V Is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death

Former chemist Harkup follows up her A Is for Arsenic with this new book. A long-time fan of Agatha Christie, Harkup focuses on 14 different poisons and how they were used as murder weapons in Christie’s various stories. Readers of this book should have some interest in chemistry, as each type of poison is explored in-depth, often alongside diagrams of chemical structures, making the text quite science-heavy for the casual reader. However, Harkup’s explanations are engaging, clear, and forthright, which helps the readability for those who are less science-inclined. Each chapter contains an introduction to the poison, a thorough description, instances where Christie used various versions of the chemical in her stories, how the poison kills, and a discussion of any antidotes. Along with the science, Harkup uses many examples from Christie’s writings where these poisons were utilized so that fans of her works will have enough to keep them busy. There are two spoilers in the text, but they are well-marked.