The Murders of Martha Wise

A Shocking True Crime Story

By: Rod Kackley

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

She baked bread, loved funerals—and poisoned her family.

A meticulously researched, propulsive true-crime biography of Martha Wise, the Ohio widow who slipped arsenic into food and water in 1925—leaving three dead and dozens ill.
Step into the packed courthouse. Hear the confession. See whether the Devil really “told her to do it.”
If you love Ann Rule or In Cold Blood, you’ll tear through this.
Includes trial details, period newspaper research, and newly clarified timelines.
Reads like a thriller—documented like history.

In the winter of 1924-1925, quiet Medina County, Ohio, was shaken to its core. Martha Wise—an ordinary farm widow with an extraordinary obsession—slipped arsenic into her family’s food and water. Three of her relatives were dead, dozens more gravely ill, and a rural community was gripped by fear.

What followed was a murder investigation and trial unlike anything the Midwest had ever seen. Was Martha a cold-blooded killer, or—as she later claimed—a woman under the spell of the Devil himself?

If you enjoy the classic storytelling of Ann Rule, Truman Capote, and Harold Schechter, or the gripping modern style of Gregg Olsen, Kathryn Casey, and M. William Phelps, you’ll find yourself hooked by The Murders of Martha Wise. Meticulously researched but written with the pace and passion of a thriller, this is true crime that grips like a novel.

Step into the courthouse packed with reporters and gawkers. Smell the cigarette smoke curling through the air. Hear Martha’s confession in her own words—and watch as a prosecutor, a small-town sheriff, and a grieving community demand justice.

A chilling true story so shocking, it reads like the darkest crime novel.

Very interesting!

Good read but sad for everybody!! I’m still wondering if she really had this planned by herself!!! Good read!!

Entertaining

This was a very entertaining story, made more so with the descriptions of the time and place where it took place. The narrator was the best part! The accent and style was just so enjoyable to listen to!

The AI Voice Was the Best Part of the Book

While it is a very interesting true story in itself, the way it was written leaves a lot to be desired.
First I have to question how "true" the story actually is. How is it that the author seems to know what's in everybody's minds and all the thoughts of people involved in a case 100 years old?
Secondly, the overuse of similes throughout the book was just absurd. The comparisons seem to get more outlandish and distracting as the book went on.
I truly believe the highlight of this book is the AI voice that was used. There were a few mispronunciations, and she seemed to go back-and-forth on how to pronounce some names, but for the most part you couldn't actually tell it was an AI voice. I was very impressed with it.