Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Molecules of Murder is about infamous murderers and famous victims; about people like Harold Shipman, Alexander Litvinenko, Adelaide Bartlett, and Georgi Markov. Few books on poisons analyse these crimes from the viewpoint of the poison itself, doing so throws a new light on how the murders or attempted murders were carried out and ultimately how the perpetrators were uncovered and brought to justice. Part I includes molecules which occur naturally and were originally used by doctors before becoming notorious as murder weapons. Part II deals with unnatural molecules, mainly man-made, and they too have been dangerously misused in famous crimes. The book ends with the most famous poisoning case in recent years, that of Alexander Litvinenko and his death from polonium chloride. The first half of each chapter starts by looking at the target molecule itself, its discovery, its history, its chemistry, its use in medicine, its toxicology, and its effects on the human body. The second half then investigates a famous murder case and reveals the modus operandi of the poisoner and how some were caught, some are still at large, and some literally got away with murder. Molecules of Murder will explain how forensic chemists have developed cunning ways to detect minute traces of dangerous substances, and explain why some of these poisons, which appear so life-threatening, are now being researched as possible life-savers. Award winning science writer John Emsley has assembled another group of true crime and chemistry stories to rival those of his highly acclaimed Elements of Murder.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Acknowledgements (p. xiii)
• Things to Bear in Mind (p. xv)
• Milestones in the Forensic Analysis of Poisons (p. xvi)
• Part I From Medicine to Murder
• Chapter 1 Ricin and the Rolled Umbrella
• 1.1 Waterloo Sunset (p. 3)
• 1.2 Toxicology and Chemistry (p. 4)
• 1.3 Ricin in Chemical Warfare (p. 5)
• 1.4 Production and Applications (p. 6)
• 1.5 Ricin Poisoning (p. 7)
• 1.6 Detection and Identification (p. 8)
• 1.7 Positive Factors (p. 9)
• 1.8 Examples of Ricin Attacks (p. 9)
• 1.9 The Murder of Georgi Markov (p. 13)
• Chapter 2 Hyoscine and the Murder of Belle Elmore (Mrs Crippen)
• 2.1 The Unlucky Mrs Crippen (p. 23)
• 2.2 Hyoscine (Scopolamine) (p. 24)
• 2.3 Medical Uses (p. 24)
• 2.4 Criminal Use (p. 31)
• 2.5 Dr Crippen Arrives on the Scene (p. 32)
• 2.6 The Murder of Belle Elmore (p. 33)
• 2.7 The Origins of Crippen and Belle (p. 34)
• 2.8 The Murder (p. 37)
• 2.9 Arrest and Trial (p. 41)
• 2.10 Tailpiece (p. 45)
• Chapter 3 Atropine and Mrs Agutter's Gin and Tonic
• 3.1 "Deadly Nightshade, Dear?" (p. 46)
• 3.2 Atropine (p. 47)
• 3.3 Physiological Properties (p. 48)
• 3.4 Signs and Symptoms of Poisoning (p. 50)
• 3.5 Treatment of Atropine Poisoning (p. 52)
• 3.6 History of Atropine as a Poison (p. 53)
• 3.7 Atropine as Antidote (p. 57)
• 3.8 Atropine Murders in Fiction and in Fact (p. 59)
• 3.9 The Murder of Anna Buchanan (p. 60)
• 3.10 The Attempted Murder of Alexandra Agutter (p. 61)
• Chapter 4 Diamorphine and the Dr Jekyll of Hyde
• 4.1 Dr Shipman's Addiction (p. 68)
• 4.2 Morphine and Diamorphine (p. 69)
• 4.3 Chemically Modified Morphine (p. 73)
• 4.4 Dr Harold Shipman (p. 75)
• 4.5 Suspicions Aroused (p. 83)
• 4.6 The Murder of Kathleen Grundy (p. 84)
• 4.7 Shipman's Arrest and Conviction (p. 86)
• 4.8 Postscript (p. 90)
• Chapter 5 Adrenaline and the Near-Perfect Murders of Kristen Gilbert
• 5.1 One Way to Deal with Difficult Patients (p. 91)
• 5.2 Adrenaline (Epinephrine) (p. 92)
• 5.3 The Crimes of Kristen Gilbert (p. 96)
• 5.4 Murders and Attempted Murders (p. 99)
• 5.5 Kristen Discovers Adrenaline is not the Perfect Poison (p. 106)
• Part II So Simple, So Useful, So Deadly
• Chapter 6 Chloroform and Mrs Bartlett
• 6.1 How did She Do It? (p. 113)
• 6.2 Chloroform (p. 114)
• 6.3 But is Chloroform Safe? (p. 117)
• 6.4 Non-Anaesthetic Medical Applications (p. 122)
• 6.5 The Abuse of Chloroform (p. 124)
• 6.6 Chloroform as a Murder Weapon (p. 125)
• 6.7 The Priest and the Prostitute (p. 126)
• 6.8 The Murder of Edwin Bartlett (p. 128)
• Chapter 7 Life & Death & CO: Carbon Monoxide and the Home-Made Gas Chamber
• 7.1 The Silent Killer (p. 136)
• 7.2 The Properties and Uses of Carbon Monoxide (p. 137)
• 7.3 Carbon Monoxide in Nature (p. 140)
• 7.4 Physiological Effects (p. 140)
• 7.5 Positive Features of Carbon Monoxide (p. 144)
• 7.6 The Deadly Danger of Carbon Monoxide (p. 147)
• 7.7 The Murder of the Garcia Children (p. 150)
• 7.8 Margaret Jones's Nightmare (p. 151)
• Chapter 8 Cyanide and the Death on the Nile
• 8.1 The Speediest of Ends (p. 155)
• 8.2 The Chemistry of Cyanide (p. 156)
• 8.3 Cyanides in the Diet (p. 158)
• 8.4 Toxicity of Cyanide, and its Antidotes (p. 160)
• 8.5 Cyanide as a Non-Accidental Killer (p. 165)
• 8.6 The Murder of Cheryl Lewis (p. 167)
• 8.7 The Tylenol Murders (p. 172)
• 8.8 Analysis of Suspect Capsules (p. 177)
• Chapter 9 Paraquat and the Poisoned Gravy
• 9.1 Weeding Out the Unwanted (p. 179)
• 9.2 Paraquat as a Defoliant (p. 180)
• 9.3 Paraquat as a Poison (p. 183)
• 9.4 Murder by Paraquat (p. 187)
• 9.5 The California Dreamer (p. 187)
• 9.6 "I've Made You Gravy for Your Pie" (p. 191)
• Chapter 10 Polonium and the Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko
• 10.1 A Novel Poison (p. 197)
• 10.2 Polonium (p. 198)
• 10.3 The Assassination of Alexander Litvinenko (p. 204)
• 10.4 Assassination by Poison Down the Ages (p. 213)
• Further Reading (p. 218)
• Glossary (p. 223)
• Metric/Imperial Conversion Tables (p. 242)
• Subject Index (p. 243)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Following up on his previous book, The Elements of Murder (CH, Dec'05, 43-2212), Emsley, a journalist and author of popular works on chemistry, has written an entertaining, informative work on deliberate poisonings from the viewpoint of the forensic scientist. The introduction is a brief review of forensic science, especially forensic chemistry, covering the evolution of toxicological methods and procedures. In the process, the author notes that not all chemicals are highly dangerous and that there is no good distinction between natural and synthetic chemicals. The book discusses ten murder cases in detail, five involving natural toxins: ricin, scopolamine, atropine, heroin, and adrenaline. The work concludes with cases of five fatal poisonings involving manmade chemicals: chloroform, carbon monoxide, cyanide, paraquat (an herbicide), and polonium (describing the recent poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko). The volume includes a bibliography listing both general and specific references and a glossary. This book should be of interest to academic readers, especially those in chemistry and forensic science, as well as everyone interested in popular science and true crime. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. R. E. Buntrock formerly, University of Maine

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Dr John Emsley is best known for his series of highly readable popular science books about everyday chemistry, some of which have run into multiple editions and printings in the UK, and all of which have been translated into several other languages. He has also published in national newspapers and magazines, and he has written chemistry text books and booklets for industry. John has a carved an impressive career in popular science writing and broadcasting over the past 20 years, emphasising the benefits of chemistry, and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. John's chemistry career started in 1960 with a PhD in phosphorus chemistry from Manchester University. With spells at the University of London, Westfield College and Kings College as lecturer and reader, he became science writer at Imperial College and then the University of Cambridge where his prolific writing career took off. With his background in chemistry he has had over 110 original research papers published, mainly on phosphorus chemistry and on hydrogen-bonded systems. He has also had more than 500 popular science articles and features published in: New Scientist, The Independent (for which he did a regular column 'Molecule of the Month' for six years), The Guardian, Chemistry in Britain, Chem Matters, Focus, Science Watch and many more. Some of his best selling popular science books include: Better Looking, Better Living, Better Loving, (2007), Elements of Murder (2005), Vanity, Vitality & Virility (2004), Nature's Building Blocks (2001), The Shocking History of Phosphorus (2000), Molecules at an Exhibition (1998) and The Consumer's Good Chemical Guide (1994, Science Book Award Winner) His skills derive from the objectivity gained through a combination of an academic background and freelance writing. The breadth and the topicality of his coverage of chemical issues is second to none, and ranges from food chemistry to advanced semiconductors, from alchemy to Viagra. Although John is primarily an inorganic chemist he has proved himself capable of covering all branches of chemistry, helped in no small way by his willingness to consult those with specialist knowledge and to enlist them in checking his texts before publication. In this way his writing has gained a reputation for thoroughness of coverage and reliability of content. No science has suffered as much from media alarms and misinformation than chemistry, and much of this would have gone unchallenged but for John Emsley. John is regularly approached by the media and asked to take part in broadcasts, more often simply seeking advice on some aspect of chemistry, and his skill is to be able to provide a clear explanation. He is well-known to many in the media and he has been a stalwart of the Association of British Science Writers for 25 years. Dr Emsley is a great science communicator. His entertaining books have contributed to the advancement of a positive awareness of science and he says of himself in the preface of his book Nature's Building Blocks: 'As a writer of popular science, I am aware of the desire of people to know more of the world about them.'