by Shari Randall
Writers, are you shopping for a poison for your next mystery story? Look no
further. Dr. Kathryn Harkup’s new book is just what you are looking for.
A Is for Arsenic: The
Poisons of Agatha Christie is that rare reference book that is both a
valuable resource and a pleasure to read. Dr. Harkup is a self-described
“science communicator” who writes and gives seminars on what she calls “the quirkier
side of science.” Topics of interest to her: vampirology, the science behind Frankenstein, and Agatha Christie’s
poisons.
In A Is for Arsenic,
Dr. Harkup takes each poison used by Christie and describes its properties in
the context of the novel in which it appears. Christie’s background working in
pharmacies during World Wars I and II is well known, but Harkup highlights how
that knowledge of poisons and their properties allowed Christie to choose the
substance that would work best with her characters, setting, and plot.
Look at the Table of Contents:
A is for Arsenic (Murder
is Easy)
B is for Belladonna (The
Labours of Hercules)
C is for Cyanide (Sparkling
Cyanide)
D is for Digitalis (Appointment
with Death)
E is for Eserine (Crooked
House)
H is for Hemlock (Five
Little Pigs)
M is for Monkshood (4:50
from Paddington)
N is for Nicotine (Three
Act Tragedy)
O is for Opium (Sad
Cypress)
P is for Phosphorus (Dumb
Witness)
R is for Ricin (Partners
in Crime)
S is for Strychnine (The
Mysterious Affair at Styles)
T is for Thallium (The
Pale Horse)
V is for Veronal (Lord
Edgeware Dies)
The book delves into these poisons as well as others, both
actual and those concocted from Christie’s imagination. Dr. Harkup’s treatment
of each substance leads us through the histories, symptoms, antidotes (or lack
thereof), and famous real-life cases related to each.
This book should come with two warnings. One, it is
addictively readable. Two, though the author delves deeply into each of
Christie’s poison plots without ever giving away “whodunit,” readers should be
aware that details about how the poisons are administered and how the
detectives reach their conclusions may be spoilers.
For more information about Dr. Kathryn Harkup, check her
website: http://harkup.co.uk/profile.html
Sounds like a great read for Agatha Christie fans – especially those who are well-versed in her novels. I think my father would have loved it.
ReplyDelete~ Jim
I used monkshood in a story. It really is the perfect poison. I discovered that the Cincinnati Zoo propagated monkshood and supplied it to a northern Ohio park to replace the native plants, damaged by an invasive species and road salt run-off.
ReplyDeleteI love an additional resource, Shari. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. My problem with using poison as the MO is that everyone seems to know it's a woman's choice. But if your villain is a man, then you almost have to reveal the villain was trying to frame a woman. Maybe the villain could be gay?
ReplyDeleteHi Jim, All I could do while reading this book was marvel at Agatha's creativity!
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret, Monkshood really is a good one. After reading how potent it is, I cannot believe that anyone would plant it anywhere.
Hi E.B., I think of poison as an equal opportunity weapon!
In one story my (male) protagonist used "Loco Weed" to do in the bad guy. The book sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteAnother resource to add to my library! My husband gets a little nervous sometimes when he sees what I have on my shelves. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun and informative read.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a character who's poisoned anyone, but Jesse does have access to potassium cyanide, used in electro-plating, and at one point was suspected of using it to poison someone. When I worked in a steel fabrication plant, we have 55 gallon drums of potassium cyanide sitting around.
Shari, it sounds like a good book. However, I have four books on poisons on my shelf, and three of them deal with poisonous plants. Because my series is a gardening series, plant poisonings seems to make sense although only in one book was it used in which a man poisoner three women with poisonous plants. So much for stereotypes, although I guess because I'm a female, that might figure in.
ReplyDeleteHi Warren, What is Loco Weed? Enquiring minds want to know!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, when I picked up this book at the book store, the clerk had a very funny look on his face! My husband has gotten used to my, er, unusual reading materials.
Hi KM, good grief! Isn't it a miracle that nobody ever used some of that stuff!
Hi Gloria, you probably know a bunch about plant poisonings! I am going to go through Agatha Christie's plots to see who was poisoning whom….