The Anatomy of Death (Dr Dody McCleland, #1)

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The Anatomy of Death (Dr Dody McCleland #1)

by Felicity Young (Goodreads Author)

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 106 ratings · 44 reviews

At the turn of the twentieth century, London’s political climate is in turmoil, as women fight for the right to vote. Dody McCleland has her own battles to fight. As England’s first female autopsy surgeon, not only must she prove herself, she must prove that murder treats everyone equally…After a heated women’s rights rally turns violent, an innocent suffragette is found m...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Berkley Trade (first published March 1st 2012)

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Feb 22, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Mortui vivos docent - the dead teach the living.

With few positions available to a trained female surgeon in early twentieth century, Dr Dody McCleland turns to the Beastly Science of autopsies. After a women's march turns violent and three women are killed, Dody is asked to perform the autopsy on a body whose death is suspicious. However, Dody excuses herself from the autopsy as she knows the woman, Lady Catherine Cartwright.

Chief Detective Inspector Matthew Pike of New Scotland Yard is in char...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Cheryl A rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-mystery

After checking this title out three(!) times at the library, I finally got around to reading it, having continually been put off by the artwork on the front cover and the synopsis on the back cover. Both hinted at a more romantic bent to the novel, rather than a forsenic storyline. I was right and wrong at the same time.

Dr. Dorothy McCleland arrives back in London as a specialist in the "beastly science" - autopsy, the only speciality open to women doctors in 1910. She is quickly called to her f...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, mystery-thriller

Well, this is not a first book, but it does read like one. The author really crammed too much into this--so much so that I was confused about the focus of the book.
Dr.Dorothy (Dody--unfortunate nickname)McCleland has just won the privilege of being an autopsy surgeon for the London police in 1910. But, we hardly see her at work at all, so don't get too excited about that.
Her younger sister Florence is a militant suffragette, so we get a lot about the suffrage movement. Indeed, at least half of t...more Well, this is not a first book, but it does read like one. The author really crammed too much into this--so much so that I was confused about the focus of the book.
Dr.Dorothy (Dody--unfortunate nickname)McCleland has just won the privilege of being an autopsy surgeon for the London police in 1910. But, we hardly see her at work at all, so don't get too excited about that.
Her younger sister Florence is a militant suffragette, so we get a lot about the suffrage movement. Indeed, at least half of the book is focused on Florence, not Dody.
The two plot strands come together at the beginning, when it appears that a member of the police killed a very upper crust suffragette during a demonstration that quickly disintegrated into a riot.
But don't get too excited about solving the murder, because it gets forgotten for vast stretches of time. And then Dody and Florence seem to go their separate ways (plot-wise).
Of course we need a sympathetic policeman and we get one in Detective Chief Inspector Pike (if he has a first name I've already forgotten it. My impression is that he doesn't). He's not overly tall and has a limp, has no love for suffragettes but he's willing to dismiss members of the force who overstepped their bounds during the riot. And he seems taken with Dr. Dody.
We are also introduced to the eccentric McCleland family(they are Fabians) and a couple of semi-charming Irish rogues who are quite active in the violent side of the drive for Irish independence(i.e. Fenians).
By the end of the book we finally find out who smashed Lady Catherine on the head during the riot--I can't say that who did it was a surprise because we hadn't really seen any investigating going on, so we had no list of suspects.
All in all, it was disappointing as a mystery, it was disappointing at seeing Dr Dody in action as a forensic doctor. But it did okay in the setting a romance in motion department. And it was readable. So I may remember to pick up book two when it comes out, but I won't beat myself up if I forget.(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Kerryn Whiteside rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dr Dorothy McCleland returns from her training in Edinburgh to a London in the throes of a minor revolution. Frustrated by their lack of progress, the more militant members of the women's suffrage movement (her sister Florence among them) have begun to advocate violence and terrorist activity to draw attention to their cause. A well known socialite and suffragette has been killed in one of the riots and Dody is called on to perform her autopsy. The police are keen on a finding of accidental deat...more

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May 27, 2012 Lizzie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, romantic-suspense, mystery

Lots of promise here, but the writing was clunky enough that this never really hit the detail-saturated, atmospheric historical/romantic mystery zone I was hoping for. Certainly this was nowhere close, to, say, Anne Perry's Hester and Monk. It almost felt like a spot of YA (is it YA?). I loved the choice to set the book in Downton Abbey London (definitely jonesing for 1900-1918 set fiction right now) and the promise of a female forensic patholigist lead. Pike was endearing enough, and his daught...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Bev Hankins rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: early-20th-c, historical-mystery, mystery, british-mystery, mcpl-book

The Anatomy of Death is the first in a new series by Felicity Young. It features Dorothy (Dody) McCleland, a young woman who has gone into the medical field at the turn of the twentieth century. Denied the chance to become a surgeon for the living (because of her sex), she trains as an autopsy surgeon and becomes England's first female doctor of this type. She has just returned to London from her studies in Scotland--all set to take up her post as an assistant to Bernard Spilsbury--Scotland Yard...more The Anatomy of Death is the first in a new series by Felicity Young. It features Dorothy (Dody) McCleland, a young woman who has gone into the medical field at the turn of the twentieth century. Denied the chance to become a surgeon for the living (because of her sex), she trains as an autopsy surgeon and becomes England's first female doctor of this type. She has just returned to London from her studies in Scotland--all set to take up her post as an assistant to Bernard Spilsbury--Scotland Yard's autopsy surgeon--and is greeted at the train station with a note calling her to her very first case. The Superintendent of Police is none too pleased to find that his new "man" is a female surgeon, but Spilsbury is out of town and unavailable, so he lays the facts before her.

What started as a peaceful protest in support of voting rights for women turned very ugly indeed when roughs and toughs from the dock area were incited to assault the marchers. Three women are struck down in the violent attack--including one of the prominent suffragettes. Dody must excuse herself from the autopsy because the woman, Lady Catherine Cartwright, was a friend of her sister. However, when it is rumored that the death was actually from police brutality and it seems that the incident is going to be swept under the carpet, Dody begins working on her own to determine whether the rumors are true. She earns the trust of Chief Inspector Pike--who has his own reasons for looking into the events of that day--and the two of them gather clues to determine whether a police officer let his emotions get the better of him or if the killer is closer to home.

This is an interesting start to a very promising historical series. The time period is an intriguing one--right at the turn of the century and watching the fight for women's rights. There are so many things that women today take for granted now that were just being thought of and fought for. Dody is a pretty strong character--although it is evident that there is much room for growth. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and look forward to future installments. I found her and the other central characters believable and interesting. The mystery itself had a nice twist and it was pretty fairly clued. A solid opening and worth three stars.

This review was first posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting.(less)

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May 25, 2012 Lesezeichen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I also finished the book and I am just as enthousiastic as hazeleyes. One of my favourite historical mysteries of all time. Of course I loved the (subtle) MK references, I think my favourite one was the remark regarding the height regualations.

In addition to the Murdoch mysteries it made me think a little bit of Casualty1900 and Bramwell, two series I absolutely adored. But don't get me wrong it stands very much on its own.

Please tell me that this is the beginning of a series. I would so l...more

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May 14, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.25 out of 5. A tale well calculated to keep you riveted with the look into the struggles of women in 1910, especially through the eyes and experience of Dody McCleland, a woman attempting to gain a foothold in medicine as Britain's first autopsy surgeon. Add in the efforts of women to gain the vote, a few Irish whose anger against the British occupation of Ireland, and you have a cauldron of political stew that is more than fit for consumption by those who love a good mystery seasoned with the...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Tarran rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was given an ARC of this book and it was quite interesting. I found it a bit slow to start off with, but once the characters and story started flowing, then the pace picked up. You meet Dody - a woman who is practicing the art of an autopsy surgeon in a time when female doctors were rare. She is assigned to the autopsy of three women who were killed in a riot for the female vote.

The story is in London where the forensic sciences are new and the police can be corrupt. Dody must find away to wo...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, crime, ebook, review-books

A DISSECTION OF MURDER is the first in a series of books from Western Australian author Felicity Young. Set in London at the turn of the twentieth Century, featuring Dr Dody McCleland, the first female autopsy surgeon, the action in this book takes place in the midst of the Suffragette struggle, with the crime being investigated the death of a prominent suffragette during a rally that turned particularly violent.

More historical crime fiction, in other words. Not so long ago I'd have been dodging...more A DISSECTION OF MURDER is the first in a series of books from Western Australian author Felicity Young. Set in London at the turn of the twentieth Century, featuring Dr Dody McCleland, the first female autopsy surgeon, the action in this book takes place in the midst of the Suffragette struggle, with the crime being investigated the death of a prominent suffragette during a rally that turned particularly violent.

More historical crime fiction, in other words. Not so long ago I'd have been dodging this particular sub-genre. Particularly when it comes with a hefty mixing of fictional and non-fictional events and characters. It's worth reading Young's author note at the end of the book to get your head around who and what are the fictional aspects of the book, just to keep reality straight in your head, because A DISSECTION OF MURDER really has a most authentic, realistic feel about it. Needless to say, I've been converted recently, mostly because of some excellent local authors.

Readers will have to stick with the early part of book as it does take a while for things to get moving. To be fair, it is the start of a new series, and there's a fair bit of background explanation, the whys and wheres of Dody McCleland becoming the first female autopsy surgeon, and a significant amount of scene setting going on. Once all of that is worked through, the book quickly becomes extremely compelling. Part of this is due to the characters - Dody and her sister Florence seem like very real people, the world that they live in is very vividly drawn. There's a fullish cast of characters surrounding them, and whilst many of them are, by necessity, very much bit players, there's also some starring roles - not the least of which being the Morgue attendant. In what seems like quite a deliberate styling, the two sisters are poles apart - Dody is considered, cautious, almost withdrawn; Florence more vivacious, outgoing, impulsive. Obviously these two character traits are going to dictate the parts that both women play in the unravelling of the plot, but that set-up didn't come across as overly manipulative. Perhaps because the relationship between the two sisters, whilst sometimes volatile, seemed right, supportive and understanding. Undoubtedly accepting who and what they are is helped by their bohemian family background, as clichéd as that may sound, somehow it gives the girls licence to be willing to push the boundaries.

The main police character in the book - Pike - is a man very much of his time. Jilted widower, father of a young daughter, he supports the concept of the women's vote, but not the methods being used to achieve it. He carries an injury from his time as a serving soldier, which constantly weighs on both his mind, and his career prospects, making him vulnerable to the whims of the upper-hierarchy of the Force. He is a nice combination of stickler for the proprieties and bender of rules when justified by the circumstances, his life has not been as privileged as the McCleland sisters, but he is an interesting combination of acceptance, contentment and longing.

The plot of the book is reasonably strong, although there is the occasional point at which the death of the suffragette disappears a little into the difficulties of the struggle in general, the violence of the police and their motivations, and the involvement of Irish Nationalists. There's also just the slightest hint of possible romantic leanings for the two main characters, which will undoubtedly appeal to many readers. Given it's the opening in a series which is obviously setting up a world for Dr Dody McCleland to function in; particularly as many of the difficulties she experiences as a female doctor, let alone autopsy surgeon, are very far removed from our own current day female experience; I was more than a bit surprised about how happy I felt going with the scene setting. It's a sure sign that A DISSECTION OF MURDER is the opening book in a series I'll be looking forward to seeing more of.

Publication Date: 1st March, 2012.
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Dec 20, 2012 Greg Barron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Dissection of Murder is a nuanced, well-written novel, vivid with historical detail and peopled with interesting characters. I really liked Dody and Pike, the two main characters, and they came fully to life for me - I can picture them in my head as if they're standing in front of me.

Perhaps because of the sympathetic 'voice' of Dody, A Dissection of Murder had a gentle feel to it, surprising considering the pathological details, description of a hanging and the harrowing scene where hunger-st...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dody McCleland, a young doctor, has returned to London from Edinburgh in the middle of the suffragist movement. A demonstration turned ugly and three women are brutally beaten to death. Dody is called to perform the autopsy on the women, much to the displeasure of the police. She cannot perform one of the autopsies because she knows the woman, a friend of Dody's suffragist sister.

And so the story begins and continues with suffragists, suffragettes, violence and a love story.
This is a good with...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Aliss rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great book - one that not only entertains you with plot and character but always makes you feel like you are learning something along the way. In this case it is about the Suffragettes and the different ways in which they sought the right to vote. I was very impressed by Young's specific attention to historical detail - at the end she describes the many different real events and characters which feature throughout the story - and I looked up a few things as I was reading.
I liked the V...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was not really what I expected, but it was ok. It's funny, I kept thinking of the mother in Mary Poppins running around with her sash saying, "Votes for women!" It was interesting to read about the very beginnings of forensic science and how they didn't really trust it. I thought there would be more medical content, but there really wasn't much. The whole reason I bought the book was because the idea of a female medical examiner during this time period intrigued me, but they didn't focus mu...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those with an interest in historical crime fiction

Recommended to Sam by: saw it at the bookshop

The Dissection of Murder is the first in a new series of historical crime fiction written by an Australian author, Felicity Young. I can’t say that I’ve read a great deal of historical crime fiction (bar the Colleen McCullough Detective Carmine Delmonico mysteries), but it’s a genre I’m beginning to enjoy more and more. It’s lovely to see crime solved the ‘old-fashioned’ way before DNA, mobile phones and the internet.

This series should also be marked because of its ground-breaking protagonist. D...more The Dissection of Murder is the first in a new series of historical crime fiction written by an Australian author, Felicity Young. I can’t say that I’ve read a great deal of historical crime fiction (bar the Colleen McCullough Detective Carmine Delmonico mysteries), but it’s a genre I’m beginning to enjoy more and more. It’s lovely to see crime solved the ‘old-fashioned’ way before DNA, mobile phones and the internet.

This series should also be marked because of its ground-breaking protagonist. Dr Dody McCleland is a rare breed, a female doctor. Women doctors were unusual at the turn of the twentieth century, and could only often get work in the less desirable specialties. However, Dody’s interest is in autopsies and she’s trained with the best. But the police are suspicious of the new woman they are forced to cooperate with. Dody has her own problems when the suffragette she’s asked to autopsy is a friend of her sister’s. Was it a case of accidental death or something more sinister?

Dody is a calm, cool character with occasional flashes of passion. But the character I enjoyed reading the most about was Detective Matthew Pike – he is mysterious and multi-talented (think Dr House as a policeman). He is hiding all sorts of secrets regarding his past and status within the police, which I hope will be revealed in further books.

The mystery is fairly straightforward, with a rising climax towards the end when Dody does something rash (unusually for her). I felt that the suffragette movement took a definite back seat to the mystery and Dody’s career. This is not a book for learning details of the history of votes for women, although the information given is very well researched. The pace is fairly gentle, which made me divert my attention elsewhere at times, but my interest towards Detective Pike got the better of me. I’d like to hope the next book had a faster pace after the main characters have been established. I also liked that the storyline wasn’t bogged down in romance, which often occurs when a female is the lead character in a crime novel. There’s a mention of former suitors, but love is not the focus here, although there could be some predictable couplings later on.

This book is published in the US as The Anatomy of Death, which I thought was rather an interesting title. I actually prefer it to the Australian one!

A good book with the promise of better in the future.

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Aug 01, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dr. Dorothy “Dody” McCleland is employed as a doctor at a women’s hospital and has recently returned home after a studying forensics for one year in Edinburgh. A female doctor is rare enough in London in 1910, but one who has specialized to become an autopsy surgeon is unheard of. Dody wants to prove herself and is eager to do well the first time she is called to duty when the usual examiner is on holiday. Dody is asked to examine three female victims of a riot occurring during a women’s suffrag...more Dr. Dorothy “Dody” McCleland is employed as a doctor at a women’s hospital and has recently returned home after a studying forensics for one year in Edinburgh. A female doctor is rare enough in London in 1910, but one who has specialized to become an autopsy surgeon is unheard of. Dody wants to prove herself and is eager to do well the first time she is called to duty when the usual examiner is on holiday. Dody is asked to examine three female victims of a riot occurring during a women’s suffrage march. Professional ethics make it impossible for Dody to perform the autopsy on the third victim; Lady Catherine Cartwright is an acquaintance and a close friend of Dody’s suffragette sister Florence. However, Dody ends up getting involved anyway when it appears members of the police force may have had a hand in Catherine’s death, and Dody want to make sure this appalling crime isn’t covered up. She may have an ally in Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Pike of Scotland Yard. Although Pike isn’t sympathetic to women seeking the vote, he is furious to think policemen may have assaulted some of the female marchers. In spite of their differences, this unlikely team found common ground and “worked for the same ends – the discovery of the truth.”

Dody is an appealing character and is the best part about this book. I really admire Dody’s tenaciousness in her life, career, and the investigation. Dody longs to be a bone surgeon, but that option is not an option for women at this time in history. Therefore, she furthers her studies in the only specialty open to her and then sets out to be the best she can be. She doesn’t give up when facing challenges in her career and uses this same determination to find out the truth about Lady Catherine’s death.

Dody comes from an unconventional family with servants dining at the same table as the family and calling each other by their first names as well as co-ed games of cricket after dinner. Their background helps explain how different Dody and Florence are from many women from this time period. Florence seems fairly self-centered at the beginning of the book, but she proves to have her sister’s best interests at heart and gives Dody some very sound advice in the romance department which gained my respect.

I loved Dody, came to like Florence, and was very interested in the way Dody carries out the investigation using her knowledge of forensics. However, some of the political details in the book, including the storyline with the Irish terrorists, slows the pace of the story and takes away from the book as a whole. Unfortunately, Florence takes a liking to one of the terrorists, Derwent O’Neill, so he plays a much larger role in the book that I would have preferred. Although the actions of Derwent and his brother Patrick are related to the main plot, I just didn’t enjoy this aspect of the book.

In a note at the end of the book, the author explains that some of the events in the book are based upon true events, and the character of Dody is based on one of the author’s ancestors, which makes the story even more interesting to me. Although there are parts of the book I didn’t enjoy, the promise of such a unique character intrigues me enough that I would definitely read more about Dody if there are follow-up books to this novel. Readers who enjoy Anne Perry may want to give this book a try.

This review was originally written for The Season EZine. (3.5 stars) The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Against the backdrop of the suffragette movement in turn of the century Britain, Felicity Young introduces Dr Dody McCleland, the first female autopsy surgeon. Fresh from training with the preeminent surgeon of the time, she is eager to start her job at St Thomas Hospital but finds she must recuse herself from her very first case for the corpse is an acquaintance, a suffragette, who has died in a vicious riot sparked during a peaceful demonstration calling for women's right to vote. Despite bein...more Against the backdrop of the suffragette movement in turn of the century Britain, Felicity Young introduces Dr Dody McCleland, the first female autopsy surgeon. Fresh from training with the preeminent surgeon of the time, she is eager to start her job at St Thomas Hospital but finds she must recuse herself from her very first case for the corpse is an acquaintance, a suffragette, who has died in a vicious riot sparked during a peaceful demonstration calling for women's right to vote. Despite being only nominally concerned with the strident calls of the suffragettes, Dody allows herself to be convinced by her sister, Florence - an avid supporter of the cause- to investigate the autopsy findings. It becomes obvious that Lady Catherine Cartwright was savagely murdered and a member of the police force is suspected to be to blame.

As the first book in a new series, Young takes time to establish the historical and social backdrop of the book, having chosen quite a unique era in which to set A Dissection of Murder. The turn of the century was a period of budding social change, as evidenced by the suffragette movement, as well as being a period of emerging medical competency and forensic science and I love that Young has chosen to combine the two. Though I am not generally keen on historical fiction, yet a fan of the crime genre, particularly forensic and medical mysteries, I am surprised at how intriguing I found both aspects of the novel. The mystery behind the cause of Lady Cartwrights death is well plotted though it does drift a little as a central plot as Young is distracted by grounding the series, but that is to be expected in the first book of a series.

Dody McCleland proved to be a surprise, I was expecting her to be a stalwart feminist, intimately involved in the cause, having fought to become an autopsy surgeon against social convention. However it is Dody's younger sister, Florence, who is militant, and Dody vaguely supportive in principal, but uninterested in becoming actively involved. Daughters of wealthy, 'bohemian' parents the McCleland sisters are strong-willed women but with different approaches to life. Even though Dody has taken an unconventional path she wants only to use her interests and skills to do the job that fascinates her. While she is concerned about injustice, it is her intellectual curiosity that drives her rather than the passion in this case.
Chief Detective Inspector Matthew Pike of New Scotland Yard is in charge of the investigation into the cause of the riot and Lady Cartwright's death. A principled man he refuses to allow his superiors to sweep the matter under the carpet, despite not being particularly sympathetic to the suffragette movement.
The interaction between Pike and Dody is enjoyable and though there is a frisson of romantic interest, that the relationship is complicated by the social expectations, opinions and conflicts of the time, adds an additional layer of interest.
While I hope that the next book concentrates a little more on Dody's role in forensic autopsy, as she did not have the opportunity to do so in A Dissection of Murder, I am very impressed by this debut series. The concept is unique, the scope for development is wide and the characters are appealing. Felicity Young has earned herself a fan and I can't wait for the next installment.

Great news for US and UK readers as well, A Dissection of Murder is also being distributed overseas (in the US as The Anatomy of Murder)
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Jan 25, 2013 Janece rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well done first in a series. It captured the multifaceted sides of the suffrage movement very well. All the women seemed to agree on equal rights, but not all agreed on how to go about getting those rights. The characters were interesting, even though there were many, so some were more superficial than some readers may have liked. I enjoyed meeting the main few. most especially Dr. Dody And Chief Detective Pike and will read the next book in this series.

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Mar 16, 2012 Blakekegg rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A wonderfully readable, enjoyable and overall engaging book - I couldn't put it down. Whether you're interested in the suffragette movement, the Edwardian era, (on both counts the novel was thoroughly researched) or a good old fashioned who dunnit - this truly is one of those books that maintains the readers interest throughout. I can't wait for the next in the series to be released!

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Jan 21, 2013 Jenny Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, history

The history felt so real and compelling. That was the stand-out element of the book for me. More than the mystery itself. Characters were interesting. Side characters were really well sketched. The blurring of actual historical figures and fiction is one of the things I feel a bit uncertain of, but it was handled well in A Dissection of Murder.

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Apr 20, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The plight of the suffragette both in and out of prison, the role of women in 1910 and a brilliant storyline are all portrayed with expertise and knowledge. I couldn't put this book down and I learned so much. Definitely one of my favourite books. I see that the next Dody McCleland is due next year and I can hardly wait.

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May 30, 2012 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-mystery, mystery, edwardian-england, dody-mccleland

This is the same book as "A Dissection of Murder," the first in a new series set at the turn of the 20th century, where Dr. Dody McCleland is England's first female autopsy surgeon.

The book features suffragettes, Fabians, Fenians, and Scotland Yarn detectives who may or may not be interested in Dody's help. Some of the characters are pretty annoying, but I enjoyed the story overall and look forward to the second book in the series.

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Jan 04, 2012 Gary Lipsfield rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A Dissection of Murder by Felicity Young is one novel that I could eulogize about forever. A skillfully written mystery-cum-romance novel it gripped this reader’s attention from the very first sentence and held it, enthralled, to the last sentence. A must read!

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Aug 08, 2012 Michele rated it 4 of 5 stars

An engaging tale of suffragettes, policemen, and a lady pathologist in early 20th century London. It reminded me quite a bit of the TV series The Murdoch Mysteries.

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May 28, 2012 Tseen Khoo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've reviewed this book in a blogpost as part of my #AWW2012 Challenge list:
http://tseenster.wordpress.com/2012/0...

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May 06, 2013 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book. It was a nice change of pace to the more suspenseful, page - turner crime novels I usually read. I look forward to the next Dr Dody novel

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Jun 12, 2012 Pippa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A perfect combination of suspense, history and sexual tension with a surprise twist.. A very enjoyable read!

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Jan 11, 2013 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: forensic-investigation, historical-fiction, 2013, mystery, thriller

While I enjoyed the grittiness of the historical setting, nothing here really grabbed at me. Based around the suffragettes riot of 1910, the story revolves around a mysterious murder of a well-bred young woman and our main character Dody, a female surgeon who can only find work on dead bodies.

The attention to detail was great, as far as historic setting, and it was the portrayal of London that kept me reading. The writing itself was a little bland, and I found myself not really caring about the...more

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Apr 12, 2012 ~ames~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, book-binge-book, e-book, historical, netgalley

3.75/5

Review to come.

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Mar 12, 2012 Bethany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very enjoyable.

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About Felicity Young

I was born in Germany and educated at an English boarding school while my parents travelled the world with the British army. I think the long boring plane trips home played an important part in helping me to develop my creative imagination.

I settled with my parents in Western Australia in 1976, became a nurse, married young and had three children. Not surprisingly, it took ten years to complete an...more

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Antidote to Murder (Dr Dody McCleland, #2)

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title link	preview: The Anatomy of Death
avg rating	preview: The Anatomy of Death Goodreads rating: 3.63 (106 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12438022-the-anatomy-of-death?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328141839l/12438022.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12438022-the-anatomy-of-death?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Anatomy of Death by Felicity Young[/url]

The Anatomy of Death (Dr Dody McCleland #1)

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