France: La Voisin and the Poison Affair

France: La Voisin and the Poison Affair

Author: Shane L. Waters, Wendy Cee, Gemma Hoskins June 12, 2025 Duration: 21:43
In the glittering court of Louis XIV's France, La Voisin built a criminal empire on the dark art of poisoning. Known for the Affair of the Poisons, she became a notorious figure, weaving crime and mysticism in a tale that scandalized an era. Join Season 36 as Foul Play uncovers serial killers who manipulated history’s course. Catherine Monvoisin, or La Voisin, was more than a criminal; she was a mother and a cunning entrepreneur in 17th-century France. Before her descent into infamy, she operated perfectly respectably, providing life advice and fortunetelling services. However, her ambition and shrewdness drew her into the dangerous world of poisons. Examining the significance of La Voisin’s crimes sheds light on how societal desperation and belief in the supernatural could lead many down darker paths. Her story connects today’s listeners with the anxieties and struggles of a past era, where power and superstition often went hand in hand. La Voisin’s involvement in the Affair of the Poisons implicated nobility in a web of murder and mystery, orchestrated under the guise of spiritual consultations. Her circle would become a network of deadly power brokers until a broader police crackdown led to her trial and execution. The 17th-century French court, a place of great splendor, was also plagued by paranoia and corruption, where tensions ran high between the church's moral authority and the growing power of the monarchy. This era’s fascination with alchemy and the occult provided fertile ground for La Voisin's malevolent trade. This episode of Foul Play delves into the investigations and court trials that exposed La Voisin’s complex web of criminal activities. Listeners will hear about the interplay of mysticism and realpolitik, and how La Voisin nearly brought down the very monarchy she purported to serve. --- Support Foul Play: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/foulplaypodcast Website: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/foul-play/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/foul-play-crime-series/id1525832703 Follow us: Instagram: @foulplaycrimeseries Twitter: @foulplaypod

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Step back into an era of flickering gaslight and whispered secrets, where justice was often as murky as the London fog or as stark as a frontier town’s saloon. Foul Play: A Historical True Crime Podcast exhumes long-forgotten criminal cases from the 1800s and early 1900s, meticulously piecing together stories that newspapers sensationalized and time nearly erased. Hosts Shane Waters, a veteran whose work helped shape the genre, and Wendy Cee, alongside researcher Gemma Hoskins, guide you through each meticulously researched season. They focus on a single, complete narrative, building the tension from the crime itself through the investigation and into the courtroom’s hushed drama. You’ll hear more than just the facts; you’ll get a sense of the societal pressures, the legal limitations, and the human lives entangled in each historical moment. This isn't about quick summaries-it's a deep, immersive audio experience that treats the past with the gravity it deserves. The podcast connects the dots using original documents, period accounts, and a clear-eyed analysis that separates legend from truth. It’s for anyone who wonders about the real stories lurking in the shadows of history, told with a journalist’s precision and a storyteller’s care for the victims and the complexities of their times. Listen to Foul Play for a compelling journey where every clue matters and history itself is the most important character.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Foul Play: A Historical True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ohio & Washington: Justice Buried for a Century [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:43
Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of gun violence, intimate partner violence, poisoning, and discussions of coercive control in same-sex and heterosexual relationships. Crisis resources are listed at th…
Idaho & Alaska: Gold Fever and the Men Who Killed for It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:00
Billy Wimbish - was born around 1859. A Black man who made his life in the Alaska Interior, Wimbish earnedrespect among the miners of the Fairbanks district. In 1906, he served as lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against mine…
Maryland & Indiana: Forbidden Desires, 1878-1889 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:57
Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of gun violence, intimate partner violence, poisoning, and discussions of coercive control in same-sex and heterosexual relationships. Crisis resources are listed at th…
S39E05 - Four Suspects, No Justice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:11
Content WarningThis episode contains discussions of murder, suicide, and Victorian scandal. Support resources are listed at the end of these notes.This EpisodeSeason 39 Finale: The Balham Mystery. The jury deliberated fo…
S39E04 - The Longest Inquest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:34
Content WarningThis episode contains discussions of adultery, abortion, and Victorian scandal. Support resources are listed at the end of these notes.This EpisodeSeason 39: The Balham Mystery. For twenty-three days, the…
S39E03 - Three Days of Dying [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:40
Content WarningThis episode contains detailed descriptions of poisoning and prolonged death. Support resources are listed at the end of these notes.This EpisodeSeason 39: The Balham Mystery. For seventy-two hours, Charle…
Balham: The Fatal Night at The Priory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:10
Content WarningThis episode contains discussions of poisoning and death. Support resources are listed at the end of these notes.This EpisodeSeason 39: The Balham Mystery. April 1876—a young barrister collapses in agony m…
Balham, London: The Priory Poisoning Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:31
Content WarningThis episode contains discussions of domestic abuse, poisoning, and death. Support resources are listed at the end of these notes.This EpisodeSeason 39: The Balham Mystery. April 1876—a successful barriste…
London: A Murder Verdict in Victorian Court [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:16
A Victorian courtroom drama unfolds as a chilling murder verdict is delivered in 19th-century London, a place of evolving laws and societal norms. This episode, nestled in the heart of Season 38's exploration of 'The Rug…
New York: The Doctor's Care [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:52
Enter 'The Doctor's Care' in New York—a chilling glimpse into the remaining shadows of the Rugeley Poisoner series, Part 2. This four-part narrative dissects the devious manipulations of Dr. William Palmer, a man whose a…