The Anatomy of Deception

Goldstone has written an enjoyable historical mystery that is definitely a cut above average, due to his amply displayed knowledge both medical and historical. The story isn't perhaps staggeringly ambitious, the characters not so round as to be perfectly spherical, but it does the job quite admirably.

Ephraigm Carroll is one of the star pupils at Doctor Osler's medical college in late 19th century Philadelphia. His curiosity is roused when the scheduled autopsy of a beautiful young woman is abruptly canceled, and piqued further at the reaction from his revered teacher and a fellow pupil. Ephraigm's efforts to discover the truth will take him from the precarious middle-class existence he clings to, to the lowest depths of and most show more dizzying heights Philly has to offer.

Goldstone holds a phd in medical history, and his knowledge is demonstrated on almost every page. Aside from being inherently fascinating in its own right, this detail lends a palpable sense of reality to proceedings. I'm happy to say his skills as an historian are equally deployed outside the operating theatre. Turn-of-the-century Philadelphia is rendered in loving detail - nearly every character is a real person, or as good as, and it makes a tasty setting.

Admittedly, the characters are not as strong. Ephraigm's somewhat prissy voice feels a bit formal at first - though it's probably as accurate as anything else (the debt to Wilkie Collins in particular is obvious). However he certainly grows on you, but not all of the characters get that chance. This could partly be explained by Ephraigm's own simple take (the book is written in first person), but it does lend the book a somewhat "stagey" or television/commercial feel.

Nonetheless, this shortcoming is more than compensated by the very slight demands The Anatomy of Deception asks of the reader, and the rich bounty of historical detail. The plot moves along swiftly, the prose is competently executed without fuss, and - whilst ever so slightly rote - the conclusion shouldn't leave anyone disappointed. The Anatomy of Deception delivers on its promises to the reader and is a fine way to while away a few afternoons. show less

A fascinating book that takes place in medical world of 1889 Philadelphia. Weaving a story of forensic detail in with real people from history such as artist Thomas Eakins, Goldstone aptly depicts attitudes towards medical procedures such as autopsy and the power of the wealthy at the time.

This is an entertaining book, combining medical and crime mystery with medical history. Though a work of fiction, it involves several historical characters in the world of Philadelphia in the 1880s.

On a murder puzzle as the main frame, with a doctor as investigator, the author hangs some fascinating history of autopsy, surgery, and other medical practices that were becoming widespread. The only cavil I had was that at times the background information becomes too digressive and rather badly cuts the pace of the main narrative. But this is indeed a fun book to read.

My original review evaporated somehow, so I will try to come up with something. Going in, I didn’t realize how many of the characters are historical figures and that part was pretty interesting. Pioneers of surgery are single-minded individuals who rarely agree with each other in particulars of new techniques, practices and medications. Absolutely fascinating. Horrifying, but fascinating. Really glad I wasn’t alive then and in need of a surgical procedure.

Ephie certainly idolized Osler to the point of blindness and this was a dead give away, plot-wise. Someone that naive is sure to have his eyes opened in the most jarring way. Not only is he innocent of men’s duplicitous nature, he’s also pretty ignorant of women. He’s blind show more to the obvious and puts women in their age old roles of virgin, mother or whore. It was pretty funny to watch the scales fall from his eyes so to speak and I was really glad Ms. Doctor rejected him when he tried to pick her up on the rebound.

I really wish that Turk had been left alive a bit longer. He was truly the most interesting character presented to us. He schemed and created a whole new identity for himself, but in the end it was not enough to sustain him. The mystery he left behind wasn’t completely solved, but enough was to wrap up the novel.

Pacing was slack, but the details and historical accuracy were spot on to this relatively untrained reader. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the period and the undiminishable optimism felt by the protagonists. The plot was pretty transparent and the characters could have been a bit more original, but it was a pretty good effort overall. show less

Ephraim Carroll, a physician from a deprived background, is thrilled to study under the renowned Dr. Osler in turn-of-the-century Philadelphia. When a young woman turns up in the Dead House and draws an unusual reaction from Osler and from one of Carroll’s colleagues, he is naturally intrigued. At the same time, he’s drawn into a relationship with a somewhat bohemian young lady from a wealthy family who asks him to investigate the disappearance of a friend of hers. What Carroll discovers on his two-pronged investigation will challenge his idolization of Dr. Osler and his own rather smug, self-satisfied knowledge of the world.

As a first person narrator, Carroll is rather likeable even in his pronounced priggishness and naiveté. The show more tone of the novel is sometimes dry, but the plot moves quickly enough. The ending is not exactly unexpected, but is well-suited to the character’s moral development. There are consequences for the errors he’s made and the mystery’s solution leaves vast gray moral areas, but the combination is not unsatisfying. show less

This medical mystery, set in 1889 begins when a Ephraim Carroll young up and coming surgeon is commissioned by a female acquaintance to discover the whereabouts of her vanished friend. The missing girl, having gone in search of a back-alley abortionist, never returned. To Dr. Carroll's dismay, the vanished girl matches the description of an autopsy patient that came through the hospital only a few days ago.

Hoping to impress this young woman who he's coming to love, Carroll sets out to discover the murderer of her young friend. Rife with historical detail and fascinating era characters, this novel will keep you guessing until the end.

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.