return to time and again. A celebration of life and of individuality.

I first read this book about 25 years ago, and it was so enjoyable that I've kept coming back to re-read it every year or so. It's like an old friend. The book starts at a very slow pace, and it's a little bit misleading. You expect doom and gloom, and it quicly turns to the most enjoyable adventure when the little bottle of poison is lost, and the chase is on. Each new character that joins the chase is delightful, and together they are incredibly fun. I love the bus driver and his way of speaking, "Lookit..." and "ruminate, ruminate." The story's ending is wonderful as well; it's exactly what you'd expect from this wonderful writer. It's my favorite book.

Not a mystery in the true sense, but it was interesting in a different way. No one is murdered and there is no detective trying to unravel a crime. It's a story about an ordinary 50-ish man who finds himself with a 30-ish wife whom he grows to love and how he deals with life's challenges, including an overbearing relative. Through logical means he comes to a decision that ends up in what could be a terrible mistake. The last part of the book is more like a comic chase scene from "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" than anything found in a suspense book. Enjoyable but, again, not a mystery.

This book proves once again that is not only what the book it's about, but how it's written. This is a very simple story made into a classic mystery. Loved it