Help! Need inspiration on how to kill someone ;-)

[megrunning]

In my novel I need to kill off one of the characters and can't figure out how. She needs to be murdered by someone else, but its a mercy killing (sort of) and the death needs to be quite peaceful and needs to look like an accident or a natural death with no clues it was murder/suicide.

Other background is she's in her mid 40s, middle class and its summer. the death needs to take place at her home.

Carbon monoxide seems the best but not sure what appliance could be used and "faulty" in the summer.....Any ideas?!

Foxgloves are deadly - only one or two leaves. There was a thread recently linked to a blog where a toddler had eaten only a few leaves and the family fortunately were able to identify the plant and get her medical attention. The child was seriously ill though (story was gripping and all credit to their family).
Not sure if there are similar medicinal plants foxglove could be mistaken for - comfrey maybe, or something to make a herbal tea.

Aconitum napellus (Wolfsbane, Monkshood), Coronilla varia (crown vetch) pretty wild flowers - v poisonous

Cowbane, Hemlock, Fools parsley - all fatal

Deadly nightshade, Henbane, Datura (Thorn-apple) - even more deadly

HTH

Contra indicated drugs.

There are quite a few that are deadly in small doses so easy to poison someone.

FWIW I never get too concerned about hard facts and work instead on bringing the reader with me.

Readers will for the most part suspend their disbelief if the frame of the scene is honest.

many of these are agonisng deaths though, not peaceful or 'merciful'. I think the carbon monoxide in the tent is the way to go, with lots of alcohol first.

That's the point!

Carbon dioxide asphyxiation? You'd need a big block of dry ice and a sealed room. Dry ice evaporates, fills the room with CO2, no oxygen, person passes out then dies. Unseal the room, no dry ice left so no murder weapon.
I'm sure I saw that on CSI once

Red and blackcurrants in the garden, nearby nightshade plants, helpful small child...?

Not very peaceful / gentle but quick, the "bride in the bath" method always seemed a good one to me, esp if the victim has been drinking or taking sedatives. Although guess with modern pathology methods they may pick up on marks on the legs??

Tiggy

So many ideas to research! However I have a crying 5 year old with sore lips refusing to put lip slave on, a 1 year old who has just stolen my slippers and a 4 year old who wants me to paint her toenails (she means finger nails). And I still have a cold cup of tea to drink...

I want a lip slave now

Errm, OP, you really are researching abook death, aren't you? Not seeking ideas for removal of small children, as in one of Dorothy LS's nastier short stories?

Cyanide in lipslave I mean in the book not for the child, although lance does have me wondering if your actually researching child disposal.

I'd certainly get more writing done without them around...

'Come here sweetheart, Mummy really needs your help with some book research. Bwahahahahaaaaa.'

My god you lot are all evil

If this is a "middle class" type killing and you're going for accidental poisoning, please can it be from foraging? Please?

Deadly herb or plant used in afternoon tea, there's some good ones overseas but in uk Hemlock is prob best to kill it's a tall green plant with purple spots on its stem and leaves similar to the carrot plant, it has white flowers. If it is eaten hemlock causes sickness and in severe cases it can kill by paralysing the lungs

Anaphylactic reaction to bee sting while cutting flowers.

bugger, forgot about the other person - bouquet? Shagging in a field?

Give me an example of some contra indicated drugs ericnorthsman

Just curious.

Nitrous Oxide - recreational use gone wrong: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1506823

Choke her on an olive in her cocktail.

Love this thread. Remind me never to cross any of you lot.

OP, you're not the new Archers editor, are you...?