Bulgarian umbrella Bulgarian umbrella A Bulgarian umbrella is an umbrella with a hidden pneumatic mechanism which injects a small poisonous pellet containing ricin. It has a hollowed stalk into which the pellet neatly sits. Such an umbrella was allegedly used in and named for the assassination of the Bulgarian dissident writer Georgi Markov on 7 September 1978 (the birthday of the Bulgarian State Council chairman Todor Zhivkov, who had often been the target of Georgi Markov's criticism) on Waterloo Bridge in London. Markov died three days later. It was also allegedly used in the failed assassination attempt against the Bulgarian dissident journalist
Poisoned Dreams though he did good research." The review stated that the author "resorts to speculation and outright (if admitted) invention" and that "the evidence in the case, confounding and contradictory, is hardly clarified by Gray's often melodramatic treatment." Poisoned Dreams Poisoned Dreams: A True Story of Murder, Money and Family Secrets is a 1993 true crime book about the murder of Nancy Lyon, written by A. W. Gray and published by Dutton. This was the first true crime book written by Gray, who previously wrote mystery novels. Lyon died of poisoning. Her ex-husband, Richard Lyon, was convicted of killing her and