The Anatomist's Apprentice (Dr. Thomas Silkstone, #1)

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The Anatomist's Apprentice (Dr. Thomas Silkstone #1)

by Tessa Harris (Goodreads Author)

3.31 of 5 stars 3.31 · rating details · 2,109 ratings · 346 reviews

The death of Sir Edward Crick has unleashed a torrent of gossip throughout Oxfordshire. No one mourns the dissolute young man--except his sister, Lady Lydia Farrell. When her husband comes under suspicion of murder, Lydia seeks expert help from Dr. Thomas Silkstone, a young anatomist from Philadelphia.

Paperback, 320 pages

Published January 1st 2012 by Kensington (first published December 1st 2011)

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Sep 10, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery

Things that drove me crazy about this book:

1 - The title. Dr. Silkstone is highly regarded in his field and pretty much does his own thing in this book, with a couple of mentors (who basically are just there as window-dressing), so who is supposed to be the apprentice?

2 - The romance. Wow - this was a tacked on, unnecessary invention (I wonder if the publisher thought it would sell better?). There was nothing like a developing interest - it was way too fast - and it really didn't add anything t...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Carly marked it as dnf

Shelves: cozy-mystery, historical-fiction, cover-love

As soon as I saw the ridiculously attractive cover-art and intruiging title, I couldn't wait to tear into the story. To my disappointment, I found I really shouldn't have judged this one by its cover.

The story takes place in England in the late Georgian period--about twenty or thirty years before Jane Austen's time. The main character, a surgeon from Philadelphia, is brought into the case of a suspicious death by the beautiful Lady Lydia. Graphic death scenes, a shallow and improbable InstaLove...more As soon as I saw the ridiculously attractive cover-art and intruiging title, I couldn't wait to tear into the story. To my disappointment, I found I really shouldn't have judged this one by its cover.

The story takes place in England in the late Georgian period--about twenty or thirty years before Jane Austen's time. The main character, a surgeon from Philadelphia, is brought into the case of a suspicious death by the beautiful Lady Lydia. Graphic death scenes, a shallow and improbable InstaLove romance, and generalized "historical atmosphere" follow.

Call me crazy, but one thing I tend to expect of historical novels is some level of historical accuracy. Harris clearly did some amount of research for this book, but in my opinion, she just didn't do enough. I'm certainly no expert on the late Georgian era, but even I found so many jarring inconsistencies and errors that I found the story difficult to read. These range from anachronistic phrasing (for example, a woman is described as "passing out") to severe and significant errors in understanding of social conventions of the time. For example, a large portion of the plot is dependent on the inheritance of an earl, which is shown passing to his sister and her husband. Even a casual reader would know that the land of an earl would be entailed. One might argue that someone in the family broke the entail or there are no heirs male, but there is no mention of peculiarities and several male relatives in the correct line are actually mentioned. Since Harris even gets the titles of the earl and his sister (really, really, disastrously) wrong, I suspect a lack of research. The characters also routinely break social custom; for example, Lydia turns up alone in Silkstone's rooms to introduce herself, all of the upper-class characters are appallingly free with their servants, and Lydia doesn't even wear mourning for her brother. Possibly even more problematically, the Philadelphian doctor is treated as though he is of the same class as the upper-level gentry. I still can't figure out exactly what Silkstone is. He is given the title of "doctor", but repeatedly referred to as a "surgeon." (In the Georgian period, these terms delineated the barely-gentlemanly physicians from the lower-class sawbones.) He unabashedly practices a trade, yet is treated by the aristocracy as one of the gentry. He, as well as other physicians (some with titles, no less!) are described as happily participating in the dirty business of dissection. Just getting their hands dirty places them far down on the social ladder.

These could be seen as minor liberties taken to create an interesting story, but not only were there far more anachronisms than I listed here, but I have to wonder: given my lack of historical knowledge of the time, just how many errors didn't I catch?

I listened to this on audio, but not even the spirited narration of Simon Vance could rescue this for me. If you like historical romance with a dash of mystery and a certain amount of liberty with historical veracity, this may be a fun read. To prevent myself from accidentally confusing anachronistic flights of fancy with historical truth, I did not finish the story. (less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Tracey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: england, audio, london

It's a sad fact that my complainy reviews are often much longer than my happy ones. Perhaps it's easier to see where something goes off the tracks than to see why something stays humming along; that might be part of why there are so few truly great books. Perhaps it's just catharsis to – in the language of this book – perform a thorough post-mortem on a bad book. Or perhaps it's just more fun to eviscerate a truly bad book. Don't know. I'll put some here, and save the rest for my blog; it's less...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Susanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery

Author seems addicted to adjectives, and attempts "period dialogue." Reads like a first novel, which I believe it is.

If I see a "forsooth" I'm out of here.

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Jun 12, 2013 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This was a fun change of pace from my typical mystery novel that I read.

What I Liked:
1. The book is like a CSI show (well actually more Quincy: ME) before television was invented. I liked how Tessa Harris set the story at a time where forensic science was just getting started, because it shows the reader how easy it was to get away with murder back in the day.

2. Thomas was a fun protagonist: sweet and a sucker for a pretty lady. I could see myself reading more books about him. He wasn't the grit...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books

Interesting story that really makes one think about how much happenstance was involved in solving crime before modern forensics. It is also (marginally) a love story.

Although it was an enjoyable and relatively quick read,I am left with a couple of issues after finishing The Anatomist's Apprentice. First of all, who is the apprentice? Certainly not Dr. Silkstone who is presented as a famous guy, a high achiever and a lecturer. Is it the cousin? Is it supposed to be Silkstone and he is the Anatomi...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Amy M rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had a difficult time choosing how many stars to rate this book. I listened to the audio version and the reader, Simon Vance, was absolutely fantastic. I especially enjoyed his interpretation of Sir Theodisius! After I realized I shouldn't eat while reading the book, I enjoyed the medical/scientific passages greatly. I quickly found my favorite characters and the characters that I hated (because they were meant to be, of course).

However, I had several problems with this book. The first being -...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: hist-fic, mystery-crime

The Anatomist's Apprentice is the first in a new historical (18th century) mystery series, in which Dr. Thomas Silkstone applies his scientific studies of anatomy to solve crimes. In this debut, he is called to Oxford by the Lady Lydia, to do a postmortem on her dissolute brother, Lord Crick. Rumor has it that he was poisoned, and the favorite suspects of the gossips is Lydia's husband.

It's fun to read this mystery, written in the style of the old silent pictures in which the villains gnash thei...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Edward Bautista rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read “The Anatomist’s Apprentice”, by Tessa Harris. It is of the mystery genre. I choose it because the book title intrigued me and it just grabbed my attention when I saw it. The story unfolds all over the place in England during the later 1700s. Locations such as Oxfordshire, Boughton Hall, and London. Young Dr. Thomas Silkstone is the man chosen to inspect the strange circumstances of Lord Crick’s untimely death. Lord Crick owned Boughton Hall at the time, he lived there with his sister; La...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Nick Johnson rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Started well but ended up a bit tedious, to be frank. Beach book fare at best. Hidden behind all the quasi period, "Age of Reason" stuff is a pretty standard "Murder on the Orient Express" grade tale of poisoning, bludgeoning and strangling (Oh My!). For a book that teased with science, many of the key "Aha!" moments were left as limp cliffhangers where the protagonist realised something (what? NO idea) and then moved on with a square jaw, a sense of honour and a resolve to do the right thing, b...more Started well but ended up a bit tedious, to be frank. Beach book fare at best. Hidden behind all the quasi period, "Age of Reason" stuff is a pretty standard "Murder on the Orient Express" grade tale of poisoning, bludgeoning and strangling (Oh My!). For a book that teased with science, many of the key "Aha!" moments were left as limp cliffhangers where the protagonist realised something (what? NO idea) and then moved on with a square jaw, a sense of honour and a resolve to do the right thing, by thunder. What exactly he realised was seldom fully resolved but it evidently had a bearing on events later in the story. I got a l little ticked off at having to check back and then realize that nothing had been exposed at all, other than the fact that Thomas had worked it out. Good for Thomas! I however hate being made to feel that I hadn't been paying any attention whatsoever, particularly since I had worked out most of the rather obvious leads as they crashed from the over worn shelf of "whodunit" cliches. I would have got a genuine kick out of understanding how Tommy Boy had determined all of the the forensics involved. But don't fear, lest you doubt his scientific chops. Our hero single handedly invented the concept of thin layer chromatography, care of the his pet rat Franklin no less. Please. Not Elizabeth Salander figuring out Fermat's last theorem on her way to her show down with Pops, but you get the picture.

As for Lydia, she struck me as the one who should have been locked up. Much like the lady Angela Lansbury portrayed on "Murder SHe Wrote", dead bodies seemed to trail her around and it would be a good idea not to have her interact with anyone.

In the author's defence some reviewers have complained about the use of New Englander to describe a Philly Boy. Wrong today no doubt, but was it so inaccurate back in 1700s England? Oh, and Irishmen are often referred to as having Gallic charm in the UK, so it is a minor point.

There now, that's off my chest. Writing this all down made me realise that i really did not like this book much at all. Shan't be bothering with the sequel. (less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

By all rights, I should love this book, which is billed as "a historical forensic mystery," but I was distinctly underwhelmed. There were several times when I just thought I was too bored to finish it.

The premise is great--set in England, just before that little unpleasant business with the Colonies--a young doctor, an anatomist, comes to England to further his knowledge at Oxford.

There's a mysterious death of a young lord, and his beautiful (but married) sister implores Dr. Silkstone to investi...more

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May 29, 2012 Mary Theobald rated it 5 of 5 stars

I took this book to Curacao with me to read on the beach because of all books, I enjoy historical mysteries best. And as a historian, I appreciate it when the author does the research to accurately set the scene, something Tessa Harris accomplishes very well. The story takes place at the time of the American Revolution, but it is set in London and Oxford where an American-born anatomist has come to study this new science with the foremost English expert.
Dr. Thomas Silkstone is asked to examine...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Kb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery, forensic, ugh, british-mysteries, ebook

Well, I managed to get through this book by skipping over boring passages where nothing important was happening, so I won't mention a few of the plot points that seemed to come out of nowhere, because I can't guarantee I didn't miss something along the way. However, there were factual errors that irritated me throughout: an English kitchen garden with "cinnamon" as one of the medicinal "herbs" growing in it? A four-days-dead corpse with rigor mortis? A chancre on the penis of a man who had caugh...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Anatomist's Apprentice is the first (and debut) book in Tessa Harris's new series featuring Dr. Thomas Silkstone.

I initially picked up the book based on the description - 18th century, London, England, mystery, early forensic detection, as it seemed to fall into one of my favourite genres - historical mysteries.

Lady Lydia Farrell's brother dies a horrible death in his own bed. Was he the victim of some unknown condition? Or was helped along the way to his Maker - by her husband? She seeks th...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery

Reviewed By~Marissa
Review Copy Provided By~ARC from Publisher

This is a first book from Tessa Harris and she has done a brilliant job! It is also the first in a mystery series featuring Dr. Thomas Silkstone. For those of you who like period mysteries featuring forward thinking men, this is the book you need to read. I liken it to the Sarah Woolson Mysteries by Shirley Tallman or the Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn, both of which feature progressive women sleuths in historical references...more Reviewed By~Marissa
Review Copy Provided By~ARC from Publisher

This is a first book from Tessa Harris and she has done a brilliant job! It is also the first in a mystery series featuring Dr. Thomas Silkstone. For those of you who like period mysteries featuring forward thinking men, this is the book you need to read. I liken it to the Sarah Woolson Mysteries by Shirley Tallman or the Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn, both of which feature progressive women sleuths in historical references.

Taking place in 1780 England, our hero, Dr. Thomas Silkstone, is a doctor practicing dissection and autopsy to help him understand diseases and the causes of death. When Lady Lydia Farrell approaches him to perform an autopsy on her brother, he immediately falls in awe of her. While this book is strictly a mystery there is an aura of romance about it that begins so subtly it is almost non-existent.

One thing I loved about Silkstone is his tendency to think in terms of dissection. For example, when first riding into Oxford, his thought was that it looked “…like a gleaming necklace of cream-colored knuckle bones threaded on a tendon of river…” Contradictorily, he also speaks of the human body and its organs in terms of landscapes: “From the gray, spongy marsh of the inner cerebrum, from the undulating hills of the cerebellum to the boggy lowlands of the hypothalamus, the trails and routes of the brain were chartered territories inasmuch as explorer surgeons had traversed their silent landscapes many times.”

Harris’ writing is intelligent and eloquent. She puts together words that do more than bring together a story; they evoke the true speech and culture of 1780. I learned several new words and phrases during my reading and, after using an on-line dictionary for the first few chapters, discovered a glossary in the back of the book to help with the lingo. Cock a snook may not mean quite what you’re thinking while phapian translates to prostitute.

The mystery is well-plotted and weaves the story with CSI-like investigations, LA Law-like courtroom dramatics, and a Sherlock Holmes-like integrity in digging for the truth, no matter how the truth wills out. I am highly anticipating the second book in this series and can’t wait to see where it leads Silkstone.
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Mar 01, 2012 Cornerofmadness rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, historical

This mystery is set in the 1700’s just as the Revolutionary War kicks off. Dr. Thomas Silkstone is from the Colonies but has returned to England to study medicine. These are the days where doctors paid crooks to bring them bodies for dissection and forensic science is pretty much non-existent. Thomas is a young man studying under a doctor who has lost his sight but is still a font of knowledge. He’s also lecturing at the academy. He’s approached by a student to help his cousin, Lady Lydia Farrel...more This mystery is set in the 1700’s just as the Revolutionary War kicks off. Dr. Thomas Silkstone is from the Colonies but has returned to England to study medicine. These are the days where doctors paid crooks to bring them bodies for dissection and forensic science is pretty much non-existent. Thomas is a young man studying under a doctor who has lost his sight but is still a font of knowledge. He’s also lecturing at the academy. He’s approached by a student to help his cousin, Lady Lydia Farrell, whose brother, the lord of the manor, has died suspiciously (and avid mystery readers will pick up on the signs of poisoning before the characters do).

They didn’t have easy tests for discovering poisons but Thomas does his best. After he convinces the inquest judge that this was not a natural death, the unexpected happens (or not so unexpected really) Lydia’s Irish wastrel of a husband is blamed. Lord Farrell isn’t a particularly likeable man. He hated Lydia’s brother, he wanted to be lord of the manor, he doesn’t have any real money of his own and his one real achievement was being a captain in the British army in India where his friend Lavington was maimed. Farrell does take care of Lavington, putting him up in a cottage. Lavington’s face is marred (including having an ivory nose) and he is lame and between the two of them, gambling seems to be their main hobbies.

While it’s not clear if Farrell is guilty, it doesn’t go very well for him. It’s also obvious quickly that Lydia’s brother was a very bad man and several people including the servants and Lavington might want him gone. It doesn’t help that Thomas and Lydia fall for each other in a predictable love triangle sort of way.

Overall, the mystery is entertaining. I liked that Thomas has a pet rat. I wasn’t thrilled with the love story part. It seemed so unnecessary and sort of forced. And two mysteries in a row I’m forced to say, the end was needlessly convoluted. I would have actually preferred the more obvious villain because he made much more sense. There were some things that puzzled me, like why did this book even have a clunky prologue? It’s info that reappears in the chapters very early on. It’s so clunky I would have thought it from a self-published work but this isn’t so it surprises me some editor let it by. Also, I’m not sure why Ms Harris is so thrilled about lacteals. She has Thomas examining those creamy white tubes again and again but, and here’s where being both a doctor and anatomist ruins it for me, I’m not sure what she’s actually describing. I’ve never seen lacteals that looked like that. In fact they’re inside the villi of the small intestine so he’d have to open up the small intestine, then open up the villus before they can be seen and it wouldn’t look like that. Oh well. It’s not a bad story but it’s not great. I might check out another one if this became a series.
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Feb 19, 2012 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, historical-mystery

Historical Mystery

The death of Sir Edward Crick has unleashed a torrent of gossip throughout Oxfordshire. No one mourns the dissolute young man--except his sister, Lady Lydia Farrell. When her husband comes under suspicion of murder, Lydia seeks expert help from Dr. Thomas Silkstone, a young anatomist from Philadelphia.

The premise sounds simple but the book is not. In 1780’s England anatomist Dr. Thomas Silkstone is treading a new path in forensic pathology. He must use existing methods but also...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Larraine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Turns and twists and subterfuges and surprises confound the reader. Just when you are SURE you know what's going on, something else comes up. If I had read that the Romantic Times had reviewed this book, I might have ignored it. As it is, this is one that I saw in a review and decided to try. It's really terrific. I'm already looking forward to the author's next book! Dr. Thomas Silkstone is learning the finer points of his craft as an anatomist from a well known London doctor. He has recently a...more

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Jun 07, 2013 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I almost never pick up a murder mystery that hasn't been recommended to me, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It chronicles the first foray of Dr. Silverstone, 18th century anatomist, into the world of forensic science. I really enjoyed the pre-Revolutionary War British context. It's a nice difference from the more ubiquitous Victorian murder mystery.

Of course, if I never read another description of a post-mortem cadaver dissection it will certainly be too soon. Ick. Also, the love...more

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May 29, 2012 Jeannie and Louis Rigod rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm writing this review as a persoanl viewpoint because this book was an unique reading experience for me. I bought it with the understanding that it was a period murder mystery. Well, it was. However, it was also, a romance set in 1780, a medical forensic mystery, a murder mystery, a look at life on an Estate in England where the differences of the Nobility vs the servants was clearly shown. Also, we are given a glimpse into the attitudes of the Colonials just after the Revolutionary War.

The bo...more

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Jun 01, 2013 Morana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

The title is confusing. Thomas is the main character and he does have a former mentor. He meets another anatomist later, but both of these old men are just there for the sake of the story. Thomas is nobody's apprentice in this book. As I said, confusing title.

The death of Lady Lydia's brother, Sir Edward Crick, was the cause of a lot of gossip in Oxfordshire. The only person who loved him was his sister. She asks Dr.Thomas Silkstone to find the real cause of her brother's death.

I don't mind bro...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Erica Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, historical-mystery, medical-theme-fiction, georgian-era

I really enjoyed this Georgian-set mystery, and I'm a bit baffled by the negative reviews. I found the protagonist, Thomas Silkstone, to be a very sympathetic character, and I look forward to seeing him in future books. Admittedly, the mystery isn't too complex, so if you read mysteries for the fun of trying to figure out who the villain is, you won't have much of a challenge. But if you read for characterization and historical atmosphere, you may enjoy The Anatomist's Apprentice. There's a bit...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Natasha Masunaga rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, detective, georgian

Towards the end I couldn't stop thinking how this must be the equivalent of the penny-dreadfuls of yore. There were simply far too many small details that bothered me to the point of distraction. Why wasn't the daughter of an Earl EVER IN MOURNING DRESS (not to mention respecting mourning periods)? I'm no expert on this particular time period but I couldn't help but feel that their attitudes towards the "colonialist" in their midst (what with the American Revolutionary War going on and all) was...more

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May 29, 2012 April Kane rated it 2 of 5 stars

Tessa Harris’ The Anatomist’s Apprentice is the first book in a new series focusing on the exploits of 18th Century anatomist, Dr. Thomas Silkstone. While studying in England in October 1780, Dr. Silkstone is summoned to investigate the mysterious death of Sir Edward Crick. As his investigation progresses he falls deeper and deeper in love with Sir Crick’s beautiful sister, Lady Lydia Farrell. Lady Farrell is married but trapped in a somewhat now loveless union.

I really had a difficult time gett...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Meghan Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I imagine it’s difficult to imbue urgency into a period piece like this, what with the trappings of propriety and all. Although I found the story to be compelling while I had it in my hands, the same didn’t necessarily hold true once I’d put it down. I was able to put it down just before the climax, which is a very rare thing for me. I understand that in the period, it wasn’t as acceptable to exhibit emotion in public, but the restrictions of the characters removed some of the color from them, l...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Wanderer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: love-hate, mystery

Three and a half stars

Firstly and most importantly: DO NOT read this over dinner. Also be careful with snacking- no beef jerky, sausages, or liverwurst sandwiches. (As if anyone eats the latter.)

Okay, we may proceed.

After finishing this book and feeling somewhat at a loss as to how to rate it, I read through a bunch of reviews to see what everyone else was saying. Strangely, I agreed with almost all of them, from one-star to four-star. (I seldom read five-star reviews.)

The bad reviews are all co...more Three and a half stars

Firstly and most importantly: DO NOT read this over dinner. Also be careful with snacking- no beef jerky, sausages, or liverwurst sandwiches. (As if anyone eats the latter.)

Okay, we may proceed.

After finishing this book and feeling somewhat at a loss as to how to rate it, I read through a bunch of reviews to see what everyone else was saying. Strangely, I agreed with almost all of them, from one-star to four-star. (I seldom read five-star reviews.)

The bad reviews are all correct: tacked-on romance, too much bodice-ripping, contrived plot, stiff dialog in spots, slow plot. It read like a first book and at times I gritted my teeth at the passive voice and wordiness. Like the sun was rising as they were riding toward town instead of the sun rose as they rode toward town. (Fake example because the book is back at the library, but definitely typical. Maybe there is a reason for this type of verb use here?)

In spite of all that, I liked this book a lot. I want to read the sequels. I gave The Hubs an unsolicited and unnecessarily long summary as he was trapped behind the steering wheel.

Why did I like it? As a reader who cut my teeth on the classics, slow pace doesn't bother me. I don't know enough about anatomy to get annoyed over the inaccuracies more learned individuals pointed out. And I love the Victorian era, mysteries, and medical descriptions enough to overlook a bit of tacky romance.

My favorite character was the second person killed off. Otherwise, besides one family of servants, I found the characters unlikable and/or bland. But that's okay. I seldom like any of the characters in Agatha Christie's books. You don't really want to like them if they might land up dead or as the villain.

I love how the writer cleverly concocts her figures of speech for maximum humor and repulsiveness. A city is described as " a series of knucklebones joined by the tendon of river". The anatomist dissects an organ and his knife "slices into it like a ripe peach". The characters seem always to be diving into plates of pink meat at inopportune times. I imagined the author smirking as she wrote, knowing she would turn some stomachs but incite some grins at the same time.

I must close. Breakfast time. I smell bacon.

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Mar 27, 2013 Catherine Thompson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery

Dr. Thomas Silkstone is the titular apprentice--though he seems to be a fully qualified anatomist--who is called upon when the young Lord Crick dies in mysterious circumstances.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. The idea of early forensic science is one that should provide a good deal of interest. Unfortunately, in Tessa Harris's hands, the story became one of a muddled romance more than a mystery. To me, the real mystery is how the book was published at all. It's as if the manuscript ne...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Rebekah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was really surprised when I came onto Goodreads to rate this book and saw how poorly it has been received. I wonder if my experience was different because I listened to the audio book instead of reading it? And since I was listening to it, I was always doing something like dishes or sewing at the same time. Several of the readers have stated that the author had poor language skills: overuse of similes, and a constant passive verb tense. I didn't notice any of these things. But, again, half of...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this as an audiobook, and thoroughly enjoyed it! Dr. Thomas Silkstone is a well-renowned young anatomist from Philadelphia, studying and lecturing in England. When Lady Lydia Farrell's young brother, Sir Edward Crick, dies writhing in pain, gossip casts suspicion upon her husband, Irish Captain Michael Farrell, she entreats Dr. Silkstone to travel to Oxfordshire to see if he can determine the cause of the dissolute young lord's death. Captain Farrell and his disfigured friend are f...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Pamela Huxtable rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This started off very promising, with an exciting murder, lots of intrigue and unsavory characters, plus a rather dull damsel in distress. The character's name is Lydia, so of course in my head I can't help but call her Lydia Languish. Our hero, Thomas Silkstone, steps in with a novel idea- trying to solve the mystery through science.

The character of Thomas Silkstone is very well done; he's an American in England to further his anatomist studies. The relationship Silkstone has with his mentor w...more

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About Tessa Harris

From the author's website:After studying History at Oxford University, I began my journalistic career on a newspaper in my home town of Louth, in Lincolnshire. I progressed onto a London newspaper, where I became women's editor. From there I moved to become a feature writer on Bestmagazine. After two years I was made editor of a regional arts and listings publication. This was followed by another...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12218678-the-anatomist-s-apprentice?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328019465l/12218678.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12218678-the-anatomist-s-apprentice?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Anatomist's Apprentice by Tessa Harris[/url]

The Anatomist's Apprentice (Dr. Thomas Silkstone #1)

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