A great read. This is the third book in the series with Will Raven and Sarah Fisher. As their relationship carries on from the previous books they should be read in order. The story has a slow start with Will at home in Edinburgh and Sarah on the Continent but speeds up when she returns finding him betrothed to Eugenie. They are soon on the trail of a murderer and missing babies. As ever the book conjures up the atmosphere of Edinburgh and the state of medicine in the mid-eighteenth century. Although the plot is somewhat tenuous, the book is a joy to read.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

A very enjoyable period thriller.
Well thought out and executed.
It was so good I will have to buy the first two in the series now. 😊

This is the third book in this series and I continue loving them. The research going into these books are amazing. They are very gripping, dark and atmospheric. Love the writing and mysteries.
Thanks a lot for this copy.

Dastardly deeds in Edinburgh society. What makes this series shine is the seedy side of nineteenth century Edinburgh and the strong relationship between Dr Will Raven and Sarah Fisher, the woman he once hoped would be his wife. In this third book, Raven is called in when a prominent businessman, Sir Ainsley Douglas, dies of arsenic poisoning. His son, Gideon, is suspected but Raven is not so sure. He also becomes involved in a case involving baby farming and infanticide. Grim but gripping. A real page turner.

Read the first book in the series and liked it, missed the second and have now just read the third - and liked it. Medicine in 19th century Edinburgh continues to develop although not as quickly as our two main characters would like.. Will gets embroiled in murdered babies this time; babies that are taken from their mothers and allegedly offered for adoption; mothers who are pregnant outside wedlock either as prostitutes or rich young ladies who "got caught". Sarah takes a tour around Europe hoping to find Dr Blackwell, the first female doctor. She comes home disenchanted only to find Will is engaged to Eugenie, another strong minded young lady of the times. Much of the book is about the relationships of these characters but there is sufficient discussion and mystery about obstetrics, the fate of "fallen" women, well women in general and what went on behind genteel scenes in a vibrant city to keep one entertained. There continue to be depressing similarities between the fates of women then and even today. The feel of the city remains as good as in the first book and continuing to bring in real events adds to the story. Thanks to NetGalley and Canongate Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another excellent, well-researched, historical crime set in Victorian Edinburgh from Ambrose Parry, who I have been recommending to every historical crime aficionado I know. This is the third in the series featuring the fictional young doctor Will Raven and his friend Sarah who has been able to rise from a servant to a doctor’s assistant and is desperate to achieve her ambition to become a doctor. Both are fortunate to work and live with the real-life obstetrician Doctor Simpson who did so much to improve childbirth with the introduction of chloroform and the difficulties faced by women in an unjust society are central to the plot. In this case Raven is called on for assistance when a man he loathes has been accused of murder whilst at the same time becoming embroiled in the case of murdered babies after happening to walk past the river just as a baby’s body is found. The plot is fairly clearly signposted but with this series the development of the characters and those moments such as the one when a campaign is launched to lock up prostitutes with syphillis to keep men safe are the real reasons to become enthralled in this fabulous series.

This is the third book of Ambrose Parry's Raven, Fisher and Simpson series and this installment in their story was just as enjoyable as the previous ones. I feel it helps to have read the previous novels to understand the relationships between them all but maybe not essential.
A lot of research goes into these books and this shows. There is wonderful attention to detail regarding the social issues and medical practices at the time, all set with an intriguing murder mystery to solve.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate books for the advance copy.

Thanks to Canongate for a review copy.
I was delighted when the third book in the series of Will Raven and Sarah Fisher’s adventures was announced. It was well worth the wait.
Like its two predecessors this book is primarily set in nineteenth century Edinburgh during the medical revolution which was taking place at the time. Many real historical characters pepper the pages along with Will and Sarah. We also see some returning faces from the past along with a few new friends and villains. Because this story forms the latest episode in a much larger (and ongoing) story arc I would strongly recommend readers to work through these excellent novels in order as links to past and future books will be much more enjoyable this way.
The story picks up shortly after the end of the previous book and, as usual sees Will and Sarah thrust into several different situations, all of which require investigation. A strangled baby washed up in Leith and a murdered eminent citizen of the city form the backdrop of the novel. At first sight these cases seem to be wholly unrelated and yet, as the story progresses, it turns out that they are inextricably linked and that some consider reputation more important than life itself. As the tale continues some of the lengths to which people will go, either by choice or because they feel forced to do so, enter very dark territory and some readers may find the revelations distressing, especially as they are based upon true events. This is not a story for those who find historical (and almost casual) cruelty as well as some very unpalatable truths difficult to cope with.
There is, of course, another reason why these books are so compelling. The developing relationship between Will and Sarah is both the main narrative driver of the story arc and wholly addictive. I didn’t think that things could get more complicated between these two than they did in previous book but how wrong I was. Ambrose Parry (in reality Christopher Brookmyre writing with medical historian Marisa Haetzman) has clearly mapped a tortuous road for these two souls no matter how much the reader wants the course of true love to run smoothly for them. Given the complications this novel thrown at them in this novel it does not look like things will become simpler anytime soon.
Will and Sarah are very much the embodiment of natural justice in these books whilst Inspector James McLevy is the voice of the establishment. As long as someone pays for the crime he isn’t too worried about whether he’s got the right man (or woman) though I detected signs of him beginning to mellow a little in this story.
Dr Simpson, mentor to both Will and Sarah is, as always, a major presence in the book and it his unerring support for both these characters is a joy. He would like nothing better than to see Sarah qualify as a doctor although he recognises the formidable obstacles which she would face in this male dominated and thoroughly misogynistic age.
Although by the end of the book the main plot threads are nicely resolved this novel, perhaps more than pervious volumes, leaves a number of loose ends hanging, which, I am sure (and fervently hope) are hooks which will be picked up on in the future. Given that these are two well established authors writing a successful series I cannot believe that unresolved elements are there by accident or oversight!
These stories all bring the world of Edinburgh to life and the prose is written so well that it is easy to walk with Will and Sarah into grand houses or the poorest parts of the new town. The sights and smells are so well described that the reader could easily be there. As such they are enjoyable on many levels, they are compelling crime stories which bring history to life and cannot help but teach the reader something of the history of medical science which we take for granted today.
I cannot recommend this series highly enough and I thoroughly look forward to reading about Will and Sarah’s next adventure.

As always, loved this book.

The author/s attention to detail is phenomenal and the research that must go in to these books is huge.

I love books set in Scotland because I find it relatable and this is no different.

Atmospheric and dark, really enjoyable read.

A Corruption of Blood is the third book in this wonderful historical medical mystery series set in Victorian Edinburgh. While each is a complete story, I think the characters and their behaviours will make a lot more sense if you read them in order. I had a good idea what to expect having loved the first two, and while initially I was disappointed that there wasn’t as much medicine in this one, the last part makes up for it, and it turned out to be just as good.

Several months after the events of The Art of Dying, Will Raven is still living at Professor Simpson’s house and happily working as his associate, while Sarah Fisher has embarked on a journey to meet Elizabeth Blackwell, famous as the first woman to obtain an official medical degree, in the hope of emulating her career. Returning home disappointed, she is distraught to learn that Will has become engaged to Eugenie, the daughter of an eminent physician, but must hide her feelings when they are thrown together once more by two unusual cases - the poisoning of a wealthy nobleman, apparently by his son, and the discovery of a dead baby wrapped up in a parcel in the Water of Leith.

The strengths of this series are the atmospheric descriptions of Auld Reekie - from the ostentatious mansions of the haves, to the slums inhabited by the unfortunate have-nots, the intriguing mix of real historical characters like Simpson and Blackwell, with our fictional protagonists Will and Sarah, backed up by a solid well-constructed mystery plot. There’s a fair bit of necessary sociopolitical commentary on the plight of the poor, especially women. I did find the first half a bit slow, with a bit too much focus on the characters’ relationships, but it definitely made up for it in the second half and I liked the way it ended, wrapping up the key plotlines but leaving things open for more adventures. While not particularly gory or violent, this covers some dark and distressing subjects with one particularly horrific scene that is necessary both for the plot and to show the hypocritical immorality of those responsible. 4.5 rounded up for the fascinating and well researched medical details.

I received a free ARC from Canongate Books via NetGalley and am posting this review voluntarily. A Corruption of Blood is published on August 19th.

Ambrose Perry's Raven, Fisher, and Simpson series just keeps getting better. From the start Perry's series had interesting, complex characters and intelligent plotting—and these characteristics shine in A Corruption of Blood. The setting, the medical community of Edinburgh in the mid-19th Century, is a place of medical breakthroughs, intense competition, and class divides.

Simpson is a renowned doctor, the man responsible for introducing the use of chloroform in surgery. He rose from a working class background and treats both society matrons and the poor, through a free clinic he runs out of his house. Simpson is an advocate for single mothers, who are too often condemned to turn to prostitution to feed their children and then treated as pariahs threatening the common good. Raven is a young doctor, also from a working class background—but his family, unlike Simpson's was violent, and Raven has his own violent streak, along with a solid sense of personal ethics. Fisher is a young woman who aspires to become a doctor at a time when women aren't admitted to medical schools. She began working in the Simpson household as a maid, but has risen to a position as Simpson's trusted assistant. She's formidably intelligent and fiercely protective of her hard-won independence.

In A Corruption of Blood, Raven and Fisher are investigating separate mysteries. Raven's fiance has convinced him to work to exonerate a young man (a class-conscious former classmate from Raven's medical school days) accused of murdering his wealthy, bullying father. Fisher is searching for the illegitimate child of one of the Simpson household's maids. The child had been placed with a "baby farmer" and the maid had been struggling to pay for the child's upkeep—until the day the baby farmer disappeared and the maid lost all contact with her child. The twists and turns in each case are numerous, revealing the hypocrisies in Edinburgh society, where men and women both sin, but only women are held accountable.

A Corruption of Blood would make an excellent summer read—really, an excellent read regardless of the time of year. If you enjoy historical mysteries, this is a title you won't want to miss.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[This review will also appear on EdelweissPlus and LibraryThing.]

Having read the previous two books in the series, as soon as I saw this instalment was available on Netgalley, I had to request it. And I wasn't disappointed.

The mystery in this book was a good 'un! I'd somewhat forgotten that Parry does not shy away from some harrowing storylines so prepare yourself. The scientific context and hstory, which Parry has again cleverly woven into the storyline, works really well as both a vehicle for perpetuating the mystery as well as for solving it.

I really enjoyed the further exploration of Sarah's life in this book: her hopes, dreams and ambitions. This illustrated the enormous struggle that women faced during that era -- not that it's completely eradicated now -- if they wanted to pursue specific roles: a career in medicine, in this case.

Another brilliantly written instalment that keeps you guessing. I look forward to more if there are more to come. Maybe with some further romance between Sarah and Raven. ;)

This is the third book in the series and even better than the two before. I read this one in two sittings. The characters are well drawn and the setting in a semi gothic Edinburgh is just perfect. I only wish I had saved it until the weekend to read in one indulgent go!

This is such a brilliant historical murder/mystery series set in Edinburgh in the 1800's where medical advances made major steps. The characters of Will and Sarah are totally believable and engaging. It is obvious that the authors have done extensive research in their attention to the detail of this period of history. Each of the three books can be read individually but I personally feel the reader gets more out of them by reading them in order. Excellent!

A Corruption of Blood is the third of the Will and Sarah murder thrillers set in Old Edinburgh. I look forward to the extravagant nastiness that each book indulges in.
This time, Will and Sarah are on the outs with each other and end up investigating the same grotesque case from two angles. The reader knows they are better together.
Justice must be served, although it is more natural justice here rather than that meted out by the punitive police force.

#A corruption of blood #Ambrose Parry
#cannongate books #netgalley 
The geourgous historic city of Edinburgh is home to this atmospheric murder mystery. A Corruption of Blood is the third book in the series, written by Chris Brookmyre and his wife Marisa Haetzman as Ambrose Parry, featuring Will Raven and Sarah Fisher. Set in mid-nineteenth-century Edinburgh, Their research and attention to detail is thorough and beautifully immaculate and 19th century Edinburgh is brought vividly to life this thoroughly researched and beautifully written story highlights the realities of life for women at both ends of the social spectrum the medical advances, social behaviours, class system and exclusion of women from the professions,set the tone for this dark tale of deception and murder. I'd say it's probably not essential to have read books one and two, but it will certainly help you to put Will and Sarah’s relationship in context, as well as fill in some background to both of their lives to date.This is a really strong series 
This story begins again soon after the end of The Act of Dying.
Will Raven is steadily establishing his reputation as a doctor in Edinburgh, working alongside Dr James Young Simpson, Sarah Fisher (now married)is travelling through Europe at the beginning of the book.
Both will Raven and Sarah Fisher are drawn together to investigate when a disturbing discovery is made at the Edinburgh docs - that of a small baby, which has been murdered and hidden in the water. This begins the start of a twisted tale, reaching from the slums of Edinburgh into the highest levels of society, where the circumstances of your birth are no guarantee to your safety.

This is a really strong series. If you enjoyed the first two of the series, you will love this addition!
All views and opinions discussed here are my own.Many thanks to the authors, the publishers cannongate books and Net Galley for being kind enough to grant my request for this eARCand for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The third episode of Ambrose Parry’s Victorian medical saga set in Edinburgh. Again it follows the life of Dr Will Raven and the cases he gets involved in, along with his love life and the trials and tribulations that that involves.

Corruption of Blood involves the inheritance laws in Scotland which can come to play in the event of a person being charged of an offence which could change the effects of a persons will. It also brings into play the life of women in Victorian society and what they are (and more so what they aren’t) allowed to do. It is interesting to see the women who became pioneers of medicine of the time and went against the socially accepted norms of the era.

A very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading further episodes of the life of Dr Will Raven and his associates.

When I found out there was a new Ambrose Parry coming out this year, I immediately pre-ordered it, when it appeared on NetGalley I requested it because I have zero patience waiting to read these books - thankfully, the publishers (and NetGalley) indulged me and I was able to step back in time with
Will Raven and Sarah Fisher, along with our regular cast, who have become firm favourites of mine as they walk the streets of a Victorian Edinburgh brought to life.

This tale picks up shortly after the events of book 2 (The Art of Dying) and starts off with an awful discovery and precedes to go back and forth between Raven and Sarah, as he navigates his feelings and his career and she travels across Europe in pursuit of a dream to become a doctor.

Things become complicated when Sarah returns home unexpectedly, and agrees to help the new housemaid, and a former student (who is not so likeable) of Raven's is arrested and requests his help to clear his name.

Raven and Sarah have to work out how each of them fits in the others lives again when so much has changed in just a few months, and when their singular investigations begin to blur into one, they find themselves in harms way, and blindsided by each new revelation.

Written in a familiar style, this book kept me guessing right up to the end, and so much happens that ties itself up in a beautiful constructed bow I am again in awe of the fantastic storytelling and characters that blends history so seamlessly with fiction.

This is a must for fans of historical fiction, medicine, Edinburgh, and characters you will adore. It can be read as a standalone, though I highly recommend starting at the beginning!

A solid 5 stars from me.

*Trigger Warnings
- infanticide,
- sexual abuse (discussed, not detailed)

It was a real pleasure to return to 19th century Edinburgh again in the third book of Ambrose Parry's Raven, Fisher and Simpson series and this installment in their story was just as enjoyable.
Richly atmospheric and with a likeable cast of characters with a wonderful attention to detail of the social issues and medical practices and advances of the time all set around another intriguing murder mystery for the trio to solve.
I hope to read many more of this brilliant series.

A Corruption of Blood is the third book in the series, written by Chris Brookmyre and his wife Marisa Haetzman as Ambrose Parry, featuring Will Raven and Sarah Fisher. Set in mid-nineteenth-century Edinburgh, this thoroughly researched and beautifully written story highlights the realities of life for women at both ends of the social spectrum; the circumstances of your birth were no guarantee of your survival.
Sarah had gone to Europe in search of Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, hoping for advice and inspiration that she too could fulfil her dream of studying to be a doctor, but comes home strangely subdued. Back living in Dr Simpson’s house, she has been asked by one of the servants for help in locating the baby that was taken from her against her will.
Meanwhile, Will has become engaged to Eugenie, daughter of another Edinburgh doctor, who asks him to help her childhood friend, Gideon, who is accused of poisoning his father, Sir Ainslie Douglas. He is also trying to find out why a murdered baby was discovered in the harbour at Leith. At first glance, none of these things are connected.
Despite Will being engaged to Eugenie, there is still an undoubted attraction between him and Sarah, and they struggle to come to terms with how it affects their relationship. It is only after they pool their resources, and discover their investigations are connected, that they start to make some progress. Gradually, as the two storylines converge, long-buried secrets are brought to light.
Medical history and real-life characters are woven seamlessly into the narrative which uncovers the misery caused by the unscrupulous ‘baby farmers’. Parallels are drawn between the advice given to women, then and now, such as not walking in certain areas of the city alone or after dark.
The sights, sounds and smells of Victorian Edinburgh are vividly described, the characters are well drawn and flashes of dark humour help to lighten the darkness in A Corruption of Blood. The hypocrisy surrounding society’s treatment of women, the double standards and the social injustice are all combined in this gripping, tightly plotted story. While you could read this as a standalone, I suggest it would be more meaningful to start at the beginning as The Way of All Flesh and The Art of Dying are well worth reading.
Thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.