The Testers (The Poison Remembers) by Gene Scott is a captivating story that follows the intertwined narratives of Thomas Tester in 1521 and modern whistleblower Grace Blackwood. Thomas Tester, a poison tester born in the Welsh borderlands, is a quiet hero who safeguards others from hidden dangers, risking his life with every drink he analyzes. He navigates the tense and treacherous world of court politics, where poison and deception threaten lives, and survival depends on silent knowledge and resilience. Unfortunately, a conspiracy aims to steal his family’s knowledge of poisons and manipulate it, rendering them useless to the throne. Meanwhile, in 2025, Dr. Grace Blackwood has uncovered a web of deceit involving pharmaceutical companies that falsify data, cover up overdoses, and target vulnerable populations with harmful medications. She fights for the truth and her own life, discovering a legacy that connects her to Thomas Tester. This connection encourages her to continue the courageous battle against corruption.

The Testers is a captivating story that conveys themes of bravery, truth, and the enduring legacy of knowledge across centuries. The lead characters, Grace and Thomas, are formidable figures that readers can't help but root for. Their dedication to justice and determination to preserve their legacies are truly inspiring. Gene Scott’s storytelling vividly captures the tension between deception and integrity, making both characters' journeys deeply relatable and compelling. The narrative alternates between Thomas in 1521 and Grace in 2025, creating a dual timeline that emphasizes the connection between the past and the future. This book is well thought-out, from its beautiful cover design to its powerful message about truth and resilience. I enjoyed The Testers because it is thought-provoking and inspiring. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories that bridge the past and present and encourage readers to fight against injustice and protect their legacies.

The Testers is a suspense-filled thriller by Gene Scott. With two different timelines, the narrative follows the stories of Thomas Tester, a wine taster for the crown at Hampton Court Palace in 1521, and Dr. Grace Blackwood, who is fighting against the malpractices of Northeastern Medical that led to the deaths of multiple whistleblowers with drug overdoses at Carter County, Tenessee in 2025. While Thomas struggles to free himself and his family from the political maneuverings of the court, spearheaded by Lady Anne Boleyn and Cromwell, Grace and her friend, Caleb, are trying to escape the clutches of the insidious Northwestern Medical by seeking sanctuary at the cabin of Ruth Ann in the Appalachian Mountains. As things come to a head, the line between the past and the present begins to blur.

Layered with mystery, suspense, and courtly intrigue, The Testers is an engrossing novella that blends elements of historical fiction with modern-day conspiracy to great effect. Author Gene Scott tells a captivating tale, weaving two separate plot threads with an interlinked narrative in a masterful fashion. The lore about the Testers was probably my favorite highlight of the book. I also enjoyed the characters of Thomas, Grace, Caleb, Edward, and Margaret. Each character has their own agency and a personality that leaves a mark on the reader. The narrative is very unpredictable, and not just because of the two separate plot threads. You never know what to expect and which direction the story is going. There are unexpected reveals right down to the very last few pages. All in all, it's a fantastic thriller with a tinge of the supernatural. Recommended to readers of mystery and suspense-filled tales.

The Testers by Gene Scott begins with Dr. Grace Blackwood, who uncovers a conspiracy involving Northeastern Medical, where the pharmaceutical company has manipulated addiction research and targeted rural patients with harmful, supposedly non-addictive painkillers. While preparing to testify before a state oversight committee, she faces threats from the company’s representative, Harrison. Grace receives critical evidence linking her family’s history to these unethical practices. In parallel, a historical plot unfolds with the Tester family in 1521, where Thomas Tester, a royal food taster, uncovers a poisoning scheme and protects his family’s ancestral knowledge. The Testers’ secrets, passed down through generations, are key to both the pharmaceutical misconduct investigation and survival in the face of royal machination. Grace's search for truth intertwines with the Testers' resistance against those who control knowledge.

Gene Scott's The Testers: The Poison Remembers is a fantastic, elaborately layered story that mixes twin plotlines. Scott does well in pulling together the lives of Thomas Tester and modern-day Grace Blackwood, and we get a seamless connection between the past and present. Scott’s writing paints a textured atmosphere that is suspenseful and thoughtful, and I really like the bridge built on the back of power, faith, and the generational passing down of knowledge. The meticulous attention to historical detail, complete with real people who lived in Tudor England, is great, and the joint symbolism of the spiral stone and the ancestral ledger takes the thematic aspects to a whole new level. I love that a female main character with a brilliant mind is open to the possibility of a spiraling that transcends mainstream science into mysticism. Overall, this entry in the The Dark Hollow Series makes me excited to see where Scott takes us next. Recommended.

“Profit from pain. Silence the ones who know better.” This is the villains’ creed in The Testers: The Poison Remembers by Gene Scott. We follow the events of Thomas Tester’s life in 1521 as he navigates the treacherous politics of the king’s court. When Thomas survives multiple instances of poisoning whilst tasting wine for the king, it becomes impossible for him to keep his family’s secret knowledge of herbs and poisons from the conspirators. Thomas must keep looking over his shoulder. Now, in 2025, history repeats itself as three people die in Northeastern Medical’s care while Caleb Tester, a Tester descendant, is injured. Eventually, Caleb and his friend, Dr. Grace Blackstone, identify Northeastern’s pattern of eliminating locals who possess herbal knowledge, so they work to expose them. However, two whistleblowers have died already, and Northeastern Medical is expecting more.

Gene Scott’s The Testers is a combination of medical thriller and historical fiction with a unique writing style and first-person narration. There is a dual timeline of chilling events that run parallel to each other before connecting in an eerily familiar pattern reminiscent of well-known theories about Big Pharma. The plot begins with a hard-hitting prologue that slingshots you into the middle of a 16th-century moment of intrigue. Plus, there are no long character descriptions and unnecessary backstories. Instead, the reader is allowed to form a connection with the characters based on the events that take place. Scott’s management of length, suspense, urgency, and pacing made it impossible for me to put down this thrilling story until I had turned the last page. Although it is the third installment in The Dark Hollow series, The Poison Remembers can be read as a standalone novel. The length makes it just the right book to keep you entertained on a flight or train ride.

I enjoyed reading “The Testers , the Poison Remembers “ by Gene Scott. The author uses an economy of words, but with many lovely descriptive passages.
Chapters alternate between different centuries providing interesting comparisons and revealing insights.
It’s worth a read. It’s a novel that gives you something to “chew on”.