The Way of All Flesh cover art

The Way of All Flesh

Raven, Fisher and Simpson, Book 1

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The Way of All Flesh

By: Ambrose Parry
Narrated by: Bryan Dick, Louise Brealey
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About this listen

Edinburgh, 1847. City of Medicine, Money, Murder.

Young women are being discovered dead across the Old Town, all having suffered similarly gruesome ends. In the New Town, medical student Will Raven is about to start his apprenticeship with the brilliant and renowned Dr Simpson.

Simpson's patients range from the richest to the poorest of this divided city. His house is like no other, full of visiting luminaries and daring experiments in the new medical frontier of anaesthesia. It is here that Raven meets housemaid Sarah Fisher, who recognises trouble when she sees it and takes an immediate dislike to him. She has all of his intelligence but none of his privileges, in particular his medical education.

With each having their own motive to look deeper into these deaths, Raven and Sarah find themselves propelled headlong into the darkest shadows of Edinburgh's underworld, where they will have to overcome their differences if they are to make it out alive.

©2018 Ambrose Parry (P)2018 Canongate Books Ltd Crime Thrillers Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Thriller Exciting Scary

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Critic reviews

"Parry's Victorian Edinburgh comes vividly alive - and it's a world of pain." (Val McDermid)
"Menacing, witty and ingeniously plotted, Ambrose Parry’s debut draws you into the dark heart of nineteenth-century Edinburgh and won’t let you go until the final page." (S.J. Parris)
"Utterly compelling, this tale of Old Edinburgh is so full of characters and startling incident that I never wanted it to end." (Denise Mina)
All stars
Most relevant
To begin it takes some time to get into . I was wondering where it is going. I like the historical back ground of Dr Simpson and Ye olde Edinburgh. I guess this ending could lead to a sequel. Is this Chris B writing under a pseudonym?

Great historical background

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Fantastic story and I loved the old Edinburgh setting along with the historical references. The only part I didn’t like was the two different narrators. No need for it.

Great story!

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I really enjoyed this book, from start to finish. It was well researched and historically convincing. It piqued my previous interest in the Victorian city, with its diverse social mix. Concerns about an underbelly of crime and deprivation seemingly threatened the affluence, stability and power of those more privileged.
I was also fascinated by the story's focus on the medical scene, within n
Nineteenth Century Scotland. Within this area, important breakthroughs were being made. The development of anaesthesia would be bring groundbreaking developments within surgery. Likewise, the developing area of maternal medicine would eventyally bring benifits to women across all classes. However, during this period, experimental procedures, desperation and greed combined to all to frequently resulted in patients suffering torturous treatment and death in the pursuit of cures. The book did well to highlight that, whilst also having the mysterious undercurrent of a historical crime novel.

A crime novel with depth.

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Rather like a an iron fist in a velvet glove this tale of a young apprentice obstetrician paints a vivid picture of the grim inequalities of 19th century Edinburgh with gore and good humour. The story was compelling enough, although I would have liked a little more in the way of character development, particularly of the relationship between the 2 lead characters which felt a little rushed and anticlimactic. That said, I will definitely be returning to the series as I throughly enjoyed my time in fog swathed Victorian Edinburgh and I definitely want to know more about Dr Simpson and his household.

The narration was particularly strong. Bryan Dick brought this story to life with aplomb, a perfect match. Louise Brearley is a competent narrator, if a little flat. Also, I think a native accent may have been more authentic. It didn’t overly detract from the story though. Go on try it!

Thoroughly enjoyable romp slash feminist treatise

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I really enjoyed learning more about medical practices and limitations at the time. The author constructs a fascinating picture of life in Simpson’s household, the characters are likeable and realistic, and the plot evolves at a decent pace. Both narrators do an excellent job. I’ve bought book 2 and 3 already.

Fascinating read

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