Book Review - Molecules of Murder: Criminal Molecules and Classic Cases by John Emsley
Category Book Review John Emsley Molecules of Murder: Criminal Molecules and Classic Cases
The history of death by poisoning has a long and storied past. But many times, the average person (like me) doesn't really understand the "why" behind the chemicals used. In Molecules of Murder: Criminal Molecules and Classic Cases, John Emsley uses a successful format that should appeal to both the scientist and the average reader. And in the end, you'll see why certain chemicals have the reputations that they do.
Contents:
Part 1 - From Medicine to Murder: Ricin and the assassination of Georgi Markov; Hyoscine and the murder of Belle Elmore; Atropine and Mrs. Agutter's gin and tonic; Diamorphine and the Dr. Jekyll of Hyde; Adrenaline and the near-perfect murders of Kristen Gilbert
Part 2 - So simple, so useful, so deadly: Chloroform and the murder of Edwin Bartlett; Life & Death & CO - Carbon monoxide and the homemade gas chamber; Cyanide and the death on the Nile; Paraquat and the poisoned gravy; Polonium and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko
Each chapter covers a particular poison, highlighted by a real-life case where it was used to bring about the untimely death of one or more people. Emsley tries something that is risky and difficult to successfully pull off; that is, to write to two very different audiences without making half the material meaningless to one of them. The crime committed with the poison is the brief opener in each chapter. But before the narrative of the crime goes very far, Emsley switches focus to the science behind the substance. He covers the history of the chemical and how it came to be discovered and used in the medical field. This is much more detailed than one would expect, as he goes into molecule structures and chemical composition. To someone like me, much of that information is over my head. But it's still presented in a way (and at a length) that doesn't induce rapid page skimming and turning. Once the science is covered, then he reverts back to the story of the crime, why the poisoner chose that method, the results of the poisoning, and how it was eventually detected. That's where a reader like myself would get most of the value and information that I could understand well, but I imagine it would also be interesting to the more scientific reader as they see how a useful chemical could be subverted to criminal purposes.
Some of the cases are ones that were highly publicized and well-known, such as the ricin used during the Cold War and injected with a modified umbrella. The radiation poisoning of Litinenko was also an international incident steeped in government intrigue and secret police files. Other cases are not as well known, such as Dr. Harold Shipman's use of diamorphine to kill literally hundreds of his patients. Emsley is an English author, and some of these cases that were less well-known to me may be due to the fact that the crimes didn't take place in the US. If you were reading this in Great Britian, they may well be more familiar to you.
It's hard to attempt a book that tries to be interesting and useful to very different audiences (without feeling like you got less-than-full value). Emsley does a much better job than most with Molecules of Murder, and it's an interesting read that will make you much more cautious when that friendly person who you just met buys you a drink that tastes sort of odd...
The history of death by poisoning has a long and storied past. But many times, the average person (like me) doesn't really understand the "why" behind the chemicals used. In Molecules of Murder: Criminal Molecules and Classic Cases, John Emsley uses a successful format that should appeal to both the scientist and the average reader. And in the end, you'll see why certain chemicals have the reputations that they do.
Contents:
Part 1 - From Medicine to Murder: Ricin and the assassination of Georgi Markov; Hyoscine and the murder of Belle Elmore; Atropine and Mrs. Agutter's gin and tonic; Diamorphine and the Dr. Jekyll of Hyde; Adrenaline and the near-perfect murders of Kristen Gilbert
Part 2 - So simple, so useful, so deadly: Chloroform and the murder of Edwin Bartlett; Life & Death & CO - Carbon monoxide and the homemade gas chamber; Cyanide and the death on the Nile; Paraquat and the poisoned gravy; Polonium and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko
Each chapter covers a particular poison, highlighted by a real-life case where it was used to bring about the untimely death of one or more people. Emsley tries something that is risky and difficult to successfully pull off; that is, to write to two very different audiences without making half the material meaningless to one of them. The crime committed with the poison is the brief opener in each chapter. But before the narrative of the crime goes very far, Emsley switches focus to the science behind the substance. He covers the history of the chemical and how it came to be discovered and used in the medical field. This is much more detailed than one would expect, as he goes into molecule structures and chemical composition. To someone like me, much of that information is over my head. But it's still presented in a way (and at a length) that doesn't induce rapid page skimming and turning. Once the science is covered, then he reverts back to the story of the crime, why the poisoner chose that method, the results of the poisoning, and how it was eventually detected. That's where a reader like myself would get most of the value and information that I could understand well, but I imagine it would also be interesting to the more scientific reader as they see how a useful chemical could be subverted to criminal purposes.
Some of the cases are ones that were highly publicized and well-known, such as the ricin used during the Cold War and injected with a modified umbrella. The radiation poisoning of Litinenko was also an international incident steeped in government intrigue and secret police files. Other cases are not as well known, such as Dr. Harold Shipman's use of diamorphine to kill literally hundreds of his patients. Emsley is an English author, and some of these cases that were less well-known to me may be due to the fact that the crimes didn't take place in the US. If you were reading this in Great Britian, they may well be more familiar to you.
It's hard to attempt a book that tries to be interesting and useful to very different audiences (without feeling like you got less-than-full value). Emsley does a much better job than most with Molecules of Murder, and it's an interesting read that will make you much more cautious when that friendly person who you just met buys you a drink that tastes sort of odd...
| Permalink |
