4 Stars
One Liner: An interesting read

January 1920, London
A woman’s body is found dragged from the Regent’s Canal one night. Famous forensic pathologist and criminal sleuth Dr Bernard Spilsbury sees that it’s a case of foul play. Soon, a second body washes up and the police have their hands with a possible killer bumping off women for some reason. Dr. Slipbury steps into action to solve the case before more bodies turn up.
The story comes in the third-person POVs of Dr. Spilsbury and a few other characters.

My Thoughts:
I did basic googling about Dr. Spilsbury before reading the book. Things are a bit different here since the fictional version seems to have a few traces of Holmes (lack of social cues and no family parts). The real one was married and had four children (or three) but the character is single and a loner by choice. Anyhoo, it didn’t affect my reading experience (though I am not fond of such changes to real people’s lives).
The beginning is a bit slow (though this book has 400+ pages) as it introduces the main characters and establishes the situation.
WWI might have ended, but it still had a strong impact on many lives. The war backdrop has a major role in the plot even if it doesn’t seem that way.
While Dr. Spilsbury didn’t make the mark as I expected, I love Violet Malone. Her character is wonderful, so it makes me super happy to see she will continue to be in the next book (and the others).
Charlie is another interesting character and will have a role in the subsequent books. His backstory and arc are also well done, making him an easy one to like and support.
The pacing is pretty much steady with some new developments happening frequently. As the plot became more complex, I realized I didn’t want to stop reading (though I had to). The various tracks kept me hooked and wondering how it would all come together.
I admit it took me a little while to guess the killer. I did figure out a few other things. The reveal is not highlighted which may make the whole thing seem a bit dull to some readers. However, I felt it was in tune with the rest of the contents and there were some loose ends to tie up afterward, so it fits on the whole.

To summarize, Dr. Spilsbury and the Camden Town Killer is an interesting mystery that also deals with various other themes like prejudice, class differences, bias against women, the effect of war on soldiers, family relationships, lack of money, privilege, etc.
Off to read the next in the series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Dr Spilsbury is based on the real, famous forensic pathologist, though I believe Douglas has employed considerable poetic licence in her depiction of him, such as casually air-brushing his wife and children out of his life. Instead he is a loner, by choice, preferring to spend time with his cadavers than living humans, whom he seems not to understand very well. This leads to quite a lot of humour, as he’s one of those people who blurts out his thoughts without considering how they’ll be received by his listener. He’s already famous, which he finds a bit annoying, but is bombastic enough to cope.

There are other equally enjoyable characters who look as if they might be recurring ones – Violet, the widow of a colleague of Spilsbury’s who has basically been thrown out on the streets by her husband’s stuck-up family, whom Spilsbury takes on as his assistant. And the likeable PC Charlie Abbott, who has all the common sense and street smarts Spilsbury lacks.

The plot involves several bodies whose deaths may or may not be linked. There are lots of twists and turns, and about three different mysteries, which are all satisfactorily resolved in the end. But mostly what sticks in my mind, other than the characters, is the setting of London just after the First World War, when people were trying to resume some kind of normal life although many were having to deal with trauma and loss. I thought Douglas handled all this very well, and also showed how class divisions and social structures were just beginning to crumble around the edges. Violet is a forerunner, a woman who is a feminist by nature rather than by ideology.

I enjoyed this one and think it has the potential to be an excellent series. I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

Dr. Spilsbury and the Camden Town Killer is what I hope will be the first entry in a new and exciting historical mystery series. Drawn with a deft hand for local colour and historical detail, the book follows Dr. Spilsbury, forensic pathologist by trade, as he sets out to solve a grisly series of murders. The police soon settle on a lonely-hearts-column killer as the most likely perpetrator - but Dr. Spilsbury is not convinced.

Like many of his literary colleagues, Dr. Spilsbury is a bit rough about the edges of his social manners - he doesn't much like people, and doesn't care if they know. This often lends a subtle wit to the narrative, when he lashes out in acerbic comments that often completely go over the heads of those he's directing them at. In PC Charlie Abbott he finds the Watson to his Holmes, the Hastings to his Poirot; and I sincerely hope that this pairing will continue in the following instalments of the series.

Engaging, unputdownable and well-written, this is a book I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries with a well-researched historical setting in the manner of C.J. Sansom.

I want to thank NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here expressed are my own.

1920 and as London recovers from the War, its legacy still haunts families across the nation. A body is found in the canal near Camden Lock and is identified as as a shop worker who was killed with strychnine. At the funeral of an eminent doctor, pathologist Spilsbury meets his widow and his cold family and shortly afterwards the maiden aunt also dies of strychnine poisoning. The papers link the two and the Police are looking for the 'Lonely Hearts Killer'. but is the answer a lot closer to home?
Not all books which try to build fiction around the lives of famous people are successful and I was worried about this one. However what Douglas has done is to use Spilsbury as a foil to some far more interesting characters such as the police officers and Violet Malone. That makes it far more interesting, especially as there are some really good themes running through the narrative. The impact of the War is writ large and different aspects of life post-war are used in the story, the role of women and family relationships especially. It's an interesting and engaging novel.

A most enjoyable book and I do hope there are more cases featuring Dr Spilsbury, Violet and Charlie. Dr Spilsbury is a fascinating historical character to feature in a fictional crime story. The plot twists and turns right to the end. Thanks to Netgalley.

I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish and I hope it will lead to more. Unusually Dr Spilsbury isn't the main character but just one of a few who I hope to see more of as Spilsbury is the usual lone weird person who seem to feature in this types of books . The mystery is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end so I couldn't put it down until the answer was revealed. Looking forward to more. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I hope this is the start of a new historical mystery series because this book is brilliant. Dr Splsbury is a fascinating character, a pioneer of forensic science and I liked him since the beginning even if he's a bit blunt and harsh
The plot is complex, well done and kept me reading and guessing.
There's more than one layer in this story: the mystery but also a realistic description of the differences of social level and how it workd.
Entertaining, compelling and gripping
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A decent period thriller, if that is the type of thing you enjoy and makes for a nice change of reading material if you only drift into this particular category now and again.

Its always tricky when an author bases a central character on a real person, but in this instance it works well. Spilsbury, a famous forensic pathologist and well known for his irascible temper, comes over in a very believable manner. The story at first has two strands - the death of a colleague and the effect his will has on his young second wife and miserable old sister, and the body Spilsbury has to handle who has been dragged out of the canal, but who did not die there.

Eventually the crimes are solved, but during the process we learn more about Sir Bernard and his way of working, and about life and crime in London in the 1920s, at a time when women were just being introduced to the workplace, having stepped up during the War to do 'men's jobs'.

Its an entertaining and interesting read and I enjoyed it very much.

Well now, that was fun!

Dr. Spilsbury is a forensic pathologist. Tenacious, determined, confident in his abilities, and doesn't much like people. It's why he prefers to work with the dead since they don't expect tedious conversation or gossip from him. I immediately felt affinity with him. (Incidentally, his characters is based on the real-life Sir Bernard Spilsbury, if you'd like to know more about him.)

The story starts with the discovery of a woman's body in the canal. Dr. Spilsbury quickly determines the woman didn't drown but was poisoned. Soon a second body will be discovered. Police are on the trail of a lonely hearts column killer. But Dr. Spilsbury isn't really convinced since the two women came from very different backgrounds. There are plenty of characters, but it never gets confusing. And on the plus side, it creates quite the list of potential suspects for the reader to sink their teeth into and try to narrow down. There is a lot of conniving, cunning, and manipulating going on. And of course, there are plenty of lies and secrets to discover.

This first instalment in the series is set shortly after the end of The Great War. Many men were lost, wounded, or mentally scarred for life. And the women, who had lost husbands or fiancés, were trying to survive. These were also the years when the upper classes started to feel under threat, as a lot of views in society were changing. Violet knows like no other that some of the uppity ones will stop at nothing to keep the divide as it is, and the Franklin family she married into will never not see her as a common gold digger. As is often the case though, it is the upper class that features the most unlikeable characters.

I rather liked that Dr. Spilsbury didn't necessarily constantly take centre stage in this instalment. He doesn't dominate the story at all, and the reader is introduced to other characters as well, one of which I thought stole the show without even trying. That would be PC Charlie Abbott, one of those characters you immediately warm to, wish good things for. And I do so hope we get to see more of him, his formidable wife, and his mother in future.

'Dr. Spilsbury and The Camden Town Killer' reads pretty quickly. It is well-paced, and often quite witty, which is mostly due to Dr. Spilsbury being who he is. He doesn't necessarily think before he speaks, doesn't quite see the need for it so he often comes across as rather rude, but then doesn't understand why people would look at him in a cross manner.

I'm always on the lookout for new historical crime fiction which, in my opinion, combines the best of two worlds. So when I came across 'Dr. Spilsbury and The Camden Town Killer' I didn't hesitate to pick it up. I'm so glad I took a chance on this one, because I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. And as bonus, I was left guessing as to the identity of the culprit until the very end. Once I got started, I found it hard to put the book down again. I had a great time with this hugely entertaining and twisty mystery, and I very much look forward to more in this series.

If I could give this book more than five stars I would. When I read that this was going to be the first in a new historical mystery series with legendary forensic pathologist Sir Bernard Henry Spilsbury I was super exicted.
I read this in one sitting and boy did I love it especially the drama and the plot twists. I am eagerly waiting for the neat instalment and will be buying a copy for my library.
I recommend this 100% to peopple who enjoy a murder mystery.

Excellent Victorian novel of murder and police. At least not ALL the police are portrayed as stupid, though the Detective Sergeant is almost music hall in his idiocy. Nice use of blind alleys and red herrings to emulate how, in a world devoid of forensic accuracy, difficult it must have been to track down and connect evidence to convict the right person. Cosy in its atmosphere, with very little blood and mayhem, I enjoyed this. Recommended.

A hugely entertaining and very satisfying murder mystery story. Dr Spilsbury is a terrific character as he does not dominate proceedings but makes his presence felt every time he makes an appearance. Almost every chapter ends on a cliff hanger which makes it impossible to stop reading. Just as I thought I had things figured out a new piece of evidence usually discovered by aspiring detective PC Abbot twists the story in another direction until all the loose ends are drawn together in a dramatic and surprising climax. I loved the London setting and the historical and forensic detail added authenticity to a quite complex story increasing my enjoyment. The characters were lifelike and very credible and despite the twists and turns of the story I always felt that the author was in control.
I was very impressed by this debut novel and look forward to another instalment.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I couldn’t put it down! A thrilling, fast paced, murder mystery, with several twists and turns, resulting in an unforeseen ending. I would 100% recommend and will be looking out for other books in the series as I enjoyed this so much