V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death – Kathryn Harkup’s Follow-Up to ‘A is for Arsenic’

Last Updated on April 22, 2026

Figuring it was time to change things up just a little bit, I was given a copy of V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death, by Kathryn Harkup, and as it is entirely about the Queen of Crime, there was absolutely no way that I wasn’t going to read it.

I’ll preface this by saying that I was not good at science in school, and that’s putting it mildly.

When it came to high school, I can just about recall the teacher trying to explain various aspects of compound chemistry and it falling completely on deaf ears.

Suffice it to say, when I did my final exams, my results accurately reflected my understanding of the subject, and a big fat F awaited me.

And why am I telling you this? Well, V is for Venom, isn’t your ordinary trip around Christie’s stories or the various use of chemicals in her plots.

Nope, this is an incredibly factual and meticulously researched account of specific compounds.

Harkup lays out how they were incorporated into the various novels and plays, but also how they were discovered, how they are formed (scientifically), what kind of impact their discovery has had in medicine and if, in the real world, they would have had the same affect as in Agatha Christie’s works.

Essentially, this book is a mash-up of fiction and science, so if you ever wondered how Christie got her inspiration, this is the book for you.

A Killer Premise (Pun Intended!)

Let’s start with the basics: V is for Venom is the highly anticipated follow-up to Harkup’s best-selling A is for Arsenic (2015).

Where the first book introduced us to the poisons that made Christie’s stories so deadly, this sequel ups the ante with fourteen more toxic substances.

Harkup, herself a chemist turned author, so she doesn’t just tell you that Formic Acid is dangerous, she explains how it works, how it was discovered, and why it’s so fiendishly effective in a murder mystery.

Did you know it comes from ants? I didn’t until I read this book!

Why Poisons? Why Christie?

Agatha Christie’s reputation rests not just on her intricate plots, but on her almost encyclopedic knowledge of poisons.

This wasn’t just a literary quirk: Christie worked as a pharmacy assistant during World War I, a job that required her to pass rigorous exams in pharmaceuticals and drug interactions.

She put this expertise to wickedly good use, dispatching characters with everything from arsenic to venom, and making sure the science was spot-on, so much so that her debut, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, earned praise from The Pharmaceutical Journal for its accuracy.

Harkup’s book is a celebration of this unique intersection between science and fiction.

Each chapter focuses on a different poison, exploring its origins, its effects on the body, its history in both medicine and murder, and, most importantly, how Christie used it to baffle her readers and outwit her detectives.

The result is a book that’s part history lesson, part chemistry class, and part literary appreciation, all delivered with a light touch and a genuine affection for both Christie and her craft.

How the Book Works

One of the joys of V is for Venom is its structure. Each chemical gets its own chapter, anchored by a key Christie story but often branching out to include other works where the same substance makes a cameo.

This means you can dip in and out as you please, so you can read about scopolamine today, hydrochloric acid tomorrow, and arrow poison when you’re feeling particularly adventurous.

There’s no need to read cover to cover (unless you want to, of course), and the concise, self-contained chapters make it the perfect book for a busy reader or a dedicated dabbler.

And don’t worry if, like me, you’re not a chemistry buff. Harkup has a knack for making the science accessible without dumbing it down.

She explains the mechanisms of each poison in plain English, using real-life cases and historical anecdotes to bring the details to life.

You’ll learn not just how these chemicals kill, but why they were so attractive to both real and fictional murderers, and why Christie’s use of them was so ahead of her time.

A Tour of the Toxins

Let’s talk about the poisons themselves. Harkup’s selection is as varied as Christie’s own imagination. You’ll encounter:

Arrow Poison: The stuff of jungle legends and colonial nightmares, but also a real-life fascination for the British public.

Harkup explores how these toxins work and why they captured the imagination of both writers and readers.

Bacteria: Not just the invisible enemy in our kitchens, but a genuine murder weapon in Christie’s hands.

The author explains how contaminated bandages and infected wounds could (and did) kill, both in fiction and reality.

Gas: Forget the modern gas leak, Christie’s murderers used everything from coal gas to carbon monoxide, and Harkup shows how these invisible killers could be both subtle and spectacular.

Hydrochloric Acid: This corrosive substance makes for a dramatic (and messy) murder method with details of its real-world uses and the grisly possibilities it offered to a writer with Christie’s imagination.

Scopolamine and Venom: Exotic, mysterious, and undeniably deadly. Whether it’s snake venom or a plant-derived toxin, Harkup traces their history, their effects, and their place in both medicine and murder.

And that’s just a taste. Each chapter is a mini-mystery in itself, blending scientific explanation with literary analysis and a dash of true crime for good measure.

As mentioned earlier, the research in V is for Venom is meticulous, but the author wears it lightly.

You’ll definitely come away with a new appreciation for just how much work Christie put into getting her facts right, and how she managed to smuggle a chemistry lesson into every murder.

A Book That’s Fun to Read (Yes, Really!)

Let’s be honest: a book about poisons could easily be as dry as a chemistry textbook or as grim as a forensic pathology report. V is for Venom is neither.

The style is friendly, conversational, and often slyly funny. Harkup is not above poking gentle fun at the more outlandish murder methods, or at the lengths to which Christie’s villains will go to avoid detection, and how clever her detectives have to be to stop them.

The book is also perfectly pitched for fans of Christie’s work, avoiding spoilers wherever possible, focusing instead on the mechanics of the murder rather than the identity of the murderer.

She gives just enough detail to whet your appetite, so you’ll want to revisit the stories themselves, or discover them for the first time.

What I will say, though, is that there is a lot of science in the explanations, and unless you’re that way inclined, some of it might go over your head, particularly when it comes to the atomic structure of the compounds and how those structures work.

But, like anything else, you can always skip the parts that don’t make sense to you and move on to the next section of the chapter.

Thumbs Up

If you’re already a Christie aficionado, this book will deepen your appreciation for her craft.

If you’re new to her work, it’s a fascinating introduction to the world of classic detective fiction, seen through the lens of science and history.

And if you’re just here for the poisons, well, you’ll get plenty of those, too.

V is for Venom is, above all, a celebration: of Christie’s ingenuity, of the strange and wonderful world of toxicology, and the enduring appeal of a good mystery.

It’s impeccably researched, endlessly readable, and just the right amount of macabre. Whether you dip in and out or devour it in one sitting, you’ll come away with a new respect for the Queen of Crime, and maybe a healthy suspicion of anyone offering you a cup of tea.