I have read a few historical fiction books recently and I have to say I have really enjoyed delving back into a completely different era and learning about how the medical profession has progressed. Thank goodness it has too as I'm not sure if I would want any of the doctors in this book looking after me!
Whilst attending a lecture featuring a post mortem of a small boy washed up on the shores, Dr Nicholas Shelby notices some strange markings that suggest his death wasn't entirely accidental and tries to go about getting some further information. As is with books set during this time, as the victim was from a less than opulent background, nobody is particularly inclined to investigate further and Dr Shelby reaches a seemingly brick wall of silence. During this time and despite him being a doctor he is unable to stop the death of someone close to him and has a complete breakdown where he gives up on his medical career and his life.
Saved by an Italian tavern owner, Bianca Merton, he is horrified to stumble upon another body and is determined to try and redeem himself by getting to the bottom of what is happening and why....
Although this was a slow starter for me, I found that once the storyline speeded up, I was enjoying it more and more. Nicholas and Bianca are great characters to read about, Bianca herself is an apothecary and has to cope with rumours that she is a witch as during this time women were not allowed to have a profession. Especially one that is deemed to be a men only profession.
I really enjoyed this and found the ending to be brilliant and absolutely perfect. The author has captured Elizabethan London perfectly from it's grim outlook of people just struggling to survive the day along with the social aspect that poorer people faced. If you were poor, you unfortunately stayed poor. People didn't really care about you so it was heartwarming to follow a story where someone actually did.
Hopefully more to come from Nicholas Shelby and Bianca Merton.
Whilst attending a lecture featuring a post mortem of a small boy washed up on the shores, Dr Nicholas Shelby notices some strange markings that suggest his death wasn't entirely accidental and tries to go about getting some further information. As is with books set during this time, as the victim was from a less than opulent background, nobody is particularly inclined to investigate further and Dr Shelby reaches a seemingly brick wall of silence. During this time and despite him being a doctor he is unable to stop the death of someone close to him and has a complete breakdown where he gives up on his medical career and his life.
Saved by an Italian tavern owner, Bianca Merton, he is horrified to stumble upon another body and is determined to try and redeem himself by getting to the bottom of what is happening and why....
Although this was a slow starter for me, I found that once the storyline speeded up, I was enjoying it more and more. Nicholas and Bianca are great characters to read about, Bianca herself is an apothecary and has to cope with rumours that she is a witch as during this time women were not allowed to have a profession. Especially one that is deemed to be a men only profession.
I really enjoyed this and found the ending to be brilliant and absolutely perfect. The author has captured Elizabethan London perfectly from it's grim outlook of people just struggling to survive the day along with the social aspect that poorer people faced. If you were poor, you unfortunately stayed poor. People didn't really care about you so it was heartwarming to follow a story where someone actually did.
Hopefully more to come from Nicholas Shelby and Bianca Merton.