Michigans Strychnine Saint, Tobin T. Buhk
Michigans Strychnine Saint, Tobin T. Buhk
List: $12.99 | Sale: $9.10
Club: $6.49

Michigan's Strychnine Saint
The Curious Case of Mrs. Mary McKnight

Author: Tobin T. Buhk

Narrator: Will Tulin

Unabridged: 4 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/10/2025


Synopsis

"A historically accurate picture of the characters involved in the complicated frontier-era poisoning investigation" (MLive.com).

The spring of 1903 proved disastrous for the Murphy family. On April 22, the infant Ruth Murphy died in her crib. Within an hour, her mother, Gertrude, experienced a violent spasm before she, too, died. Ten days later, John Murphy followed his wife and child to the grave after suffering from a crippling convulsion. While neighbors whispered about a curse and physicians feared a contagious disease, Kalkaska County sheriff John W. Creighton and prosecuting attorney Ernest C. Smith searched for answers. As they probed deeper into the suspicious deaths, they uncovered a wicked web of intrigue. And at the center stood a widow in a black taffeta dress.

About Tobin T. Buhk

A teacher by day and a crime writer by night, Tobin T. Buhk began his unique moonlighting when he did a brief stint as a morgue volunteer, which led to his first two books. A love of history and a fascination with crime led to True Crime Michigan, a history of the Great Lake State through its most inglorious moments, and True Crime in the Civil War.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Pamela on August 24, 2019

Interesting book with lots of Michigan history tangential to as well as included in the the reporting of the story. The title doesn't really fit. There is nothing saint like about Mary McKnight but the story itself is carefully researched and reported. It is a quick read of a book. You can read it f......more

Goodreads review by Ronnie on May 07, 2019

Good account of a 1903 poisoning case in Michigan, with numerous side trips to discuss similar contemporaneous homicides. Buhk also wrote TRUE CRIME: MICHIGAN: THE STATE'S MOST NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL CASES, which I enjoyed even more.......more

Goodreads review by Marlene on May 20, 2015

It was not my kind of book. A lot of detail about court cases and theories about why she chose to poison mostly family members. It was hard to understand why people couldn't believe that she was guilty of the murders when it frequently happened when she was caring for someone and they died mysteriou......more

Goodreads review by Sue on August 27, 2021

An interesting true story of a widow living in northern Michigan during the late 18th century and early 19th century. Since I am familiar with many of the areas where this woman lived I found it interesting to hear her story and learn a little about what life was like around 1903 in this area of Mic......more

Goodreads review by Tiffany on December 15, 2022

Good Book, disagree with conclusion of motive A lot of the speculation around the motive centers on the loss of her family, I think it’s not only possible, but probable that she killed them too. Analyzing a 1903 sociopath through a modern analytical lens does not consider evolutionary factors. She di......more