“A Corruption of Blood” immerses readers in the dark and atmospheric streets of Victorian Edinburgh, where danger lurks around every corner. Ambrose Parry, the pen name for the husband-and-wife duo Chris Brookmyre and Dr. Marisa Haetzman, crafts a gripping tale that combines medical intrigue, family secrets, and sinister murders.

Dr. Will Raven, a man accustomed to the macabre, is shaken by the discovery of a package washed up at the Port of Leith. Its contents lead him into a web of deception and treachery. Meanwhile, a man Raven despises seeks his help to escape the hangman’s noose.

In the same city, Sarah Fisher, determined to practice medicine despite societal norms, embarks on her own quest. When she learns of a woman who defied gender barriers to obtain a medical degree, Sarah’s resolve strengthens.

The chemistry between Raven and Fisher crackles as they navigate Edinburgh’s social divide. Their investigations take them from opulent mansions to the grittiest corners of the city. Wealth and status prove powerless against the inexorable fate written in blood.

Parry’s meticulous research shines through, grounding the narrative in historical accuracy. The medical backdrop adds depth, and the characters leap off the page. Raven’s determination and Fisher’s resilience make them a formidable team.

What sets “A Corruption of Blood” apart is its unflinching portrayal of taboo subjects. The opening scenes are stark, and the subsequent revelations are equally haunting. Yet, amidst the darkness, there’s hope and resilience.

If you relish historical mysteries with vivid settings, authentic characters, and a dash of medical intrigue, this book is a must-read. Ambrose Parry continues to deliver captivating tales that linger long after the final page.

A Corruption of Blood is an good read even if you haven't read the earlier novels in the series; events are referenced, but given enough detail that you can work out what happened, even if reading the earlier installments would give far more detail and context. It's a well done historical murder mystery, with two crimes being handled side by side; one involving the discovery of a child's body in the river and the other being a more standard whodunnit murder mystery of an aristocratic and powerful man.

The first half of the novel is a very slow build up, as although the narrative thread of the dead child is started fairly early, the novel spends a lot of time dissecting relationships and focusing on the lives of the characters. The pace picks up somewhere around the half way mark when Sir Ainsley Douglas is found dead, determined to be murder by arsenic poisoning with his son as the main suspect and immediately arrested. Raven is cajoled into investigating this by his partial love interest, finding himself on the wrong side of the most powerful man in law enforcement as he sticks his nose into the whole affair.

It's an interesting and well done narrative, bringing the harsh realities of 1850's Edinburgh to life, particularly the lives of women; both those with privilege yet restrained from any useful career due to their gender and those with nothing, selling their bodies and unable to afford any children that may come along. I found the push and pull of the romance angle a little tedious, but that is fairly normal for me. Thankfully, there was enough character development and narrative to stand out regardless of the romance. It shines a light on the medical, social and legal issues of the day as well as bringing the time period to life around you. There are strong characterisations, both of the main characters and the lesser characters throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

The book was archived before our group could download it. We are sure that we would have enjoyed the book judging from the reviews it has received.

I love being given the opportunity to update our school library which is a unique space for both senior students and staff to access high quality literature. This is definitely a must-buy. It kept me absolutely gripped from cover to cover and is exactly the kind of read that just flies off the shelves. It has exactly the right combination of credible characters and a compelling plot thatI just could not put down. This is a great read that I couldn't stop thinking about and it made for a hugely satisfying read. I'm definitely going to order a copy and think it will immediately become a popular addition to our fiction shelves. 10/10 would absolutely recommend.

A Corruption of Blood is the third instalment of Ambrose Parry’s ‘Raven, Fisher and Simpson’ series, all of which have been solid four-star reviews for me so far.

Ambrose Parry is the pen name for a husband and wife team - Chris Brookmyre, a crime novelist and Dr Marisa Heitzman, a consultant anaesthetist. The novels are historical fiction, grounded with real characters and settings, set in Edinburgh in Dr Simpson’s household. Although previous books I have lamented felt a little dry in terms of too much medical knowledge, this third offering felt a lot more like a crime thriller than the others and I really enjoyed it.

The characters are always interesting, and the text alternates chapters from the perspectives of Raven: a doctor’s assistant with a darker side and Sarah: newly widowed and trying to make a career for herself in the very male dominated world of medicine. In this book, Raven tries to exonerate a friend from the murder of his father and Sarah tries to get to the bottom of a baby-farmer who has set up shop in the town. Both plot strands mingle nicely and both sides are just as interesting and engaging. All the characters felt very well-drawn, although there are sometimes quite a lot of characters introduced, which helped to keep things nicely muddied and made it hard to guess who was responsible for the murder until right near the end.

There is of course, plenty of character development within this book. Sarah goes abroad to speak to the first woman to gain a medical qualification and finds that her prospects might not be all she imagined they were. Raven is courting a woman with a mysterious past. The two are still love interests and so the restraint and ‘will-they-won’t-they’ is still an interesting read. There is a massive event in this book which felt almost glossed over and I’m sure will complicate things going forward. It isn’t a happy book, and the characters don’t seem to get the endings they want but the ones they must have in society at the time.

With more of an emphasis on the crime thriller elements of the story, ‘A Corruption of Blood’ was my favourite read of the series so far. Thank you to NetGalley & Canongate Books for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am thrilled to be opening the blog tour for this latest book in one of my favourite series. It is also one of the few where I have all three books signed by the authors.

One of the many reasons I enjoy historical fiction like this is because of the way the story is based on read life characters as well as fictional ones, the knowledge that many of the events would have happened and the opinions of many of the characters would have been common. Most of these opinions left me feeling outraged and saddened. I don’t think that I would have been able to stay quiet like Sarah did, and I had a lot of respect for her ability to do so, and her determination to try and prove her critics wrong. She did have her supporters though, from women like her, who couldn’t follow their dream.

Initially Sarah and Raven were investigating different cases, but they do have a link and eventually they ended up working together. Unfortunately, they found themselves in danger and they knew that someone was scared of them getting too close to the truth. What they did discover was heartbreaking. I know that there were many who were capable of acts like this, but can’t imagine what it would be like to know that you had been duped by somebody so cruel. I was completely wrong about all aspects of their investigations but had a lot of appreciation for the eventual outcome.

Whilst there is a lot of focus on uncovering the truth there is also a lot that shows the way life was at the times for many. The poverty, the horrifying decisions that many were forced to make and the attitudes of the wealthy towards those who were less fortunate. All of this combined with Sarah’s determination to be acknowledged is the reason I enjoy this series so much.

I was happy to read a few weeks ago that book four in this series will be published next year. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next

Excellent!

This is the third book in the Raven and Fisher series, a crime / mystery series set in historical Edinburgh following a young doctor and housemaid. I have read the first two books in the series (also excellent) and would recommend starting from the beginning, as the relationships between characters really develops.

The book was fast paced and engaging, the crime was well plotted and there was just enough moral ambiguity to add depth rather than a straightforward whodunnit - I suspected the murderer and a few key twists but still found the reveal very satisfying.

The setting and historical medical backjground made this very atmospheric. As someone who lives in Edinburgh I really enjoyed the subtle local mentions and thought the charater of the city was portrayed well. It was all very well researched and interesting. Characters seemed authentic, with complex but believable relationships.

Overall would highly recommend for anyone interested in historical/crime and mystery thriller/medical writing. This book also explores differences in social class and status and women's role in society in an engaging way, without being heavy-handed which I thought was very well done.

Great read, I couldn't put this down!

So for those of you who don’t know, Ambrose Parry is the name under which best selling crime fiction author Chris Brookmyre writes with his consultant anaesthiologist wife, Marisa Haertzman…

This is the third in the Raven & Fisher series, set in mid-19th century Edinburgh, just available in paperback…and wow, is it good! It’s a real pageturner, and, reading this, it’s easy to see why Brookmyre has been the only author up for the McIlvanney Prize every year since its inception.

But Brookmyre doesn’t usually write historical fiction, correct?

No, his books written alone are set in the present day. But making use of the knowledge his wife gained whilst studying for a History of Medicine Degree, the two of them have combined forces to come up with this fantastic series, cleverly set in Edinburgh. As well as being steeped in history, it was at that time one of the leading places in Europe to study medicine, and was at the centre of the Enlightenment in the previous century. Indeed, as Voltaire had said, “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation.”

But it’s still crime fiction, isn’t it?

It certainly is – real keep-you-up-all-night crime fiction! And just in case you’re worried about not having read the first two books, don’t worry – it works perfectly well as a standalone (although I’d be most surprised if you didn’t immediately get hold of the first two in the series after reading this!) I’d also say this – if you think historical fiction isn’t really your bag – perhaps you think it’ll be a bit too much like hard work, or being back at school – I’d give this book a whirl. I’ll guarantee it’ll make you a convert.

Okay, sounds great so far – but what’s the storyline?

Well, Dr Will Raven and Sarah Fisher have had a “will-they-won’t-they” storyline going on in the previous two books. In this book, while Sarah is in Europe investigating the possibility of a woman studying medicine – a radical idea then! – Raven has found himself a new love interest, who begs him to help a childhood friend accused of murdering his father. Despite having a dislike for this man, with whom he studied medicine, he’s smitten with Eugenie, his new flame, and tells her that he will investigate – albeit somewhat reluctantly.

He’s also tangentially involved in the case of a dead baby which was wrapped in paper and dumped in the waters at Leith, due to being present when it was discovered. Things take a nasty turn when the post-mortem reveals the infant was murdered,

Meanwhile, Sarah is investigating a possible case of baby-farming in the less salubrious area of the Old Town. Both their investigations are wonderfully written, and kept me up well past my bedtime. There are, as ever, some excellent books in the longlist for the McIlvanney Prize 2022, but this one absolutely has to be a front-runner. It’s spell-binding stuff – but I’d expect nothing less from this exceptional team!

Absolutely not to be missed!

I'm not a big series reader, nor am I a big mystery/crime reader...but holy heck I love these books!

This is the third book in the Raven, Fisher and Simpson series. Potentially you could read them out of order, as each covers a new but equally gruesome obstetrics-based crime in 1800's Edinburgh. But to fully understand the story of Dr Will Raven, his mentor the eminent Dr James Simpson, and Sarah Fisher, former housemaid with dreams of breaking out of the confines placed on women at the time, you really should read them in order. Their stories are just as compelling as the crimes.

In this latest instalment, we have baby-farming and death by poisoning, with a big dose of daddy issues. Those who can't afford to raise their children, as well as the wealthy keen to avoid scandals of illegitimacy, pay for the services of a woman who will care for them or find good homes. But is this deal as good as it sounds...or is something darker afoot? Something darker that Will Raven may find himself tangled up in, getting on the wrong side of the law in the process? And what about the dead rich guy, poisoned by his own supper?

These books are so much fun, if you have the stomach for medical yucks and can handle a high maternal and infant mortality rate. I just love the way Auld Reekie (Edinburgh) is such a part of these stories, and in this book we get to see one of the old closes similar to Mary King's Close (the street discovered hidden under The Royal Mile). Some of the characters and crimes are based on real history, which I think just adds to the whole experience, as does the focus on the place of women and those who are trying their darndest to break those shackles. I really hope this isn't the last we see of this series.

Gritty, and gothic, and delightful.

I always worry when it comes to continuing a series, but I must say, this is one of the few that I do not worry about!

The third book in what has quickly became one of the best series' I've read, A Corruption of Blood manages to mix the history of medicine (which i find truly fascinating) with a cast of characters that it is hard not to love - despite their shortcomings.

I look forward to continuing the series!

Great setting in Victorian Edinburgh where rich and poor live in close proximity and society is everything. I like the idea of Sarah wanting to better herself through education despite the social stigma of such. Another solid story.

This got off to a slower start than the previous two books but the plot kept me going on through nonetheless.

It is an excellent story focusing on some of the horrors of Victorian Britain running alongside the back story of Raven and Sarah.

I was really interested in learning about the daily lives and challenges of medical practitioners in those times. They really come alive on the page.

I will look forward to a further book in this series.

A corruption of blood - Ambrose Parry

I didn’t get a chance to read this title as it expired before I got the chance to. I’m sorry

In a corruption of blood Victorian Edinburgh comes to life and leaves little to the imagination it all becomes clear to your mind.

A fantastic read and one I highly enjoyed

This is the third in the series of books set in 19th Century Edinburgh. Raven, a doctor & Sarah Fisher once more work together to solve the mystery of a missing child & the murder of a thoroughly dislikeable person. Gideon, the son of the victim is accused of the murder & begs Will to help clear him. This series captures the setting of Victorian Edinburgh very well. I really like Raven & Sarah & am still kept wondering about the "Will they or won't they" situation, even though Raven is now engaged I keep hoping!!

This was an enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is the third book in the Fisher and Raven series and I really recommend reading them in order if you can – there is a lot of personal backstory and character development behind the (technically stand-alone) murder mystery plots.

This book is my favourite of the three so far. There is a really nice balance here between the personal and professional, medical and mystery. As always, the setting feels authentic to the time and place (19th C. Edinburgh) and readers are plunged into the trials of hygiene, health, poverty and social politics, as well as the character’s more specific issues (Will and Sarah’s romantic timing remains extremely pitiable, although their attitudes are more mature and accepting, so I am interested to see how that will develop in future).

There are quite a few potential triggers involved in the content, as the main storyline involves dead babies, rape and child abuse, as well as the possible murder case. I felt, again, that the story was perfectly balanced as the main plot progressed, as I spotted all of the right clues but was then led subtly up the wrong alley. The reveal left me feeling smug, surprised and very satisfied – the best of all worlds for a murder mystery!

Established fans won’t be disappointed in this instalment and newcomers will find a treat awaits them if they enjoy extremely well-written historical medical/mystery fiction.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

This is a fantastic addition to a brilliant series. The medical side of the story is fascinating and the historical element is atmospheric and does not shy away from the harsh realities of the time. The partnership between Sarah and Will is endlessly intriguing as their lives entwine and then twist away from each other again. If you're a bit of a wuss like me, best not read on your own in the dark as the menace of the shadowy figures positively radiates off the page. I can't wait for the next installment.

The third novel in the series featuring Dr Will Raven and former housemaid now physicians assistant Sarah Fisher. Once more, the pair are plunged into a dark mystery that takes them to upper class estates and the grimy underbelly of Edinburgh. Atmospheric, fast paced andreal historical figures are also featured which gives authenticity to the story.

A Corruption of Blood (a terrific title too) is a cracker of conundrums for Sarah and Raven.

I was a little concerned as I began this book that the authors had chosen historical content at the expense of a decent crime plot. How wrong I was!

At the beginning of this installment we find our protagonists apart, miles and miles apart, both figuratively and geographically. And it seems fate has no inclination to bring them back together...
Until.
Two seemingly unconnected strands of 1800s Edinburgh life burst upon them like a sudden and opportune thunderstorm, shaking everything up and down.

It is amazing how distraught you can become about the life paths of fictional characters you care about quite so much.

The gradual development of their relationship into kindred spirits has been an Ambrose Parry reader's deep enjoyment over three novels (and hopefully beyond) and here we witness their magnetic reliance on each other as the puzzles mount, dragging them back together to do their best work.

An additional delight is further illumination into the tradition-busting character of Dr Simpson. He is endlessly quotable and admirable. The historical note at the end reminds us that he was a real person and I can only hope he was one-tenth the inspirational and open-minded chap portrayed here.

'Do not wait for ideal circumstances to arise, act as though they are already here.'

Well, quite, Dr Simpson.

Bring on the next masterpiece!

After putting off reading this for a good while since I did not realise it was in a series when I requested it, I finally read books 1 and 2 of this series, and thoroughly enjoyed them. This third book was very much as enjoyable. I appreciated the historical relevance of the characters and events, and found myself wanting to find out more. I found the plot slow-paced but rich, and dark themes are raised so please bear in mind trigger warnings. I found the plot somewhat repetitive when compared to the previous books, but that did not necessarily take away from my enjoyment of it, and the twist at the end was well written. Overall, I would recommend this book and look forward to any more by these authors!