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.

This book is fascinating, and anyone who is interested in the myriad painful and unpleasant ways in which people can be killed will relish it.

Harkup superbly captures the texture of Christie’s books, the sunshine and the surreptitious villainy.

A cracking compendium of Christie’s poisonings … A Is For Arsenic will appeal to any fan of Christie’s work, but as a potted history of poisons, antidotes and medicines it has much wider reach than that.

Fact and fun packed, A is for Arsenic looks at why certain chemicals kill, how they interact with th body, and the feasibility of obtaining, administering and detecting these poisons.

An enjoyable, alphabetical overview of the renowned mystery writer’s frequent weapon of choice.

A knockout analysis of poisons used in Christie’s novels and short stories … Each chapter gives riveting information on the poison’s chemical makeup, how it kills, whether there’s an antidote, its history and its use in Christie’s works and in real life … This is an absolutely bravura chemical compound.

If you are coming to Agatha Christie’s work for the first time, an avid fan, have an interest in crime or toxicology, or just like being taken on an adventure through time, A is for Arsenic is a must read.

A killing read that combines scientific expertise with fan-based knowledge.