A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie

ISBN-13: 9781472911322 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 320 str.

Kathryn Harkup

Opis

Fourteen novels. Fourteen poisons. Just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's all made-up . . . Agatha Christie reveled in the use of poison to kill off unfortunate victims in her books; indeed, she employed it more than any other murder method, with the poison itself often being a central part of the novel. Her choice of deadly substances was far from random--the characteristics of each often provide vital clues to the discovery of the murderer. With gunshots or stabbings the cause of death is obvious, but this is not the case with poisons. How is it that some compounds prove so deadly, and in such tiny amounts?Christie's extensive chemical knowledge provides the backdrop for A is for Arsenic, in which Kathryn Harkup investigates the poisons used by the murderer in fourteen classic Agatha Christie mysteries. It looks at why certain chemicals kill, how they interact with the body, the cases that may have inspired Christie, and the feasibility of obtaining, administering and detecting these poisons, both at the time the novel was written and today. A is for Arsenic is a celebration of the use of science by the undisputed Queen of Crime.

Recenzje

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie has lethal charm. Harkup leads every chapter with a literary quote, then proceeds to tell us what the poison is, how and under what circumstances it kills, some real-life instances of its use and what role it plays in the Christie plot ... good fun. The Washington Post

Spis treści

1. Dame Agatha's Deadly Dispensary2. A is for Arsenic - Murder is Easy3. B is for Belladonna - The Labours of Hercules4. C is for Cyanide - Sparkling Cyanide5. D is for Digitalis - Appointment with Death6. E is for Eserine - Crooked House7. H is for Hemlock - Five Little Pigs8. M is for Monkshood - 4:50 from Paddington9. N is for Nicotine - Three Act Tragedy10. O is for Opium - Sad Cypress11. P is for Phosphorus - Dumb Witness12. R is for Ricin - Partners in Crime13. S is for Strychnine - The Mysterious Affair at Styles14. T is for Thallium - The Pale Horse15. V is for Veranol - Lord Edgware DiesAppendixGlossaryBibliography

O autorze

Kathryn Harkup is a former chemist turned author. She writes and gives regular public talks on the disgusting and dangerous side of science. Her first book was the international best-seller A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, which was shortlisted for a Mystery Readers International Macavity Award and a BMA Book Award. She has also written Making the Monster: The Science of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Death by Shakespeare: Snakebites, Stabbings and Broken Hearts, and her latest book is Superspy Science: Science, Death and Tech in the World of James Bond. @RotwangsRobot