# Past Poisons
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox book |
| name = Past Poisons: An Ellis Peters Memorial Anthology of Historical Crime
| image = File:Past Poisons (1998).jpg
| caption = First edition cover
| author = Various
| editors = [Maxim Jakubowski](/source/Maxim_Jakubowski)
| cover_artist =
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| genre = [Historical mystery](/source/Historical_mystery)
| published = 12 November 1998
| publisher = [Headline Publishing](/source/Headline_Publishing)
| media_type = Print ([Hardcover](/source/Hardcover))
| pages = 373
| isbn = 0747275017
| oclc =
}}
'''''Past Poisons: An Ellis Peters Memorial Anthology of Historical Crime''''' is a 1998 British anthology of [historical mystery](/source/historical_mystery) short stories and novellas, edited by [Maxim Jakubowski](/source/Maxim_Jakubowski). The collection is named for novelist [Ellis Peters](/source/Ellis_Peters), whose ''[Cadfael Chronicles](/source/The_Cadfael_Chronicles)'' (1977–1994) are generally credited for popularizing the combined genre of [historical fiction](/source/historical_fiction) and [mystery fiction](/source/mystery_fiction) that would become known as historical mystery.[{{cite web |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/43024-mysteries-of-history.html |title=Mysteries of History |first=Lenny |last=Picker |date=3 March 2010 |access-date=13 November 2013 |work=[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly) }}][{{cite web |url=http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704804204575069371115999474?mobile=y |title=Five Best Historical Mystery Novels |first=David B. |last=Rivkin Jr. |date=27 February 2010 |access-date=17 November 2013 |website=[The Wall Street Journal](/source/The_Wall_Street_Journal) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204114320/http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704804204575069371115999474?mobile=y |archive-date=4 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}]
==Contents==
The anthology includes:
* "A Counter-blast to Tobacco" by [Paul C. Doherty](/source/Paul_C._Doherty)
* "Wheel in the Sky" by [Edward D. Hoch](/source/Edward_D._Hoch)
* "Starstruck at San Simeon" by Janet Laurence
* "Death by Eros" by [Steven Saylor](/source/Steven_Saylor)
* "Damned Spot" by [Julian Rathbone](/source/Julian_Rathbone)
* "Showman" by [Peter Lovesey](/source/Peter_Lovesey)
* "The Padder's Lesson" by Molly Brown
* "To Dispose of an Abbot" by [Susanna Gregory](/source/Susanna_Gregory)
* "The Mamur Zapt and the Catherine Wheel" by [Michael Pearce](/source/Michael_Pearce_(author))
* "The Great Brogonye" by David Howard
* "The Unkindest Cut" by [Kate Ross](/source/Kate_Ross)
* "Girl Talk" by Marilyn Todd (1st century BC Rome). A Claudia Seferius short story.
* "Invitation to a Poisoning" by [Peter Tremayne](/source/Peter_Tremayne)
* "The Last High Queen" by [Anne Perry](/source/Anne_Perry)
* "To Encourage the Others" by [Martin Edwards](/source/Martin_Edwards_(author))
* "Psalm for a Dead Disciple" by [Edward Marston](/source/Edward_Marston)
* "Handsel Monday" by [Catherine Aird](/source/Catherine_Aird)
* "An Academic Question" by [John Maddox Roberts](/source/John_Maddox_Roberts) (51 BC Athens). This short story is an installment of the [''SPQR'' series](/source/SPQR_series), set immediately prior to the novel ''The Princess and the Pirates'' (2005).
* ''Hellfire'' (''[Lord John and the Hellfire Club](/source/Lord_John_and_the_Hellfire_Club)'') by [Diana Gabaldon](/source/Diana_Gabaldon) (Late 1750s England). This novella is the first work in the [''Lord John'' series](/source/Lord_John_series), a [spin-off](/source/spin-off_(media)) of the supporting character [Lord John Grey](/source/Lord_John_Grey_(character)) from Gabaldon's [''Outlander'' series](/source/Outlander_(book_series)) of historical novels.[{{cite web|url=http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/lord-john-grey/ |title=Official site: Lord John Grey Series |website=DianaGabaldon.com |archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=22 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012004959/http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/lord-john-grey/ }}][{{cite web |last=Donnell |first=P. |title=From Academia to Steamy Fiction |via=Canada.com |website=[The Gazette (Montreal)](/source/The_Gazette_(Montreal)) |url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/books/story.html?id=0babdff5-8182-4519-89c0-163fa579a9c7 |date=6 October 2007 |access-date=30 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140121052654/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/books/story.html?id=0babdff5-8182-4519-89c0-163fa579a9c7 |archive-date=21 January 2014 |df=dmy-all }}][{{cite web|url=http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/chronology-of-the-outlander-series// |title=Official site: Chronology of the ''Outlander'' Series |website=DianaGabaldon.com |archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=22 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012161942/http://www.dianagabaldon.com/books/chronology-of-the-outlander-series// }}]
* "The Party May Yet be Living" by [Lindsey Davis](/source/Lindsey_Davis)
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
Category:1998 anthologies
Category:Mystery anthologies
Category:Headline Publishing Group books
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Past Poisons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_Poisons) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_Poisons?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.