The Poisoner cover art

The Poisoner

The Poisoner Series, Book 1

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Poisoner

By: I.V. Ophelia
Narrated by: Matt Sykes, Stephanie Willis
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

The Lost Apothecary meets Gothikana in this Victorian gothic romance of poison, passion, and dark secrets following a botanist who likes to poison unsavory men, but when her next target visits her apothecary, they discover their dark bond runs deeper than they imagined.

Have you ever wondered how long it would take for a lethal dose of arsenic to kill you?
Thirty-five hours, twenty-nine minutes, and fifteen seconds.
I should know. I counted myself.

Amidst the gaslit alleys and cobblestone streets of Victorian London, two killers find themselves entangled in a waltz they cannot escape.

Alina Lis, a botanist and hobbyist poisoner, has a pastime of killing unsavory men in her twisted sense of poetic justice. When she targets the conceited playboy, Silas Forbes, only to find him in her apothecary the following week, she discovers human men are the least of her problems.

The pair’s unlikely association sparks gossip among affluent society. As their mysterious bond deepens, a chilling truth emerges—concealed identities, lurking foes, and questions as plentiful as the hydra’s head brew within this haunting Gothic tale of violent passion.

Will Silas and Alina find themselves in each other’s arms, or will the shadows of their past keep them apart?

©2025 I.V. Ophelia (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio
Gothic Horror Paranormal Suspense Thriller & Suspense
All stars
Most relevant  
start to end gorgeous gothic story and performance was outstanding. so many 'on the edge of my seat' moments. the language was so expressive, narrators were absolutely incredible. can't wait for book 2!

Perfect

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This should be turn into a tv series or movie! I would watch it over and over. Great job author ophelia and the narrators!!5 stars✨

I cant wait for the book 2!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

The story was absolutely stunning. the pacing, the build up, the development...

Until the end happened. Honestly feels like the last 5 chapters were rushed. Like the author was being pressured to finish the book to get it out for publishing. It could had gone in a whole different direction than what it did and left a real sour taste in the mouth after such an amazing story prior.

Was amazing... until the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I think I've found my favourite female narrator!! Stephanie was amazing! I enjoyed this book!

devine narrating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What an exquisitely written gothic novel! You’re telling me this was the authors debut novel?? As Silas would say… HOW DELIGHTFUL!

This was nothing short of seductive, atmospheric, tension fused angst. My absolute favorite!

Silas’ character was fascinating to me, I found myself hanging onto every word he uttered while Alina was a curiosity in herself that you couldn’t help but adore her.

I don’t mind cliffhangers but this one has me dying for the second book’s release!

Exquisite!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Absolutely loved Stephanie’s narration, easily one of the best I’ve ever heard. The story was compelling from start to finish, keeping me hooked the entire time, As a first time author, I.V. Ophelia has done an incredible job, and I can’t wait to see what she brings us next.

Compelling story, incredible narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

The first half of the book had really good flow, however about half way through it felt like it should have been the start of a new book. The flow became less smooth and felt a little forced in some aspects. Good story, interesting characters and great performance. Will definitely be reading the next book

Interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

So many holes and gaps in the story line at the end had my head spinning. overall it was entertaining but will not be continuing the series. The female narrator was amazing loved her voice the male narrator hard to listen to at times.

Don’t bother

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.