<i> I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

DNF at 50%. I went into this book expecting crime/ thriller, but what I got was mostly medical history. <i>The Way of all Flesh</i> is a deeply atmospheric tale set against the seedy backdrop of 1847 Edinburgh. It grips you from the beginning, opening with the horrific murder of a "whore" by our resident psychopath. Although the language is at times anachronistic, there is mystery here and intrigue at the fringes of the story.

But 50% through the book and it never goes beyond that. Rather, the story focuses more on the medical history and its evolution at this period. The prose is richly detailed and meticulously written. But terribly boring and dry despite the goriness of some scenes. As with the name of the authors, there are easter eggs hidden all over the book for readers with some background in medicine. Since I wasn't one of them, most of this stuff went right over my head.

As with the plot, the characters also held potential. Will Raven is a deeply flawed protagonist with shades of mystery in his past. He is selfish, self-important, and at times ridiculously pompous. And yet I found his character endearing. Similarly, Sarah was another interesting character with her smarts and ambition particularly in a time when women were valued for neither. Unfortunately, the glacial pace and utterly dry plot meant that I just didn't care enough about any of these characters. Slogging through this book was a painful experience. <b>1.5 star</b> for the tone and attention to detail.

Annie from A Bookish Type steered me towards this historical mystery and I’m glad I took her advice. I’m a sucker for good period pieces with good research interwoven with a good story. The Way of All Flesh checks all most boxes (you know I’m picky).

The setting is 1847 Edinburgh, and by my book it’s already a good point: you might already know that I can’t resist a good Scottish mystery, especially after we visited the city a few years ago. Edinburgh really comes alive in its different neighborhoods, with a stark contrast between the seedy, gloomy, disease- and poverty-ridden Old Town, and the posh, clean and safe New Town.

The mystery takes place among doctors, especially obstetricians and surgeons, and it was quite fascinating to learn how operations and childbirth played out at this time. It was quite risky (this much I knew), but without anesthesia it was also a gore and terrifying show. Surgeons operated in front of an audience of young medical students while poor patients were aware of every single thing done to them. I was also very interested to learn about the search for the right product to desensitize patients and women in labor, and how doctors experimented products on themselves (with all the risks involved!). I had never heard of the famous obstetrician Sir James Young Simpson, and I’m glad that he’s more than a passing cameo in this book, as the main character is actually an apprentice at his practice.

My only reservations are for the female main character, Sarah, a housemaid who is eager to learn science and medicine, and is angry at the limitation of her gender and station. She is one of these characters who seems to have a 21st century brain stuck in a 19th century body. It’s actually one of my pet peeves, but luckily the other fine qualities of the story, pace and background far outweigh this little flaw. I understand that this is meant to be the first book in a series, and I’d gladly read the next adventure.

An interesting tidbit is that Ambrose Parry is actually a couple who write together: Chris Brookmyre, a writer of thrillers and his wife, Marisa Haetzman, who worked as an anaesthetist. No wonder that the research is so accurate!

It took a while for this book to hit its stride with me. Will Raven, apprentice obstetrician/midwife, has arrived to take his training with Dr Simpson, a well-regarded and respected obstetrician in the city of Edinburgh. Will has ideas and dreams of grandeur, even as he works as an unpaid apprentice with Dr Simpson, working clinics and attending to the care of both the downtrodden and the more well-to-do pregnant women of the city.

We meet Will at the scene in a deceased prostitute's room, one he is 'familiar' with. Instead of contacting the police, he leaves, although does feel a twinge of guilt for leaving her discovery to someone else (her landlady most likely).

Then it is more or less forgotten until almost 40% of the way through the book, when it was brought up again and I thought, 'Right. It's a murder mystery!' We then get two more murders, both of whom are women of lower classes (a housemaid and another prostitute). Will involves himself in the search for the murderer, and the household maid, Sarah, decides she must assist (she is very bright and avails herself of Dr Simpson's library books, many of which are medical). They are both very capable characters for this, as Sarah can talk to household staff unobtrusively and Will can come and go 'upstairs' on his appointments.

I did enjoy it, however, despite pegging the murderer quite early on. It's a bit of a slow read, but the ending is tied up nicely. It 'simmers' rather than 'boils', and I will keep an eye out for the second book.

I requested this title due to the creepy title and the interesting cover art. I have to say that both of those two things are super important for hooking potential readers and they did a good job on that front. For me it was a slow read and I often got stuck as well as distracted by other titles on my reading list. Therefore, it took me a while to finish it. Also because it took me so long to finish my recollection of it is not crystal clear, so I may edit this review later to be more accurate. But overall, the story peaked my interest and was one of the better titles I've got off NetGalley. It's hard to make historical fiction not super dry and I think Ambrose Parry kept it accurate and giving off a dark vibe. Will and Sarah were both interesting enough, especially Sarah and her issues with women's rights back in the 19th century. So yes, overall, a good read and would possibly read another title by Parry.

An intriguing story of a young man, Will Raven, trying to forge a medical career in 19th century Edinburgh, an apprentice to an obstetrician whose housemaid Sarah could be a rival to Raven's position were it not for her unfortunate gender and low social status. Together they seek to find out what happened to the many who died in strangely similar circumstances, in a fresh and gritty, vivid historical crime novel.

Picture if you can: Edinburgh, 1847. City of Medicine, Money, Murder. Here, we find young Will Raven, apprentice of Dr. James Y. Simpson, and Sarah Fisher, a lady absolutely brimming with medical knowledge aka. a maid in the Simpson-house. Together, they will be annoying as all heck, solve mysteries, and probably fall in love. Because that is, apparently, something that has to happen. I digress.

In the midst of all this, women are dying horrible deaths and it is up to Will and Sarah to figure out the what, who and why. That's it, that's the plot. Oh, and anaesthesia.

I was a bit on the edge about this one until about halfway through, solely because I didn't like Will and Sarah. Both of them were obtuse, the bad kind of stubborn and just generally being prickly cacti whose antics I didn't care for. They did, however, grow into decent human beings along the way - and, really, none of this mattered in the end because I was sucked in by the mystery of these strange deaths and the wide cast of characters acting all mysterious and murderous.

The Way of All Flesh is gritty, bitter and realistic while maintaining that air of "this is something that could have happened but it hopefully didn't"-vibe that I love about historical mysteries. Yes, the main characters took some getting used to for me, but the general setting and vibe of this is just.. yes. Also, that cover.

3.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

The Way of All Flesh was a really good historical fiction. And the first one I have read in a while. The writing style was very fitting to the time period that the story is set in. It did, however, take me a while to get into the book because of it. It has just been a while since I have read old-fashioned writing. The writing style enhanced the atmosphere of the book quite a bit, which I enjoyed. There were some parts where I found the writing to be inconsistent, nothing major but I wanted to mention it nonetheless.

The time period seemed very well researched, it appeared as if that the author knew everything about it – which is crucial when it comes to historical fiction (in my opinion at least). This just made me feel the environment of the whole story even more, which I appreciated greatly.

The mystery of this book wasn’t what I expected it to be. Honestly, it left me a bit disappointed. In the first half of the book there is just a hint of the mystery, it is much more focused on the medicine aspect of the book. Because of that I found the first half of the book rather boring. The medicine aspect was interesting to some degree, but there was just too much of it for me. This is entirely personal preference, as I’m not that interested in medical practices. The second half of the book I enjoyed a lot more.

Both of the main characters, Raven and Sarah, were interesting. It was refreshing seeing characters that are not that well of money wise in a historical setting. Usually at least one of the characters is rich. I liked both of them well enough, though neither ended up being my favourite. For some reason I felt disconnected from them throughout a big part of the book. This made me not care about the story as much as I thought I would. I just enjoy books where I connect to the characters more.

Overall, The Way of All Flesh was an interesting book. I enjoyed the time period and setting of the story, though I had some problems with the characters and the story in the first half of the book. Still, it was an enjoyable read and one I would definitely recommend, especially to everyone who enjoys historical fiction!

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the time period and the mystery kept me turning pages until the end. I loved the history of the anesthesia development. I look forward to reading more from these authors.

Fantastically atmospheric and fabulously detailed, this book is the perfect historical mystery. Obviously the story reminds of Jack the Ripper but is also very original the way it's been plotted and told. The atmosphere is superb, as if you're walking amongst people in Edinburgh, Old Town in 19th century. The medical subject in the books felt overshadowing the true crime elements in the book, hence I am dropping the 5 stars to a 4. Highly recommended for historical crime fans.

3.5 stars.

This is Historical Fiction at its best.

Set in 1840s Edinburgh, this book follows the story of a young man, Will Raven, who has a past he's trying to run away from. He's set to make a name in medicine and was given a chance to be an apprentice of the well-known, esteemed professor of midwifery, James Young Simpson. There, Will Raven meets Sarah Fisher, a young maid who aspires to be more than what she is, a nd especially more than what women in her time should be. For some reason, Sarah and Will immediately dislike each other, but when the number of deaths around them grew, they were forced to work together to solve the mystery behind the deaths, each has their own motives.

The book opens with Will discovering the death of Evie, a prostitute and a friend of his who he lent money to. I think the author did an amazing job to start this novel with that scene, setting the tone though I can't say that tone was carried throughout the book. But let me tackle the good things first.

This is indeed Historical Fiction at its best. There's no doubt the authors(Husband and wife) know the subject of this book. I think the husband is a mystery/crime writer and the wife has knowledge in medicine. I found myself fascinated by everything medicine the authors put in the book. And that's saying a lot because if there's one subject in the world I swear I can never get involve to, it's medicine. Seriously, I can be a lawyer, an engineer, an accountant, even a circus performer(lol) but never in this lifetime, I'd be interested in medicine. But in this book, I couldn't help but get fascinated with it. The use of ether, anaesthetic, in midwifery is still a new thing in the book's setting and I got to learn how it works and the opposition it faced because of beliefs and superstitions. There's the discovery of chloroform too. :) Also the setting, Edinburgh made everything more interesting and gothic-ish.

Will Raven and Sarah Fisher are both interesting characters. I must say it's very refreshing to have MCs who are both not members of high peerage. Usually in historical books, at least one of them is incredibly rich. It's great to see Sarah and Will strive to get where they want to be. Will is ambitious and I respect that and the flaws he showed throughout the story just made him so real. Sarah is driven. She also assists in Mr. Simpson's clinic giving her firsthand experiences of medicine and I liked that Mr. Simpsons doesn't mind Sarah being a woman and instead encourage her to learn. :)

Now, like I said the tone set in the first scene didn't carry on throughout, or at least not in first half. There's still a hint of mystery and suspense but just a hint. Instead in the first half,the book focused on medicine, Will's experiences in patient after patient, all are laboring mothers. Yes, the book is about medicine history and I see the importance of countless patients but it would've been better if there's equal stress in the crime aspect of the story. And hey, the labors look the same to me so I don't see the need to have so many of it and presented one after the other. But again, I'm ok if there's many of them but I need the other aspect of the story presented too, maybe in between the laboring mothers.

I know the authors are working on other books about this story, so maybe in the next book, I'll experience both history and mystery/suspense at the same time, like in the second half of this book. First half, all medicine, second the mix of the genres was absolutely fine. :) Maybe for some this isn't an issue but for me it is, that's maybe because I'm not a fan of medicine, though I found it fascinating, the first half was almost boring for me. In other words, it slowed the pace.

But overall, this is really a great Historical Fiction. See, I can't even say, it's a great mystery book. hehe. Anyway, I recommend this to everyone. :) And I heard, Benedict Cumberbatch's production company will do an adaptation of this book. That says a lot, guys.

Not relevant, but gosh, just the mentioned of Benedict's name makes me swoon. haha.

What an absolute delightful book, this story revolving around a poor young man who suprisingly aspires to become a gynecologist, in a day and time that there were not even female physicians. Although the mystery in this book is important, I enjoyed especially what I learned about the discovery and usage of 'modern' anesthesia.

A dark and atmospheric thriller set in Victorian era Edinburgh, this richly detailed and layered work of historical fiction made for a gripping read. Dr Raven, a young medical man recently employed by one of the cities foremost doctors comes from humble beginnings. When one of his friends, a prostitute, dies in what looks like agony given the contorted state of the body, he is drawn into trying to solve the mystery of her death, and not just because he is on the hook to an unsavoury loan shark because of her, Meanwhile his mentor's maidservant Sarah knows that he is keeping secrets, and when they begin to open up to each other, he learns that his friend is just one of a number of young women to die in strangely similar and unpleasant circumstances.
Attention to detail and historical accuracy are the hallmarks of this book, and it seems like this could be the first in an ongoing series, which would please me greatly. The characters of Raven and Sarah work well together, and their chemistry leaps from the page. There is a real attempt to accurately convey the medical practices of the era, never shying away from the barbarity and brutality that masqueraded as surgery in that era, when anaesthesia was in its infancy. While Dr Raven is more than just the medical detective, and we learn more about his difficult childhood in the book, for me Sarah is the real highlight, Her independence, determination and questioning spirit make her a character you want to root for.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A superbly written historical crime novel set in Edinburgh in 1847. The main characters live at the house of Dr James Young Simpson (who was famous in the fields of obstetrics and anaesthetics). Will Raven is Dr Simpson’s new apprentice and Sarah Fisher is his housemaid and unofficial surgery receptionist. They come together to try to work out what has happened to many women in Edinburgh, why it happened and who is involved.
This is a wonderful book, so well written, and the coupling of this husband and wife team of a novelist and anaesthetist make the perfect combination for this genre.
I was delighted to discover at the end of the book it is the first of series and I cannot wait to read the next one!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy this book! A great story! Interesting characters. I look forward to more of their adventures and hopefully see more of a romance develop. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Edinburgh 1847 I have never read anything by this author, but when I read the blurb I was very intrigued. I have always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper and I wondered if this would follow along those lines. Well it was much more, bringing the new blossoming scientific and medical experiments to light which was often gruesome and with no care to the person.
Medical student Will Raven starts his apprenticeship with obstetrician Dr. Simpson. But Will is soon faced with the death of his friend Evie, a prostitute. He takes Sarah, his housemaid along to search in Edinburgh's dark underworld to try to find the killer.
This author brought the characters and the surroundings to life and at times it was almost too much. Some of the medical procedures passages were tough to read, but it brought the suspense and mystery of the story together.
As more bodies and missing women start turning up, they become frantic in trying to find the murderer. Do yourself a favor. When you pick this book up, be sure you have the time to finish it because even after I closed the last page, I know this is one I will remember. Cannot wait to read the next story by fabulous duo

I knew going in to this that Ambrose Parry is a collaboration between Christopher Brookmyre, who is arguably my favourite Scottish author (neck & neck with Val McD) and his wife, Marisa Harzman, who I knew was an anaesthetist. Had I gone in blind, I would never have guessed the former, but I would definitely picked the author to be a doctor who knows Edinburgh well. This takes my favourite genres - crime, historical, and medical, with a strong female heroine - what's not to love - but without a good story, what's the point - so the collaboration is just brilliant.

1847, and young medical student Will Raven is beginning his apprenticeship with the illustrious obstetrician, James Young Simpson, who is pioneering the use of ether as an anaesthetic to help with difficult deliveries. A true historical character, Simpson treated rich and poor - not necessarily alike, but all with respect and compassion. Sarah Fisher, his housemaid, who is super bright and fascinated by medical matters, helps out in the clinic and chafes under the limitations of her gender and social status, but longs to learn more. Initially suspicious of Will, who arrives at the house scarred and battered after an altercation with a moneylender's henchmen, she discovers a shared interest in the recent suspicious deaths of poor young women, and together they undercover Edinburgh's dark secrets.

Some of my all time favourite books have featured women learning medicine way before their time (eg Clan of the Cave Bear, Outlander) and I do hope that Sarah, a character I liked immediately, will get to pursue her dreams in future books. By the time I started at Edinburgh Medical School, 141 years later, our class was 50% women, and I believe that nowadays it's more like 70%. Ironically, and some would argue consequently, medicine has neither the status nor the high income of the 19th century, but at least many of the attitudes and ideologies of the book are long gone. (As an aside, I do find it ironic that nowadays women feel compelled to shun pain relief in labour not for religious reasons, as here, but because other women shame them into insisting on a 'Natural birth'.)

Will took longer to win me over as a character, but his impulsive arrogance and short temper made him far more interesting than your average hero, and his introduction into practices of the day was a great way to read about the innovations that truly changed medicine. I love that they included the true anecdote of Simpson, Keith & Duncan knocking themselves out with their first experiment with chloroform. Some scenes may make gruesome reading to those without a medical background. The harsh realities of the lives of the poor are also brutally described.

This is a wonderfully written atmospheric historical mystery and leaps into my top 5 books of the year, and I can't wait for the next one. I think it was published over a month ago in the UK, but my NetGalley gives today as the publication date, so am pleased to have my review in just in time! Very many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a voluntary honest review.

This was an extraordinary book that I deeply enjoyed, the mystery was what kept me reading while the background in medicine it's the true jewel of the book. The book starts with a dead prostitute and with the statement: “No decent story ought to begin with the death of a prostitute”, nonetheless the book proves itself wrong, there is much more than a decent story in its pages.

The book walked us through the use of ether as an anesthetic and the posterior find of chloroform as a better option. How religious groups opposed to the use of anesthetics while giving birth for being anti natural, pain was desirable. Abortions with terrible consequences and we follow the lives of these doctors that trained as men midwives. I was shock to learn how in some cases, the baby's head had to be broken during birth to permit extraction in order to save the mother.

The main characters Will and Sarah are fantastic. Will has a dark past but he wants to better himself to find redemption, while Sarah is a housemaid with bigger ambitions. She tells to Dr Simpson that she does not want to be the best-read housemaid of the City and I loved her for that, and Simpson for replying, “It may not always be thus,’ he said softly. ‘And if things are ever to be different, it will take women like you to change them.” The whole Simpson’s household is full of wonderful characters that I’m sure will have their share of protagonism in the books to come.

This book was written under the pseudonymous Ambrose Parry by husband-wife Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman and honors Edinburgh as a leading city in the field of medicine.

Many Thanks Canongate Books, Ambrose Parry and Netgalley for the opportunity.

The Way of All Flesh emphasizes the historical while leaving the mystery almost as an afterthought.

In 1847 Edinburgh, medicine is rudimentary and painkillers were thought to be against God’s will. When Will becomes an apprentice of Dr. Simpson, an obstetrician, he sees some horrific things.

In the mystery, Will finds the dead body of his friend, Evie, who is a prostitute. He enlists the help of intelligent housemaid, Sarah, to find Evie’s killer. As other bodies pile up, Will and Sarah continue to investigate.

Atmosphere and medical research are favored over the mystery in the Way of All Flesh. The book seemed to drag a bit in the middle for me. However, it is recommended for historical fiction fans especially those who liked the television show the Knick or historical medical practices. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher, Canongate US, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very solid book. It has more substance than a cozy mystery, but still quick and compelling read. The writing was somewhat flowery, as you might expect from a book writing during this time period. I didn't find it detrimental, but some might. I liked how Will and Sarah played off one another. The two make a good team. Overall I think many will enjoy. I'm looking forward for more in the series.

Historical mysteries have always fascinated me and to find one focusing on the medical world of the 19th century was something I couldn’t miss.

The story revolves around Will Raven, a young medical student, who becomes apprenticed to a renowned obstetrician, and Sarah Fisher, Dr Simpson’s housemaid, a young intelligent woman who would love to study medicine but due to her gender and class cannot. Although taking a dislike to each other, Will and Sarah end up working together when they find out that women have been found dead under suspicious circumstances.

This was a pretty engrossing read, one that focused more on the medical angle, with some pretty gruesome scenes of childbirths and operations, as well as the growing field of anaesthetics. The difficulties the ‘doctors’ had to face, not just physical / medical, but also social ones, were telling. The investigation ends up taking a step back but I didn’t mind, far too absorbed in the story.


I received a copy of The Way of All Flesh through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Canongate Books and to Ambrose Parry for the opportunity.