A Is for Arsenic

The Poisons of Agatha Christie

By: Kathryn Harkup

Narrated by: Nicky Diss

Bloomsbury presents A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup, read by Nicky Diss.

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2015 Kathryn Harkup (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Fascinating, know knowledeg of Christie required

The author writes a fascinating story of various poisons not only in Christie books, but in real life. The real life history of how poisons were used is absolutely fascinating. I was glued to the book.

You will want to go back and reread her books!

Agatha Christie trained as a dispenser and learned a great deal about poisons. She worked this knowledge into many of her books and while I have read all of them (some more than once) having read the inspiration for them sent me back to read many of them again. She was the Queen of Crime - no one will ever top her.

Difficult to listen to.

The narration is slow and a bit monotone. The content is not bad but I just can’t listen long enough to get interested.