'Little in Edinburgh stayed secret for long. Apart from those things which stayed secret for ever.'

Number 4 in the series, and this is another immersive experience into Edinburgh in the 1850s. A complex and twisty tale involving body parts cropping up all over the city, and it takes all of Will and Sarah's nous to get to the truth. But, as ever, it is the wonderful medical details and the backdrop of the city itself that make this series. As historical fiction goes, this is amongst the finest on the shelves just now. A really strong 4.5 stars, rounded up.

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

My thanks to Canongate Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Voices of the Dead’ by Ambrose Parry in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth in their excellent Raven, Fisher and Simpson series of historical medical crime thrillers set in Edinburgh during the mid-19th Century.

Edinburgh, 1854, and a killer stalks the streets. A number of body parts have been found across the city including a foot in the Surgeon's Hall and more bits beneath a debtor's floorboards. Dr. Will Raven, assistant to the great Dr Simpson, is being asked questions about the crime and is doing a spot of sleuthing.

Yet Raven is also struggling with balancing his demanding job, as he seeks to make his name as an obstetrician, with his home life. With a second child on the way, it’s exhausting, though Will finds the company of his colleague Sarah Fisher, a young widow and fellow-trainee, reviving. Oh that could prove a wee bit problematic down the line.

Sarah is intensely curious about all things: medicine, including upcoming scientific advances like mesmerism. When the evidence begins to point towards a dark connection between Will's past and Sarah's own investigations, both must use their skills to prevent an even worse crime. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Ambrose Parry is the pen name of novelist Chris Brookmyre and consultant anaesthetist Dr Marisa Haetzman, who brings her medical expertise to this series. I appreciated their closing Historical Note that placed aspects of the novel in context, including the real life murder that inspired it. I also appreciated the incorporation of spiritualism in the narrative.

I have read all books in this series and have been impressed by them, giving each 5-stars. ‘Voices of the Dead’ proved an intriguing mystery combined with a strong sense of its period setting. It is everything that I look for in historical crime fiction.

“Sometimes you do not choose the part, sometimes it is the part that chooses you”
A killer is on the loose in 19th Century Edinburgh with body parts being found across the city
Dr Christie is trying to keep everything quiet until Will Raven and Henry Littlejohn have investigated further.
However The Hootlet, a wise and watchful local rag have gotten hold of the story and time is now of the essence before the killer strikes again.
Loved the research that will have gone into this book. It was educating and entertaining, mixing historical facts with fiction..
Very interesting strong characters, some real and some fictional making the fiction more believable.
All in all a very enjoyable read that held my attention throughout and I will certainly be reading previous novels in the series.
Thanks @ambroseparry @canongatebooks & @netgalley for the eARC

This series, historical fiction set in Edinburgh, is always brilliantly researched & effectively transports the reader back in time. Voices of the Dead is cleverly plotted & brings back all our favourite characters from the previous books, even if some have changed a little since we last saw them.

I did find this read a little slower than the others & missed Will & Sarah working closely together as they have in the past. However, the story is good, with a lot focusing on theatre & mesmerism as well as the usual crime element.

Another enjoyable read & a series I will always pick up.

Moving in to 1854, medicine in Edinburgh is continuing to move forwards. After Queen Victoria announces that she received a dose of chloroform during labour, people are more obliging in receiving doses as needed. There are still a selection of people who would prefer other methods though, and as such the practice of mesmerism is on the rise. Whilst Raven and Simpson are sceptical, Sarah is determined to be involved from the off to try and carve a place for herself in the medical world. As mesmerism begins to take off though even Sarah begins to doubt it's legitimacy, but even she doesn't realise the danger she faces having embroiled herself in the art.

I recently finished the previous book in this series to make sure I was up to date before reading this one, and was looking forward to getting in to this. It definitely lived up to my expectations and was another excellent read.

As usual there is a murder mystery at the heart of the book, and Raven has again found himself assisting the police and his friend Henry. It's a rich and well detailed mystery, with a lot of deception going on to confuse the police. I very much enjoyed how Parry uses the concept of magic and sleight of hand to try and get Raven to look at things differently. It was an interesting thought process and helped add another layer to the story.

I'm enjoying reading about Raven and Sarah's friendship and how it continues to develop and change. I'm hoping that in time the romantic undertones and tension will ease as they both settle into life with others. Kimble was a great addition to this book, I found his character fascinating and am wondering if he will become one of the recurring characters we see in future stories.

Yet again the author's notes at the end of the book added an excellent insight, and helped to explain the real life events that inspired aspects of this book. I'm incredibly surprised that the theatre kept being rebuilt after burning down so many times over the years! I'm a sucker for tidbits of local knowledge like that so appreciate the authors including them.

Judging by some of the late developments in the book there is still a lot to come from this series, and I'm very much looking forward to reading the future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canongate for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Will is called upon to help an investigation into the discovery of a foot. At the same time, he is looking to expose a medium as a charlatan and Sarah is interested in the practice of mesmerism. I found the history if this medical practice interesting to learn about. The theme of misdirection, secrets and being true to yourself is raised throughout the book. Will is also struggling to be a good father and he starts to find his way through this as the book develops. There was a lit if action at the end. I really enjoyed this. It could be read as a stand alone but does refer to previous books so I would recommend starting at the beginning if the series. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

I'm a huge fan and avid reader of Christopher Brookmyre however hadn't read any of the published books written in conjunction with his wife and under the pseudonym of Ambrose Parry, due to the historical time setting as I didn't think this was something I would enjoy.

Oh, how wrong I was. Although this is the 4th in a series it is a perfectly acceptable standalone and can very easily be ready without knowledge of the earlier books. As to be expected from Mr Brookmyre the story telling is fantastic and the characters very well written. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers and I am now disappointed in myself for not trying these earlier. Thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for kicking my backside into gear and providing the advance copy for review purposes. Now to go read some of the earlier novels.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

So happy to receive this - I love the Raven and Fisher mysteries and this one did not disappoint. As always the plot is always well paced and thought out set against the backdrop of the real historical events in Victorian Edinburgh.

Can't wait for more!

This is a brilliant, gritty and gripping historical series that always keeps me hooked and guessing.
I loved the mysteries and the great characters, Sarah above all, but I'm always fascinated by the historical part as it''s like travelling in time to a moment when a lot of new discoveries were taking place.
Edinburgh is the non human MC, well described and vivid,.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

In 1853 Edinburgh, bits of a woman’s body are turning up in odd places. Doctor Will Raven and his associate Sarah Fisher quickly become involved because of their help to the police in previous Investigations. As is a search for the rest of the body gets underway, suspicions quickly centre on an actor, Laurence Butters, since both he and his wife have suddenly disappeared. Although Sarah provides some useful insights, she is distracted because she has become interested in Mesmerism. The medical fraternity are mistrustful of this new procedure, but certain that, if it is a real effect, it is certainly medical and therefore theirs. Sarah has always wanted to be a doctor but, like all professions, it is men-only. Although she is sceptical, she does see this skill as being open to her, and so possibly providing an entry to the profession. As it happens, an American doctor, Harland Malham, an expert in the technique has recently come to Edinburgh and is seeking to set up a centre for the training of people in the art. Sarah is accepted as a trainee, and also becomes friendly with his financial backer, Mr Somerville. Meanwhile Will, partly to escape stresses at home, is becoming deeply involved with the murder investigation, but also with his old enemy, Flint, the money-lender (AKA Loan-shark) and his giant enforcer Gregor. Untangling the conflicting evidence takes time and patience to resolve.

This is the fourth book in the series but is a perfectly acceptable stand-alone; although some of the personal interactions between Will and Sarah make more sense if you know the previous books. The writing is very accommodating for the reader, not pastiche of Scott or Stevenson but with its own flavour. The background details are impressive and, based on my passing acquaintance with Edinburgh and its history, believable. The atmosphere they provide enhances the tension. The plot, although it has a few twists, is not hard to untangle, but that doesn’t detract from the fun of reading the story (I said something similar in a review of a previous book). I’m rating this 4.5, which will round up to a slightly generous 5.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Set in Edinburgh in 1853, Will Raven is still studying Gynaecology under the tutorage of Dr. Simpson, but is under pressure to start up his own practice, from his wife Eugenie. They already have one little boy, James, and another child on the way, and their home is rather cramped .
This will cost more money than Raven has saved, his father in law has offered to pay the costs, but Raven is reluctant to become so beholden to another person and lose his independence.
Will is specialising in Gynaecology, a job that is made easier, thanks to the more accepted use of chloroform, that helps to give a steady rate of sedation to patients, after all, it has the endorsement of Queen Victoria herself. Sarah Fisher, is still working at the practice, still wants to become a doctor, but this is not possible in these male dominated times.
The practice of mesmerisation is gaining a foothold in certain circles, Sarah believes that this procedure of hypnotism will help provide a deeper level of pain management for nervous patients, she decides to see for herself if it would be beneficial for the practice.
Various body parts are being found at Surgeons Hall, and Raven and Dr. Simpson are asked to help with the investigation in a discreet manner. This brings Raven into the orbit of a previous enemy, and his trained thug.
So, here we deal with, frustrated magicians, giants, and the act of mesmerism, body snatchers, blackmail murders and seances. We learn of Raven’s upbringing and his poor relationship with his father, his real name, and how these experiences have left Raven feeling bewildered and inadequate as a father to his young son. Raven needs to lay his ghosts to rest, before he can build up his confidence to become a good father and a better husband to his wife. He has to be more trusting of his emotions and his family.
A genuinely interesting read, that lays bare the fears that prevailed in the world of medicine, and the new developments that were beginning to gain acceptance. Chloroform was a marvellous breakthrough especially in childbirth and general surgery. Gynaecology was passing from female midwives to the Obstetrician Consultant that we have today , a very exciting time of rapid progress for all.
This is the fourth book in the Raven and Fisher series, and each one continues to delight and inform us. The main characters are dependable, and because we care deeply about them, we are willing to follow them on these journeys, and try to work out the mystery, before it is solved for us. There are plenty of clues given, but they are subtle and only fall into place when the author says so. The big reveal at the end only leaves us wanting more please!!
My thanks to Netgalley and Canongate publishers for my advance digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review.
I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK. Five star rating.

This is another great read in the Raven and Fisher series read. The characters and atmosphere of Victorian Edinburgh are so well written it just takes you back so well to that time. The plotting is excellent, the pacing strong and steady and the characters well-developed. Another great addition to the series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love this series set in the infancy of medical advances. Will it married with a son and another on the way. He is still working for Dr Simpson as is Sarah Fisher.

Will receives a call from his friend Henry asking for help when a body part turns up. As more body parts turn up so Will becomes more involved.

Sarah is interested in the new science of mesmerism (hypnotism) and spiritualism. Will and Dr Simpson are very sceptical. Events occur that have both of them in a quandary. Nothing is as it seems ....

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Voices of the Dead continues the story of Sarah Fisher and Will Raven in the medical world of Victorian Edinburgh, this time encountering charlatans in the fields of mediumship, murder and mesmerism.

A severed foot is discovered in the Surgeon's Hall and Will is asked to make discreet enquiries to discover its owner. Will and Sarah are soon plunged into another exciting adventure where nothing is quite as it seems.

A highly recommended and enjoyable read, but I recommend starting at the beginning of the series with The Way of All Flesh to understand the character arcs.

Book 4 in this series and each one just gets better and better. Set in mid 19th century Edinburgh, we are given an excellent insight not only into the medical advancements going on there but also the alternative therapies - in this case "mesmerism" - which were being tried out. The information and the detail are due to Marisa's great historical research and combined with Chris's wonderful prose, produces a story which captures the reader from beginning to end.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

This is the fourth novel by husband and wife team Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman who write together as Ambrose Parry and who with their Edinburgh set Victorian crime fiction have maintained a consistently high standard. I thought I was up to date with these but have just spotted a novella (listed as Book 5 on Amazon), “The Spendthrift And The Swallow” which was published inn April 2023.
Will Raven, training as a gynaecologist under the esteemed Doctor Simpson is now a father with another child on the way and is contemplating his future. A couple of sensations have hit Edinburgh as people have become excited both by a medium contacting the dead and displays of mesmerism. Dr Simpson’s other protegee, Sarah Fisher, confined to more menial duties because of her gender, senses the benefits mesmerism could have in pain management and believes if she could train in this new discipline she might be able to overcome some of the limits placed upon her by traditional medical practices. Raven is unconvinced and suspect both the spiritualist and hypnotist of being charlatans. Elsewhere, body parts are turning up around Edinburgh and old adversaries make a re-appearance.
I like both lead characters very much and I like how the authors allow them to do their own thing. Both follow their own plot-line pretty much until we all, characters and readers alike begin to spot the links that will forge things together. I love the way the medical history is incorporated into the text, here exploring the analgesic properties of mesmerism viewed with as much suspicion as ether was in the first of the series “The Way Of All Flesh” (2018). The plotting is both clever and confident and as I’ve come to expect with this series there’s a good build-up to a tense finale with twists I didn’t see coming.
Four books in and there is no sign of the quality slipping. This must make it one of the most consistently strong crime series out there as far as I am concerned. I anticipate a highly pleasurable read each time and I am never disappointed. If you have enjoyed any of the previous instalments you will certainly approve of this. It makes it all the more surprising that I still have not got round to reading any of Chris Brookmyre’s around two dozen solo outing. I must put that right.
Voices Of The Dead is published by Canongate on 15th June 2023. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

I really enjoy this series set in Victorian Edinburgh and based around 52 Queen Street, the home of the respected obstetrician Dr Simpson, after whom Edinburgh named its maternity hospital. Simpson was a pioneer and previous books have looked at the impact of his use of chloroform on patients as Will Raven underwent his apprenticeship to Simpson.

Now Will’s apprenticeship is coming to an end and he will have to decide which direction he wants to go in. Married to Eugenie with one child, James, and another on the way, Will is under pressure to accept money from his interfering father in law and set up his own practice.

It is the early 1850’s and Sarah Fisher still very much wants to find a way to pursue a career in medicine. But women are still considered unsuitable to learn and practice medicine and her frustration is mounting. A new kind of healing is being pioneered in Edinburgh and Sarah is interested. Mesmerism is being demonstrated by an American, Dr Harland Malham, and Sarah sees an opportunity to get in on the ground to study this new form of healing. Will, on the other hand has headed off with Simpson to see ‘The Great Kimble’ practice spiritualism. Will is, of course, deeply sceptical of Sarah’s new interest and the two again find themselves at loggerheads.

As Will struggles with the many pressures of his home life, he is called upon by his friend and colleague, Dr Henry Littlejohn to attend the College of Surgeons where a foot has been found in an drawer. The Head of the College is desperate to keep this from coming to light and though he wants Will to find out who the foot belongs to and why it is in the College, he also needs to keep the College’s reputation squeaky clean as the body snatchers Burke and Hare are still fresh in the minds of scandalised Edinburgh citizens.

More body parts turn up and Will finds himself coming into contact again with an old enemy. Things get very tricky as he tries to navigate his way through these obstacles without damaging his reputation. He also needs to stay one step ahead of Edinburgh policeman James McLevy, noted for his heavy handed approach to crime solving.

It’s a delight to read these books because they bring this period of Victorian Edinburgh to life, marrying fact and fiction together and really making you feel as if you know this vibrant, teeming city at the time.

Will’s finds himself in an impossible quandary; Sarah’s tenacity helps her find a way through and there is a terrific mix of glorious characters, from fraudsters and charlatans to gentle giants and illusionists.

As Sarah and Will come together to find a murderer, there are some big surprises and some very interesting developments!

Verdict: Ambrose Parry delivers another cracking read, bringing the characters and atmosphere of Victorian Edinburgh to vibrant life. The plotting is excellent, the pacing strong and steady and the characters well-developed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Another atmospheric thriller from this dynamic writer. The portrayal of medicine, medical ethics against the backdrop of Edinburgh. I was totally drawn in to the plot and dude plots and the author maintains an element to of the personal lives of the main characters. A well researched and carefully crafted novel depicting the times and medical progression

It was only after I finished it that I found it was the fourth in a series Raven, Fisher and Simpson. Clearly it reads well as a stand-alone! Dr Will Raven is assistant to Scottish obstetrician Dr James Young Simpson (a factual person who was an important person in medical history as the first physician to demonstrate the use of chloroform on humans) and Sarah Fisher works with them as a nurse but harbours ambition to become a doctor. It’s 1854 and in Edinburgh Raven has been included in an investigation into body parts found in and around the city. A really well written historical crime fiction book with a good amount of factual information interspersed with the fiction.

Briefly, Sarah, in an attempt to further her medical involvement has approached a mesmerist and he has agreed to train her in this new way of treating patients with a range of illnesses. The medical profession is sceptical but Simpson has an open mind. Meanwhile Raven is struggling with his home life, a young child and another on the way, and his wife is unhappy with the time he spends at work, and with Sarah.

This book centres on Sarah and Raven and Simpson isn’t really mentioned a lot. I found the relationship between the two of them very interesting, there seemed to be a bit of simmering attraction, unrequited. The scientific and medical facts were fascinating as was the history behind the Victorian fascination with magic, mesmerism (hypnosis) and other forms of medical quackery. There are a number of threads running alongside the main crime but they all came together so seamlessly. It really was an excellent read, theatrical, entertaining and even educational. I loved it.

I've followed this series from the start and absolutely love it - I couldn't wait for the next instalment and it is a gem!

Because I devour these as soon as they're available, it's been a while since I read the last book so I wasn't fully up to speed with where we had left Dr Will Raven and Sarah Fisher. For this reason, I think it would work fine as a standalone even though there is a lot of history between the pair.

The story opens with the finding of some body parts at Surgeon's Hall which Dr Will Raven is brought in to look at, despite the management desperately wanting to distance themselves from a potential body-snatching scandal - in Victorian Edinburgh, in the wake of Burke and Hare, this is a lingering threat. When more body parts turn up, Will thinks he has identified a suspect - although he is not going to be the easiest to track down! While all this is happening, Sarah Fisher is dabbling with the new 'science' of mesmerism that is gripping the city. Given that medicine is closed to her as a woman, she is keen to make her mark in a field that is more accessible - but is it legitimate? Will and Sarah find themselves struggling to distinguish science from illusion as they race to find the murderer - and find that their own beliefs and morals are tested.

As with all the books in this series, readers need a strong stomach! It's gruesome and grim, but also utterly fascinating and authentic (one half of the Ambrose Parry writing team is a a specialist in medical history and it is evident that she really knows her stuff!) The historical detail is also gloriously vivid and Victorian Edinburgh is brought to life - if you're not comfortable in a dissection room, you might want to give this a miss. However, you'll also be missing out on a piece of really immersive fiction as the reader is led through the city with realistic detail of the places, people and political tensions within the medical profession.

Dr Will Raven is a compelling and interesting central character - he has a chequered past and doesn't always make good decisions. In fact, he has a really intriguing moral dilemma within this book and I wanted to scream at him to do the right thing! His relationship with Sarah is also subtly explored and packed with underlying tension. She is another strong character - lively and bright - within the series and I really feel for her frustrations in not being accepted as a credible medical professional because of her gender.

Against all the brilliantly precise medical detail, I loved that this book explored spiritualism too. It's always been really interesting to me that - alongside all the advances in scientific understanding - the Victorians engaged heavily with spiritualism and the supernatural. I really liked this aspect of the story, especially the theatrical side of things as Sarah started to see the fine line between mesmerism for therapeutic benefit and mesmerism as public spectacle.

I'd heartily recommend this book whether or not you've paid previous visits to Will Raven/Sarah Fisher's Edinburgh. It's well-plotted and lively, full of interesting characters and an absolute pleasure to read.