Cover Image: The Way of All Flesh

The Way of All Flesh

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Member Reviews

I prefer to read about new detectives rather than the polished kind of the classic mysteries, most of the time. I tend to find them more believable because they make mistakes and—let me be honest—because I stand a chance at solving the case before they do. But in Ambrose Parry’s The Way of All Flesh, one our two amateur detectives makes dangerous mistakes while he and his ad hoc partner attempt to solve the murders of a series of poor women in 1847 Edinburgh. The tension in this book comes not just from the case but also from wondering if one of the protagonists will get himself killed before resolving the matter.

We meet one of our protagonists on one of the worst nights of his life. Will Raven, a medical student, has just discovered the dead body of the woman he loved. Fearing that he will be blamed for the death, he runs…only to run into a pair of enforcers who work for the loan shark he just borrowed a large sum. It’s a miracle that he remains in one piece long enough to make it to the first day of his apprenticeship with the famous obstetrician, Sir James Young Simpson. (Renowned surgeon James Syme also appears in this book.) It’s at Simpson’s house that we meet our second protagonist, Sarah Fisher, who works there as a housemaid and lady’s maid to Simpson’s sister-in-law. While Will has a shot at becoming a wealthy doctor if he applies himself, Sarah’s intelligence and gleaned medical knowledge are almost certain to go to waste because of her gender.

Will and Sarah get off on the wrong foot almost immediately and engage in an unwitting battle of wills while more dead women are discovered around Edinburgh. Because the women are sex workers or housemaids, they don’t receive much attention from the law. Instead, the law is more interested in finding out how an infant’s leg (without the rest of the body) come to be found on a city street. Will’s questions turn up clues that point towards a rogue abortionist (though it takes Will a painfully long time to put the pieces together). It also takes him a distressingly long time to put aside his prejudices and join forces with Sarah to stop the murders.

The mystery in The Way of All Flesh meanders, mostly because Will and Sarah are amateurs and have day jobs that prevent them from working ’round the clock on the case. The villain is an absolute fiend, which adds spice to the mystery plot. But what interested me more was the medical history that is liberally folded into the story. Between Simpson’s experiments with chloroform—a godsend for laboring women—and the terrifying practice of gynaecology and obstetrics in the 1847s, I was absolutely hooked on this novel. I’m a ghoul for medical history and The Way of All Flesh was catnip for me. Readers with a similar interest will probably enjoy this book, if they can get over Will’s moments of righteous temper. Readers who don’t have a strong stomach might want to skip sections if they are otherwise invested in the mystery.

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•Amazingly Well Written Novel

•Set In Edinburgh In The Year 1847. Well Researched Historical Background For Sure.

•Very Well Developed Characters. Both Raven And Sarah Are Relatable In Some Sort Of Way, They're Full Of Intrigue, Mistery And Depth In My Opinion.

•Its A Great Ride And I Would Definitely Recommend.

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I enjoyed this historical mystery set in 1840s Edinburgh.

The story revolves around Will Raven, an assistant to a prominent male midwife, who along with a brilliant housemaid, sets out to solve some gruesome deaths of pregnant lower class women.

My only complaint here is the length. At 400+ pages it was simply too long and could have been wrapped up much sooner.

Good character development, interesting anesthesia history from that time but be forewarned that there is quite a bit of medical gruesomeness owing to the lack of knowledge/technology at that time.

Apparently there are to be a few more in this series, and yes, I’d definitely read more. However I do hope the pacing issue will be resolved in future efforts. There was not a lot of mystery solving taking place until around 75% through.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Canongate for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

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This had all the ingredients to mean that it would be an ideal read for me: historical fiction, crime thriller, set in Scotland, sounding a bit like Conan Doyle or Poe.

The principal characters Will Raven and Sarah are well-drawn and I found them utterly believable. The descriptions of Old Town Edinburgh are nightmarish and atmospheric. The authorial team (here known under the pseudonym "Ambrose Parry") live in Scotland and no doubt have their own experience to drawn upon for this. The second half of the book really picks up in pace and the way in which the mystery is wrapped up is very satisfying.

Having said the above, as much as I like the medical problem-solving in Sherlock or Dupin fashion, I found the medical descriptions in this book in some cases, totally overwhelming and shocking (particularly one labour that I will struggle to forget) and while I'm all for being as realistic as possible, some realities are too horrific. I went on to read that one of the authors has a medical background and no doubt that added to the realism and also to the grotesque descriptions of operations in that era.

If you can get past the birth gore, this is a good book and is the first in a longer series. For me it's a 3.5***

Many thanks to NetGalley, Canongate Books US and the authors for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Ambrose Parry is the writing partnership of Chris Brookmyre (one of my very favourite authors) and his wife. He is an expert at writing thrillers, she has an expert knowledge of the history of medicine. Together they have produced this book, the first in a series about Will Raven (who is a doctor apprenticed to Edinburgh obstetrician Dr Simpson - an actual historical character) and Dr Simpson's housemaid Sarah. Set to a background of Edinburgh society and the invention of chloroform, the plot concerns a series of gruesome deaths of young girls, but this book is about so much more than that. The medical descriptions were fascinating, the characters really well drawn, and by the end I was reluctant to leave their company and their world. Although this is very different to Brookmyre's usual books, I loved it and I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

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'The Way of All Flesh' written by husband and wife writing duo Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman under the pseudonym Ambrose Parry is a gloriously atmospheric and authentic 19th century historical crime novel. It really is superb! I read a lot of crime stories, but I don't come across a lot that are set in such wonderful surroundings as this. Victorian era Edinburgh is a dangerous place with all kinds of misadventure and misdemeanors taking place. The plot fizzes with kinetic energy, and the descriptions were so vivid that I could almost taste the haggis, neeps and tatties!

This is both crime fiction and historical fiction at its finest. The writing is compulsively readable, and you find yourself being drawn into the story from the first few pages. You truly know when you're turning those pages that you are reading something incredibly special. Produced by a rare and talented pair, this book deserves to be appreciated by a wide audience. I feel it will be particularly enjoyable to both those who are partial to a gruesome and gory crime novel, and those who love historical fiction - this book excels in both of those genres.

Many thanks to Canongate Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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Will Raven has got a coveted position as a medical apprentice to the renowned Dr Simpson and begins assisting him in births and daily patients calling at the doctors house. Two women have died and their bodies were found in a contorted manner and there are rumours afoot that a french midwife has been offering abortions. Sarah the housemaid wishes to elevate her position to something more than a maid but its a male centric world, so opportunities are not open to her. Meanwhile Sarah takes a dislike to Will but eventually they are drawn together making an unlikely alliance investigating the deaths of two women they knew, working together to solve the crime before more women are found dead.

I thoroughly enjoyed this storyline set in the mid 1800s in Edinburgh. Its a cross between medical procedures that seem totally alien today, and frankly barbaric and a murder mystery. It also provides an insight into the lower classes and upper workings of the time. Will and Sarah worked well together and they story was told from both their points of view.

There seemed to be somethings that were revealed about characters that I felt should be left as a mystery and others that were left unanswered (though the characters had left for good) but should have been tied up that weren't.

If this set of characters were made into a series, I'd certainly read more of them in the future.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

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This book is a joint venture of Chris Brookmyre (established novelist) and his wife Marisa Haetzman, and I understand that it is intended to be the first in a series featuring central characters Will and Sarah.
The setting is Edinburgh in 1847, and the city is split into two very different halves. Will Raven has spent the last several years growing up and studying in the poverty stricken and seedy Old Town, and now takes up a medical apprenticeship in midwifery under the famous obstetrician Dr Simpson, moving to live under his roof in the respectable and affluent New Town just over the river. Here he meets housemaid Sarah who, despite it being a man's world, is secretly keen to study sciences and healing to better herself if possible. Will also has secrets he wants to keep, in his case rather murky ones from his past. Despite a disliking of each other at first, together they are drawn into investigating a series of suspicious deaths of young women in the town. There are plenty of likely suspects. And are some doctors so keen to make breakthroughs that they will do so at any cost?
I found the book to be rather a slow burner at first (there's a wealth of information and description of life on both sides of the city) until at least halfway through when the pace picked up a little and then even more so to an exciting finish. It is very descriptive, particularly of new scientific advances in medicine and also of rather gory scenes of surgery and childbirth gone wrong.
The scene and main characters having now been established, I am looking forward to further stories in this series. Well worth a read if you enjoy murder mystery with an historical flavour.

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This book was brought further into life for me as I was up in Edinburgh last week on holiday so it seemed the perfect time to bring it forward to the top of my skyscraper of a TBR pile!! And also, today is publication day for this gem of a book 🥂

Having done some of the touristy things we went and saw the Edinburgh Dungeons and The Real Mary King’s Close tour to see the rooms, streets and spaces underneath the famous Royal Mile, and Edinburgh’s only preserved 17th century street, so even though that was 2 centuries further back in time to when this novel is set it still went a massive way to bringing the past even further into my cozy reading chair!!

Set in 1840’s Edinburgh, when Edinburgh led the world in the field of medicine, in both medical practices and procedures and also pioneering drugs and anaesthetics.

As well as being a historical medical thriller it also brings to life Dr Simpson who was a real, pioneering figure of the time. Wanting to find better drugs and anaesthetics for his patients we get some great scenes of the research done by these medical practitioners of old which included nights spent with some of the city’s top surgeons sitting round the dinner table sampling various substances looking to find the perfect anaesthetic!!

Dr Simpson makes his discovery of chloroform following some of these sampling sessions 😂

The plot is simply brilliant full of twists and turns, and some great characters, especially Sarah and Raven. They stole the show for me. Will Raven is a young medical student recently apprenticed to Dr Simpson and Sarah, a housemaid for Dr Simpson who has her own ambitions to work in medicine herself, despite their being little opportunity to do so for those born the ‘inferior sex’ as well as her social status.

When a couple of young women are found dead in similar suspicious circumstances, Sarah and Raven take it upon themselves to investigate the deaths as they both fear a more unscrupulous doctor operating illegally and naturally their investigations lead them into a whole host of trouble!

The medical reality in 1847 is horrifically compelling with some fairly narly procedures described throughout the book but they haven’t just been thrown in for a gross out factor, they serve a purpose and bring the story further to life.

Blending a historical tale with an intriguing mystery and even a little splash of romance this book really does have something for everyone.

If you are a fan of historical fiction or maybe interested in medical procedures and their histories you really don’t want to miss this book. I will go as far as to say that this is by far, hands down, the best historical fiction book you will read this year!!

And now for the cherry on top of the cake – It’s the first in a new series 😍 The only downside to that is the wait for the sequel to hit the shelves 😭

I’m already looking forward to it and can’t wait!!

And if you need an even bigger cherry on top to read this book, well apparently there are already rumours flying around that it is set to become a tv series starring Benedict Cumberbatch!! 🙀

The Way of All Flesh was published today 30th Aug 18 and you can grab a copy now

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As a huge fan of historical fiction, the synopsis instantly captured my interest. Edinburgh 1847, medicine, money and murder = SOLD! Within the immediate opening scenes you are aware that the writing is without a doubt intelligent and skilled. The novel is packed full of interesting and insightful information regarding the history of medicine. This is a huge part of this novel and it is not a typical Victorian era, murdered prostitute thriller, it is very much more than that!

‘That was Edinburgh for you: public decorum and private sin, city of a thousand secret selves’

In the opening scenes protagonist Will Raven discovers the murdered corpse of prostitute Evie Lawson. He is horrified at the scene but flees fearing he will be blamed. Raven is a client of Evie’s and it is this that leads him to become obsessed with finding her killer!

‘It was not a night for solitude, or for sobriety’

Raven’s background is explored, and we learn that contrary to his public persona, he is not a man of financial means. In fact, he is wanted by Edinburgh’s most feared loan sharks. With the brutal warning find the money or lose an eye. All hope resides on his new apprenticeship with Dr Simpson.

Raven arrives at Dr Simpson’s and introduced to an array of characters. Jarvis the butler, David and Walter the elder children of the Simpson family and Miss Mina Grindlay, Dr Simpson’s demanding and selfish sister-in-law. But it is not any of these that catch his eye or irritate him. But it is Sarah the housemaid. Sarah is quite the force to be reckoned with, as Raven will come to discover himself.

Dr Simpson is a professor of midwifery and assists all patients rich and poor. At first Raven is completely taken aback by this approach but eventually with experience, comes to appreciate what Dr Simpson is hoping to achieve. Raven is shocked to when he is informed that Sarah assists with morning clinics and even more surprised by the depth of her knowledge. Needless to say the pair do not get off to a great start.

When Sarah learns that the Sheldrake family’s housemaid Rose has absconded and gone missing she is concerned. Mr Sheldrake was known to have quite the temper and Rose was known to be no angel herself. But something eats away at Sarah about the case and she becomes determined to gather some more information.

Evie’s body is finally discovered and quickly assumed to be a suicide via alcohol. Which Raven knows to be untrue given the gruesome scene and the signs upon the corpse. But in this era, women are second class citizens, let alone women of the night.

There are various scenes with patients which all assist Raven in his education and apprenticeship. As the readers they are often truly insightful case studies of what it was like to be a woman in the Victorian era. When you had little say/rights over your own reproductive system, in the medical sense.
Raven continues to have disagreements with Sarah and it is clear to see Raven believes a servant especially a female servant should know her place! At times I found Raven quite hypocritical given that he is staff himself. But Sarah can hold her own and makes it quite clear what she thinks of Raven in return!

“It is my duty to assess those waiting and to recommend the order of urgency by which they ought to be admitted” – Sarah

Sarah longs for a career in medicine, she is intelligent, driven and more than capable. However, the era has a long way to go. She attempts to apply for a position at the local druggist’s. When she is simply scolded for even thinking such an idea would work. . .
‘Our assistant must inspire confidence in our customers. For that, only a man will do’ – Mr Duncan

Raven, Sarah and Dr Simpson all have very credible and interesting backstory’s. They read like real people from history.
Raven and Sarah continue to investigate the two recent deaths and through a bizarre twist of events end up working together. This I absolutely loved, the characters slowly grow on you, but none more so, than when they eventually team up.

But who is the killer targeting women? Is it an illegal abortionist gone wrong? When Raven accompanies Dr Simpson to the local hospital, he witnesses first hand the dangers of women with no access to adequate medical healthcare.
‘Desperate people are often driven to do desperate things’ – Ziegler

As you read on, you begin to question the killer’s motives. Is this a form of medical experimentation? Are the women being punished? When Rose’s body Is found to be with child, it adds further weight to these theories. Raven begins to sympathise with the desperation the women must have felt. . .
‘Desperation is often the mother of misplaced faith’ – Raven

The novel has a clear feel for more literary/historical fiction than crime fiction. Despite the murders that take place. As the focus remains on the medicine within the era. You really get a sense of how dire the situation was for women in 1847.
The novel has such a literary feel and I had so many quotes I wanted to use. I shall leave you with my favourite. . .
‘The only difference between a medicine and a poison is the dosage’

Unique, incredibly well-researched and insightful historical fiction 4.5*

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I found this book engrossing. It was nicely paced and the storyline was an intelligent murder mystery without the usual melodrama. As much as I love steampunk novels, it made a nice change to read something based in Victorian Britain that didn’t include clockwork men or dirigibles.
The slow build of the Will Raven’s was done well as was his transformation into an enlightened gent. The social history of the importance of and desire for female rights and education was welcomed as was delving into the history of anaesthesia and obstetrics. A great deal of work and research has gone into this novel and it shows in every page. I look forward to further collaborations of Raven and Fisher.

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This is a story about medical student Will Raven and his apprenticeship as a midwife in Edinburgh. He has taken a place with the noted inventor of chloroform, Dr. Simpson. His home is a mixture of classes and students where he holds surgeries for poor and gentry alike and encourages his students and staff to read, learn and explore medical knowledge. Raven has become indebted to a money lender and, between ducking his minions and acting as staff with Dr. Simpson, he finds himself mixed up in a badly done medical abortion. With the house maid Sarah he tries to track down the killer, putting both himself and Sarah in danger. This was a longer book that moved quickly with a surprise ending. I recommend this book.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

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What a wonderful historical thriller! There's a great plot, full of twists and turns, great characters and a well researched historical background.
The two main characters are realistic and well developed, and their relationship is interesting and engaging.
The book is atmospheric and enthralling and once you start reading you cannot put it down.
One of the best piece of historical fiction read this year.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Canongate Books and Netgalley for this book.

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Parry has successfully managed to combine child birth, poverty, women's rights, use of anaesthetics and murder in 19th century Edinburgh. Although the main characters, Will and Sarah are fictional Dr Simpson is real. Some of the descriptions of difficult childbirths can be a bit graphic.
It is a very enjoyable book that defies catagorisation. Hopefully this is the first of a series.

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**I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review**

Set in 1847 Edinburgh, THE WAY OF ALL FLESH is a frightfully riveting novel revolving around Raven and Sarah, two women on the hunt for answers to the mysterious murders taking place. Told in such a vivid manner, I love how the story jumps from the page and maintains a fast pace that never seemed to disappoint me.

LOVED it and would recommend.

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— DISCLAIMER: I received a eARC of this novel via NetGalley – thank you to both Netgalley and Canongate Books! All opinions expressed in this review are my own. —

What I liked best about this historical crime novel is that the characters are actually human. The authors (Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym for the authorial team XX and XX) kept surprising me with their multi-faceted protagonists. Both Raven and Sarah, the two central characters, are utterly understandable and have reasonable flaws. The relationships between the different characters evolve organically, which makes for a wonderful read. Through Sarah, a smart, curious house maid, they also address the social implications of being a woman, and even foreshadow the suffragette movement later in the century. As they say, it needs women willing to fight for change to instigate changes happening.

Another really cool aspect was the detailed use of the state of the medical profession in Edinburgh at the time, going into practical midwifery, but also public surgeries, and even the beginning use of anaesthesia. This is a subject I didn’t know much about beforehand, and I found it fascinating to learn more about how medicine worked and developed in a period not that far from ‘modern science’, but often perceived to be almost as dark as the Middle Ages in popular conception.

I really enjoyed the novel, and could barely put it down at times, even if the culprit of the overarching mystery was rather obvious to me – though it made sense from the characters’ point of view that it took them so long to figure out the solution. The resolution at the end was well crafted, and gave the book a nice stand-alone end (although there are going to be further novels in the series).

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The Way of All Flesh is a twisty mystery and a historical thriller set in Scotland in the mid-1850s. If you know anything of Scotland at that time, you will know that Edinburgh had become the seat of medical innovation. This story is set when the use of anesthetic concoctions were just beginning to be formulated, tested and used on patients. There are plenty of fascinating medical tidbits to satisfy those with an interest in the macabre history of medicine, and it was nice to read them embedded in a work of fiction.

The story also revolves around a young apprentice doctor and a housemaid determined to rise above her station. They both work with a lauded obstetrician who is at the forefront in using new techniques in the hopes of better survival rates for mothers and babies. Unfortunately, there is someone killing working women - housemaids and prostitutes - who find themselves in the "family way" and looking to remedy the situation. This, and the sketchy backgrounds of a couple of the physicians introduced in the book, make for an intense read.

This is an interesting, well-written book by two authors, Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman, writing under a pseudonym. I will definitely be picking up any other books they collaborate on.

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Thank you Netgalley and Canongate Books for the ARC.

A lot is happening in 1847's Edinburgh. Will Raven is set upon by thugs for not returning money borrowed from a loanshark. Then the girl he borrowed the money for is found dead. Meanwhile he's moving from the old to the new part of town to start as an apprentice for Dr. Simpson, obstetrician. In between seeing patients he also helps his collegues in finding a workable anesthetic.
The book gives a good account of the use of ether and its sometimes fatal results, while the discovery of chloroform also makes an entrance. The medical world is buzzing with excitement and fear for the unknown. And who would have thought peri-peri could do anything other than spice up a good meal?
Last but not least there's an abortionist poisoning the desperate. Oh, the mysteries, this book just won't stop!
Edinburgh is oozing muddy streets, dirty alleys, nasty operating theatres, fancy ladies and department stores.
Wonderful historical fiction, with an exit line that put a big smile on my face. Highly recommended reading!

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The Way of the Flesh is a brilliant, atmospheric, historical, crime fiction novel that had me completely enthralled. The story is rich in history surrounding medical advancements and butchery during the period particularly those surrounding the development of anaesthesia. A full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer on October 1st.

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Edinburgh 1847, a time when ruthless medical experiments were being carried out, quite often by the unscrupulous, those whose patients were of no consequence, who’s lives mattered little when set against the desire for fame and fortune.

Against this backdrop, Will Raven secures himself an apprenticeship with the much respected obstetrician Doctor Simpson.

The story begins with the suspicious death of Will’s prostitute friend Evie, but her death ( as we are about to find out) is only just the beginning!

Will is determined to discover who killed Evie and along with his sidekick, housemaid Sarah, he is dragged into Edinburgh’s very dark and seamy underbelly.

The author has brought 19th century Edinburgh very much to life, in particular, the medical experiments of this period. Descriptions of medical procedures won’t be for everyone, particularly those involving difficult births, these proved to be particularly gruesome, and remember, this was a time when these procedures were carried out without the use of anaesthetics! Although some doctors were experimenting with ether and chloroform, Scotland’s religious leaders were denouncing such methods as going against God.

I must say, I found our two main protagonists to be very engaging, and descriptions of Old Edinburgh with it’s cobbled streets and dark and dirty alleyways, along with some really fascinating facts , lent great atmosphere to the proceedings.


The writing flowed effortlessly, and this would have been a 5 star read for me, had the crime not taken something of a backseat in favour of the medical research at times. However, once the crime took centre stage again, the pace was relentless and I certainly found it to be an interesting and enjoyable read.

* Thank you to Netgalley and Canongate for an ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

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