Spooky month may be over, but a good historical true-crime story is always welcome, especially when it’s about a woman widely considered one of the most infamous villains of 17th-century Italy. 

Giulia Tofana gained infamy for her creation and distribution of Aqua Tofana, a lethal poison that became associated with hundreds of deaths. Tofana’s concoction was odorless, tasteless, colorless, and was ingeniously marketed as a “cosmetic” or “healing water” for women; however, it was conceived with a very different goal in mind, killing husbands.