A Curious Invitation present London Month of the Dead
Mistress of Murder
MISTRESS OF MURDER
Agatha Christie and the Development of Forensic Science with Carla Valentine

Saturday 16th October 2021 at 1:30 pm

While other children were devouring the works of Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter, Carla Valentine was poring over the pages of Agatha Christie novels. Nearly every one of these stories involves one - or, more commonly, several - dead bodies, and for a young Carla, a curious child already captivated with biology, these stories and these bodies were perfect puzzles.

It was this early fascination that led to her job as a pathology technician, trained in forensics and working in mortuaries. She's now the curator of a historical medical collection containing vintage autopsy specimens, which puts her in the ideal place to straddle the past and present of forensic science.

Of course Agatha Christie herself didn't talk of 'forensics' in the way we use it now, but each tale she tells twists and turns with her expert weave of human observation, ingenuity and genuine science of the era. Through the medium of the whodunnit she was a pioneer of the nascent discipline of forensic science and Carla’s talk will guide us through this surprisingly gruesome knowledge of one of our most beloved 'cosy crime' authors.

Tickets £12 including a 20% donation toward a host of restoration projects at Kensal Green Cemetery.

Carla Valentine
Carla Valentine is a writer, broadcaster and Senior Anatomical Pathology Technologist (Mortuary Technician or ‘Mortician’). She is currently the Technical Curator of a QMUL’s pathology museum, restoring the 5000 anatomical specimens to their former glory and teasing stories from the dead in a different way. She organises events to showcase the collection, teaches students, and conserves anatomical specimens every day. Carla's book 'Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie' is out on October 21st and is available to pre-order. Her first book, 'Past Mortems' is available from all good book stores.

Kensal Green Cemetery