The Angel Makers: Arsenic, a Midwife, and Modern History's Most Astonishing Murder Ring

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In a rustic farming enclave in modern-day Hungary, a shocking series of murders unfolded, revealing that such horrors could happen anywhere. At the center was Auntie Suzy, a sharp-minded village midwife who distilled arsenic from flypaper and supplied it to the women of Nagyrév. Initially, many used the poison to escape cruel spouses, but as bodies piled up without consequence, the killers became bolder. Each empty vial of poison led to new justifications for murder—some targeted sickly relatives, while others sought to secure inheritances by eliminating family members. For over fifteen years, these unlikely murderers treated death as a mundane task, mixing arsenic into food and drink. By the time their crimes were uncovered, hundreds were feared dead. In 1929, anonymous notes revealed the chilling truth, prompting a determined prosecutor to launch an investigation. News outlets, including the New York Times, flocked to cover the unfolding drama. This meticulously researched account details the harrowing events from the initial murders to the final hanging, chronicling one of the most sensational murder rings in modern history.