A mesmerizing forensic thriller that thrusts the listener into the operating rooms, drawing rooms, and back alleys of 1889 Philadelphia, as a young doctor grapples with the principles of scientific process to track a daring killer. In the morgue of a Philadelphia hospital, a group of physicians open a coffin and uncover the corpse of a beautiful young woman. Within days one of them strongly suspects that he knows the woman’s identity . . . and the horrifying events that led to her death. But in this richly atmospheric novel, the most compelling moment is yet to come, as young Ephraim Carroll is plunged into a maze of murder, secrets, and unimaginable crimes. . . . Dr. Ephraim Carroll came to Philadelphia to study with a leading professor, the brilliant William Osler, believing that he would gain the power to save countless lives. As America hurtles toward a new century, medicine is changing rapidly, in part due to the legalization of autopsy–a crime only a few years before. But Carroll and his mentor are at odds over what they glimpsed that morning in the hospital’s Dead House. And when a second mysterious death is determined to have been a ruthless murder, Carroll can feel the darkness gathering around him–and he ignites an investigation of his own. Ultimately, Carroll is forced to confront an agonizing moral choice–between exposing a killer, undoing a wrong, and, quite possibly, protecting the future of medicine itself.
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"This book is about a group of doctors in the 19th century that are doing autopsies on the dead that are found in the lowest areas of Philadelphia. They come across a women that is clearly of the upper class, but are taken away from her quickly as the head physician seems upset by the body. A thriller and somewhat of a mystery begins, as one of the doctors falls into the middle of a dark secret that leads him to the art world, the society world and even upsets his lonely existence. This is an interesting book and I learned a lot about the medical field of that time, as well as some of the curious quirks of doctors, and the different beliefs of the churches at that time. Great read, and a good mystery!"
— Shawn (4 out of 5 stars)
" ok medical thriller, historical. Based on a real life character William Osler, the father of modern medicine. "
— Denise, 2/18/2014" Not bad, but not always as realistic as it could be. "
— Lauren, 2/15/2014" Too much historical name dropping (i.e., Thomas Eakins, William Stewart Halsted, etc.) and I didn't like the ending. It was a struggle for me to get through the book, which is a shame, because it had a nice premise. Disappointing. "
— Beth, 1/29/2014" This was a very entertaining mystery. Very different with the medical twist to it. Kind of a "pre csi" story. Really enjoyed it. "
— Jen, 1/26/2014" A pretty good mystery that mixes fictional characters with historical ones. The medical detail for the times was detailed and accurate, and, for me at least, was a big reason I stayed hooked. It kept me going when, at times, the plot got a little draggy. Worth the read. "
— Amy, 1/18/2014" A forensic thriller set in 1889 Philadelphia, that tries to answer the question: Is the benefit of a thousand people more important than justice to one? I am not sure he succeeds in the moral dilemma, but it's a good read. "
— Book, 1/12/2014" This work takes place in late 19th century Philadelphia; the main characters are doctors studying medicine by disecting cadavers. One might call it CSI: 1885. This is not a book which will keep you up all night trying to finish it, but it's better than average. "
— james, 1/1/2014" Fun read. A little rushed toward the end but enjoyable. "
— Debbie, 12/31/2013" A facinating mystery. A page turner! "
— Brooke, 12/9/2013" A page turner, but not great. I learned a lot about medicine in the late 1800s "
— Nicola, 11/13/2013" As a mystery, it was rather shallow. Many of the characters felt 2-dimensional. But in the context of the history of medicine/anatomy in Philadelphia in the 1800's, it was really interesting. "
— Pam, 10/26/2013Lawrence Goldstone is the author or coauthor of fourteen books of fiction and nonfiction, including Rights, which won a New American Writing Award, and Anatomy of Deception, a New York Times notable mystery. His articles, reviews, and opinion pieces have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and other periodicals. He has appeared on many TV and radio shows, and his work has been profiled in the New York Times, Toronto Star, Salon, and Slate.
David Ackroyd is an American actor who first came to prominence in soap operas such as The Secret Storm and Another World. He was born in Orange, New Jersey, a suburb of Newark.