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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Murder
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I feel like I can't say anything I'm thinking without spoiling everything. So everything is going to get a spoiler tag.
I knocked off half a star because right when the author started really building up that romantic angle, the book ended. And so it felt unresolved.
As for the rest of the story. I was annoyed in the beginning when we were only given these vague references to the backstory without any details. That part wasn't supposed to be the mystery. But by the second half I had gotten over it.
And once I learned Sarah's history and the continued abuses she suffered regularly, it constantly made me feel impotent with rage. I wanted to cry for her so often. But I guess that's the sign of a good storyteller, right?
Spoiler
The author made it a little obvious who she wanted us to think the killer was. And then it felt a little sudden when he went from threatening Sarah to keep out of it, to telling her his whole backstory. About half way through I realized he was going to be the romantic interest and I had a real problem reconciling that man to that new role. Especially when he kept threatening to use her history against her. However, the author ended up pulling it off pretty well.I knocked off half a star because right when the author started really building up that romantic angle, the book ended. And so it felt unresolved.
As for the rest of the story. I was annoyed in the beginning when we were only given these vague references to the backstory without any details. That part wasn't supposed to be the mystery. But by the second half I had gotten over it.
And once I learned Sarah's history and the continued abuses she suffered regularly, it constantly made me feel impotent with rage. I wanted to cry for her so often. But I guess that's the sign of a good storyteller, right?
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
Love this historical mystery, featuring some of the first female doctors to study in Scotland! Good storyline and very thought provoking commentary on social misunderstandings and the plight of the desperate poor.
Very good historical novel, though perhaps heavy-handed with respect to emphasizing the oppression of women in the Victorian period; the mystery was only so-so, but it doesn't seem the mystery was meant to be central to begin with.
The Wages of Sin is a historical mystery set in 1890s Edinburgh, about female medical students and murder in the city’s slums. Sarah Gilchrist left London, her family, and her scandal behind when she came to Scotland to study medicine, but a lot of people—including the male students and her own aunt and uncle—would prefer her to give up her studies and leave. When she finds the corpse of one of her patients on the dissecting table, Sarah is drawn into a world of brothels, opium, and danger, not even sure whether her own lecturers are connected to the death. At the same time, she is constantly battling the opinions of not only those who don’t think women should become doctors, but also her fellow female medical students who think her tarnished reputation might reflect badly on them.
This is an enjoyable gothic murder mystery that foregrounds the lives of female medical students and of prostitutes to show the troubles and dangers involved in being a Victorian woman. Sarah is a powerful protagonist, often flawed in her assumptions about situations but determined to follow her dream and to not let her past define her. Welsh writes a variety of characters and creates a vivid world, particularly in distinguishing the twelve female students and some of their stories in getting to be medical students. The narrative is tense and not just focused on solving the mystery of the death, but also on the life of Sarah and of many of the other characters in some way or another.
The Wages of Sin is a historical novel with a gothic vibe that has a blend of murder mystery, 1890s feminism, and varied characters. Its protagonist is allowed to be both flawed and likeable, and it won’t be surprising to see future novels about her and her exploits.
This is an enjoyable gothic murder mystery that foregrounds the lives of female medical students and of prostitutes to show the troubles and dangers involved in being a Victorian woman. Sarah is a powerful protagonist, often flawed in her assumptions about situations but determined to follow her dream and to not let her past define her. Welsh writes a variety of characters and creates a vivid world, particularly in distinguishing the twelve female students and some of their stories in getting to be medical students. The narrative is tense and not just focused on solving the mystery of the death, but also on the life of Sarah and of many of the other characters in some way or another.
The Wages of Sin is a historical novel with a gothic vibe that has a blend of murder mystery, 1890s feminism, and varied characters. Its protagonist is allowed to be both flawed and likeable, and it won’t be surprising to see future novels about her and her exploits.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes