Deborah Layton – Author Website

Deborah Layton author of Seductive Poison Jonestown

Prior to writing Seductive Poison, Deborah Layton worked on the trading floor of an investment banking firm in San Francisco. She lives with her family in the Berkeley Hills of California and spends much of her time as an author and public speaker. Seductive Poison has been required reading at major universities around the United States, including: University of California at Davis, Stanford University, Gonzaga University, Rutgers University, Stony Brook University NY, California State University Fresno, plus many others. Seductive Poison is published in Italy, France, Australia, Germany, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

Praise for Seductive Poison

“A suspenseful tale of escape that reads like a satisfying thriller, Layton’s account is the most important personal testimony to emerge from the Jonestown tragedy.”
—Chicago Tribune

“A fascinating account of a debacle that continues to resonate.”
—Entertainment Weekley

“Why do apparently normal people surrender in body and soul to a charismatic egomaniac? Deborah Layton knows. This haunting book, written with candor and passion reads like a thriller. I could not put it down.”
—Isabel Allende

Re the Threat and Possibility of Mass Suicide by Members of the People’s Temple

Deborah Layton Affidavit — Affidavit of Deborah Layton Blakey, June 1978.

I, Deborah Layton Blakey, declare the following under penalty of perjury:

1. The purpose of this affidavit is to call to the attention of the United States government the existence of a situation which threatens the lives of United States citizens living in Jonestown, Guyana.

2. From August, 1971 until May 13, 1978, I was a member of the People’s Temple. For a substantial period of time prior to my departure for Guyana in December, 1977, I held the position of Financial Secretary of the People’s Temple.

3. I was 18 years old when I joined the People’s Temple. I had grown up in affluent circumstances in the permissive atmosphere of Berkeley, California. By joining the People’s Temple, I hoped to help others and in the process to bring structure and self-discipline to my own life.

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Praise for Seductive Poison

Re the Threat and Possibility of Mass Suicide by Members of the People’s Temple