Review: The Way of All Flesh

The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Raven is an apprentice ‘midwife’ to Dr Simpson a kind, generous doctor with an interest in anaesthesia. Raven owes money to violent ‘loan sharks’ after borrowing to lend money to his friend who is then found dead. He feels this was murder, and then there are further women found dead with the same contorted bodies.

Sarah is a housemaid, who also works for Dr Simpson, part time, in his surgery helping with patients and clearing up. She has a thirst for medical knowledge and reads medical books but as a women in these times, was disregarded.

Sarah and Raven do not get on initially, but they begin to investigate the deaths of the women and a little romance begins.

There’s a lot of medical information given and the use of ether in medicine and surgery in the 1840’s and it reminds you just how much medicine has advanced , thank goodness. Ambrose Parry, the author has clearly done a lot of research and while he includes a lot of this in the tale it is not confusing but just reinforces the story and gives background to medicine of the time.

It’s a great tale of medical drama, romance and a murder mystery.

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