''The Angel Makers'' is a 2007 novel written by

Jessica Gregson Jessica Gregson (born 24 June 1978) is a British author. Publications Gregson's debut novel '' The Angel Makers'' was published in 2007 by PaperBooks. It is based on the true story of The Angel Makers of Nagyrév, two Hungarian women who sold ...

based on the true story of The Angel Makers of Nagyrév, two Hungarian women who sold arsenic to unhappily married women to kill their husbands. It was published by PaperBooks. Gregson wrote ''The Angel Makers'' while working for the Home Office. While reading an encyclopedia on serial killers, Gregson saw an entry for the story of a group of women in Hungary who turned on their men during World War I.

Plot summary

During World War I, the men of a Hungarian village leave to fight. In their absence, the women form powerful bonds. Their village is made into a camp for Italian

prisoners of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...

and some women fall for these soldiers. When their men return and begin to mistreat them, the women become murderous in their fight to keep their freedom. 2007 British novels Novels set in Hungary Novels set during World War I {{2000s-WWI-novel-stub