*I received a free DRC of this book via NetGalley, with thanks to the authors, Canongate Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours . The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: EDINBURGH, 1853.
In a city of science, discovery can be deadly . . .
In a time of unprecedented scientific innovation, the public's appetite for wonder has seen a resurgence of interest in mesmerism, spiritualism and other unexplained phenomena.
Dr Will Raven is wary of the shadowlands that lie between progress and quackery, but Sarah Fisher can't afford to be so picky. Frustrated in her medical ambitions, she sees opportunity in a new therapeutic field not already closed off to women.
Raven has enough on his hands as it is. Body parts have been found at Surgeons Hall, and they're not anatomy specimens. In a city still haunted by the crimes of Burke and Hare, he is tasked with heading off a scandal.
When further human remains are found, Raven is able to identify a prime suspect, and the hunt is on before he kills again. Unfortunately, the individual he seeks happens to be an accomplished actor, a man of a thousand faces and a renowned master of disguise.
With the lines between science and spectacle dangerously blurred, the stage is set for a grand and deadly illusion . . .
This is the fourth book in the Raven and Fisher mysteries and I have found that each book mostly stands alone in terms of plot, but the characters develop and deepen as the series progresses.
There is an underlying theme of illusion, appearances and hasty impressions throughout the story and the weaving of spiritualism and mesmerism into both the medical and criminal plot aspects is very cleverly done. The subjects fascinate me anyway, in terms of how observant and intuitive practitioners must be and how the 'marks' and sceptics alike can be gulled by their own minds into seeing, hearing and/or feeling what they want to believe and the authors are able to explore the issues from different angles thanks to the very different viewpoints of Will Raven and Sarah Fisher.
I love following how far these two main characters have come over the course of these books: Will has shifted from street brawler to pompous doctor in training, to a now more moderate and reflective man who thinks more about other people's perspectives and is willing to amend his first impressions, while Sarah is on a determined trajectory from maid to medical assistant, and onwards and upwards. The chemistry between them is obvious, but it is their friendship and mutual respect for each other, and their increasing willingness to meet each other halfway that is really appealing.
As far as the murder mystery side of things goes, I will have to admit that I fell right into the stage magician's trap - I spotted a (in retrospect, obvious!) secret and felt very pleased with myself, then found that the sleight of hand had led me to fall for a red herring and miss the actual suspect. Kimble would be proud of his authors!
These books are brilliantly atmospheric and packed with interesting insights into medical practices and beliefs of the day, and they are also entertainingly readable murder mysteries that I find myself unable to put down once I start one. And each one is better than the one before. I'm looking forward immensely to book 5!
Something was wrong here, something both Christie and Henry were reluctant to describe. Instead they wished Raven to see for himself, and the closer he got to doing so, the less Raven relished the prospect.
Remembering the driver's words, he glanced at the desk, a sturdy and expansive bureau covered in volumes and papers. Its drawers were closed. Henry and Christie had already walked past it anyway. They made for a wall press, a shallow cupboard adjacent to the windows, its door conspicuously open.
As he approached it, he could see more shelves, bearing vials, boxes and yet more books. Raven remained unable to discern what had occasioned either urgency or concern. Then he saw that on the floor of the cupboard was a dark grey blanket, its contours vaguely describing a shape underneath.
- Ambrose Parry, Voices of the Dead
About the author
Ambrose Parry is the pen name for husband and wife Chris Brookmyre (known mostly for his crime novels) and Dr Marisa Haetzman, a consultant anaesthetist. It is the latter's interest in medical history that lead to their first collaboration, The Way of All Flesh.
You can follow them on Twitter and Goodreads, and The Art of Dying is available on Amazon (and at other good book shops) right now!
Don't forget to check out the other blog stops on the tour for more great reviews and content (see the poster below for details)!
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