Toxin

A lost necklace. A ruthless surgeon. A love triangle with deadly consequences.

When a young Venetian widow loses her treasured opal necklace in the lagoon, the jewel eventually washes ashore near Torcello, where it is discovered by two very different travelers: Lionello Adrianis, a warmhearted young Sicilian prince, and Frederic Damer, a brilliant but chilling English surgeon.

Returning the necklace brings both men into the life of the beautiful Veronica Zaranegra. Lionello quickly falls in love with her, while Damer—cold, ambitious, and devoted to science above sentiment—develops an obsession of his own.

Then Lionello contracts a deadly illness.

Placed under Damer’s medical care, the young prince appears to be recovering. But jealousy offers the surgeon a terrible opportunity. The man entrusted with saving his patient must choose between his professional duty and his desire to eliminate a romantic rival.

Set against the beauty of nineteenth-century Venice, *Toxin* is a dark tale of love, jealousy, medical power, and the dangerous belief that intellect can exist without conscience.

First published in 1895, Ouida’s controversial novella provoked outrage within the British medical establishment for its disturbing portrayal of science and professional authority.

Narrated by Ken Kowalik.