"Fourteen novels. Fourteen poisons. Just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's all made up." Did you know that Dame Agatha Christie had extensive knowledge in the field of toxicology and pharmacology? Well, she did, and she knew how to put her knowledge to good use by killing off characters in many of her books. As this article in the Daily Beast puts it, "The best-selling novelist of all time actually knew how to whip up a brew that could put you 6 feet under."
Author Kathryn Harkup is a chemist and self-described Christie fanatic. Going through the alphabet, she takes the reader through various poisons that Christie used (and how she used them on a character), and gives in-depth information about the poison. You learn the source of a poison, the effects, the treatment (if any, both during Christie's time and now), and also read about real-life poisoning cases.
Harkup has a writing style that is informative, but has wit sprinkled throughout, so that the pacing is steady, and it's entertaining. I don't believe you have to be familiar with all of Christie's books to enjoy this, although if you haven't already read some of her books, you will probably be inspired to pick a few up after finishing this book. I found this book to be absolutely fascinating, and a good companion for The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum.
By the way, I know that when I raved about this book to several people, there was a definite air of nervousness in response. This is one of those titles that if you read it on the train, or in a public place, you may get some anxious glances thrown your way.
