Kathryn Harkup is a chemist and author. Kathryn completed a doctorate on her favourite chemicals, phosphines, and went on to further postdoctoral research before realising 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.@RotwangsRobot

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie has lethal charm. Harkup leads every chapter with a literary quote, then proceeds to tell us what the poison is, how and under what circumstances it kills, some real-life instances of its use and what role it plays in the Christie plot ... good fun.

• 1. Dame Agatha’s Deadly Dispensary2. A is for Arsenic – Murder is Easy3. B is for Belladonna – The Labours of Hercules4. C is for Cyanide – Sparkling Cyanide 5. D is for Digitalis – Appointment with Death6. E is for Eserine – Crooked House7. H is for Hemlock – Five Little Pigs8. M is for Monkshood – 4:50 from Paddington9. N is for Nicotine – Three Act Tragedy10. O is for Opium – Sad Cypress 11. P is for Phosphorus – Dumb Witness12. R is for Ricin – Partners in Crime13. S is for Strychnine – The Mysterious Affair at Styles14. T is for Thallium – The Pale Horse15. V is for Veranol – Lord Edgware DiesAppendixGlossaryBibliography

Kathryn Harkup is a chemist and author. Kathryn completed a doctorate on her favourite chemicals, phosphines, and went on to further postdoctoral research before realising 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.@RotwangsRobot

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie has lethal charm. Harkup leads every chapter with a literary quote, then proceeds to tell us what the poison is, how and under what circumstances it kills, some real-life instances of its use and what role it plays in the Christie plot ... good fun.

• 1. Dame Agatha’s Deadly Dispensary2. A is for Arsenic – Murder is Easy3. B is for Belladonna – The Labours of Hercules4. C is for Cyanide – Sparkling Cyanide 5. D is for Digitalis – Appointment with Death6. E is for Eserine – Crooked House7. H is for Hemlock – Five Little Pigs8. M is for Monkshood – 4:50 from Paddington9. N is for Nicotine – Three Act Tragedy10. O is for Opium – Sad Cypress 11. P is for Phosphorus – Dumb Witness12. R is for Ricin – Partners in Crime13. S is for Strychnine – The Mysterious Affair at Styles14. T is for Thallium – The Pale Horse15. V is for Veranol – Lord Edgware DiesAppendixGlossaryBibliography

Kathryn Harkup is a chemist and author. Kathryn completed a doctorate on her favourite chemicals, phosphines, and went on to further postdoctoral research before realising 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.@RotwangsRobot

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie has lethal charm. Harkup leads every chapter with a literary quote, then proceeds to tell us what the poison is, how and under what circumstances it kills, some real-life instances of its use and what role it plays in the Christie plot ... good fun.

• 1. Dame Agatha’s Deadly Dispensary2. A is for Arsenic – Murder is Easy3. B is for Belladonna – The Labours of Hercules4. C is for Cyanide – Sparkling Cyanide 5. D is for Digitalis – Appointment with Death6. E is for Eserine – Crooked House7. H is for Hemlock – Five Little Pigs8. M is for Monkshood – 4:50 from Paddington9. N is for Nicotine – Three Act Tragedy10. O is for Opium – Sad Cypress 11. P is for Phosphorus – Dumb Witness12. R is for Ricin – Partners in Crime13. S is for Strychnine – The Mysterious Affair at Styles14. T is for Thallium – The Pale Horse15. V is for Veranol – Lord Edgware DiesAppendixGlossaryBibliography