I'd been looking forward to reading this book ever since I finished "The Way of All Flesh" (the first in the series) last year. It has been well worth the wait and, if anything, this crime novel is even better than the previous one.

What I particularly like about these books, which are written by a wife and husband team, is that they are multi-faceted. The scientific detail has been expertly researched, as has the historical geography of Edinburgh, my home city; the characters are credible, well-drawn and fully developed, and the various themes are skillfully interwoven - all of which together makes for a very satisfying read. In my opinion, this is in stark contrast to many recently published crime novels which have just two or three disjointed threads of plot, superficial character development and little or no evidence of having been researched in depth.

There have been quite a few books published recently with a theme of childhood abuse and its effect on the abused child when adult. Where this book differs from most others is in its treatment of an individual's psychology and, especially, how this theme becomes an integral part of "The Art of Dying"'s narrative as opposed to a sensation piece to which reference is occasionally made.

Now I can't wait to read the third in this excellent series!

With many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for this honest review.

Historical medical crime novel, set in Edinburgh in 1849. Dr Will Raven is back in the city, having done more medical training abroad, he's returned to rejoin Professor Simpson's household and successful obstetric practice. Former housemaid Sarah is still working for Simpson as a doctor's assistant, but has her own personal issues to contend with as she and Will start working together again - this time trying to track down a nurse who may be spreading a dangerous disease. Or is there more to it?

Ambrose Parry is the joint effort of Christopher Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman, this book is the follow up to The Way of All Flesh and has all the same good points - excellent plotting, accurate historical detail, sympathetic main characters. If you're paying attention, there are also brief references to one of Brookmyre's earlier characters and a pleasing Crocodile Dundee nod. It's a good story, expanding on some aspects of the first book but would also work well if you hadn't read that. I know that Haetzman is a medical doctor, which gives accuracy to the medical history aspects of the book (and a real gratitude for modern medicine and the NHS). The book touches on a real case where Simpson was accused of negligence, which shows up aspects of Edinburgh medical society for what it really was, as opposed to the glossier side we might often think of.

Recommended!

The second in the series of this superbly written historical crime novel set in Edinburgh in 1850.
The main characters centre around the house of Dr James Young Simpson (who was famous in the fields of obstetrics and anaesthetics). We are now a year on from the first book. As the book opens, Dr Will Raven is in Europe where he has been travelling for the past year. What will take him back to Edinburgh?
Sarah Fisher has always been very keen to progress in the field of medicine and this has been recognised by Dr Simpson since Will has been absent. Will is shocked to find that this is not the only the thing about Sarah’s circumstances that has changed in his absence.
They are rumours about the death of one of Dr Simpson’s patients. This could be very damaging to his career, but he does not seem to be quick to clear his name. Why is that? Does he have something to hide? Sarah thinks she and Will should help him. Will believes they should respect his privacy. Will Dr Simpson’s reputation be ruined?
Alongside this storyline, Will believes he has discovered a new illness. Sarah thinks there may be more rational explanation for the related deaths. Will Sarah and Will work together to get the bottom of the deaths?
Such a great book, I love the authors’ use of language and the characters are superb. Can’t wait for the third in the series!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Second in the series and I must say it grips you immediately. Will Raven, has recently returned from Europe to take up a position with Dr Simpson. Major changes have taken place in the house, and Simpson's household are experiencing upset and turmoil. However, Will once again finds himself thrown together with Sarah to hunt a serial killer.

If you love historical crime reads The Art of Dying ticks all of the boxes. Many of the characters existed, with fact and fiction blending together to make an entertaining, informative and exciting read. Unfortunately I now have to wait months for the next installment in the series.

In the second of these excellent historical/medical murder mysteries we find Will retuned from abroad to a married Sarah. Much angst. The two work together again to unravel the mystery of several deaths exhibiting strange symptoms. Nineteenth Century Edinburgh is once again well portrayed with its fine town houses and its nasty tenements. Places to be seen in and places you wouldn’t be seen dead in – or maybe you would. There are echoes from the previous book and many dilemmas for Will, which I found quite gripping. Seeing which way he chose to live his life, as he feared the devil within – his mother’s expression. The ending of the book is both exciting and satisfying. I would highly recommend it to all who love an historical mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley for a pre-publication copy.

I loved Ambrose Parry's first novel, The Way of All Flesh so was delighted to be given the opportunity to review the second in what is set to be a compelling series set mainly in Edinburgh and covering the history of obstetrics. The two main characters, Will Raven and Sarah Fisher are back in all their glory. It is two years on since they last met. Will has been continuing his medical studies abroad while Sarah, now married to a doctor, is increasingly trusted by her employer Dr Simpson to help with all sorts of medical matters. Sarah is determined to fight for her employer who is being slandered by two other Edinburgh doctors and unwittingly uncovers a series of mysterious deaths. Will, forever a little bit foolish thinks the deaths are down to a hitherto unknown disease and dreams of identifying 'Raven's Malady' which will set up his medical career for good. Of course it is not so simple.

The Art of Dying is equally as good as The Way of All Flesh. The characters are vibrant and Edinburgh itself becomes a character with the authors (a husband and wife team) demonstrating their knowledge of the city as well as the history of medicine. The language used is appropriate to the time period and also helps to set the scene. I strongly recommend this series and look forward to the next one. Thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the second book in the series with Will Raven and Sarah Fisher set in mid-19th century Edinburgh. Will returns to Edinburgh as a doctor having been in Europe studying. They soon become imbroiled in solving a series of unexplained deaths. As in the previous book there is some details of medical practices of that time. It is a great read moving at a fast pace. I hope there will be more in the series.

** spoiler alert ** Great follow up to The way of all flesh 
We've moved on a year,and despite seeing Europe,not a huge amount has changed for Will. Sarah however has had a complete change of circumstances... a Drs wife and pregnant too.
I can't help but feel making her a Drs wife is paving the way for her and Will to get together later.
There's a cold hearted killer,murdering people for what seems to be sexual gratification,and our two are on her trail when nobody else has noticed the killings.
Throw in some more medical stuff (which is always interesting) a few thugs,a thief and a dying husband and it's all very entertaining.
I say it a lot,but I've yet to find a Brookmyre book I don't like.
As Ambrose Parry,he just adds to that.(though credit also to Marisa Haetzman.)

The Art of Dying is a historical medical mystery about unexplained deaths and medical rivalries set in Edinburgh, the follow up to The Way of All Flesh by husband and wife writing team Ambrose Parry. Will Raven and Sarah Fisher are back, with Will now Dr Simpson's assistant and Sarah trying to expand her position giving medical help to the doctor despite the limitations placed on women. Dr Simpson's reputation is in trouble after one of his patients died in circumstances that other doctors have claimed are suspicious, but looking into this causes Raven and Sarah to uncover a lot more mysterious deaths and find some unlikely possible causes for them. At the same time, Raven continues to evade his pursuers and worry about his own nature, whilst Sarah has new troubles to worry about.

The first in the series was most interesting for its look at class and gender in the period, and the sequel certainly focuses on the latter, looking at the position of women in society and in the roles they can take. Once again, anaesthesia plays an important role in the novel, with Simpson's focus on chloroform still present, though there is slightly less of the medical focus as in the first one (or at least it feels like there is). The mystery narrative is unravelled using a good trope that allows for a few twists, and a wide cast of characters are kept up (though it feels very much like a book in a series for not resolving a number of side plots).

Historical mystery fans will likely enjoy this follow up, which combines a range of interesting characters with some real historical inspiration and a dark series of murders. Not one for the squeamish, but for people who like some historical research alongside the mystery.

I have been looking forward to this book, the second by Ambrose Parry, since reading the first one, The Way of all Flesh, last year. I was certainly not disappointed. The two main characters, Sarah and Will, are as interesting and sympathetic as in the previous novel which introduced them. A year has passed and things have changed for both characters. Will has been studying abroad and returns to Edinburgh not long into the book. To his astonishment he finds that Sarah is now married and no longer a housemaid in his patron's home. There is a third, initially unknown, voice in this book; someone whose first person narrative of murder forms the thriller element at the heart of the plot.
As with the previous novel in the series The Art of Dying is meticulously researched creating a superb sense of time and place (1850s Edinburgh) and embedding medical history into the narrative without in any way detracting from the tale. Characters from the previous novel are still around and influencing particularly Will and the choices he makes. Some of the less savoury characters introduced in The Way of All Flesh are further developed here and new characters are introduced Including those who will have a significant influence on Sarah.
Tension builds as the story progresses, characters and readers question motives and truths, moral dilemmas abound (particularly around questions of euthanasia and new surgical interventions but also around revenge and loyalty). This book really did have everything for me. I loved reading it and am sorry to have finished it. I do believe it stands alone but am sure if readers come to this first, they will be s desperate to read the prequel as I am to read the next in the series.
Ambrose Parry is the pen name for the two authors of this book, Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. It is a fantastic feat of joint authorship, each writer bringing their specialist skills to the result which shows no signs of a join
With thanks to the publisher, Canongate, for the complimentary ARC of this book via Net Galley in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was proper on the edge of your seat stuff. It's one of those books where you find yourself saying "One more chapter, one more chapter." and end up reading several more chapters.
In this book, Will Raven returns to Edinburgh from Europe where he has qualified as a Doctor and is back at Queen street working at Dr Simpson's practice.
As Will gets settled into his new career, rumours are going round that Dr Simpson is responsible for the death of a patient in suspicious circumstances and Sarah Fisher - Dr Simpson's former housemaid - asks Will to help her clear the good Doctor's name.

I've been waiting for this book since The Way Of All Flesh published last year, and it was worth the wait!

Will Raven is travelling Europe, learning more about medicine as well as the world in general. But he's not the only one who's changed since he left Edinburgh 2 years ago - Sarah Fisher has embarked on her own adventures, and Will's in for a rude awakening when he returns to the Simpson residence expecting everything to be the same...

As with the first book, The Art of Dying kicks off with a bang and doesn't let up. The seedy underside of Victorian Edinburgh is once more exposed and we see again how there's no escaping the dark underworld of crime, dodgy dealings and death.

I love Will and Sarah's characters - they are both beautifully drawn, full of life and flaws and all things in between. Once more we see Will's hubris get in the way of his own life, and Sarah's burning desire to do more and be more than society allows. Both characters still have a lot of growth to come, and I can't wait to read more in the next book!

‘The Art of Dying’ is the second book by Ambrose Parry (the pseudonym for a writing duo) that follows Will Raven, now a fully fledged doctor, and his rather intense, dramatic and volatile day to day life! It’s never dull and, as in the first book, Will is battling with the darkness that keeps invading his life.

I enjoyed the first book ‘The Way of All Flesh’ so was really looking forward to reading this one, and there’re no disappointments. This is another detailed historical novel, set in 1850s Edinburgh, that draws in real advances and thoughts in medical procedures of the day and the use of chloroform on patients.
Since the events at the end of the first book, Will has been travelling, advancing his medical knowledge and training. Dramatic events lead to his return to Edinburgh and he’s back working with Dr Simpson, a character based on the real life Dr James Young Simpson; professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University.

Will also yearns to see Sarah again, a woman he regrets leaving and he’s not at all content with his reasons for leaving her. However, their reunion is not the one he expected and there’s more ups and downs to come.
At the heart of this book is a serial killer, and their voice becomes part of the narrative as well. I was really engrossed in the psychology of this aspect. I loved that the villain of the story is also based on an actual 19th century mass-murderer.
I loved the merging parts of the story-telling and the build up to a dramatic climax.
I devoured this book in one sitting; I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough! Loved the setting, the characters, the historical detail, the plotting of the crimes and the excitement of the ending.

Better than the first book! Can’t wait for the next! I’ll definitely be buying myself a copy on publication day! This also works really well as a stand-alone too.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced e-copy to review.

Having read the first book featuring Will and Sarah and loved it, I couldn't wait to read the sequel. This book is just as great as the first. It ticks all the boxes for me, strong characters you care about, a gripping mystery, interesting plot twists and a well-paced narrative. In addition, the historical setting, the medical background and the sense menace interwoven with a light humour means that this book is another winner. Highly recommended.