Name: The Art of Dying
ISBN: 9781786896728

Ambrose Parry

'Parry's Victorian Edinburgh comes vividly alive – and it's a world of pain' Val McDermid 'Brilliantly conceived, fiendishly plotted' Mick Herron SHORTLISTED FOR THE McILVANNEY PRIZE 2020 Edinburgh, 1849. Hordes of patients are dying all across the city, with doctors finding their remedies powerless. And a whispering campaign seeks to paint Dr James Simpson, pioneer of medical chloroform, as a murderer. Determined to clear Simpson’s name, his protégé Will Raven and former housemaid Sarah Fisher must plunge into Edinburgh’s deadliest streets and find out who or what is behind the deaths. Soon they discover that the cause of the deaths has evaded detection purely because it is so unthinkable.

The Art of Dying

Edinburgh, 1850. Despite being at the forefront of modern medicine, hordes of patients are dying all across the city, with doctors finding their remedies powerless. But it is not just the deaths that dismay the esteemed Dr James Simpson - a whispering campaign seeks to blame him for the death of a patient in suspicious circumstances.Simpson's protégé Will Raven and former housemaid Sarah Fisher are determined to clear their patron's name. But with Raven battling against the dark side of his own nature, and Sarah endeavouring to expand her own medical knowledge beyond what society deems acceptable for a woman, the pair struggle to understand the cause of the deaths.Will and Sarah must unite and plunge into Edinburgh's deadliest streets to clear Simpson's name. But soon they discover that the true cause of these deaths has evaded suspicion purely because it is so unthinkable.

Alice Belle

** spoiler alert **
           I mean... except the fact that it was very obvious, it was good. Did not like that they made Sra get married. Like what's ghe point? You're gonna kill her husband anyways, besides it just made the whole plot even more obvious.

Narah Quinn

I was thrilled to be granted an early copy of this book, having not long finished the first (which I bought before I finished the advance copy) and pre-ordering the second (The Art of Dying) as soon as I realised there was going to be more! 

I was so happy to be back in the company of Will Raven and Sarah, and I simply adored the way their relationship continues to grow in this 2nd instalment - what I need to know, immediately, is will there be more? 

Edinburgh was bought back to life, we were introduced to new characters and spent time with old favourites, and all the twists and turns left me with 6 pages of notes and numerous ideas as to who, what and why - turns out I was only part right! 
The real life events that inspired this particular novel are intriguing and I really loved that we had the chapters from the view of the murderer this time too, it added a wonderful, extra, level of creepiness to the whole thing.

I adored the inspiring new female characters in this one, they lent a depth to Sarah's continued frustrations about her lack of options, and allowed her to head off (as she does) with even more purpose this time. 
During one conversation with a patient who worries her illness maybe punishment for the sin of not doing as her father bid, but forging her own life with a man she loved instead of one picked for her, Sarah tells her, "You simply lived your life as you wanted to, and I can see no fault in that. The sin is that more of us do not do likewise." 

The beauty of this continuation, that by the end of it Raven would chose Sarah over his own reputation, something he failed to do in the first instalment, and also that she has made him realise that 'the devil in him' is his to control, not the other way around. For Raven (and Sarah) moving forward, I feel it will be his making! 

Highly recommended, entirely possible to read as a single novel. but much better enjoyed as part of the series, it should be on the shelf of anyone who loves Edinburgh, the history of medicine, strong female characters and forward thinking men. Plus with a multi stranded tale that is woven together fantastically to bring us to a thoughtful and satisfying conclusion you would be a fool to miss out.

The Art of Dying

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