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EDINBURGH, 1853.
In a city of science, discovery can be deadly . . .
In a time of unprecedented scientific discovery, the public’s appetite for wonder has seen a resurgence of interest in mesmerism, spiritualism and other unexplained phenomena.
Dr Will Raven is wary of the shadowlands that lie between progress and quackery, but Sarah Fisher can’t afford to be so picky. Frustrated in her medical ambitions, she sees opportunity in a new therapeutic field not already closed off to women.
Raven has enough on his hands as it is. Body parts have been found at Surgeons' Hall, and they’re not anatomy specimens. In a city still haunted by the crimes of Burke and Hare, he is tasked with heading off a scandal.
When further human remains are found, Raven is able to identify a prime suspect, and the hunt is on before he kills again. Unfortunately, the individual he seeks happens to be an accomplished actor, a man of a thousand faces and a renowned master of disguise.
With the lines between science and spectacle dangerously blurred, the stage is set for a grand and deadly illusion . . .
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for Voices of the Dead by Ambrose Parry today. Many thanks to Canongate Books and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the book.
Voices of the Dead is the fourth book in Ambrose Parry's historical crime fiction series featuring Will Raven and Sarah Fisher. It's a series which has long been on my wishlist but unfortunately I haven't managed to read any of the previous novels, so far. However, despite only belatedly making my acquaintance with these characters here, I was gripped by this brilliantly constructed mystery. Of course, I would recommend reading the books in order, if possible but the authors have ensured that Voices of the Dead can be read as a thoroughly satisfying standalone too.
Death soon comes to Voices of the Dead with a brief but disturbing prologue which gives readers a first look at somebody with an evidently fiendish mind. It's not this particular murder which comes to the attention of Raven however, and he is called upon to investigate another gruesome discovery. There are some horrible acts perpetrated here but while readers are left in no doubt as to the barbarity of the crimes committed, the writing isn't gratuitously graphic and it's seeing the reactions of other characters which allows us to imagine the full horror. at first, it's not an increasing body count causing consternation as the various, macabre finds are body parts belonging to the same, unfortunate victim. As their identity is revealed, the likely perpetrator is nowhere to be found; it seems as though he's in possession of a singular set of skills which allows him to evade capture – and as the story progresses, it becomes darkly evident just how dangerous he is.
The malefactions of the resurrectionists and especially the Burke and Hare murders are still relatively fresh in the memories of Edinburgh folk and so the presence of a human foot in Surgeons' Hall which is very clearly not an anatomy specimen results in Raven being instructed to resolve the matter swiftly and without any hint of scandal. The new head of the College of Surgeons, Dr Archibald Christie has been given the nickname, 'Corpus' and is a novel which features some deeply unpleasant individuals, this ruthlessly ambitious man is particularly loathsome. I look forward to him crossing swords with Raven again in the future.
The search for a twisted, devious killer is compelling but Voices of the Dead is so much more than a grisly murder mystery. It's also an absorbing portrait of Victorian Edinburgh, most notably of the constantly developing medical world. The animosity between various disciplines is glaringly obvious but it's the attitudes of the public which are perhaps most interesting, Raven's mentor, Dr Simpson is based on the real-life figure, James Young Simpson who was an early founder of gynaecology and was a pioneer in the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic. Although it has gradually become more commonplace by this point, it's made clear that many were slow to be convinced and that even though medical advances continue to be made, people were often drawn to practices they believed to be less scientific and more spiritual.
The fascination with spiritualism in Victorian times is well-known but while the chicanery of the art is examined here, this particular element of the storyline is beautifully developed to become something surprisingly poignant. Meanwhile, the use of mesmerism as an early form of hypnotism leads to an intriguing difference of opinion between Raven and Sarah. Throughout Voices of the Dead, attitudes to social positions and especially the roles of women are keenly observed. Sarah is evidently fiercely intelligent but having her ambitions constantly thwarted, merely due to being a woman, means she understandably seizes the opportunity to forge a role for herself which looks as though it may offer genuine benefits to patients and practitioners.
Raven isn't convinced and is torn by his loyalty to his friend and his desire to confront all forms of quackery. However, despite obviously being a man of strong beliefs, his own morals are also tested during the course of the book and the questions raised about just what he is capable of are riveting. The line between those on the right and wrong side of the law is blurred at times and the development of the characters is excellent throughout; even though I had my suspicions, I genuinely didn't know who could be trusted or what choices Raven would eventually make.
Brimming with atmospheric intrigue, this is historical crime fiction at its finest. Engaging, authentic and illuminating from start to finish; Voices of the Dead is a richly compulsive treat of a book, I very highly recommend it.
Voices of the Dead is published by Canongate Books and can be purchased from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Kobo, Amazon or your favourite independent bookshop.
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Thanks for the blog tour support. x
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