An enjoyable read which throws interesting light on medical history. I missed the sardonic humour of Chris brookmyre’s solo novels, but this works very well as a husband and wife too-hander, which does have its own distinctive voice.

Voices of the Dead by Ambrose Parry, the fourth in the series just as enjoyable as the others. I love the Edinburgh setting, Raven is having a tough time adjusting to family life with a seemingly constantly screaming toddler. When a messenger brings word that body parts have been discovered at Surgeons' Hall Raven is very happy to leave home to investigate. Meanwhile Sarah is so frustrated at not being allowed to study medicine despite her knowledge that she becomes involved with a mesmerist who is touting mesmerism as a science, she hopes it'll be a way into a medical career.
Thank you to Canongate for allowing me to review this book via Netgalley. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Received arc from Canongate and Netgalley for honest read and review,this review is my own.
Book 4 in this absorbing series,that I just cannot get enough of.
Wonderful story which centres on Sarah and Will more so than Dr Simpson.
This takes nothing away as Will and Sarah are my favourite characters anyway.
Story takes us along old Edinburgh with body parts turning up and Mesmerism coming to the fore.
I think this is my favourite so far.
Brilliant addition to a wonderful series.

Another enjoyable historical/medical novel featuring Doctor Will Raven and Sarah Fisher in 19th century Edinburgh. The discovery of dismembered remains start off the novel and Raven is drawn into finding out who they belong to. The story quickly adds several intriguing ingredients. Sarah is hoping to become a practitioner of mesmerism which may perhaps compete with traditional methods of treating ailments. Raven once again encounters the giant who fears his body will be used for show after his death and this leads to his re-aquaintanxe with his old nemesis Flint, the money lender.

A theme of all is not as it may first appear, magical trickery and deception all add levels of confusion to Raven’s ability to solve the initial crime. Meanwhile his heavily pregnant wife takes second place to his sleuthing and Sarah puts herself in danger..
Great characters make a rich, colourful and entertaining book. Highly recommended and my thanks to the publishers for the ARC.

This is the next instalment in the Raven and Fisher series. The characters of Dr Raven and Sarah Fisher sit beautifully in the well crafted Victorian setting of Edinburgh medical society.
Dr Will Raven is still working as an obstetrician at Professor Simpson’s Queen Street practice although he is coming to realise that as Prof Simpson says there isn’t much more that the professor can teach him and he should be thinking of starting his own practice. However, before he can put too much effort into this he is drawn back into the macabre when he is called upon once again by his good friend Henry Littlejohn, the police surgeon, when body parts are found hidden in an office at Surgeons Hall. This find leads Dr Raven and Sarah on another well written and well thought out hunt for a killer.
All in all another cracking read form the husband and wife team that is Ambrose Parry

A solid entry in the series with plenty of atmosphere and historical and medical details galore! The theme of mesmerism was interesting but the strongest part is the character development and the struggle of Sarah to find a place for her medical ambitions in a male dominated world.

Another installment on the adventures of Will Raven. Once again he's drawn into a case of murder and mystery. Body parts have been found but who are they how did they end up there. Meanwhile Sarah is discovering the world of mesmerism but is it truly as good as they claim or just a clever ruse.

Oh I love this series. Its so interesting. I'm not usually a big fan of historic novels but there's something about these ones that drew me in and didn't let go. The mystery is a clever one and there's lots going on. Its a slow burn, build up but the ending is really well done. Especially the part with Gregor. I do love the relationship between Sarah and Will its a bit more unique than other stories which I really like. A brilliant mystery,.

My thanks to Netgalley and publishers Cannongate for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I read the first book for Netgalley by Ambrose Parry, a pseudonym for husband and wife team Christopher Brookmyre, an international best-selling multi-award-winning author, and Dr. Marisa Haetzman, a consultant anesthetist of over twenty years. I knew then that they had written something very special and different. I loved it. I bought a paperback bundle of the first three books, eighteen months ago, but they went into the “to be read” stack. Now having been given an ARC of the fourth book it was time to reacquaint myself and start again from the beginning. I was horrified to find that it was five years since I read the first book.

Here in book number four we meet the same characters in the same setting, but their lives have moved on It is now the Edinburgh of 1853. Professor Dr. James Simpson, the real-life discoverer of chloroform, is still a major secondary character, and the two young fictional leads remain, now Dr. Will Raven, married, and Sarah Fisher, now a young widow. They have another mystery to solve based on medical trends in the city at the time. And again this is not a quick read, but I have now realised what slows the pace of the action down. It is the marvelous description of the Edinburgh of the day, the Old Town and the New Town. The scene setting is superb. You are actually there at that time, especially if you have ever visited that city. Two short visits helped me to walk in the characters' footsteps. Bookshelves are stacked with fast-paced thrillers with twisty endings, although there is one here, that I’m happy to sacrifice a little tempo for a great narrative. And again there is a heavy emphasis on female emancipation, or the lack of it at the time, through the character of Sarah Fisher. I was amused at the use of scurrilous scandal sheets being sold on the streets for a penny a time, the equivalent of today’s social media. Nothing is new. Above all this book is a story about illusion.

These novels are amazing. In a class of their own, brilliantly written, brilliantly researched. They are gems, but I don’t recommend reading them in succession as I did in a hurry. They need to be spread out and relished.

This is the fourth book in the Raven and Fisher mysteries and I have found that each book mostly stands alone in terms of plot, but the characters develop and deepen as the series progresses.

There is an underlying theme of illusion, appearances and hasty impressions throughout the story and the weaving of spiritualism and mesmerism into both the medical and criminal plot aspects is very cleverly done. The subjects fascinate me anyway, in terms of how observant and intuitive practitioners must be and how the ‘marks’ and sceptics alike can be gulled by their own minds into seeing, hearing and/or feeling what they want to believe and the authors are able to explore the issues from different angles thanks to the very different viewpoints of Will Raven and Sarah Fisher.

I love following how far these two main characters have come over the course of these books: Will has shifted from street brawler to pompous doctor in training, to a now more moderate and reflective man who thinks more about other people’s perspectives and is willing to amend his first impressions, while Sarah is on a determined trajectory from maid to medical assistant, and onwards and upwards. The chemistry between them is obvious, but it is their friendship and mutual respect for each other, and their increasing willingness to meet each other halfway that is really appealing.

As far as the murder mystery side of things goes, I will have to admit that I fell right into the stage magician’s trap – I spotted a (in retrospect, obvious!) secret and felt very pleased with myself, then found that the sleight of hand had led me to fall for a red herring and miss the actual suspect. Kimble would be proud of his authors!

These books are brilliantly atmospheric and packed with interesting insights into medical practices and beliefs of the day, and they are also entertainingly readable murder mysteries that I find myself unable to put down once I start one. And each one is better than the one before. I’m looking forward immensely to book 5!

Voices of the Dead is an excellent book. Let me start by saying that and getting it out of the way. It combines medical history with crime fiction in a way that is begging for a BBC series to be made.
Re-invention and the opportunity to become one's true self is a key theme throughout the book and the characters' story arcs allow this to happen in a natural way; there's no feeling of puppeteering or chess-playing here.
The twists are handled well and I particularly enjoyed the way that science was pitted against pseudoscience and contrasted with illusions.
I have not read any of the Raven & Fisher books before, but I will certainly be exploring the series.

Another fascinating tale set in Edinburgh by the excellent Chris Brookmyre and his wife, writing as Ambrose Parry. The mix of science, medicine, crime and history is a winning combination and the writing is always of a high standard. Very enjoyable.

Part of a series, this follows the next chapter in the story of Will Raven, a young doctor working in 19th century Edinburgh and Sarah Fisher, a former servant keen to pursue a medical career but held back by her background and gender in Victorian Scotland. I picked up the book having forgotten that I had read a previous book in the series and can confirm that it works also as a stand alone story. The narrative focuses on the Victorian interest in spiritualism and mesmerism and, in particular, how it could be used to deceive an audience keen to believe in theatrical shows. The mysterious appearance of body parts around the city and the subsequent investigation, along with developments in the lives of Will and Sarah keep the reader engaged throughout.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Voices of the Dead is the fourth in the historical mystery series featuring Dr Will Raven and Sarah Fisher. I enjoyed the Victorian setting and culture, the well written characters, some based on real peop!e and pace and narrative. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I love this series of books. You just step right in and feel at home with all the brilliant characters. All the characters are so well written and have their own charm. I really enjoy the historical setting of these stories and that you know that the fiction is based on well researched fact. This story is one of the best in the series, I love the context of the story set around mesmerism and seances.

Voices of the Dead is the fourth book in the authors' Raven, Fisher and Simpson series of historical crime mysteries set in late nineteenth century Edinburgh. I've read all the previous books in the series - The Way of All Flesh, The Art of Dying and A Corruption of Blood - but I think this may be the best one yet. Voices of the Dead can be read as a standalone but you would miss out on the way the authors have developed the main characters and the relationships between them over the course of the series.

One of the things I like about the books is how the authors incorporate medical advances of the period, often the subject of controversy, into what are skilfully plotted, exciting crime mysteries. In this case, it's the potential use of mesmerism to cure medical conditions.

Will Raven and Sarah Fisher are great characters with things in common, such as tragedy in their pasts, but also complementary qualities. Sarah is logical and practical, whereas Will is more the man of action. Their teasing, at times precariously close to intimate, relationship has been one of the joys of the series.

They both face moral dilemmas at some point in the book. Sarah is forced to consider whether her desire to embrace mesmerism as a path to achieving her ambition to be a doctor is blinding her to possible flaws in the claims of its efficacy. 'Was her own desire to be of significance affecting her judgment? Was she craving being taken seriously to such an extent that she was losing perspective?' I felt her frustration and the unfairness of her abilities not being recognised because of her sex.

Meanwhile Will finds himself having to choose between achieving his personal ambitions and his conscience. And, as before, he remains haunted by the violence of his past. As one character observes, 'I have seldom seen a man with so many ghosts about him, You are surrounded by the dead.' Yet now, as a husband and father, Will has even more reason to fear that legacy.

The book sees the return of some characters from previous books, a few in very different guises. I always think it shows skill to make a reader feel sympathy for a character who has serious flaws, but the authors manage to do it here to great effect. As befits a plot that involves the question of what is real and what is illusion, there are some great sleights of hand and misdirections. In the final chapters the action moves from gentle simmer to conflagration, in a neat echo of the prologue. There's a tantalising sense of jeopardy and, at various points, I'm sure I won't be alone in thinking, I really wouldn't do that if I was you.

Voices of the Dead is an ingenious and absorbing historical crime mystery, and a splendid addition to the series. And, Ambrose Parry, what teases you are with that ending! Don't make us wait too long for the next one.

We find Wilberforce now a married man, with a young son and a heavily pregnant wife. He should be happy, but he is strained, his son James is fractious, and it seems that when he is awake, if he is not crying or screaming then he is about to do so. Raven seems a trigger for this behaviour. Wife Eugenie can soothe James, but she is being worn down by it all. Raven exploits any excuse to be out just to get some peace. When he is home Eugenie is putting him under pressure to set up a practice of his own, her father is an eminent doctor, and she is used to the better things in life. Raven feels there is still much for him to learn from Dr Simpson, but it is his lack of funds that makes him reluctant to strike out on his own, he doesn’t want to borrow from Eugenie’s father and be beholden to him. This leaves Eugenie frustrated and she still has her doubts over Raven’s friendship with Sarah Fisher.

Sarah herself is frustrated at not being able to practice medicine in her own right. She is capable of so much more but cannot get beyond being a nurse. Developing branches of medicine are cut off from her, their practice being the sole preserve of gentlemen. Even the generous benefactor and supporter Catherine Crowe is unable to give her the necessary boost on the career ladder. Medicine is no place for ladies. When Sarah hears about a renown practitioner of mesmerism setting up in Edinburgh, she sees this as a possible opportunity not to be missed. Dr Simpson dabbled in it some years ago but if she can get involved and the science behind it is proved it could be the making of her.

Another fabulously atmospheric adventure set in nineteenth century Edinburgh, a city perfectly suited to the subject and a fabulous canvas to work with. The wealth and prestige of the New Town, the squalor and deprivation of the Old Town. The city becomes as much character in its own right and is beautifully created along with its cast of colourful, unscrupulous and at times deadly inhabitants.

The skill of the storytelling is the ability to incorporate real people and incidents into a fiction and at the same time keeping it entertaining and cogent. There was a mesmerism mania (one of many fads to sweep Victorian Britain) and McLevy did end up with a second career (as hinted at in the dialogue). Here fact and fiction meld together seamlessly and is embellished by fragments of everyday life that are almost tangible.

The plot can be distilled into the search for the identity of body parts that are found, the motive for the murder and ultimately uncover the murderer, but this being Edinburgh the shadow of the resurrectionists is never far away. This is merely the framework for an investigation, around it is woven a complex story of deceit, deception and misdirection. These are the days of the music hall, so there are showmen, magicians and performers throughout who all play their part. Some are incorrigible whilst others seek redemption. Will Sarah's hopes for mesmerism flounder in a tidal wave of trickery and dishonesty?

This is a series where the characters continually develop as each instalment progresses. At the core remains the relationship between Sarah and Raven, it is this that binds everything together. Now just very good friends, they have an alliance which is drawn by intrigue and inevitably leads to danger. They could have been partners but for Raven’s fear of what marrying a maid would do to his fledgling medical career. They seem destined to spark off each other but never to flame, a classic will they, won’t they, as first Sarah marries and becomes widowed and then Raven marries. Whilst he flounders, Sarah is developing a special friendship with a man of lowly standing who is trying to climb the social ladder, seeing a bit of herself in his efforts to do so. Sarah’s battle for acceptance is a theme running throughout the series.

Once again Inspector McLevy and moneylender Callum Flint have key roles to play, but the focus is on the sad story of Gregor who works for Flint. Here the once formidable Gregor (who Raven originally called Gargantua) is close to death due to his medical condition. He manages to extract an important promise from Raven and in exchange manages to demonstrate humanity and impart unexpected wisdom. Raven faces great angst in trying to keep his side of the bargain and act upon advice given.

The story is carefully woven, moving at a gentle pace, until the point of Eugenie’s impending labour when it takes on a sudden urgency as the chapters get shorter and the danger begins to manifest. They face two simultaneous races against time and several people are placed in dangers way. Decisive action and bravery are required, but will they be enough?

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for access to a copy in exchange for a fair review.

Edinburgh, 1853. And something is afoot. In more ways than one. Body parts have started to be found scattered across Edinburgh and they're not from the Royal College of Surgeons.

There's an understated, short prologue to start off Voices of The Dead – the next installment in the Raven and Fisher series – but don't sweep it from your memory because as the story progresses it may be an important part of the puzzle.

Book number four set in the mid-19th century, and the tale once again is partially based on real life events – in some form – and around the household of of Dr James Young Simpson (discoverer of chloroform).

The author(s) seem to be injecting a lot more humour into these tales, partly due to them feeling more comfortable and at-ease with their characters since debut The Way of All Flesh almost 5 years ago.

There are some cracking laugh out loud moments here (following on from some killer lines in the short story The Spendthrift and the Swallow, released a few weeks earlier) and some pretty gruesome ones to boot.

Without spoilers it's a very twisty tale. The last 100 pages is a historical fiction tour-de-force, with short, action-packed adrenaline-pumping chapters, leaving you no choice but to read on, desperate to reach the conclusion.

Being from Edinburgh, I absolutely love the setting of these books as it transports me back in time in the place I call home. All in all it's another satisfying entry into the series with enough intrigue, mystery and blood to keep the Parry fans happy. It's a little piece of late 19th century magic dealing with the progression of medical science, mesmerism and sleight of hand. I'm counting the days until book five.

So pleased that book 4 has been published, it was worth the wait! Raven and Fisher do make a rather good combination of personalities, brains, thought processes and deduction - and long may they continue in their endeavours and long may Mr P continue to find things to intrigue them and entertain us.

A delightful combination of the unlikely, the likely, the realities of Victorian medicine, the arrival of as yet untested methods and the recoil of doctors from such thoughts.

In another Victorian context, these "goings on" might even be labelled a "freak" show, what with a giant, mesmerism, illusion, reality, villainy, murder. However this book does nothing other than portray the realities of the late 1800s.

A wonderfully entertaining and enjoyable book.

When I received the Arc of this book i realised it was number four in a series. I hate reading any series when I know I've missed important information so decided to read the first book to give me some insight. Well I ended up reading all three books as I enjoyed them so much. The series can be hard to read sometimes with its depiction of how women were treated in society, both rich and poor but its written with such believable characters and events you truly believe it could be an accurate account of the time.

This book was as good as the rest and gave a unique insight into the world of mesmerism which I'd never heard of but fitted in with the story so well. I love how the two main characters have evolved and their friendship has endured rather than becoming an inevitable romance you find in so many novels. I thoroughly enjoy this series and I'll look forward to the next one.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title

Really enjoyed. Huge thanks to the publisher for the ARC. The cover is brilliant too. I hope there’s a sequel.