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. |
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