City of Light, City of Poison by Holly Tucker

From secret courtrooms to torture chambers, City of Light, City of Poison is a gripping true-crime tale of deception and murder. As La Reynie continues his investigations, he is haunted by a single question: Could Louis's mistresses could be involved in such nefarious plots? The pragmatic and principled La Reynie must decide just how far he will go to protect his king. Nobles settle scores by employing witches to craft poisons and by hiring priests to perform dark rituals in Paris's most illustrious churches and cathedrals. In a world where a royal glance can turn success into disgrace, the distance between the quietly back-stabbing world of the king's court and the criminal underground proves disturbingly short.

As he exposes their unholy work, he soon learns that no one is safe from black magic-not even the Sun King. He unearths a tightly knit cabal of poisoners, witches, and renegade priests. The fearless La Reynie pursues criminals through the labyrinthine neighborhoods of the city. Assigned by Louis XIV, Nicolas de La Reynie begins by clearing the streets of filth and installing lanterns throughout Paris, turning it into the City of Light. Appointed to conquer the 'crime capital of the world,' the first police chief of Paris faces an epidemic of murder in the late 1600s. On our 5th anniversary in 2014 we were up to 2987!. On our 4th anniversary in 2013 we were up to 2558! On our 3rd anniversary in 2012 we were up to 2336! On our 2nd anniversary in 2011 we had 2159! On our 1st anniversary in 2010 we had 301 members. Believe me, no matter how 'bad' you might think your addiction may be, some do have it much worse, which may or may not be a good thing, depending how you look at it. Come here to share things like your great purchases at the bookstores and other places. Some call us bibliophiles, some call us bibliomaniacs, we call ourselves the B.B.A.A. All are welcome, but this group is meant for those who not only love to read, but those who also love to buy their books to read as well as those who All are welcome, but this group is meant for those who not only love to read, but those who also love to buy their books to read as well as those who love to buy books just to collect them.

City of Light, City of Poison by Holly Tucker