Suspense_Magazine_May_2015

FROM ACROSS THE PONDWith LINDA STRATMANNBy Chris SimmsPress Photo Credit: Provided by AuthorI’m delighted to bring readers of Suspense Magazine a feature from theUK’s Crime Readers’ Association. In it, an author from over here willwrite about crime writing from a UK perspective.THE MURDEROUS COOK“I wonder if I have annoyed Linda recently?” said a friend sitting downto dinner at my house after looking at my collection of true crime books.Crime and cooking have both been great interests of mine from an earlyage, and until recently, I have been reassuring people that they are notassociated.My most recent novel, “An Appetite For Murder,” however, featuresthe world of diet in the 1880s for which I read a lot of fascinating materialabout Victorian beliefs on weight and nutrition.In the last year I have been writing a book on the history of homicidalpoisoning in the nineteenth century—not only the cases themselves,but what science and the law did to try and combat murder by poison.During my researches, I have encountered administration of poisons indishes that are not commonly made nowadays—and it occurred to me totry and recreate them. My husband has been very good about agreeingto try these dishes. The—um—active ingredient has been in all casesomitted, of course! It does mean, however, that when I suggest makingsomething for dinner I haven’t made before, his first question is “Who died from that?”So I can report that the yeast dumplings in white sauce, with chopped parsley substituting for arsenic, (Eiza Fenning1815) were unexpectedly good. Rabbit smothered in onions was not something I would usually cook, but we enjoyed it,though if I did it again I would use chicken. In that particular case (Robert Donnall 1816) the poison was not delivered inthe actual dish, but the presence of liberal amounts of onion confused the results of the poison tests done on the victim’sstomach contents.I have just completed a chapter for the forthcoming CWA true crime compilation, “Truly Criminal” (April 2015), ona French case from 1823 (Mme Boursier) that involves a breakfast dish of rice pottage. I managed to find a contemporaryrecipe, which I slightly updated for the modern palate; readers will not only be able to read about the murder but get therecipe as well.In due course I will be making chicken with truffles (Marie Lafarge 1840) and damson pudding (Betty Eccles 1842). Infact, it would be possible to hold a dinner party with each course consisting of a dish that has been featured in a poisoningcase. To add to the dining pleasure the guests would, as they ate each dish, be regaled with the story of the relevant murder.SuspenseMagazine.com3