In the shadowed alleys and gilded halls of late 17th-century Paris, a city as dangerous as it is dazzling, Nicolas de La Reynie is tasked with an impossible mission: to transform the notorious crime capital of the world into a beacon of peace and order. Appointed by Louis XIV, La Reynie begins his daunting task by lighting the streets, earning Paris the title of the City of Light. However, beneath this luminous veneer, he uncovers a dark underbelly of society, where poisoners, witches, and renegade priests weave a sinister tapestry of intrigue and murder. As La Reynie delves deeper, he realizes that the glittering court of Louis XIV is perilously close to this underworld, a place where nobles settle scores with the vilest of sorceries, and even the Sun King himself is not beyond suspicion. "Holly Tucker's City of Light, City of Poison" captivates with its vivid portrayal of a man who dared to confront the abyss in the heart of the City of Light. With a narrative as compelling as any work of fiction, Tucker draws upon extensive historical records, including thousands of pages of court transcripts and La Reynie's meticulous notes, to bring to life a Paris where the line between justice and vengeance blurs, where the illumination of progress shadows secrets best left in the dark. This is not just the story of the birth of modern policing in the world's most illustrious city; it is a tale of the indomitable spirit of one man against the creeping tides of darkness, and the lengths to which he must go to protect his king and country. A masterpiece of historical intrigue and a chilling reminder of the power of the shadows that lie just beneath the surface of civilization.