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Murder Isn't Easy

The Forensics of Agatha Christie
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( 2,581 ratings, 424 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Agatha Christie, celebrated for her clever plots and twisting tales, was also a forensic expert. Murder Isn't Easy by Carla Valentine reveals how Christie expertly incorporated contemporary forensic scienceβ€”from ballistics to fingerprint analysisβ€”into the adventures of characters like Poirot and Miss Marple. This book explores the fascinating intersection of mystery storytelling and genuine science of the era.

From the glamour and grit of Christie's fiction to the real-life cases that inspired her, Murder Isn't Easy immerses readers in the forensic techniques that influenced generations of writers and scientists alike.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, aficionados of forensic science, and anyone interested in the history of criminal investigation and mystery writing.

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A study of the forensics of Agatha Christie, from author and pathologist, Carla Valentine

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Fascinating - Prima

Engaging and informative - Guardian

Agatha Christie is one of our most beloved authors - a storyteller unparalleled in her clever plots and twisting tales. But Agatha was also a forensic expert; in each of her books, she employs an expert weaving of human observation, ingenuity, and genuine science of the era.

In Murder Isn't Easy, Carla Valentine illuminates all of Agatha's incredible knowledge, showing how she stayed at the cutting edge of forensics from ballistics to fingerprint analysis, as seen through much-loved characters such as Poirot and Miss Marple.

From the glamour and grit of Agatha Christie's stories to the real-life cases that inspired them, Murder Isn't Easy will immerse you in the forensics that influenced generations of writers and scientists alike.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

FascinatingPrima

Engaging and informativeGuardian

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780751577792

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 October 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Sphere

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 280g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Carla Valentine works with the dead: her career in this field has spanned over twenty years. After studying forensics, Carla assisted pathologists with post-mortems for years, before eventually becoming the Technical Curator of the world's most famous pathology museum. She's the author of Past Mortems and Murder Isn't Easy. When it comes to death, she truly is a world-class expert.

Also by Carla Valentine

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  • The Language of Bones
    Pre-order
    The Language of Bones
    A riveting, revealing and compassionate examination of the stories we leave behind in our very bones, from mortician and pathology curator Carla Valentine. Perfect for fans of All That Remains and Unnatural Causes. As the curator of a pathology museum containing 5,000 specimens of human tissue - most of them bones and skeletons - Carla Valentine works closely with the...
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    $3999
    Pre-order
    Out 29 Sep 2026
  • Past Mortems
    PRE-ORDER NOW: MURDER ISN'T EASY: THE FORENSICS OF AGATHA CHRISTIE, THE FASCINATING NEW BOOK BY CARLA VALENTINE 'Part memoir and part manifesto, Valentine's book lifts the lid on daily life in the mortuary . . . Valentine bares her own soul . . . with visceral attention to physical and emotional detail' - Wendy Moore, Guardian 'A fascinating portrait ....
    Paperback
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