The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry
Having read and enjoyed The Way of All Flesh by this husband and wife team Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman I was keen to read the further adventures involving Will Raven and Sarah Fisher.  This novel opens in Germany with Will Raven in Germany becoming involved in yet another altercation which results in him fleeing back to Edinburgh where he takes up a post as assistant to Dr Simpson.  He however finds much changed upon his return.
This book once again deals with the difficult role which women had in the 1850’s:  despite her skill and aptitude Sarah would be unable to train to be a doctor.  There are suggestions that this may be possible in other countries such as America.  This is historical crime fiction of the highest calibre and interwoven amongst the events of the novel are real people and events.  Will and Sarah are again called upon to investigate a series of unexplained deaths and also to rescue the reputation of Dr Simpson.
I am keen to see where this pair are led in the future and am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this.  With a realistic background, characters based on real people who played significant roles in modernising medicine and two leading 'fictional' characters who blend well with the real ones, this book is going to be a popular addition to the genre.  

It is well written, all the characters are well drawn, have flaws and are believable.  I would recommend it to anyone.

With thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for an advance copy.

I did not realize this was the second in a series when I requested it - nowhere on the description page does it mention that...  Praise for the first book, The Way of All Flesh, is provided, but nowhere does it say that's the first-in-series; I therefore thought it was just another book by the author (and frankly don't always/often read the advance praise because I don't find much value in the statements). So when I went to add this to my GoodReads "currently reading", I was irritated to find that it was #2 in a set. I don't like reading series books out of order, because you miss a LOT of backstory that way and it makes it tough to do a review without running the risk of criticizing the author for not explaining things that were explained, just not in this current volume. I've complained about this on here often; I think publishers do themselves and their authors a disservice not being upfront about a book's position in a series. 

So I did what I usually do when I'm intrigued by a title I didn't realize fell somewhere in the middle, and looked for the first book. I could borrow it from the online library so did and promptly started reading...and shortly thereafter stopped. I could NOT get into these characters' lives for anything...  I don't think there's anything wrong with the writing, it just never got under my skin in a way that made me care about what was happening. Raven was insufferable, plain and simple. The descriptions and plot just never hooked me. And while Simpson and Sarah were interesting enough characters, there wasn't enough of them (at least as far as I got) to keep me engaged enough to work my way through the rest.

As you can imagine, from there I was nervous about starting this, the actual review book, but I did figuring I'd give it a shot and if it grabbed me, I'd make my way back to the first and work my way through it to catch up. Unfortunately, I found my reading experience almost exactly the same. Raven irked me, the plot didn't grab, and this time Sarah felt less fully fleshed than she had in even my partial read of the first book.  Her marriage and insecurities made her less, rather than more, interesting this time around as they seemed to define her rather than her competence did in the first book.

A lot of other readers love these books; the premise for both intrigued me straightaway, so I can see where the interest generated. Unfortunately I never connected with them enough to find my way with them. Apparently this just is not the series for me.  I hate leaving a starred review for a book I didn't finish, but NetGalley makes you, so I'm forced to go with two since I couldn't even finish...

This book dazzled me from the beginning. I plunged into 1850 Edinburgh so deeply that it was difficult to emerge from under the authors' spell. I didn't want to stop reading to eat dinner and dessert with my family. Even chocolate cake couldn't overcome the power of this book. I gobbled up my cake in the 21st century and rushed back to the 19th century as quickly as possible. And then I was back in Edinburgh . . . 

The dark streets where women didn't dare walk. The sordid slums of the poor and beautifully-decorated parlors of the wealthy. 

The social hierarchy that dictated who could marry whom. The scandal when a brave few threw off societal restraints and married for love. 

The ever-present threat of dying in childbirth. The number of children who died in infancy or early childhood. 

The list goes on.

I felt like I was physically there. More importantly, I was emotionally present. The tumultuous emotions swirling in the atmosphere were my emotions, the characters existed in my life, and I cared about them deeply. 

I immediately liked both Sarah Fisher Banks and Will Raven. (He's usually called Raven in the book). Sarah is smart, eager to learn about medicine, and chaffs under the social dictates for her gender. Though she and Will were romantically involved in the previous book, he refused to marry someone beneath his social class and fled to Europe to study medicine. In the meantime, she married Archie Banks, a doctor with quite egalitarian views who encourages her to study medicine. 

When Dr Simpson's reputation is smeared, Raven and Sarah butt heads over the proper response. She wants to investigate; he wants to stay out of it. I enjoyed watching the two spar over this and other issues. Even when they team up, the two don't always work well together. Both have secrets. Both are stubborn and have huge blind spots. And Sarah's marriage puts a barrier between them. When they need to be in agreement, too often they miss clues because they interpret them in different ways. This gives their unseen enemy an advantage, an advantage that the killer will exploit . . .

At points, the killer narrates from a first person point of view. Though it soon becomes obvious who this woman is, I didn't work out how all of the elements fit together until the climax. Her voice commanded my attention. She demanded that I see her impoverished childhood, abused teenage years, the way she became who she was, even when I wanted to look away. 

The Art of Dying is a beautifully-written historical mystery. The book captivated me, sweeping me away with its masterful prose, deep characters, and tight control of the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it! An enthusiastic 5 stars.

(Thanks to Netgalley and BlackThorn press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

Note: this review will be posted on my blog on March 1, 2021.

As I’m interested in the history of medicine this is a book  that appeals. ✔️ Set in Edinburgh? Another ✔️. Featuring Dr James Simpson of chloroform fame? ✔️ Brilliant characters in the aforementioned Simpson, Dr Will Raven and Sarah Fisher? ✔️ An intriguing mystery?  ✔️ I could go on!! Will returns to Edinburgh after studying in various places in Europe and adding to his medical knowledge. He is now Simpson’s assistant. To his dismay Sarah is now married to the immensely likeable Dr Archie Banks. Simpson finds himself at the centre of controversy over the death of Mrs Johnstone with other doctors accusing him of causing her death ( this is based on fact) meanwhile a monster masquerading as an angel in hour of need is adding to her death tally. The story is told from various perspectives intriguingly  interspersed with the killers thoughts. This is a really well written book which uses language appropriate to the century and is compulsive and gripping reading. 

There is so much to admire in this book, the characters are masterfully crafted and spring of the page. There’s Simpson so full of life, energy and coiled like a spring. Will is very interesting with his inner turmoil and brawling, he ably defends himself with his Liston knife (Robert Liston, the high speed surgeon, check out his operation with 300% mortality rate!) and clever Sarah with her ambition to be a doctor. Other characters are equally colourful though some of very dubious intent. The chloroform debate is very interesting and it is central to a lot in this story which is full of twists and unexpected turns with key characters at risk. I also like the feminist aspect of the book too which is evident through Sarah who is encouraged both by Archie and patient Mrs Glassford. Female trail blazers in medicine and in literature inspire Sarah however, the accepted 19th attitude to women is firmly expressed by one unlikable female character. 

Overall, I love this book which kept my interest from start to finish. This is a fascinating book that I will certainly remember and I’m very keen to find out where life takes Sarah and Will in the future. Highly recommended.

This is a powerful, well-researched book, and a sequel to The Ways of All Flesh. On the surface, it is a gripping, historical medical mystery, but it is much more than that. Set in Edinburgh, 1850, it details medical practices of that time and is based on some real-life historical characters. This atmospheric story highlights the squalid, unhygienic, dangerous lot of the poor, high infant mortality, infectious diseases, and inept policing procedures in a Victorian-era city teeming with criminality. 


Conservative medical practices, jealousies and rivalries among ambitious doctors, their reluctance to accept innovative new practices and denial that deadly germs could be spread due to lack of sanitation prevailed. What stood out for me was social restrictions imposed on women and the lack of feminist advocates. 

This works well as a standalone novel, but reading the first gives one a deeper understanding of recurring characters. Sarah had worked as a housemaid, but her keen intelligence, observations, and her study of medical texts while serving in the home of a prominent doctor, made this independent woman a valued assistant to her employer, Dr. James Simpson, renowned for his discovery of chloroform to alleviate pain during surgery. Even Sarah’s competent role as a medical assistant was frowned upon by society including other doctors and most patients. A woman doctor would not only be unacceptable but also unthinkable.

Will Raven had been apprenticed to Dr. Simpson. He had formed romantic feelings towards Sarah, but in his arrogance rejected marriage to her, feeling that she was below his social status, and such a marriage would impede his ambition to become a successful doctor. 

Dr. Will Raven has now completed his medical requirements and has been expanding his knowledge by travelling to centres in Europe for a year, gaining insight from physicians and medical lecturers in cities he visited. Although he rejected marriage with Sarah, he still has feelings for her and is anxious to resume their relationship. He is anticipating a position as a doctor with his mentor, Dr. Simpson on his return to Edinburgh. To his chagrin, he learns that Sarah is now Dr. Simpson’s trusted assistant, but that she married during his absence. He is stunned to discover that her new husband is not only a doctor but a man who encourages his wife’s career in the medical field. 

 Dr. Simpson, having made a name for himself for his discovery of chloroform, is now having his reputation tarnished. He is finding himself unjustly accused of malpractice, causing the death of another doctor’s wife following surgery he performed. Sarah approaches Dr. Will Raven for help in restoring Dr. Simpson’s good reputation. Will is reluctant to work with Sarah in any capacity, being heartsick and jealous of her position as a doctor’s wife and her ongoing work as a medical assistant. Later, he relents, and they try to get to the cause of the rumours and put an end to them. 

Meanwhile, there is a mysterious new illness that no one can diagnose and cure. It affects entire families killing all those afflicted over a period of time. Will regards this as an opportunity for fame and fortune. He hopes to find a cause and cure for this communicable new epidemic which he thinks will carry his name. Sarah suspects that a cunning serial killer is behind these deaths, arguing with Will that it is not a disease. Will finally realizes that the more vigilant Sarah is correct and that they now have a difficult, relentless task of solving this crime. Will takes a major step in his personal outlook as his arrogance diminishes. 

 As their relationship develops, I expected a different ending after all the twists and revelations. I was surprised and gratified by the next step in Sarah’s heroic story. I am anticipating a sequel focusing on the same main characters.
 Thanks to NetGalley and Blackthorn Books for this impressive novel in return for an honest review. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Canongate for the eARC.
Edinburgh 1950.  Will Raven has returned to the city  after a year-long trip through major cities in Europe, increasing his medical experience and is now a qualified medic.  He's working as an assistant to Dr. Simpson, the renowned physician who discovered chloroform.   To his dismay, Sarah Fisher, the housemaid he became close with, is no longer a housemaid and has also married ... and her husband is a doctor!  After deciding nothing could come of their relationship due to her lowly status, he's shocked not only at that, but also how much it hurts him.
Mysterious deaths are occurring all over the city and Raven believes he may have found a new disease, something that could make his name in medical history.  Sarah, however, believes something much more evil is going on and soon the two off them are on the hunt for a stone cold killer.
The story is terrific.  The atmosphere of Edinburgh in those days, society's strict rules for women, the medical practices, as well as the fact that several of the characters were actually real  people (even the killer!) make for an absorbing read.  Great research;  and even though I hadn't read the first in the series, it works well as a standalone.  Highly recommended.