V is for Venom

Agatha Christie's Chemicals of Death

V is for Venom

Agatha Christie's Chemicals of Death

Kathryn Harkup (Author)

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Description

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

Agatha Christie is renowned for her captivating plots and creative ways of killing off ill-fated victims. And what better way to add intrigue to a story than poison? The surreptitious ways they can be administered and the characteristic symptoms they produce make these killer chemicals the ideal method of murder in a 'whodunit'. Christie perfected the use of poisons in her plots; her deft and varied use of toxic substances is one of her great strengths as a writer. But how is it that some compounds prove so fatal, and in such tiny amounts?

The follow up to Kathryn Harkup's best-selling A is for Arsenic, V is for Venom is a compelling exploration of Christie's use of poisons and her extensive chemical knowledge. Featuring fourteen more poisons from the works of Agatha Christie, this book investigates the science behind the deadly substances, the history of their use in real-life murder cases, and how feasible was it to obtain, administer and detect these poisons in Christie's time and today. Combining Christie's murder mysteries, chemical science and true crime, V is for Venom is a celebration of the use of science by the undisputed Queen of Crime.

The Queen of Crime
A is for Arrow Poison – 'The Case of the Caretaker' (Miss Marple's Final Cases)
B is for Bacteria – Cards on the Table
C is for Calmo – The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
F is for Formic Acid – 'The Lemesurier Inheritance' (Poirot's Early Cases)
G is for Gas – A Caribbean Mystery
H is for Hydrochloric Acid – Murder in Mesopotamia
J is for Jasmine – The Big Four
M is for Mickey Finn – Passenger to Frankfurt
N is for Nitroglycerin – 'The Chocolate Box' (Poirot's Early Cases)
O is for Oxalic Acid – Murder is Easy
P is for Procaine – One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
S is for Scopolamine – 'Philomel Cottage' (The Listerdale Mystery)
T is for Taxine – A Pocket Full of Rye
V is for Venom – Death in the Clouds

Appendix: Christie's Causes of Death
Index

Product details

Published	19 Jun 2025
Format	Ebook (PDF)
Edition	1st
Extent	320
ISBN	9781399413060
Imprint	Bloomsbury Sigma
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Kathryn Harkup

Kathryn Harkup is a former chemist turned author.…

Hugely entertaining and informative, V is for Venom is an expertly written exploration of a fascinating topic. It's also a brilliant reminder of Agatha Christie's incredible skills as the Duchess of Death.

Mark Aldridge
Harkup balances the macabre with the scientifically intricate.

New Scientist
Harkup's book overflows with clear science, intriguing crimes both fictional and real, many warnings to aspiring murderers of the “Don't try this at home!” variety, and lots of interesting details about Christie's life in crime.

Air Mail
[A is for Arsenic and V is for Venom] are part history, part scientific explainer, and part literary criticism that aren't only fun, informative reads in their own right. They also heighten your admiration of Christie as a writer.

Big Think
A fascinating look at the world of poison in Agatha Christie's work that will engage any readers "little grey cells." Harkup blends her scientific expertise with deep knowledge of Christie's extensive body of work.

Shelf Awareness
Harkup returns to inform readers about more of the deadly dangers of Agatha Christie's work. This was fascinating and taught me a lot.

A Short Book Lover