Writing Crime

BJ Magnani, brings her knowledge as a pathologist and toxicologist to her Dr. Lily Robinson mysteries. Her second, The Power Of Poison, is out now.

How would you describe the plot of the book?

In The Power of Poison, the sequel to The Queen of All Poisons, Dr. Lily Robinson is asked to assassinate a high-level Chinese missile scientist who is on course to sell his novel technology to the North Koreans. Unbeknownst to Lily, Grigory Markovic, a Russian terrorist Lily has encountered in the past, also plans a deal with the North Koreans—warheads filled with deadly poison.

Is there a setting in your book that you would like to visit?

I would like to go back to Reims, France, and to Seoul, South Korea. Both these cities provided rich cultural and visual images, allowing me to include my memories into the story. However, my plans to travel to Hong Kong were foiled by the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Which of your skill sets were useful constructing the plot?

As a pathologist and toxicologist, I use my knowledge of medicine, forensics, and toxicology to provide authenticity to my main character, Dr. Lily Robinson.  

What meal and drink do you think would pair well with your book?

Since The Power of Poison includes plot points using poisons and poisoning, I would avoid pairing meals or drinks with any of my books! In Lily Robinson and the Art of Secret Poisoning and The Queen of All Poisons, it’s all too easy to see how poisons mixed in food and drink can have dire consequences.

Were there indispensable people without whom you couldn’t have written the book?

Yes indeed! I rely on my medical and scientific colleagues, as well as my fellow authors, to provide feedback on my books. They help keep things as real as possible—for a novel, that is.


BJ Magnani, PhD, MD — former Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA — is currently Professor of Anatomic and Clinical Pathology/Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. She is the author of Lily Robinson and the Art of Secret Poisoning (nVision Press) and The Queen of All Poisons (Encircle Publications). The sequel ,The Power of Poison (Encircle Publications) will be released in March 2021.