Category Archives: Lethal Agents and Murder

Transdermal Poisoning

Posted on January 20, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

One day last week I was talking to a doctor of physical therapy and he asked a most interesting question that I had to think about before attempting an answer. He said that he had a patient who could not … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Chemical Poisons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Choosing How a Character Should Die in a Story, Contact Poisons, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drug Patches For Murder, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used For Murder, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, James J. Murray Blog, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Lethal Agents and Murder, Making Your Own Topical Drug Therapy, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons Discussed, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Plotting Murder Scenes, Poisons in Transdermal Patch Therapy, Poisons Used For Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Transdermal Patch Therapy, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

SAMARIUM – The Good and The Bad

Posted on September 30, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In the past I’ve blogged about lethal radioactive chemicals (here and here) as possible murder weapons to use in your murder mysteries and thrillers. There is another rather dramatic radioactive agent—a beneficial medication at that—which could take center stage in … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, All About Murder, Blog Trends, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Chemical Poisons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Designer Poisons Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drug Poisoning, Drugs Used For Murder, Drugs Used to Murder, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Radioactive Agents, Misuse of Drugs, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Drugs, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Overdose of Samarium, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, Radioactive Drugs Used for Murder, Radioactive Pharmaceuticals and Murder, Samarium, Samarium and Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Weapons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Methyl Bromide – An Effective Neurotoxin!

Posted on August 26, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

When envisioning a chemical weapon for use in a murder plot, there are several criteria that should be considered: 1) the chemical must be lethal, of course, 2) it should be readily available to the villain in the story, 3) … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Botanical Murder Weapons, Chemical Poisons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Inhaled Neurotoxins, Interesting Murder Weapons, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Chemical Poisons, Lethal Fumigants in Agriculture, Lethal Pesticides, Methyl Bromide and Murder, Murder Weapons, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder with Neurotoxins, Neurotoxin Poisons, Neurotoxins and Murder, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, Paralytic Nerve Toxins, Paralytic Poisons and Murder, Poisons and Murder, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Undetectable Poisons, Unique Murder Weapons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

MURDER – Out of Thin Air!

Posted on August 12, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

As I blog about drugs, poisons and various chemicals that can be used as murder weapons in murder mysteries, I’m constantly looking for unique methods of murder to use in my storytelling. One of my more popular blogs has been … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, Air Embolisms Are Deadly, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scenes, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Air Embolism, Lethal Medicine-The Novel, Murder by Air Embolism, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Prescription For Murder Blog, Published Novel by James J Murray, The Science of Murder, The Writings of James J. Murray, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, VAE, Vascular Air Embolism, Writing Death Scenes, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Foods Can Kill

Posted on April 29, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

I often write about poisons and toxins that kill. After all, I write about murder and what better way to kill someone than with a substance that’s lethal but not so easy to detect. Such scenes make for good fiction … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Anaphylaxis, Blog Trends, Blog Writers, Blogging, Children and Food Allergies, Common Food Allergies, Food Allergies on the Rise, Foods and Lethal Allergic Responses, Foods That Kill, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Food Allergies, Lethal Substances Used For Murder, Murder With Food, New Methods of Murder, Peanut Allergies, Peanut Oil as a Poison, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plotting Murder Scenes, Severe Allergies Used For Murder, Severe Food Allergies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

BELLADONNA – It’s More Than A Beautiful Woman

Posted on February 18, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Often some of the most deadly substances were once used for cosmetic purposes—that is, before their lethal qualities became obvious. An example of such commercial carelessness was thallium being marketed as a depilatory agent. It effectively removed unwanted hair, but … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, Belladonna and Hyoscyamine Toxins, Belladonna and Scopolamine Toxins, Belladonna As A Murder Weapon, Belladonna Drugs, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Botanical Murder Weapons, Botanicals That Kill, Chemicals Used For Murder, Deadly Cosmetics, Deadly Plant Poisons, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drug Poisoning, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Made From Deadly Nightshade, Drugs Used For Murder, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, Killing With Poisonous Plants, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Botanicals, Murder Weapons, Murder With Poisonous Plants, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, Plant Poisons, Plants Used For Murder, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Poisonous Plants, Poisons and Murder, Scopolamine Adverse Effects, Scopolamine and Amnesia, The Science of Murder, The Toxicity of Deadly Nightshade, The Toxicity of the Belladonna Plant, Tools for Murder, Uses of Tincture of Belladonna, Using Deadly Nightshade as a Murder Weapon, Ways To Kill | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

ARSENIC – The King of Poisons

Posted on February 11, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Virtually imperceptible in the past when used as a poison, arsenic became known as “The King of Poisons” because of its lethal potency and because it was undetectable. Then the Marsh test came into use in 1836! From that point … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, Arsenic, Arsenic and Cancer, Arsenic As A Murder Weapon, Arsenic Health Benefits and Risks, Arsenic in Murder Mysteries, Arsenic Present in Nature, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Characteristics of Murder, Chemicals Used For Murder, Deadly Poisons Discussed, Deciding How to Kill Off a Character in a Novel, Designing Murder Plots, Dramatic Murder Weapons, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Lethal Agents and Murder, Murder Weapons Discussed, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Poisons and Murder, Poisons Used For Murder, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Plots, Ways to Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Oleander – A Beautiful But Deadly Plant!

Posted on February 4, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Drugs are designed to cure illnesses, but at times they can also become instruments of death. And historically, many drugs originated as botanicals. Even today, many drugs and their active ingredients come from plant sources. Awhile back, I came across … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Botanical Murder Weapons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Drug Poisoning, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs From Oleander Plant, Drugs Used For Murder, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Interesting Murder Weapons, Killing With Poisonous Plants, Lethal Agents and Murder, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Oleander, Murder With Poisonous Plants, New Drug Discoveries, New Drug Research, New Methods of Murder, Oleander Plant, Oleander Poisoning, Oleandrin, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plant Poisons, Plants That Kill, Plants Used For Murder, Poisons Used For Murder, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Ways to Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

An Adrenaline Rush To Death!

Posted on January 14, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Adrenaline is our friend! It’s one of those hormones that flood our bodies when we severely injure ourselves, feel afraid, or do strenuous exercise. It’s known as “the fight or flight hormone” (along with some help from norepinephrine and dopamine). … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, Adrenaline Overdose, Adrenaline Rush, Adrenaline Used For Murder, Adrenoline and The Fight or Flight Response, All About Murder, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Chemicals Used For Murder, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used to Murder, Epinephrine and The Fight or Flight Response, Epinephrine Overdose, Epinephrine Used for Murder, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Interesting Murder Weapons, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Lethal Agents and Murder, Misuse of Drugs, Murder With Drugs, New Methods of Murder, Plotting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Using Adrenaline in a Murder Scene, Using Epinephrine in a Murder Scene, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Perchloric Acid – A Versatile Murder Weapon!

Posted on December 17, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Unique lethal compounds fascinate me and, as a medical thriller writer, I’m constantly on the search for new methods of murder. Today, I’d like to discuss a most interesting chemical—perchloric acid. It has deadly potential in a number of ways … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, Acids and Tissue Damage, Acids and Tissue Death, Acids Used to Murder People, Acute Poisons, All About Murder, Blog Trends, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chemicals Used For Murder, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Flesh Eating Acids, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Interesting Murder Weapons, Lethal Agents and Murder, Lethal Substances Used For Murder, Murder Weapons, Murder Weapons Discussed, New Methods of Murder, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, PCA and Murder, PCA as a Superacid and Oxidizer, Perchloric Acid, Perchloric Acids as a Superacid and Oxidizer, Strong Acids Used For Murder, Tools for Murder, Unique Lethal Compounds, Unique Murder Plots, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Murder Scenes Using Perchloric Acid | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments