Book #25: The Anatomist's Apprentice

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The Amazon synopsis:

The death of Sir Edward Crick has unleashed a torrent of gossip through the seedy taverns and elegant ballrooms of Oxfordshire. Few mourn the dissolute young man--except his sister, the beautiful Lady Lydia Farrell. When her husband comes under suspicion of murder, she seeks expert help from Dr. Thomas Silkstone, a young anatomist from Philadelphia. 

Thomas arrived in England to study under its foremost surgeon, where his unconventional methods only add to his outsider status. Against his better judgment he agrees to examine Sir Edward's corpse. But it is not only the dead, but also the living, to whom he must apply the keen blade of his intellect. And the deeper the doctor's investigations go, the greater the risk that he will be consigned to the ranks of the corpses he studies. . .

I'm not really sure what compelled me to read this book. Probably my love of the TV show Bones. I thought it'd be interesting to read about the beginning of forensic science - before computers and technological advances. It was interesting, albeit a little slow. The first half of the book is the slow unveiling of the events surrounding Edward's death and how Thomas gets involved in helping to solve his murder.  And then the second half is a ridiculous series of plot twists that finally reveal the killer. I say ridiculous because there were so many of them. First it seems to be one person, then another, then another, then finally the real murderer is revealed. I enjoy a good plot twist, but not 75 of them.

I liked this book because it was something different. Also, it was the suspense/mystery with romance that I so enjoy, surprisingly without gratuitous sex scenes! Win!

25 down. 5 to go!