A review by jmatkinson1
The Wages of Sin by Kaite Welsh

4.0

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.