Deadly Desserts

Deadly Desserts is the incredible but true story of Nannie Doss—the most prolific female serial killer in history. Over a twenty-year period beginning in the 1930s, she murdered husbands, lovers, and family members throughout the country—as well as countless other innocent individuals—with rat poison baked into her delicious desserts.

A Baptist pastor’s wife and grandmother in a small rural town outside of Tulsa, she was the epitome of the gum-smacking “Granny Nannie” persona that she projected... at the same time that her body count was growing. Nannie led the choir, was a favourite of the children, and baked the most delectable treats. Tenderly caring for the sick, watching over her family like a mother hen, while writing letters to the lonely, she was the dearest friend to all—including six husbands—until they aggravated her in some small way. And then they got their just desserts. By the time she was discovered and convicted, sweet Nannie murdered more people than any female in history.

This is an incredible tale that also reads like a page-turning novel, complete with dialogue and a series of mind-bending, unexpected twists. It’s a story of suburban madness, sexual conquest, and unfulfilled romantic fantasies that were expressed throughout a quiet, undetected but unprecedented killing career. Nannie’s incredible story crisscrosses the country, covers several eras, and provides a fascinating glimpse into how her gender both protected her from discovery but ultimately condemned her.

The story is meticulously researched and well-resourced with major newspaper reports of the time. The author’s approach includes multiple perspectives—conversations among the key characters, narrative storytelling, and contemporary reports from journalists, court transcripts, psychiatrists, and detectives from the day. It is written to read as a head-shaking novel.