Real Rating: 3.25* of five

The Publisher Says: Uncover the theories behind Dame Agatha Christie's most thrilling mysteries: Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, The A.B.C. Murders, and so much more!

Gothic media moguls Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence, authors of The Science of Stephen King and co-hosts of the Horror Rewind podcast called “the best horror film podcast out there” by Film Daddy, present a guide to the Agatha Christie stories and supersleuths we all know and love. Through interviews, literary and film analysis, and bone-chilling discoveries, The Science of Agatha Christie uncovers the science behind the sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections that have become an integral part of the modern murder mystery, answering such questions as:

What is the science behind the poisons used to commit murders in Agatha Christie’s stories?

When did crime investigation become more common as seen in Murder on the Orient Express?

Has science made it possible to uncover the truth behind the investigative powers of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple?

How did Agatha Christie use isolated settings to best explore the psychology of her characters?

Join Kelly and Meg as they discover why sometimes the impossible must be possible!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Chatty, entertaining mishmash of gossip and opinion from oodles of carefully documented sources. Vanishingly light on hard science, at least as I interpret that promise; it has anecdotes about the generalities from interviewees. Does not make it less amusing to read, sort of like going to a Christie book-club discussion with the most well-prepared session runner of all time.

Agathites will likely find it an entertaining read. Go into it as a browsing book, not a devour-in-a-day binge. That will keep the tone fresh and involving. ( )