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bookworm1989's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
I love this series. Jem is a complex character and sometimes very dark. Will is the perfect foil to him but also is smart in his own right.
richmondo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
boandr's review
4.5
Oh I loved this! As testament to this statement, I got the worst sunburn of my holiday because I wouldn’t put it down, so you know it’s a real one.
The book follows Jem- who I so adored as a main character- taking place in Victorian London, this read struck a brilliant chord of historical accuracy within the historical fiction genre, making it informative all the while being completely entertaining. Furthermore, Jem’s gender identity and their relationship to this within themself, society, and their relationships added another layer of depth and meaning.
An especially clever choice was how the confession letters the reader progressively comes across, scattered between the chapters, tell you who the person behind the ‘original’ murder was before it’s revealed to them by Jem near the end- but you have to be paying especially close attention to spot it. I hadn’t, and got called out for this by Jem in the reveal- a very clever choice on the writer’s part which also emphasises Jem’s intelligence and insight to us.
On the note of crime and the ‘mystery’ surrounding these, it was excellently written both in its macabre theme, befitting of the offence and setting, and in encouraging the reader to think, consider. With a wealth of possible culprits, we are kept on our toes as readers- our judgement to flicker, which only further highlights Jem’s evident confidence and assuredness in figuring it all out even more.
Adding to this is Jem’s personal conflicts. I felt for their character, finding myself completely invested in all elements of the read- from character conflicts and development, to the central plotline. Maintaining these different elements isn’t easy, but the author did it amazingly well- the story was well-paced and kept me hooked the whole time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this- so imagine my thrill when I found out there were more! My only regret is not reading the preceding stories in the ‘timeline’ before picking up ‘Surgeon’s Hall’, something I’ll be rectifying as soon as possible
The book follows Jem- who I so adored as a main character- taking place in Victorian London, this read struck a brilliant chord of historical accuracy within the historical fiction genre, making it informative all the while being completely entertaining. Furthermore, Jem’s gender identity and their relationship to this within themself, society, and their relationships added another layer of depth and meaning.
An especially clever choice was how the confession letters the reader progressively comes across, scattered between the chapters, tell you who the person behind the ‘original’ murder was before it’s revealed to them by Jem near the end- but you have to be paying especially close attention to spot it. I hadn’t, and got called out for this by Jem in the reveal- a very clever choice on the writer’s part which also emphasises Jem’s intelligence and insight to us.
On the note of crime and the ‘mystery’ surrounding these, it was excellently written both in its macabre theme, befitting of the offence and setting, and in encouraging the reader to think, consider. With a wealth of possible culprits, we are kept on our toes as readers- our judgement to flicker, which only further highlights Jem’s evident confidence and assuredness in figuring it all out even more.
Adding to this is Jem’s personal conflicts. I felt for their character, finding myself completely invested in all elements of the read- from character conflicts and development, to the central plotline. Maintaining these different elements isn’t easy, but the author did it amazingly well- the story was well-paced and kept me hooked the whole time.
Overall, I really enjoyed this- so imagine my thrill when I found out there were more! My only regret is not reading the preceding stories in the ‘timeline’ before picking up ‘Surgeon’s Hall’, something I’ll be rectifying as soon as possible
ominousspectre's review
3.75
Super fun read! Love a cozy mystery, with a good dose of gore for this one lol. I love that the author is an expert in medical history so you feel really engrain in a believable setting.
I would've rated this higher but I thought the reveal at the endAllardyce being the murderer of Mary was out of left field for me at least. It didn't feel satisfying considering how little time you spent on that character/
I also didn't really getJem's sudden possessiveness of Will. Perhaps it's because I wasn't aware this was the fourth in a series and there's more to their friendship I don't have context to, but it felt a bit forced to me./
Otherwise, I had a great time!!
I would've rated this higher but I thought the reveal at the end
I also didn't really get
Otherwise, I had a great time!!
monte_cristo's review against another edition
3.0
This is the fourth book of the Jem Flockhard series.
I found the book to be deeply atmospheric, set in Victorian times when medicine was making a lot of progress and this resulted in a great demand for bodies.
The story is interesting, but a bit confusing at the start. I also found the characters difficult to differentiate at times and the back and forth in time confused me a bit.
Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable book and worth a read.
I found the book to be deeply atmospheric, set in Victorian times when medicine was making a lot of progress and this resulted in a great demand for bodies.
The story is interesting, but a bit confusing at the start. I also found the characters difficult to differentiate at times and the back and forth in time confused me a bit.
Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable book and worth a read.
alcea's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
hopeadinfinitum's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75