image by Seed Terra
For Mystery Writers
25 Ways to Commit Murder Accurately Volume 1: Plants
25 Ways to Commit Murder Accurately, Volume 1: Plants is the first in a planned four-book series created especially for mystery and crime writers.
Drawing on my experience as a retired Poison Information Specialist, this volume offers clear, accurate, and readable information about poisonous plants, including how they might realistically be used in a fictional storyline.
One of my main reasons for writing this book was the number of murder mysteries I had read where poisons simply did not behave like real poisons. Symptoms appeared too quickly, toxins acted too dramatically, and outdated myths were often treated as medical fact.
I wanted to give writers a more reliable source: one that could help them create believable poisonings, convincing clues, and plots that would satisfy both mystery lovers and medically knowledgeable readers.
This volume includes plants that could kill a character, as well as plants that might be used to confuse, discredit, or incapacitate a witness. Future books in the series will explore poisonous animals, street drugs, and pharmaceuticals.
My ultimate goal is to help fiction writers commit murder accurately, on the page, of course.
Order now!
USA Today bestselling author Shelley Adina wrote,
“I bought Lee-Anne’s book as a writer’s resource, and was delighted to find the perfect plant poison to use in The Engineer’s Nemesis. I appreciate the way she includes symptoms and does it from the standpoint of what a writer needs to know.” — Shelley Adina, PhD
From the Back Cover
In 25 Ways to Commit Murder Accurately Volume 1: Plants, Lee-Anne Hancock gives fiction writers quick access to her knowledge of phytotoxicology, opening a world of new ways to poison fictional characters with plants. She explores plant poison toxicology, including proper dosing, symptoms, and treatments for a character exposed to poisonous plants. Readers will be entertained and inspired by even more interesting facts at the end of each chapter. Stunning full page images provide visual references to help writers craft more accurate and vivid descriptions for their books.
Whether you want to exact a little revenge on a character, create disorientation to discredit them as a witness, or do something even ‘more devious’, this book will inspire and inform your writing. No self-respecting crime writer should miss out on the unique possibilities this reference book offers .
From Amazon
’25 Ways to Commit Murder Accurately Volume 1: Plants is structured to give fiction writers quick access to toxic dosages, symptoms, and expected treatments for a character exposed to poisonous plants. Each chapter ends with an Interesting Facts section that entertains and inspires ideas. Stunning full-page colour images aid writers in creating accurate plant descriptions for their scenes.
No self-respecting crime writer should miss out on this writing reference book. Even non-writers will want it for their coffee table or bookshelf as a fun conversation starter.’
You can read a few sample pages on Amazon.
A review on Medium
Are You Using Plants in Your Murder Mystery — Accurately?
Don’t drive your herbalist readers nuts by having the wrong information about the plants used to commit the murder.
My daughter is not an herbalist, but she reads avidly and catches every flaw. I often hear, “Mom, look, she says she put monkshood in the brownies, but in Agatha Christy she said …”
What was cozy mystery writer Lee-Anne Hancock to do after working as a Certified Poison Information Specialist for over two decades?
Write the missing reference book!
I got my copy and what I like is that it’s not full of fluff. It’s well organized. Just what you want in a reference book.
Plant Toxicology
Toxic Dose
Pharmacokinetics
Effects
Treatment
Interesting Facts
This is the first of a set of four. I’m so excited.
Here is a tiny taste
Killing Your Darlings Off in a Nice, or Not so Nice, Way.
Autumn crocus – Colchicum autumnale
Photo by Anenome123 on Pixabay
I thought I would start with a very toxic plant that could easily cause fatalities. It happens to be a beautiful plant that flowers in the autumn. Hence the name Autumn Crocus. Do not confuse it with the spring crocus, which doesn’t cause concerns.
This plant contains a plant alkaloid called Colchicine. One can find it in a lot of backyard gardens.
Nowadays, many people drink herbal teas. It would be easy enough to serve tea in this manner.
This fall crocus has a multi-system poison that initially causes Gastro-Intestinal toxicity and slight confusion due to dehydration. This progresses to drowsiness, heart and lung failure, liver and kidney failure, and the body’s inability to produce the right amount of red and white blood cells and platelets in the blood.
Eventually, this results in death. This is the aim of the writer of mysteries.
