A is for Arsenic

Author Kathryn Harkup
Narrator Nicky Diss
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
Run Time 10 hours and 56 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Chemistry, Classic crime and mystery fiction, Crime and mystery fiction, Fiction companions, Film, television, radio and performing arts: companion works, Film, television, radio genres: Action, adventure, crime and thrillers, Medical toxicology, Popular science, Science: general issues, The Arts.

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What to expect

Shortlisted for the BMA Book Awards and Macavity Awards 2016

Fourteen novels. Fourteen poisons. Just because it's fiction doesn’t mean it's all made-up ...

Agatha Christie revelled 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.

Critics Review

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
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.
The Times
Harkup superbly captures the texture of Christie’s books, the sunshine and the surreptitious villainy.
Daily Mail
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.
BBC Focus
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.
Agatha Christie Website
An enjoyable, alphabetical overview of the renowned mystery writer’s frequent weapon of choice.
Washington Independent Review of Books
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.
Booklist
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.
Chemistry World
A killing read that combines scientific expertise with fan-based knowledge.
Saga

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