A Corruption of Blood

The duo behind Ambrose Parry have again produced a thoroughly entertaining and intricate tale in their Edinburgh set historical crime series featuring Dr Will Raven. A Corruption of Blood is an outstanding and worthy follow up to the excellent The Art of Dying.

Victorian Edinburgh is at the centre of medical research and training in the country. Will Raven is a doctor in general practice. A practice run by a famous medical man Dr James Young Simpson famed for his discovery of the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic. This fame has its benefits in opening doors for Raven but, it has its difficulties too.

While Will is carrying out his duties as doctor to the poor in Edinburgh society his employer Dr Simpson is treating the rich and titled of the city. On his way back to the surgery Will comes across a group of people watching as a parcel is pulled from the harbour, the soaking stinking parcel contains the head and torso of a child. The post mortem reveals murder by strangulation.

There is a great deal going on in Will's world not least choosing a wife to help him through life and give him greater respect in the community. He still has strong feelings for Sarah Fisher but, is taken with Eugenie Todd at their first meeting. Dr Todd is a seemingly very protective father but, on hearing of Will's interest in Eugenie immediately accepts Will as her suitor and prospective husband.

As Will is trying to resolve his dilemma he attends a society reception hosted by the wealthy Edinburgh magnate Sir Ainsley Douglas. While looking for Eugrnie, Will comes across Sir Ainsley & his son Gideon, having a disagreement in which Sir Ainsley threatens to stop funding Gideon's profligate lifestyle. In the morning Sir Ainsley is found dead in his bed.

Eugenie rushes to the surgery to ask Will to help her friend Gideon who has been arrested for the murder of his father. What should Will do? Turn down the request made by his intended or agree to help a man he thoroughly dislikes. Why would a man who hardly knows him and detests him ask for his help? What is behind the request, why did Eugenie make it and who is behind the killing? Once again Will and Sarah are thrown together to try to solve this wicked crime.

The characters are intelligently formed creating a real understanding of the life of Victorian society. There are the subtle details and added facts to engineer the atmosphere and inform the reader whilst unnoticeably building the narrative. The reader can immerse themselves in the swirling hub bub of the Scottish capital and lose oneself in the narrow shuts and alleyways of the old town and down to Leith.

This superbly written drama with its lively plot is intriguing and enticing, whilst the descriptive narrative reveals the suffering behind the grand facade that is Victorian society.