Search - The Anatomy of Deception

This book fits into one of my favorite genres: medical historical fiction from the 1800s.

In all, this book was entertaining and suspenseful enough to keep me engaged until the very end. The mystery surrounding the murders is fairly well done, and the additional layer involving medical ethics of the time adds an extra element that helped to move the story along without being overdone.

While I enjoyed the book, there was something about it that seemed to fall a little flat. Perhaps it was because most of the characters, while well done, were actually a little bit unlikable. There is a resolution at the end, but it is not a very feel-good ending and because of that I found little joy in the final solution.

For someone looking for an entertaining period piece of medical historical fiction, this is a good selection. I would recommend it to a friend willingly, although I might not recommend it with much enthusiasm.

This is as much a murder mystery as it a commentary on the beginning of scientific medicine in America. Fascinating for those who have an interest in the history of medicine or the mentality of the upper middle class in the 19th century. An interesting writer.