Well ... I suppose I will start with a word of warning. This is not a very easy subject to read about. Nothing is glorified and there is nothing taken to gratuitous lengths within the story, but it does feature a very taboo subject, and of the death of children will cause you distress then you may want to exercise caution because the opening to the book is quite stark, and later discoveries do nothing to make the heart fill with warmth. That aside, this was yet another brilliantly researched, authentic feeling story which blends humour, history and mystery to entertain, and enrapture this. read from the very first page to the last.
Over the course of the three books I have really come to like the character of Will Raven. I'll be blunt - he came across as a bit of knob to begin with, but he has quickly redeemed himself and is now a character driven by principles and doing the right thing, especially by Sarah, even if his head and his heart tell are torn. As for Sarah, she is a woman that many can recognise, held back by society but determined to make her own way in spite of it. This time around though she is plagued by some self doubts which are untypical of her, but believable of her circumstances. There is an amazing chemistry between the two characters and no matter what conflicts may occur and whatever circumstance, and the authors, throws in their way, they make a formidable pair. Somehow you just know that as soon as they are involved, the criminals do not stand a chance.
There are two different threads to this story that lead our protagonists in. different directions initially, but ultimately resulting in their proving that two heads are far better than one. First up we have the murder of a very prominent Edinburgh resident. A former University mentee, and adversary, of Will Raven stands accused of his murder. A mutual friend persuades Raven to look into the murder against his better judgment, certain that the wrong person is set to be convicted. What we face here is a story full of tension, corruption and hidden truths which are as believable as they are shocking, but very much if the time. It is a twisted story of a fractured family, instantly recognisable, but give a unique Ambrose Parry twist that had me smiling in approval.
Sarah's quest is one which will very much tug at the heartstrings and resonates with news stories from the not so distant past. It ties in with other elements of the story in a tragic and emotional way, one which will sadden even the hardest of readers. It has been handled with care but also with authenticity, and whilst it is easy to suppose we know where that particular thread may lead, always be prepared to expect the unexpected. Perhaps it shouldn't have been - with hindsight, the clues are all there - but it certainly makes for quite the eyebrow raising moment.
This wouldn't be an Ambrose Parry novel without a link back to the medical side of Raven and Sarah's life and once again we are brought into the world of Dr Simpson, a blend of the factual and the imagined, which really adds another dimension to the stories. It is a thriller based in the world of medicine, rather than a medical thriller, but I have to admit that those scenes fascinate me every but as much as the wonderful array of characters and the rich settings that Ambrose Parry portray so beautifully. There are plenty of the old favourite characters littered throughout the story, as well as some new who most definitely throw a spanner in the works as far as our Detecting duo are concerned. Potentially big changes afoot but it has left me all the more intrigued to see what may come next.
Definitely recommended.
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There are 5 books in this series.
Kindle Price:
£14.97
By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use
Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
In this series (5 books)
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From the Publisher
The Way of All Flesh
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The Art of Dying
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A Corruption of Blood
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Voices of the Dead
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The Death of Shame (A Raven and Fisher Mystery)
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| Discover the thrilling Raven & Fisher series | Edinburgh, 1847. Meet Will Raven, apprentice for the renowned Dr Simpson, and Sarah Fishe, Simpson’s housemaid, who has all of Raven’s intelligence but none of his privileges. Their journey will take them into the darkest corners of Edinburgh | Edinburgh, 1849. Hordes of patients are dying all across the city, with doctors finding their remedies powerless. And a whispering campaign seeks to paint Dr James Simpson, pioneer of medical chloroform, as a murderer... | Edinburgh, 1850. Sarah and Raven’s lives seem indelibly woven together as they discover that wealth and status cannot alter a fate written in the blood. | EDINBURGH, 1853. In a city of science, discovery can be deadly . . . The thrilling fourth Raven & Fisher novel | 1854, Edinburgh. Respectable faces hide private sins. . . Drawing upon real historical events, The Death of Shame takes Raven and Sarah into a treacherous labyrinth of exploitation, corruption, and immorality. |
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€nigmaReviewed in Germany on 31 August 2021
Diesmal mehr Krimi-Elemente als Medizingeschichte
