Historical Mystery Review: The Anatomy of Death by Felicity Young

The Anatomy of Death by Felicity Young (Dr. Dody McCleland #1)

bought

Synopsis from Goodreads
At the turn of the twentieth century, London's political climate is in turmoil, as women fight for the right to vote. Dody McCleland has her own battles to fight. As England's first female autopsy surgeon, not only must she prove herself, she must prove that murder treats everyone equally...

After a heated women's rights rally turns violent, an innocent suffragette is found murdered. When she examines the body, Dody McCleland is shocked to realize that the victim was a friend of her sister--fueling her determination to uncover the cause of the protestor's suspicious death.

For Dody, gathering clues from a body is often easier than handling the living--especially Chief Detective Inspector Pike. Pike is looking to get to the bottom of this case but has a hard time trusting anyone--including Dody. Determined to earn Pike's trust and to find the killer, Dody will have to sort through real and imagined secrets. But if she's not careful, she may end up on her own examination table...

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8/10

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I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to read this book! At least a couple of years. It's one of those that publisher priced ridiculously high in e-format, and it took them that long to put it on offer  which reduced it from £9 to under £4.



Anyway, I knew when I read the synopsis that I'd like it, and in this regard Felicity Young did not disappoint. It's a mild murder mystery, and you don't have to strain your brain too hard to understand who is the villain, but it's a curious take on the radical suffragettes in the beginning of 20th century, and here they are not painted in an inspiring light like it was in A Mad, Wicked Folly. Instead the women are portrayed as reckless fanatics.

Dr. McCleland herself is a fantastic character. She is a first female forensic pathologist in London, simply because as a woman she was not allowed into her chosen field of surgery, and she had found a different way to  practise her skills and put her education to use. She supports mild suffragettes and simply believe that women should strive to change the world by example, not by loud and violent rallies. Unfortunately her younger, hotheaded sister doesn't agree, and keeps getting into trouble.

While working on a case involving murders of three suffragettes both Dody McCleland and inspector Pike find evidence indicating that there were high ranking officials involved and it all gets messy really quickly. Dr. McCleland also can't stop worrying about her younger sis.

Pike is an interesting character as well. Stoic, acerbic, observant and non-judgemental, he is a mild mannered guy with a tragic past and a grievous injury. Overall, it's an understated, quiet book, but I enjoyed the atmosphere very much and looking forward to reading the rest of this series. Recommended!

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Как же долго я ждала пока эту книгу не обрежет в цене издатель! Года два наверное, или больше. Учитывая синосис на Гудридс, что понравится она мне я не сомневалась, поэтому в этом плане Фелисити Янг меня не разочаровала.

Анатомия Смерти - это тихий атмосферный детектив небольшой сложности, да и виллана в нём угадать довольно легко. Самое интересное здесь это тематика. Главая героиня, доктор Доди МакКлеланд - первая женщина патолог в Лондоне, и действие крутится вокруг суффражисток-радикалов в начале 20-го века.

Что интересно, обычно суффражистки в литературе описаны в выгодном свете, однако здесь рассказывается об одной из более фанатичных групп движения, частью которой является младшая сестра Доди. Сама доктор МакКлеланд хоть и поддерживает права женщин, однако считает, что перемен надо добиваться примером, а не насилием. То есть, живёт она по собственным принципам. 

Ещё один интересный персонаж - инспектор Пайк, который вместе с МакКлеланд расследует убийства трёх суффражисток и натыкается на доказательство того, что в него замешаны высшие чины государства. Он - характер тихий, с трагическим прошлым и очень развитым чувством справедливости, которое постоянно вмешивает его в неприятности.

Вообще, книга читается легко, интересно и я знаю, что с удовольствием эту серию буду продолжать. Рекомендую!