Having been to Edinburgh, I enjoy reading anything set in that wonderful city. This book was a mystery, a romance, and a tale about a strong woman fighting to become a doctor. I really enjoyed this, and I think the author did a fabulous job with her research, especially with the current medical treatments of that time.
Well done!

Historical fiction is my genre of choice so I jumped at the chance to read Kaite Welsh's THE WAGES OF SIN because... well, because it looked historical fiction-y. It was sort of a cover request, and by the time I got around to reading the copy so kindly provided to me (shamefully late, my apologies!), I'd forgotten what the synopsis said. But the cover showed up on my Kindle and it looked historical fiction-y so I excited to get to it for a second time, same reason.

THE WAGES OF SIN is set in Edinburgh in Scotland in 1892, so two thumbs up for my historically inclined senses. As many Victorian era novels seem to do, this one is based on a girl who did something scandalous, bringing shame on her family while still having a personality strong enough that she's not quite willing to be married off to the nearest poor schmuck with a title and some cash who will have her. Is it a little trope-y? Sure. But nobody ever said tropes are always bad.

Sarah Gilchrist, she of the scandalous events, is actually 27 so she's not quite a 'girl' and this is not quite YA. She's more of a 'spinster' and this more of an adult novel, sad as that sounds to those of us over 27 and unmarried in 2018. But I digress.

Sarah wants to be a doctor, which is a scandal entirely unrelated to the scandal that got her sent from London to live with an icy aunt and uncle in backwater-ish Edinburgh. Sarah gets to go to medical school, because apparently Edinburgh was too uncultured to keep the women where the men, even in Edinburgh and at the school, think they belong. The reader gets the idea that, more or less, Sarah is permitted to attend school because Aunt & Uncle figure it'll keep her out of trouble until they can marry her off. Something they are actively working to do.

The action happens, and there is action because this is a murder mystery of sorts, when a pregnant teenage prostitute is denied an abortion (1892 had only so much patience for scandal and modern thinking) and ends up dead, seemingly by suicide. Sarah disagrees with that conclusion for reasons that probably fall under the Victorian Lady With A Savior Complex Trope (which I may have just made up but works). 

Things get a little cliched as the story rolls on, pitting women against women and having smart but slightly naive Sarah both accuse and fall for the dark, mysterious Professor Merchiston at the same time. And Julia, someone who knew Sarah in London and knows Sarah's scandal (yet only remarks on her own at the very end), is not really developed enough to be the antagonist she's obviously meant to be.

But then! Then Kaite Welsh includes something I haven't seen before in this sort of book... male prostitutes! They existed, I'm sure, but I was nearly as startled as Sarah to find one in the brothel where the teenage prostitute worked!

I won't say what the scandal was that sent Sarah Gilchrist to Edinburgh, because I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that I wish there had been more about it. It's clarified, eventually, and it works with the history and culture of the time but... basically I need a prequel. Which is a good thing, mostly.

I also need a sequel because THE WAGES OF SIN was definitely a book meant for world-building, for laying out life in Edinburgh in 1892 for men/women, rich/poor, refined/unrefined, for planting the seeds of romance (both heterosexual and same-sex), and for making Sarah into someone that will, quite obviously, go on to solve more mysteries in her world.

One of the best parts about Sarah is her sass...

"If all women were really laid as low every month as men seemed to think, the world would grind to a halt in weeks."

*this quote is from an ARC and may not be in the finished book
"Tell your bosom friend to please decide if I'm a snob or a slut, because it's exhausting being both."

*this quote is from an ARC and may not be in the finished book
THE WAGES OF SIN is a bit of a roller coaster. I got sucked in my the cover and, I assume, the summary. The beginning pages made me curious, the start of the story made me wary, the middle made me overlook some flaws because it was that good, and the end made me want to start over and reach for the next book... which I don't think is out yet...

I received a copy of THE WAGES OF SIN through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.

Facts & Figures

published March 7, 2017 (Pegasus Books)
the first book in an expected series
genres/categories: historical fiction / medical fiction / Scotland / 1892 / romance / murder mystery / women's fiction
read dates - February 21, 2018 to February 25, 2018
my rating: 4 stars

In 1892, the University of Edinburgh began to admit female medical students. The pushback from both faculty and the male student body was immense. Indeed, society itself looked down on these women as unfeminine and broken. Enter Sarah Gilchrist, banished from London after bringing scandal to her family name. Cut adrift and dependent on the good graces of Scottish relatives, Sarah is determined to make her own way as a female physician. In order to get practical training, Sarah volunteers at a charity infirmary in the slums. The work is hard, and the prejudices of society are increasingly difficult to bear. However, Sarah is doing well with her studies and her work until one day she recognizes the corpse in her anatomy class as her patients at the infirmary. . .

I always like a good historical fiction, and this one did not disappoint. Welsh does a great job of demonstrating the fine line these medical pioneers would have to walk between Victorian propriety and their dreams of higher education. The hypocrisy of their male counterparts is also brilliantly illustrated. Welsh also does well with her main protagonist, Sarah Gilchrist. The lasting physical and mental trauma from her “scandal” feels very real. While you may occasionally want to reach through the page, shake her, and yell “think before you speak,” she is overall a very sympathetic character. The mystery aspect of the book was well paced, with the requisite red herrings and plot twists.

Fans of historical murder mysteries will find a lot to like in this book, which feels like the first of a series. Historical fiction or murder mystery fans in general will likely also enjoy the book.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Wages of Sin will be available for purchase on March 14th, 2017.

An interesting mystery focusing on a female trying to make her way through the medical world in the nineteenth century. "The Wages of Sin" brings out the worst of nineteenth century society, but Sarah's determination to succeed and facilitate justice for the forgotten members of society is a light in the darkness.

Give me all of the historical fiction about flawed women doing things that society says they shouldn't do!!! Kaite Welsh's The Wages of Sin is about a woman named Sarah Gilchrist who "ruined" herself with the involvement with a man who took advantage of her. She moves in with her aunt and uncle to start anew, and she enrolls at the University of Edinburgh in the first year it allows female students. The plot goes back and forth between her past and her present and it's a little slow moving, but I enjoyed that. I felt like Welsh easily incorporated the day-to-day life of this first class of female medical students to show the reader the kind of resistance those students felt in their everyday experiences. It also explores the victim-blaming and -shaming rhetoric that women still face regarding their sexuality and their choices and how it can be damning to assume anything about anyone without knowing the other person's full story.

While reading this, I felt like this story also highlights the injustices and prejudices women face today in all sorts of sciences and male-dominated fields across the board. Sometimes it was troubling to read because I've even experienced similar things. However, that's what I like most about good historical fiction. It illuminates the problems of the past and present. I like reading historical fiction for an escape from the present like so many others, but I also like reading historical fiction because of the explorations and struggles people have faced throughout history. It's reflective and contemplative, and it's always a joy to have a relatable heroine telling us her story.

I'm going to be thinking about The Wages of Sin for a while, and I'm pleased to know that there will be more of Sarah's story, because most of this novel felt like a set up for so much more. I think I'd be disappointed to know that was the end, because it ended with so much hope and promise. I can't wait for the next one! If you're a fan of Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series or enjoy reading feminist historical fiction, I think you'll like Sarah Gilchrist and her adventures.

I don't know whether it is a case of every novel being timed perfectly to have the most meaning in today's political climate or a greater awareness of certain issues in general, but it does seem as if every novel I read lately is particularly important in illuminating the history behind current political viewpoints. The Wages of Sin certainly fits that bill. With its discussion of women, particularly poor women and their lack of choices when it comes to earning money, it covers women's rights or lack thereof during the Victorian Era. Plus, Sarah's foray as one of the first female medical students highlights the deep misogyny society still holds for women in traditionally male roles.

What I was expecting in this debut novel was not what I received. I expected an interesting story that provides a glimpse into life as a female medical student when women did not do that sort of thing. What I received was a compelling social commentary about so much more than just women in medical school. The mystery kept me intrigued, but it was Sarah's past "sin" and her growing awareness of the dichotomy between her life of privilege versus most other women that made me sit up and take notice.

The Wages of Sin is not the story of a poor little rich girl becoming enlightened. This is a story meant to shine the spotlight on repressive societal norms and the need to rethink one's position within that society. Sarah's troubled past is pertinent to her time volunteering at the charitable hospital in one of the city's worst slums and the patients she encounters there. Her eagerness to become a doctor is just another layer to the story during which she must reevaluate every rule she ever knew.

There is tremendous growth to Sarah which is wonderful to behold. To say much more would be to spoil a key plot point but one that is essential for understanding Sarah's drive and commitment to helping the poor. She is not a perfect heroine however, and it is not a perfect story. In spite of her emancipation proclivities, Sarah is still someone who requires rescuing. Even worse, she has a tendency to let her emotions guide her rather than her intellect, which serves to prove the point of those who oppose the modernization of women. Prone to jumping to conclusions because of her active imagination without asking enough logical questions, her assumptions are not just annoying but also lead to a series of unnecessary confrontations that place her into the very same scenarios about which she was warned. She is a perfect candidate for the use of reverse psychology.

Still, Sarah's weaknesses prove their own point in that they show how easily it is to accept societal norms at face value as well as how difficult it is to break free of them when it is the only thing you know. Then there is the issue of having others accept your breaking of those norms. Much of what Sarah observes and experiences as a women in the Victorian era will be familiar to modern female readers, and that is the most chilling aspect of the novel. That we continue to have the same discussions about reproductive rights and other feminist issues over 100 years later speaks volumes about societal norms and who establishes them. It also highlights the ongoing uphill battle we face for the next generation of girls.

The Wages of Sin is a pleasant surprise in that it has more gravitas and depth than I expected. It is much more than a murder mystery set in Victorian Edinburgh. It presents a somber portrait of women of all classes in that era and the stifling confines of what was deemed polite society. Sarah might be somewhat ruled by her emotional state, but she is a woman of action and that speaks volumes to her commitment to her beliefs. Kaite Welsh's debut novel makes her an author worth noticing.

This was one of those rare books that you absolutely promise yourself that you'll only read one more chapter because it's after midnight and you have work in the morning but then you end up staying awake till 3am because if you don't know how it ends you wouldn't be able to fall asleep anyway.
So, needless to say, I liked it quite a bit. The story was gruesome enough for me to be grateful to be living in this century rather than the 19th & Sarah Gilchrist was character that was easy to sympathize with. The story drew me in and the historical details seemed spot on. I'd definitely recommend this title to a patron and would definitely add it to my library's ~staff picks~ display. I can't wait for the sequels!

Thanks Pegasus Books and netgalley for this ARC.

Tantalizing first look at a new series that has everything I love in a historical mystery. Intrigue, rebellion, love, murder with a girl-power theme

Sarah Gilchrist wants to be a doctor and that is something that isn't common in 1892. Because of a scandal, she has fled her home in England and ends up in Scotland, living with her aunt and uncle. She is among a small group of female students who are the first females to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Sarah is smart, resourceful, headstrong but trying to fit in among the other medical students is difficult. The male students don't want females in their school and Sarah's scandal has followed her to Scotland. Her aunt and uncle only want to get her married so that she can put the scandal behind her. But Sarah doesn't want to get married. She begins volunteering at a free clinic that treats the most unfortunate people, including prostitutes. There she meets a young prostitute named Lucy, who later dies, and Sarah is convinced that she was murdered. She begins investigating and, by doing this, puts her own life in danger. She develops a relationship with one of the professors at the school but he seems suspect too, especially after she sees him visiting the same brothel where Lucy worked. Who can she trust?

This book has wonderful descriptions of the Victorian time period and the role that women were forced to play. Sarah is a strong character who suffered the scorn of society even though she didn't do anything wrong.. There is a mystery and a twist that I didn't see coming. I.felt that the ending was rushed, so I am wondering if there will be a sequel to this book. Enjoyable, if not fully developed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book. to review.

If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then certainly the hands may convey the strength of it.

Ushering in the year of 1892, female hands were thought to solely engage in the rigid stitches around an embroidery frame and not clasped around the likes of a surgical scalpel.

But then you haven't met Sarah Gilchrist.

Sarah arrives in the upscale household of her aunt and uncle, the Buchanans, with a pleasing face and stature. This is Edinburgh, Scotland. Sarah has left behind a scandal upon the lips of those who relish the sharing of gossip and the unraveling of a young woman's reputation. A rest cure at a country sanatorium outside of London is all that she has left of an unspoken ordeal. Curiously, was the ordeal initiated by Sarah or visited upon her by some unsavory means? Secrets left in a jar by the door, you'll come to know.

Sarah puts aside society's version of her delicate, maidenly sensibilities and enrolls at the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. Out of 100 students, only 12 are female. Women's pursuits for higher education were met with scoffs and ridicule. Ironically, some of that same ridicule came from women themselves toward one another. The female hand that should have been extended in kindness was often clenched around a palm filled with insults and snarky remarks. Birthrights and social standings still took precedence.

And that same weak pedestal of social standing was the exact impetus to move Sarah to work at the Infirmary which catered to the poor and to the women of the brothels. It is here that Sarah comes across the wayward Lucy who ends up dead and being viewed in the dissection room of the university much to Sarah's horror.

Sarah suspects that Lucy has been murdered. In a very round about manner, she engages the help of one of her professors, Gregory Merchiston, until she suspects that he may have been involved somehow in Lucy's murder himself. Trust is such an elusive thing, isn't it?

Kaite Welsh presents a very well-researched historical fiction read including the upheaval of female emancipation. Her characters reflect the era, and yet, they are presented with multi-facets as varied individuals. The banter and dialogue at times was extremely clever and engaging. The Wages of Sin seems to define transgressions in the eye of the beholder.. A remarkable read!

I received a copy of The Wages of Sin through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Pegasus Books and to Kaite Welsh for the opportunity.