The Angel Makers by Patti McCracken

While these crimes and the number of coffins will horrify some so will the living conditions for the women living in this Hungarian village in the 1920's. Women were born enslaved first to their fathers and then to their husbands giving birth to more children than they could feed and suffering from the abuse of the men in their family. Living conditions brought new meaning to the term "dirt poor" so many turned to the only woman they knew who could help - Auntie Suzy the village midwife. She hastened the end of unwanted children and husbands alike. Arsenic was her medicine of choice and soon the number of natural deaths and new friends added up. This put her in a position of power as it would be a death sentence for the women to reveal their part in all of this. Unbelievably this went unchecked until a prosecutor almost a decade after Aunt Suzy began started to put clues together. Vivid descriptions told in an investigative true crime style offer us a glimpse into life for these poor women and the power hungry midwife who offered them a way out.  3 stars