Loved this book! It was completely atmospheric and totally transported me to the time in which it was set. It made me chuckle, whilst also giving a stark insight into what medicine (and surgery) was like back then... as well as a lot of thanks that things are no longer like that. Some nice twists and turns and a decent storyline which kept me interested the whole way without being too heavy.

Great read, really enjoyed it. I would not normally read something set in this era but what a thrill it was.
Characters very descriptive and easy to conjure up a picture in my mind.
The setting very atmospheric...a place I know but in a very different time.
What a great writing team these two make.

I wrote the story of Dr (Edward William) Pritchard the Poisoning Adulterer-who was the last man to be publicly hanged in Scotland for the murder of his wife and mother in law so I researched a lot on the area in the mid-1850s. This book didn't disappoint. Well written, good characters, good setting. Great storyline. Recommended.

A medical student and a housemaid team up to uncover a gruesome murderer of women in 19th century Edinburgh against the backdrop of medical research and discovery.

Will Raven and Sarah were the highlight for me here, as I found their chemistry entertaining, realistic and interesting with a dynamic that really works here. Sarah is intelligent, and could easily be a medical student herself if it weren’t for her gender and status. She’s often exasperated by Will, and resentful of her place in life, but she’s the main instigator in driving the plot and investigation forward because of her passion. I also liked Will, who although privileged, doesn’t judge people on their status - which is what leads him into the murders in the first place, as his friend, a prostitute is a victim. He’s compassionate, and sympathetic.

I also liked that this is set in Edinburgh during 1847, as it made a refreshing and unique change to the usual London setting. The descriptions are richly atmospheric and immersive, with a lot of detail about the various markets and streets of the city that really captured my attention. I also really liked the medical research included in the plot, as it made it feel more realistic- although it did slow the plot at times, which did get a bit heavy.

A different approach to the historical murder mystery genre, with two main characters that have a lot of chemistry.

I absolutely adored this book. So well written and clearly well researched. This really captures a sense of what Victorian Edinburgh was like at the peak of medical innovation. Really well fleshed out characters and a fast-paced storyline make for an absolute cracker of a read. Really excited to see what they do next!

Will Raven is not blessed with a rich family but he has enough of a name to ensure that he can study medicine and become apprentice to renowned gynaecologist Dr Simpson. Hounded by the moneylender he borrowed from and haunted by the death of his former lover Raven throws himself into the exciting medical life in the new Town.Also resident at the house is the maid Sarah, clever but not blessed with being male or from money. As several women are found dead from poisoning Will and Sarah find the answers are a little too close to home.
This book is from a new writing team comprising an experienced novelist and a consultant anaesthesiologist and it shows. the two aspects are treated with equal respect, ie a cracking plot and a good understanding of the history of medicine. Add in a great setting in mid-Victorian Edinburgh and the scene is set for a great read.

I really enjoyed this book. It ticked all the boxes for me. As a medical mystery, set in the nineteenth century it was very believable, something that is very important to me. The detail appeared well researched and fascinating, as it helped immerse me into the plot. The characters were well defined, not always likeable. When I read a book that I like, it is easy to say I look forward to others but now I am actively looking for other books by Ambrose Parry, who I now realise is the pen name for a husband and wife, a couple with a medical background. How can I not be excited by them. The book is set in Edinburgh which I know has a rich history for medicine at the time. This book gripped me from beginning to end and it’s difficult to explain but whilst reading it, my emphasis went from the history, to the plot and to the characters and this kept me engaged throughout. This book is not the sort of book I wanted to race through but absorb it all well, as it went along. For me this is the best book I’ve read this year.

I live in Edinburgh and was born in the Simpson Memorial Maternity Hospital,so I found this book absolutely fascinating.I knew very little about Edinburgh at that time and although I knew James Simpson discovered chloroform,I didn't know much more about him than that.The plot is cleverly constructed,with the humour you would expect from Chris Brookmyre ,and two interesting and likeable main characters.The detail of medical history is what makes this book stand out from the usual historical crime novels.
I loved it and can't wait for the sequel.

A dead prostitute in Victorian Edinburgh discovered by a trainee doctor. Who decides to keep quiet. Great start.
He is then beaten up because he cannot pay his debts and arrives in his host's home a dreadful dirty mess. Then we meet the forthright housekeeper of the senior doctor's residence and the sleuthing pairing begins.

This is a book of great detail. The early chapters describe the social setting of Victoriana, which is very slow, before moving on to the medical aspects of the time, which is very gruesome. Both features are interesting of course, especially if the reader wishes to learn about this part of history. It shows a vivid slice of Victorian life, especially the standing of women, anesthetics and the idea of morality.

The apprentice doctor is specialising in obstetrics (a lot less messy than surgery) and deals mainly with the poor. He is concerned with their physical suffering during childbirth and the social suffering of unmarried women who find themselves pregnant. The dangerous and often fatal consequences the desperate women suffer is the mystery the trainee doctor and the feisty housemaid set out to discover.

There is a lot of discussion between the senior doctors about their research into anaesthetics with some risky experimentation thrown in. Their language, and the tone of the whole book, is attempting to be authentic for a Victorian novel. The vocabulary is slightly elevated but not too much as to disrupt the flow. This adds to the Victorian atmosphere as much as the dark alleyways the young doctor finds himself drawn to, despite being a little cliched.

It is easy to forget that the number of dead women in the story indicates that this is a crime to solved, and not a study in the development of anaesthesia. Which the book essentially is. It is a good read nonetheless: unusual topic, well written, sound characters with a theme of hypocrisy, typical of Victorian attitudes. This is emphasised by the quote 'The only difference between a medicine and a poison is the dosage' highlighting the paradox of medical progress.

This is a debut novel by Ambrose Parry and clearly shows great potential for a series. The sequel, The Art of Dying, will be published on 29 August 2019. Watch this space.

#NetGalley #TheWayOfAllFlesh

It’s 19th century Edinburgh and Will Raven is a medical student about to begin a coveted apprenticeship with a Dr Simpson. His good fortune is tempered somewhat when he is viciously attacked over a debt he’d taken on from a local woman. When the woman is found dead and a similar death occurs a few weeks later, Raven is convinced the deaths are linked and there’s a wider, sinister scheme at play. Dr Simpson’s housemaid, Sarah Fisher, is helping out at the doctor’s surgery. Frustrated with her lack of opportunity, despite her extensive medical knowledge, Sarah joins Will in his quest to discover what was behind the murdered women’s death.

This book is a brilliant mix of genres. Part historical and part crime novel the author balances the two perfectly. It’s a very atmospheric book, the author has a real feel for the time period and while I’m no expert on the 19th century, the dialogue feels authentic. The medical practices of the time were pretty brutal and there’s some fairly gruesome passages but this really adds to the whole feeling of the book. Life could be lost in an instant and even something innocuous as a broken bone could nearly lead to death. The characters are interesting and have a lot of room for development for future books. Sarah is way ahead of her time in terms of opportunities for women and like every housemaid is constantly threatened with the loss of her position without a reference. Will is a good man with a good heart but is impulsive and naive at points. He and Sarah make a good match as characters and there’s certainly plenty of legs left in these two.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There’s a lot of scope to be had with historical crime and this book explores an era and a city with a lot of potential for future books. I found myself thoroughly absorbed in this title and look forward to reading future volumes. Excellent.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

This is a story set in 19th Century Edinburgh, based around the development of medical practices. Will Raven, a medical apprentice is the central character. There are several deaths and practices acceptable and otherwise. Fascinating read.

Thank you Netgalley and Canongate Books for the ARC.

Some parts are slightly predictable and I worked out the villain very early on but its still a page turner and I couldn't put it down. I'm looking forward the next in the series and have bought this book in hard copy for my own personal library.

I loved this book and the era it was written about. I was born in Edinburgh and was very impressed with the description of the city. I fell in love with the characters and it was a great plot. Loved it and am looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re in the mood for an exciting slightly gothic thriller then this is definitely the book for you.

Doctor’s apprentice Will Raven and his frienmy housemaid Sarah Fisher are on a quest to find out the reasons behind the unexplained and violent deaths of several young women.

The author(s) take you on a Dickensian journey through old Edinburgh with descriptions so rich that you could almost feel that you were there in the flesh.

The characters are well rounded and I particularly love Sarah, a young woman before her time as so many were and her relationship with Will and it’s twists and turns along the way.

I could say so much more but I don’t want to spoil it for others. However I knocked off one star because I pretty much figured it out halfway through but that’s just me!

This book is clever, atmospheric and rich in its knowledge and history. A brilliant read.

This is an interesting first novel in what could be an entertaining series. The setting is that favourite venue of Rankin and others, made all the more intriguing by placing the action in nineteenth century Edinburgh at the time of some fascinating medical advances. The characters are well-drawn and the plot sufficiently complex to engage the reader, in terms of both the emerging crime detection skills of our heroes as well as the evolving relationship between them. For this reader the interweaving of historical characters and real-life medical advances was a very positive feature. If there were to be a minor criticism it might be that an apparent effort to write in a 'nineteenth century style' possibly detracted from the fluency of the narrative, although this may be in this reader's imagination. This is a different novel that will appeal to readers who like their crime novels spiced with historical accuracy and enjoy interesting digressions into the development of medical practice in nineteenth century Edinburgh. Very highly recommended.

The Way of All Flesh was written by Ambrose Parry (also known as Christopher Brookmyre and Dr Marisa Haetzman) and was published by Cannongate Books in paperback format on 30th April 2019.  I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley but that has in no way influenced my review.

What an absolutely wonderful historical mystery this is!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't read enough historical fiction.  I loved the setting (a dank and foggy Edinburgh in the 1840s), I loved the characters and I loved how wonderfully descriptive the writing is.  I was completely immersed in the story and I relished every single moment of it.

Medical student, Will Raven, acquires an apprenticeship with the renowned obstetrician, Dr James Young Simpson.  He is certain a life of riches awaits him and hopes his association with the esteemed Professor will ensure a line of wealthy patients queue up outside his door seeking his services in return for great financial remuneration.  Arriving at 52 Queen Street in a bloody and battered state Raven soon realises that not everything is as he first hoped and is aghast when the good Doctor is called to a less-than-salubrious abode and waves off payment.  Raven was sure he would be treating wealthy ladies from the New Town and living the high-life on the doctor's coattails.

When the doctor and Raven witness a young woman's contorted body being pulled from the docks Raven is reminded of his friend, Evie and how her body was discovered in a similar horrifying state.  Could the deaths be connected?  And what could cause the bodies to contort in such a way?  Raven enlists the help of Sarah Fisher, the doctor's housemaid and together they try to solve the mystery before more young woman lose their lives in such a horrific manner...

There's so much to this book.  Yes, the mystery element plays a part but there's so much more to it than that.  The characters are just wonderful.  I loved both Will and Sarah.  Will is a little priggish at times but he can be forgiven as his heart is in the right place, no matter how it initially seems.  I adore Sarah and I loved how ahead of her time she is.  Wanting to break down those gender and class divides - it's clear to the reader that she does not want to settle for her lot and her intelligence and thirst for knowledge is an inspiration (unfortunately it just doesn't *quite* fit into 1840s Edinburgh life).  Brilliant characters and I am thrilled to hear they will return in a second book.

Dr Simpson's quest to ease the pain and trauma of childbirth for his patients by discovering a new anaesthetic, therefore replacing ether, was a fascinating sub-plot which I thoroughly enjoyed.  There are some scenes in the book which are a little on the gory and upsetting side but these tend to relate to medical procedures and just the way situations were dealt with in the 1840s.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes, and I'm very much looking forward to the second book in the series which is out this Summer.  I loved how wonderfully atmospheric the writing is.  I loved the characters and can't wait to see how they develop in future books.  A great historical read and one I heartily recommend.

I chose to read and review an eARC of The Way of All Flesh.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Although this is not my usual choice of book, I absolutely loved it and hope that this really is the first of a series. I, for one, can't wait to read more. The 19th century setting was brilliantly researched to the point where I felt I was there, this book is superb

A novel that was more interesting for its historical research (anaesthetics, medicine and its practitioners) and its location (Edinburgh—yes, I’m biased) than for its actual mystery, to be honest.

So I really liked the setting, revisiting this city with a Victorian twist to boot, and looking for the Easter eggs laid here and there (Edinburgh was pretty famous when it came to medicine, and more than one name in the novel was an actual historical figure). With Will Raven and Dr Simpson being sent to attend several patients across town, including in less savoury areas, there was ample opportunity for some sightseeing along the way, and to get a glimpse of Edinburgh in the mid-19th century.

You can also tell that a lot of research was done when it came to anaesthesia and medicine in that era (one of the authors making up the Ambrose Parry pen name was actually inspired to write this novel by her research for her own thesis, and there is indeed a lot of information deserving to be exploited here). I never had any trouble picturing the various procedures, as gruesome as some were (surgery and amputations, ehhh), and to even read between the lines when a specific procedure erred on the side of euphemism due to its “unspeakable” nature.

The mystery itself, though, was less interesting, in that it unfolded at a slow pace while also being too obvious with its clues—I could sense the culprit coming already in the first half of the book. The characters are somewhat enjoyable, but get too mired down in their own backstories from the onest (Raven has a dark past and is also running away from his creditors, Sarah reflects every day upon her bleak prospects, Mina keeps lamenting about not having found a husband yet…): things that are in keeping with the era, especially regarding the role of women as “Angels of the Home”, but that also contribute to the slow pace until things are properly in place.

There are also quite a few cliché scenes that are worthy of an eye roll, notably the attempts at “romantic” situations—I counted three times when the characters are stuck in a tiny room/dive into an alley to avoid being seen, and are of course pressed against each other, and suddenly feel the need to kiss. Yeah, whatever. I’m no fan of romance in general, and these were very contrived means of pushing it that didn’t work at all.

Conclusion: Good for the historical background, less so for the mystery and characters.

A good crime novel without too much blood or violence. I loved the historical setting and the medical background, that reminded me of Sherlock Holmes. It's a real page-turner.

I especially recommend it to readers from Edinburgh, since the city is almost as important as any other character.

A very atmospheric novel that mixes historical fact and fiction. Edinburgh comes to life vividly, and the sometimes barbaric medical practices are revealed. The two main characters are interesting and credible. A cracking historical mystery.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC