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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The plot was terrific; I enjoyed the first-person narrator, Sarah Gilchrist; and the dark mood was just right. Sarah, an Englishwoman with a dark past, is one of the first women medical students at the University of Edinburgh in 1892. Alongside her medical studies, she decides to investigate the mysterious death of a young prostitute called Lucy. This is an interesting historical mystery. However, I had some problems with the way the novel was constructed. Some moments were due, I am sure, to sloppy editing; for example when a character was referred to as James Ross on one page and (presumably the same guy) as James MacFarlane on the next (p. 144-145). The pacing was maybe a little off. There were plenty of events and memories from the past unfolding, but sometimes it wasn't clear when the author was moving from scene to scene. I think the transitions were perhaps lacking. Still, I would read another by this author. The story and the main character were engaging, and I especially liked the thoughts and discussion about the roles of men and women in English and Scottish society in the 1890s.
A lot going on here, sometimes too much for my taste. Liked it well enough to give book 2 a try, though!
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edinburgh in the late 19th Century and Sarah Gilchrist is one of the first female students admitted to Medical School, fighting the prejudices of both students and lecturers alike. However Sarah is also struggling with her past, a sexual assault left her confined to a 'sanitarium' and estranged from her parents who did not believe she was attacked. Sarah is living with her strict Aunt and Uncle, her only freedom being at college or in helping at clinic in a poorer part of town. When a young prostitute is found dead soon after visiting the clinic Sarah is suspicious, particularly as her enquiries seem to lead her back to one of her Professors.
I found this book really enjoyable, Sarah is an engaging character with a fascinating back-story and I hope that is developed in subsequents stories. The 'romance' is a little forced and clunky but the politics are handled perfectly and the prejudices seem real and understood. This is Welsh's first novel and it bodes well for the future, a fresh new voice.
I found this book really enjoyable, Sarah is an engaging character with a fascinating back-story and I hope that is developed in subsequents stories. The 'romance' is a little forced and clunky but the politics are handled perfectly and the prejudices seem real and understood. This is Welsh's first novel and it bodes well for the future, a fresh new voice.
(more 2.5 stars) I wanted to like this more--Victorian female lead who's studying medicine in Scotland and trying to solve a murder, sounds like my cup of tea. However, it seemed like the author was trying to tackle too many social issues and throw in too many red herrings for me to fully appreciate the characters, story, or writing. There was a hint of enough there that I'm willing to read the next book in the series to see if it improves. Maybe if I'd had less expectation, I would've liked it more.