Historical Mystery
"The death of Sir Edward Crick has
unleashed a torrent of gossip throughout Oxfordshire. No one mourns the
dissolute young man--except his sister, Lady Lydia Farrell. When her husband
comes under suspicion of murder, Lydia seeks expert help from Dr. Thomas
Silkstone, a young anatomist from Philadelphia." (From Goodreads)
The premise sounds simple but the book is not. In 1780’s England anatomist Dr. Thomas
Silkstone is treading a new path in forensic pathology. He must use existing
methods but also explore additional methods for finding the cause of Sir Edward
Crick’s death.
If you want a quick run to a solution this book is not for
you. Each discovery leads to a new
conclusion and that conclusion does not always hold up. Dr. Silkstone travels between Warwick
Axxizes and London several times in the course of the story. Weeks and months go by while he tries
to determine the cause of Sir Edward’s death. During that time a whole cast of characters play across the
pages. The plot twists and turns
leading up to a surprising conclusion.
Tessa Harris did a great deal of historical research. That research plays a big part in
setting the stage for this book and future books in the series. Reading The Anatomist’s Apprentice is
part history, part mystery and even part romance. A Glossary in the back of the book adds information on the
historical facts contained in each chapter.
The Anatomist’s Apprentice is a great start to a new
historical mystery series. I will
be looking for the next books to be published.
Kensington Mysteries published The Anatomists Apprentice by
Tessa Harris in 2012.
