A Is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie
10:00 minutes
Agatha Christie’s characters were electrocuted, shot, stabbed, and occasionally shoved off cliffs. But more often than not, says chemist-turned-author Kathryn Harkup, they were poisoned. Over 83 detective books, Christie killed hundreds of characters using poisons as diverse as digitalis (foxglove), strychnine, and thallium, and she won praise from chemists for her scientific accuracy. Harkups talks with Ira about the many poisons Dame Agatha employed, and explains how the “Queen of Crime” grew to know so much about chemistry’s dark side.
Read an excerpt from Kathryn Harkup’s book, A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie. For more fact cards, like the one below, about the poisons Agatha Christie used, click here.
Segment Guests
Kathryn Harkup
Kathryn Harkup is a chemist with extensive knowledge of poisons and a passion for Agatha Christie’s mysteries. She is a freelance science communicator who delivers talks and workshops on the quirky side of science.
Heard on the Air
- Read an excerpt from A Is for Arsenic, by Kathryn Harkup.
- Learn your poisons with this handy set of trading cards.
Meet the Producer
About Annie Minoff
@annieminoffAnnie Minoff is a producer for The Journal from Gimlet Media and the Wall Street Journal, and a former co-host and producer of Undiscovered. She also plays the banjo.