On the podcast Criminalia, every historical criminal comes with a cocktail. Holly Frey and Maria Trimarchi bring that pairing to the page, matching true stories to drink recipes.

Readical Key Points

• Cocktail and mocktail recipes, each paired with a story from true-crime history
• Written by Holly Frey and Maria Trimarchi, co-hosts of the history podcast Criminalia
• Stories cover historical murders, kidnappings and frauds, with figures ranging from bodysnatchers and con artists to poisoners and a pirate queen
• Hardcover, 256 pages, published 2024 by Balance

Each entry sets a short account of a real criminal beside a drink created to match it. The cases lean toward the strange and the overlooked as much as the notorious, and the telling keeps the history in front. Recipes include both cocktails and mocktails, so the book works at a table where not everyone is drinking.

The hardcover suits readers who come to true crime for the history, home bartenders who like a drink with a backstory, and Criminalia listeners who already know the format. It reads in short sittings, one case and one glass at a time. The drink is not the point of the story. It is the invitation to hear it.

About the Authors

Holly Frey created the Criminalia podcast and has hosted history podcasts for over ten years, including Stuff You Missed in History Class. Maria Trimarchi writes and co-hosts Criminalia and has written for WebMD, Discovery and HowStuffWorks.

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