I wasn't too sure what to make of this book when I initially started to read it, but somehow it seemed to reel you in and it got more and more interesting until you didn't want to put the book down! Despite being a 'historical' setting, it made it very interesting to read and the characters were enjoyable too.

The Way of the Flesh is a well-told story. The nineteenth century setting is believable, the social mores, the language, etc. are all quite convincing. The mystery moves at a slow pace but the writing style keeps one involved. At the level of building an atmosphere, the authors do a brilliant job.

There are a couple of crucial instances, however, where one has to suspend disbelief, which are conveniently used to drive the narrative at the expense of building the mystery. For instance, Raven’s reason for disclosing his secret to a housemaid he hardly knows and who doesn’t like him does not seem good enough. Also, Sarah’s decision to visit someone she doesn’t trust to confront him alone is incongruous with her intelligence and ability to read people. Raven stopping to look through Simpson’s journal when he knows Sarah’s life might be in danger and every second counts is also difficult to fathom.

What is also disappointing is that though the blurb claims to be a mystery that is solved by two people, a man and a woman, the book itself does not live up to this claim. This is more of a pity because the book has been co-written by a man and a woman. The story is told primarily from Raven’s perspective, and there are more chapters that feature him than Sarah. His chapters are also 3 to 4 times longer than Sarah’s. Sarah is relegated to the role of Raven’s assistant as she holds the lamp/candle while he scans a register or picks a lock. Later chapters also see her only as Raven’s love interest where situations are manufactured to bring the two in close physical proximity to each other. This happens not once or twice but several times. The only saving grace is that in the end she’s the one who rescues him rather be rescued by him.

At the end of the book, the authors say in an interview that one of the main issues in the book is how women were limited by nineteenth-century society. However, the authors have done a disservice to women in the present century by relegating their female protagonist to a secondary role all the while making her claim that she and her male counterpart were “equals in this enterprise”. Ones hopes that if there are going to be other books in the series, as the authors have claimed, they will work a little harder to make their protagonists equal because even though the book is based in an earlier century, it doesn’t have to be written with a pen or spectacles of the same century.

What an exciting historical crime novel showing the progress of anaesthetics. It made enjoyable, addictive reading.

I was drawn to this book as Edinburgh is my home city and I spent my working life in medical research, and I wasn't disappointed. This tale of young Will Raven starting his medical career under the wing of the renowned Prof Simpson really paints a vivid picture of both Edinburgh ( the wealthy and the seedy!) ,the medical profession and the birth of obstetrics and anaesthesia in the mid 19th century. Some of the descriptions are somewhat harrowing, so perhaps not for the faint hearted. The introduction of Sarah, a housemaid with aspirations, gives more depth and I very much look forward to reading more about how their lives and aspirations develop.

A thrilling medical drama set in the early days of modern medicine, old and new town Edinburgh feature as characters in their own right and anyone familiar with the tales of Burke and Hare and the like will enjoy this next step in the development of the medical profession. I confess that I don’t usually go for novels set in the past however this had me gripped from the start. Raven, Sarah and Simpson are all characters I’d love to see more of in the future.

Well thought out, this dramatic tale will leave you quite exhausted from the pace, it certainly rips along !

Looking forward to the next instalment which is certain to follow

Great historical crime set in mid 19th century Edinburgh. The descriptions of childbirth during this time are enough to put anyone off getting pregnant but the atmosphere of medical advancement and experimentation makes for an interesting, exciting read. Loved the characters who are all complex and although I sort of guessed the twist, the story is well told, fast paced, humorous in parts, shocking in some and well worth a read. Sarah is a very strong female character, ahead of her time and I look forward to meeting her again in a further adventure. I guess that she and Will Raven will become a team and further medical adventures will ensue. Good stuff.

A very interesting historical novel set in Edinburgh. A look at midwifery and the evolution of anaesthetics . The main story was also very good with robust characters and lots of mystery and mayhem.

I absolutely loved this book - a new collaboration between Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. I'm not the only one to love it; I believe that the TV rights have been snapped up by Benedict Cumberbatch's TV production company. Something to look forward to on TV!

Back to the book: It's a historical medical mystery set in 19th century Edinburgh that moves skilfully between the two faces of our Capital city - the poor and the wealthy.

It's visceral - the scenes that involve childbirth really bring home to you how bloody and dangerous giving birth has been (for rich and poor alike) and makes you look anew at our beleaguered NHS. Which is not surprising, given that Dr Haetzman is a consultant anaesthetist.

The cast of characters is so well-written and the sense of place so beautifully defined, that I was sent scurrying to Google several times to see what and who was fact and what was fiction!

In the character of Will Raven we have a mysterious background which, even at the end of the book, promises to yield more in subsequent adventures. Sarah Fisher, the young housemaid with boundless curiosity and ambitions, we truly have a young woman to root for. Both find themselves working for the eminent Dr Simpson (a real person whose medical achievements, I'm utterly ashamed to admit, I had never heard of). But thanks to the skilful penwo/manship of Ambrose Parry he lives and breathes once again.

I wondered how it would work - Ambrose Parry being two people writing a book together. Especially when one is such a well-established voice as Chris Brookmyre. You don't need to worry, it's reassuringly Brookmyre - the sharp lines, the humour, the pace - it's all there. And, in between the Brookmyre, Dr Haetzman's historical research is seamlessly stitched.

Cannot wait to read more from Ambrose Parry about the goings on in the Simpson household and Fisher and Raven's next adventure

I love historical novels and crime, so this book seemed ideal for my next read. It was! I loved it and the way the story worked it’s way through to a satisfying finale. I empathised particularly with Sarah the maid, who had more intelligence and common sense than many of the ‘men’ Doctors she has to support. Will definitely be looking for more by the author in the future.

When Will Raven starts his apprenticeship with the renowned Dr Simpson he gets more than he’s bargained for as women are being murdered around Edinburgh. Teaming up with housemaid Sarah, can they discover the truth before it’s too late?

The Way of All the Flesh is a historical fiction mystery that has strong medical base and knowledge thrown in. I felt this affected the pace quite a bit as it was a little slow to start, but sped up nicely towards the end to make me tear through the pages to find out the culprit.

The story itself seems very nicely researched and based in fact which is a nice touch. Upon reading more about the subject online I can see many famous figures are used as side-characters and many true (and remarkable!) events are used in the plot which is great. I enjoyed the descriptions of ancient, violent Edinburgh and thought the fictional characters of Raven and Sarah were well integrated into the factual story. I liked the slight romance between them and I gather there will be a sequel based around them which I will certainly look out for. The alternating narrative between them was a good choice and helped to carry the story along.

I did feel that the ‘modern’ touches were a little jarring – Sarah is quite a feminist and I did feel her viewpoints became a little preachey and unrealistic at times, particularly for someone of the lower classes – it felt like it was written with much too much hindsight in mind. As the story includes historically accurate story of the birth of ether and chloroform used in medical practice I did feel the inclusion of ‘peri peri’ was a bit weird and brought me out of the story a little.

Overall The Way of All the Flesh was a bit of a slow paced read to start with but is a well-researched historical fiction that will stay with you after you read it – and you learn some real history from it as well which is always a good thing! Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Raven is stepping into his new role as a trainee doctor, and is keen to grab every opportunity. Sarah is relegated to the servants quarters, but she longs to be allowed to work in medicine. Despite initially clashing, the two find themselves working together to solve a string of mysterious deaths.

I received a free copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I found this a little bit slow to start with, but once I got into it, I was hooked.

This is set in Victorian Edinburgh, and follows a young doctor-in-training, Will Raven. He takes up residence as the new apprentice to Dr Simpson, one of the best obstetricians in the city.
Raven is initially driven by a financial need, to pay off debts he has accumulated (for very good reasons), but soon finds himself engaged in working out the mystery of the death of his friend (and working girl). The number of lower-class women and whores who end up dead starts to rack up, but the police have no time for these nobodies. It is up to Raven to find out who is behind the deaths, and why.
I didn't really like Raven in the beginning, his character was just a little bit jarring, too cocky and arrogant; but as the story went on, and the character developed, he got much better.

Sarah, on the other hand, I liked from the start.
She is our other narrator; a maid in Dr Simpson's service. She is also incredibly intelligent, and often grates at the fact that she cannot pursue a career in medicine, because she is a woman. She is further frustrated when Raven enters the house, and has every advantage, despite the fact he is lying about his past. They are of a similar age, and similar intelligence, but are set apart by class and gender; so they naturally butt heads to begin with.

The plot is well thought out, and pulls you along, feeding clues and throwing in red herrings naturally.
What I really like is the background to the story. You feel like you've been dropped into the middle of a period drama, the atmosphere is woven subtly, but is there for every page.
Even better is the insight into obstetrics in the Victorian age, and how medicine and chemistry were coming together to pave the new way. It is realistically gory, but the author does not revel in it, they simply present the facts and let the story do the rest. I felt like I came away learning something, as well as being entertained.

I would definitely recommend this book, and look forward to more of Parry's work.

I was sent an early copy of this book for my independent honest review
I read the premise of this and was very excited to get to it. A historical crime with medical content is a refreshing change to many new releases at the moment.
Straight away I became engaged in the plot and writing style and couldn't put this down. An early murder and an interesting selection of characters was a big plus for me. Once we started attending births, the research into early anaesthetic and how Drs were trained and gained their experience I thought it was well on its way to bring a 5* read for me.
Be warned, some of the medical practices back in the day were very gruesome and explicitly discussed. Not for the front hearted, even having a nursing background I felt a little squeamish.
After about a third of the way through, unfortunately the plot lost its way for me. The book seemed to forget it was an historical crime and not a medical journal. Although interesting to learn about medical research of the time, the crime and it's relevance became lost. It became very mundane and a chore to pick up. This was a shame as I was so riveted to start with.
Still an enjoyable book with an easy to follow writing style, however the issues I felt with the plot made this a 3* read for me overall, however the first third was certainly 5* material.
I am certainly looking forward to more from this author /man and wife team.

I didn't initially realise that this was Chris Brookmyre writing with a partner, given that it's historical (Edinburgh, 1840s). It's got all his usual pacing, and is a good combination of history of medicine and a bit of historical crime. Will Raven is an apprentice to Dr James Simpson, who is the obstetrician who pioneered the use of anesthesia, and Raven has something of a murky past. Sarah is Simpson's housemaid, who helps with the clinics in the house and is interested in medicine herself - although can't train any further as she's a woman and it's the 1840s. They discover that some mysterious deaths of prostitutes are connected, and that somewhere in the city there is an illegal and dangerous abortionist at work and begin to investigate. There's some social observation as well as the crime and the history of medicine, and some nice Edinburgh details which I very much enjoyed. It's a little slower paced than Brookmyre's usual books, but that suits the story and there's not a shortage of action - I really enjoyed it!

Raven is an apprentice ‘midwife’ to Dr Simpson a kind, generous doctor with an interest in anaesthesia. Raven owes money to violent ‘loan sharks’ after borrowing to lend money to his friend who is then found dead. He feels this was murder, and then there are further women found dead with the same contorted bodies.

Sarah is a housemaid, who also works for Dr Simpson, part time, in his surgery helping with patients and clearing up. She has a thirst for medical knowledge and reads medical books but as a women in these times, was disregarded.

Sarah and Raven do not get on initially, but they begin to investigate the deaths of the women and a little romance begins.

There’s a lot of medical information given and the use of ether in medicine and surgery in the 1840’s and it reminds you just how much medicine has advanced , thank goodness. Ambrose Parry, the author has clearly done a lot of research and while he includes a lot of this in the tale it is not confusing but just reinforces the story and gives background to medicine of the time.

It’s a great tale of medical drama, romance and a murder mystery.

This book was absolutely exceptional.

Set in 19th century Edinburgh, it follows a young doctor who starts an apprenticeship with a highly esteemed professor of midwifery. The bodies of prostitutes and housemaids begin to appear - it is a medical murder mystery, with a dark and fast-paced plot. The characters are interesting and gruesomely realistic.

The attention to detail is incredible - the historical portrait of the city, the accurate depiction of medicine, surgery and midwifery in the period, as well as a deeper consideration of the social attitudes to medical practice and advancement. It expertly portrays the roles and perceptions of women at that time without any heavy handed agenda.

I could not put it down and I would strongly recommend.

First in a promised series from the pair of writers forming Ambrose Parry, 'The Way of all Flesh' is a gripping thriller, exploring Victorian poverty in Edinburgh's backstreets, and the practice of illicit abortions.

Will Raven is newly apprenticed to renowned obstetrician Dr Simpson and soon finds himself discovering death, poisons and subterfuge, alongside Sarah, the Simpson's housemaid.

With historical context around the discovery of anaesthesia and its use in childbirth, the story proceeds apace, packed full of interesting characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and couldn't put it down. Looking forward to more in the series being written!

An interesting intriguing read set in historical Edinburgh. A wonderful atmospheric city to write about. This historical story is about the often gruesome practice of medicine in the 1800s. It is also about murders in the city. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Will Raven was going places, apprentice to the renowned Dr Simpson, he was learning midwifery from one of the best. But with a debt hanging over him and a desire to find out who is killing women all over Edinburgh, can Will be the Dr he wants to be.
At the start of this story Will Raven came across as quite pretentious. Quick with his mouth and never far from trouble. He always had something to prove, however as the story progress, you do get to find out more about his former life. By the end of the book he grew on me.
Sarah his partner in crime, was the housemaid of Dr Simpson. Like any maid in the 19th century maids were tended be ignored and women were second best. Throughout this book you could see how ambitious she was and if she was a women today she would of been a doctor, Clever, willing to learn and a very curious mind
I enjoy reading about 19th century and it was a pleasant change for a story to be set in Edinburgh and not London. The book was well researched and it was interesting to learn more about the medical procedures of the time. Whilst child birth was dangerous at that time, reading about it in graphic detail, just made it more real. Whilst this is a thriller it is a bit of a slow burn and it felt more like a backstory, that all changed in the last 25% of the book. As Will and Sarah were getting closer to the murderer it was full on and I was reading it quickly to find out who the murderer was. I enjoy a thriller more if the murderer is not easily guessed and this was one of those books. The ending was not expected and it showed just what type of people Dr Simpson and Will were.
This will be good to read as a series and I for one would love to read more about Will and Sarah.

Young medical student Raven teams up with Sarah, the housemaid of his mentor and employer, Dr Simpson, to investigate the tortured deaths of a number of poor Edinburgh women. New developments in medicine, and in particular the discovery of ether and then chloroform, to alleviate the horrific pain suffered by patients at the hands of surgeons, provides the background to the story.
Raven, Sarah, and Dr Simpson and his household are attractive and engaging characters, and I found the historical side of the story fascinating, too. I was interested to read in the novel's afterword that Dr Simpson and his household are based on fact, and look forward to reading more about him.
Despite this apparent historical accuracy, and the 'period' language in which the characters speak, I felt throughout that I was suspending my disbelief. I would love to think that a Victorian housemaid could be as free, and with as much spare time, as Sarah, but her independence didn't quite ring true to me. And although she is clever enough to read scientific texts, uninhibited enough to discuss prostitution and abortion, neither she or Raven were able to make connections that were blindingly obvious to the reader. If this was a historical novel only, that would probably be ok, but in a novel with an element of detection, I don't think the reader should be able to spot the villain quite so far ahead of the main protagonists.

In spite of my reservations about the story, I found it an easy and enjoyable read, and will be recommending it.

The story takes you to 1800 Scotland. The plot was enjoyable with strong characters. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend.