One of the richest men in Edinburgh is found dead in bed with traces of arsenic in his stomach. His son is accused of the murder but Raven's new fiancée believes him to be innocent and asks him to investigate.

Despite some well-worn tropes, the mystery all came together nicely enough but the social and medical background are still what attracts me to this series. ( )

Third in a series of historical mysteries set around the medical community of Edinburgh in the 1850’s. Sarah Fisher returns to Queen Street after an unsuccessful trip abroad and immediately finds herself embroiled in a baby trafficking mystery. Her usual investigative partner, Dr. Will Raven, seems pre-occupied with a new love that has sprung up in her absence so she might have to go it alone on this occasion. Meanwhile, Raven’s new love seeks his help for a childhood friend who stands accused of the murder of his father, one of the most prominent philanthropists around. Will their investigations cross paths and can they help each other out when they inevitably do?

The story combines real events and people and blends the fictitious parts in well to create an atmospheric tale that draws the reader in. It showcases a time and place where inequalities of class and sex were rife, where squalor was just around the corner from wealth and women were treated as inferior and were meant to know their place. The mystery elements are more than competently handled also with clues and red herrings inserted appropriately. A good continuation to the series. ( )

Edinburgh, 1850. Sarah Fisher has returned from her journey abroad to see Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to obtain a medical degree in the United States. Meeting your heroes is not always easy, and Sarah’s trip has thrown her into some soul-searching. Meanwhile, Will Raven has been asked to clear a former acquaintance of a murder charge, and Sarah is excellently placed to help him out.

This series has really grown on me. I was predisposed to like it on the basis of the setting and the medical history, but with the first book I went in expecting “mystery with lashings of history”, when this is really first and foremost historical fiction with a mystery woven into it. Approach it in this way and you will really appreciate the attention to medical detail, the way Edinburgh is brought to life, and the appearances by real-life figures such as Elizabeth Blackwell. I had just recently read The Doctors Blackwell, by Janice P. Nimura, so was familiar with her story. In fact, I’d recommend reading that book after this one, if you want to learn more about Elizabeth (and her sister, Emily, who also trained as a doctor).

I really like this series and would recommend it if you like historical fiction set in Scotland and if you like medical history. ( )

Once upon a time, I used to be a reader who had to read any series books in order. No exceptions. In the past few years, I've moved past that, willing to jump in with the newest book and then go back to the beginning if I enjoyed what I read. I've been lucky doing that, seldom choosing a series that didn't tell enough of the backstory to start me off on the right foot. Well... A Corruption of Blood, the third book in the Raven & Fisher historical series set in 1850s Edinburgh, Scotland, was not a good choice to jump into this new-to-me series. I spent almost the first half of the book feeling like an outsider and struggling to get the cast of characters straight as well as all their relationships with each other.

The mystery in this book isn't all that mysterious, although something a bad guy says did make my jaw drop. There were also a few too many romantic entanglements to suit me, although they never did cross my imaginary line in the sand.

What I did enjoy about this book is its depiction of the practice of medicine at that time, its mix of barbarism and advancement, as well as the almost insurmountable divide between the rich and the poor. And-- fancy that-- some of the same problems faced then are the exact same ones we face today. The more things change...

Now that I have my bearings in this Raven & Fisher series, am I going to continue reading? Even though I did like the story on the whole and I did appreciate the historical setting, I think one visit with Will Raven and Sarah Fisher is enough for me. Your mileage may certainly vary.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )

1850 On walking back from a delivery in the Port of Leith, someone discovers the body of a baby in the River Forth. Dr Will Raven becomes interested in the case. Meanwhile Sarah Fisher has returned to Dr Simpson's home only to become involved in the disappearance of a maid's baby. Also Dr Will Raven is ask to help prove the innocence of a murder suspect, but it is someone he dislikes.
A slow paced Victorican mystery, well-written and entertaining with its likeable characters. Another good addition to the series which can easily be read as a standalone story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )