Poison

The pseudonymous Poole makes a promising debut with this fast-moving historical thriller. In 15th-century Italy, Francesca Giordano is the daughter of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia's poisoner—the man assigned to protect his Eminence from being poisoned, as well as create poisons and antidotes of his own. When her father is murdered, Francesca uses the knowledge she gained from him to become the new poisoner and avenge his death, but little does she know that the poison he was working on when he died was what led to his murder—and now the Cardinal wants her to continue his research. Francesca's a genuine firecracker of a heroine, and her dilemma—is it worth her soul to exact justice for her father—plays out in a riveting fashion. Vivid, suspenseful, and capped with an ending that begs a sequel, this is a great first step on the way to the historical fiction A-list. (Aug.)