Poisoned Love [Paperback]

Caitlin Rother (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 1, 2005

This new updated edition provides sensational revelations about Kristin Rossum's claim of innocence, including a recent appeals court decision that may reopen the case to new investigations and media attention.





Bed Of Roses


Kristin Rossum was a California golden girl--beautiful, smart, successful. Her marriage to soft-spoken, devoted Greg de Villers seemed to him like a fairy tale come true. But this blond beauty's sweet smile masked a wicked side. Kristin had a taste for drugs and an eye for other men. When her husband was found dead in their bedroom surrounded by rose petals, she told a tale about his medication use and suicidal impulses. But a darker story would emerge. One in which she starred as a cold-blooded murderer. . .


Includes dramatic photos.


"Rother is the next Ann Rule." --Gregg Olsen


"Will keep you on the edge of your seat." --Aphrodite Jones


"Pitch-perfect." --Ron Franscell

Case seen on Inside Edition, Good Morning America, and 48 Hours

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786022191
• ISBN-13: 978-0786022199
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored eight books, including LOST GIRLS, POISONED LOVE, DEAD RECKONING, DEADLY DEVOTION, BODY PARTS, TWISTED TRIANGLE, NAKED ADDICTION and MY LIFE, DELETED.

She is currently working on a book about the murder of multimillionaire entrepreneur Bill McLaughlin in Newport Beach, Calif., by his fiancee, the femme fatale Nanette Johnston Packard McNeal, and her lover, the NFL linebacker Eric Naposki. It is currently titled I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU and is slated for release in late 2013.

Her latest true crime book is the controversial LOST GIRLS, a behind the scenes account of the rape and murder of San Diego area teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois by sexual predator John Gardner (July 2012).

NYT bestseller MY LIFE, DELETED, is an inspirational memoir of former NFL player Scott Bolzan, who is rebuilding his life after suffering a brain injury and losing his entire long-term memory. She co-authored the book with Scott and his wife Joan. (HarperOne, October 2011)

The updated POISONED LOVE (December 2011) adds 20 pages of new developments in the Kristin Rossum case, in which the beautiful San Diego toxicologist was convicted of poisoning her husband with powerful narcotics she stole from her lab at the county Medical Examiner's Office, then staging a suicide scene by sprinkling red rose petals over her husband's body.

In her debut thriller, NAKED ADDICTION, a lethal confluence of sex, drugs and the murder of young beauty school entrepreneurs hits the wealthy beach community of La Jolla. Undercover narcotics detective Ken Goode confronts his own demons during a homicide investigation that brings him into contact with a drug ring and an escort service while he tangles with a seductive witness and worries that his missing sister will be the next murder victim.

Before writing books full-time, Rother worked for nearly 20 years as an investigative reporter for daily newspapers, covering issues ranging from addiction, suicide, mental illness and murder to politics and corruption at City Hall and in Congress. She now writes books full-time, teaches writing and works as an editorial consultant/book doctor.

Most recently a Pulitzer-nominated staff writer for The San Diego Union-Tribune, Rother also has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, and The Daily Beast. Her many media appearances as a crime expert include "Women Who Kill" on E!, the "Snapped" series on the Oxygen Network, five shows on Investigation Discovery, and "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren on FOX News.

Rother, who earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from University of California Berkeley and her master's in journalism from Northwestern University, teaches narrative non-fiction, creative writing, advanced feature writing and interviewing at UCSD Extension. She does public speaking and works as an editorial and publishing consultant. She also founded San Diego Writing Women and runs its blog. Check out her website at http://caitlinrother.com and the blog at sandiegowritingwomen.blogspot.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent True Crime from a Rookie Author July 12, 2006

By Kim Cantrell

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Caitlin Rother, although no stranger to newspaper reporting, did an excellent job with this story as a first time true crime author. Readers will find indepth background coverage on the major players in this twisted tale of drug abuse, adultry and murder. I simply couldn't put it down!

This book is the story of Kristin Rossum, who is undoubtedly a spoiled, overindulged girl who has never grown into the maturity of womanhood. Her actions alone speak of someone who has never been taught that there are consequences for their actions. Being the only daughter of enabling parents, it isn't surprising that Kristin would kill her husband rather file for divorce (with monetary gain to be had) when he threatened to expose her relapse into her drug addiction and her affair with her boss, Michael Robertson.

But I do not believe that Kristin acted alone...just as Kristin was childlike in demeanor, so was Robertson. While to some he may have seemed experienced and intelligent, his need to continously seek the "new feeling" of "falling in love," shows his immaturity as well. It would not surprise me to learn that his sophmoric attitude wouldn't lead him to assist Kristin to kill her husband in the niave belief it wouldn't be found out and would live happily ever after....or at least, till the new wore off with Kristin and he went in search of "the feeling" again. In addition, Rossum and Robertson are both arrogant individuals; and most often times, it those who think so highly of themselves that take the hardest falls.

Overall, a must read for true crime fans. I'll look forward to this authors next true crime book.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars No Love, Just Poison August 22, 2005

By TawnTawn

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This book is extremely well-written and gives a great deal more background info than John Glatt's book on the same subject. Kristin Rossum was a cute young lady who loved the meth more than anyone or anything. Like most druggies, she knew how to charm and manipulate to get her way. Unlike most druggies, she had rich parents to back her up at every turn. They refused to believe this could happen in their family, better to sweep it under the rug, get her married off and let her become someone else's headache for awhile. Poor Greg de Villiers, who hadn't had much experience with women, fell for Kristin right off the bat, and she took advantage of it, by stealing from him, his brother and his roommate to buy meth. Prior to meeting Greg, she had asked her current boyfriend to rescue her. He got them a hotel room, and while he took a shower, she cleaned out his wallet, and disappeared to Mexico, where she met Greg, her next victim. She later told this boyfriend that she'd been kidnapped and taken to Mexico, and driven around in the trunk of a car. She said she lied to him to spare his feelings.

When it was time to get married, Kristin repeatedly reminisces that "if only" her parents had listened to her concerns and stopped the wedding. However, she was a grown woman who could have done as she pleased. She married Greg and proceeded to cheat on him with at least 3 men. When she fell for her boss Michael, she was still writing her husband emails begging him to say he loved her. She said she didn't have the guts to leave Greg because it would "hurt" him. So she continued to lie to him, cheat on him, drive him crazy, and probably drug him for the last weeks of his life, until she decided he was interfering too much with her meth use. Then she administered the fatal dose of Fentanyl. Her boss/lover, who also hadn't got a divorce and was actually going to counseling with his wife, quickly claimed his mother was ill and hotfooted it back to Australia - out of reach of the authorities. It's my personal belief that he had to know what was going on - if not before the fact, immediately after. The guy has a PhD, no one can be that oblivious to what's in front of you. Drug use, drugs missing from the lab, 3 different diaries (one written only for Greg to read), and completely different versions of events told - some of them Michael's.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An objective point of view July 2, 2005

By Gary Anderson

Format:Mass Market Paperback

The death of Greg de Villers and subsequent conviction of his wife, Kristin, for murder is tragic in so many ways.

Did Kristin kill her husband? Did someone actually see her commit the crime? There will always be a doubt but is it a reasonable doubt? Of course, in order to find Kristin innocent one would also have to accept that it is possible for one person to win the California lottery three times a row. Impossible? Of course, not. Improbable? Definitely.

Unlike John Glatt's book on same subject, "Deadly American Beauty", Ms. Rother has taken an objective approach to the subject. Where Mr. Glatt cries out that "She did it!", Ms. Rother walks the reader through the evidence.

Ms. Rother has handled with exceptional journalistic dexterity what is a most tragic story.