Download A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup
But, what's your concern not as well loved reading A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup It is a great activity that will always offer excellent benefits. Why you become so weird of it? Several things can be reasonable why individuals don't like to review A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup It can be the dull tasks, the book A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup compilations to check out, also lazy to bring nooks anywhere. Now, for this A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup, you will begin to like reading. Why? Do you know why? Read this web page by completed.
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup
Download A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup
A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup. Learning to have reading practice is like learning how to attempt for consuming something that you truly do not really want. It will require more times to help. Furthermore, it will likewise bit force to serve the food to your mouth as well as ingest it. Well, as checking out a publication A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup, occasionally, if you ought to check out something for your new jobs, you will certainly really feel so lightheaded of it. Also it is a publication like A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup; it will make you really feel so bad.
Yet, exactly what's your matter not too loved reading A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup It is a fantastic activity that will always give terrific advantages. Why you end up being so odd of it? Lots of points can be practical why individuals don't want to review A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup It can be the uninteresting activities, guide A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup compilations to check out, even careless to bring nooks everywhere. Now, for this A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup, you will begin to enjoy reading. Why? Do you recognize why? Read this web page by completed.
Beginning with visiting this website, you have tried to start nurturing reading a book A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup This is specialized website that offer hundreds compilations of books A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup from whole lots sources. So, you won't be tired more to decide on the book. Besides, if you also have no time to browse the book A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup, just rest when you remain in workplace as well as open up the web browser. You can discover this A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup lodge this website by hooking up to the net.
Obtain the link to download this A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup as well as start downloading. You can really want the download soft documents of guide A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup by undertaking various other activities. Which's all done. Now, your turn to check out a publication is not constantly taking and carrying the book A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup almost everywhere you go. You can conserve the soft data in your device that will certainly never ever be far away and also read it as you such as. It is like reading story tale from your device after that. Currently, begin to enjoy reading A Is For Arsenic: The Poisons Of Agatha Christie, By Kathryn Harkup as well as get your new life!
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.
- Sales Rank: #442984 in Books
- Published on: 2017-01-03
- Released on: 2017-01-03
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: .31" h x .3" w x 5.06" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 288 pages
Review
"Remember the homicidal glee of that old Cary Grant movie 'Arsenic and Old Lace'? Those adorable aged aunts, earnestly luring lonely old men to their house so they could knock them off with poison-laced elderberry wine? If you liked that, you’ll like A IS FOR ARSENIC: THE POISONS OF AGATHA CHRISTIE; it has a little of that lethal charm . . . And while it’s essentially good book-club-style fun, the book has a practical application: For every poison, it offers some antidotes." ―Washington Post
"A] scholarly and enjoyable analysis of the great author’s penchant for poison . . . if science was a banquet, then poison was her dish." ―The New York Times Book Review
"Chemist Harkup delves deep into the history and science behind more than a dozen lethal substances, introducing each through its appearance in Christie’s writing. You don’t have to be familiar with the likes of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, however, to enjoy Harkup’s detailed, near-gleeful dip into what she calls Christie’s deadly dispensary." ―Discover
"If you’re an Agatha Christie fan, read this book. If you’re a forensic-science fan, read this book. If you know someone harboring a grudge and an unseemly interest in poison, hide this book. Harkup, a chemist, has written a knockout analysis of poisons used in Christie’s novels and short stories . . . This is an absolutely bravura chemical compound." ―starred review, Booklist
"Intriguing and illuminating . . . This compilation should please mystery fans, true crime readers, and lovers of popular science." ―Publishers Weekly
"This would be a perfect reference for anyone writing murder mysteries and is scientific enough to be used as a textbook . . . The addition of real-life cases and comparisons to Christie’s works make this a nice little murder mystery of its own. Fear not, she’s careful not to spoil the endings of the classic novels." ―Kirkus Reviews
"A joy to read." ―FanGirl Nation
About the Author
Kathryn Harkup is a chemist and author. Kathryn completed a doctorate on her favorite chemicals, phosphines, and went on to further postdoctoral research before realizing that talking, writing and demonstrating science appealed a bit more than hours slaving over a hot fume-hood. For six years she ran the outreach in engineering, computing, physics and maths at the University of Surrey, which involved writing talks on science topics that would appeal to bored teenagers (anything disgusting or dangerous was usually the most popular). Kathryn is now a freelance science communicator delivering talks and workshops on the quirky side of science.
Most helpful customer reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
Amazing information if you are a Christie fan.
By J. Lesley
I was amazed at all the information in this book. Concentrating on the types of poisons used by Agatha Christie in her novels had to be pretty much a labor of love for British chemist Kathryn Harkup because you can tell immediately that she is also a fan of this great icon of crime fiction. The book is written from the British point of view with changes in book titles noted for the American market. I really had my doubts that this subject matter could be presented in such a way that it held my attention for the time it took to read the book, but by the end I found myself wishing there was just one more chapter. But then I would have wanted another and another.
The book is very stylishly presented with artwork which is wonderfully evocative of the 1930s art deco style that I somehow assign to the Christie novels even though they were not all written during, or for, that time period. Maybe the really good television series has something to do with that. Each chapter deals with one specific poison beginning with arsenic, then belladonna, cyanide, digitalis, eserine, hemlock, monkshood, nicotine, opium, phosphorus, ricin, strychnine, thallium, and veronal. Each chapter leads off with a brief synopsis of the major novel, or in one instance a short story, the author will be using as an example of the use of that specific poison, then moves on to the story (history) of the poison, how the poison works in the body to kill, whether there is an antidote, some real-life cases, and then how Christie used the poison. I had been afraid the chemistry associated with where the poison comes from and how it works within the body would have been either too technical or too boring for me to enjoy. Wow, was I ever wrong. I discovered all kinds of wonderful facts. This book is wonderfully readable by those of us who aren't trained in the science of chemicals. Plus Kathryn Harkup has a very wry sense of humor which caused me to get some strange looks when I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room laughing out loud while reading a book about poisons. Let's just say the chairs on each side of me became vacant when someone asked what book I was reading. This is the type of book Agatha Christie fans will keep right on the shelf with all their copies of the novels for reference during future re-readings of the novels. Because let's face it, if you love Agatha Christie novels you don't read them just once.
Another fascinating section of the book is Appendix 1: Christie's Causes of Death. This is a chart listing each novel and short story written by Agatha Christie and the method of the murder in that story. Sometimes, with multiple victims there are multiple murder methods. I found this absolutely fascinating and used the list to make sure I do own each story Christie wrote. Actually I own them multiple times over, but there is no need to go into my personal addiction here.
In discussing how Christie used the poisons the author has revealed some spoilers, but she always warns the reader to skip ahead to another section if they aren't familiar with the story and don't want to know who and how. I really appreciated how Harkup complimented Christie on her thoroughness and knowledge when it was warranted, but she didn't hesitate on several occasions to point out that Christie had gotten some things wrong. Interesting for me was how seldom Christie made mistakes in her information.
This book is most definitely aimed at the devoted Agatha Christie fan. I found it fascinating and if you didn't, well........I challenge you to a duel with the infamous Calabar bean!
Added Sept. 10, 2015: I received this book as an ARC through the Amazon Vine Voices program. Often ARC copies don't hold up very well over time and they will have portions omitted because it is not the shelf-ready book. I enjoyed this one so much I purchased the finished copy in hard cover to keep on my shelf for reference material when I'm reading mysteries.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
... are a huge Agatha Christie fan this is the perfect book for your collection
By DEBRA D. JEAKINS
If you are a huge Agatha Christie fan this is the perfect book for your collection. I have loved Agatha Christie mysteries for many moons and I A IS FOR ARSENIC THE POISONS OF AGATHA CHRISTIE BY KATHRYN HARKUP is a great addition to my collection. It takes every poison Christie used ( and she used plenty. It was her favorite method of killing) and not only gives you the run down on the poison but the novel or short story it was used in. Dont miss this one. Its more of a reference book but as a Christie fan you will enjoy, I did
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Science for Mystery Buffs
By Anon
An interesting mixture of the science of poisons in A. Christies works. Historic info about murder over time, some descriptions of cases which paralleled Christie characters, plus a fair amount of chemistry, which can be studied or skimmed. A book club read. One of these topical interests is a good reason for this read. Well presented. If not interested in these topics, skip this one.
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup PDF
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup EPub
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup Doc
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup iBooks
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup rtf
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup Mobipocket
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup Kindle
