Doctor Death

Madeleine Karno #1

by Lene Kaaberbøl, Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard (translator)

From the New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Boy in the Suitcase, a gripping historical thriller and poignant coming-of-age story set in nineteenth-century France.

Madeleine Karno is an ambitious young woman eager to shatter the confines of her provincial French town. Driven and strong headed, Madeleine is set apart by her unusual occupation: assisting her father, Dr. Albert Karno, in his job as a forensic doctor.

The year is 1894, and a young girl is found dead on the snowy streets of Varbourg. Dr. Karno is called in to determine the cause of her death, but before he can examine the body, the girl's family forbids the autopsy from taking place. The only anomaly he manages to find is in the form of a mite in her nostril. Shortly after, several other dead bodies are discovered throughout the city, and Madeleine, her father, and the city commissioner must use the new science of forensic evidence to solve the mysterious cases before they all become the next victims of a deadly disease—or of a heinous murderer.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Audiobook

287 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Jeg kom til verden på Rigshospitalet i København d. 24.3.1960. Overlægen var i kjole og hvidt - han var blevet afbrudt midt i en gallamiddag - men min søster siger, at det er da ikke noget, hendes fødselslæge var i islandsk nationaldragt. Nogen vil mene at det således allerede fra starten var klart at jeg var et ganske særligt barn. Andre vil sikkert påstå at min mor bare var god til at skabe pludselige gynækologiske kriser.

Jeg blev altså født i København, men det må nok betragtes som en fejl, for min forældre er jyske, min opvækst foregik i Jylland (mestendels i Malling ved Århus), og jeg betragter mig i dag som eksil-jyde på Frederiksberg, på det mine jyske venner omtaler som Djævleøen (Sjælland).

Jeg har skrevet altid, eller i hvert fald lige siden jeg nåede ud over »Ole så en so«-stadiet. Som hestetosset teenager skrev jeg bøgerne om Tina og hestene (de to første udkom da jeg var femten, den fjerde og sidste da jeg var sytten). Som 18-årig opdagede jeg Tolkien og Ringenes herre, og derefter Ursula K. LeGuins trilogi om Jordhavet, og lige siden har mit bog-hjerte banket for eventyr og drageblod og verdener, der ligger mindst tre skridt til højre for regnbuen eller Mælkevejen, og under alle omstændigheder et pænt stykke fra den asfalterede danske virkelighed.

I dag, cirka 30 bøger senere, er jeg stadig lige så håbløst vild med at skrive som jeg altid har været. Og selv om jeg har været en lille smuttur i krimi-land og skrevet en kriminalroman for voksne - læs mere på ninaborg.dk hvis du har lyst - så er jeg bestemt stadig børnebogsforfatter og har stadig hang til magiske momenter!

Personal
Name Lene Kaaberbøl
Born 1960, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Education: Århus University, degree (English, drama). Hobbies and other interests: Playing pentanque.

Addresses
Office—Phabel & Plott ApS, Laksegade 12, St.th, DK-1063 Copenhagen K, Denmark.

Career
Novelist. Formerly worked as a high school teacher, copy writer, publishing company editor, cleaning assistant, and riding teacher. Phabel & Plott ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark, owner and writer.

Honors Awards
Best Disney Novel Writer of the Year award, Disney Worldwide Artist Convention, 2001, for five "W.I.T.C.H." series novels.

Associated Names:
* Lene Kaaberbol (English)

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This first book in the series introduces Madeleine Karno, a budding female pathologist/detective in 1890s France.

*****

Twenty-year-old Madeleine Karno, daughter of French pathologist Dr. Albert Karno (also known as Dr. Death), takes a keen interest in science and assists her father with his cases.



This is unusual, because the year is 1894 and such pursuits are considered inappropriate for women.

When seventeen-year-old Cecile Montaine - a student at the school run by St. Bernardine Convent in Varbourg - is found dead in the snow Madeleine and her father cannot find a cause of death.



They do, however, discover odd mites exiting Cecile's nostrils. Soon afterwards the priest who prayed over Cecile's corpse is murdered and his body stolen. Moreover, a teenage boy who worked at St. Bernardine's is missing. Clearly something odd is going on.

Madeleine consults Dr. August Dreyfuss, a leading Heidelberg parasitologist, about the mites and learns they're usually found in dogs.



Turns out St. Bernardine Convent is home to a pack of wolves (for superstitious reasons) and Mother Filippa, the abbess, keeps an elderly male wolf as a pet. So dog mites...wolves...things start to gel a little bit.



As the story goes on more deaths occur, dead bodies are found to have bite marks from human teeth;



the mites are associated with a bacterial disease; a young lady seems to be hypersexual;



a young novice nun is at odds with her father; Dr. Dreyfuss takes a shine to Madeleine; and so on.



There's a lot going on and the story gets confusing. There are also a great many characters, some better developed than others.

The book's finale, though thoroughly explained, is complex, hard to believe, and not totally satisfying. All in all, I thought the book was okay. It does address some interesting concepts and I like Madeleine, a spirited young woman determined to follow her dream against all odds.

You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/

[LA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young women, rejoice! A mystery written in Danish and set in the late 1800s of France (and given a hokey title) is possibly something many readers aren't coming across via Goodreads status updates. But it should be!

When I've been in the mood for a clever thriller with multi dimensional characters and populated with strong, complicated women, authors Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis immediately come to mind. Their initial story in the Nina Borg series bowled me over in The Boy in the Suitcase, and its subsequent novels are excellent.

I bumped into this by accident while looking about for anything else by the authors that had been translated into English. As stated before, the title did not thrill me nor did the rather chick-litty cover art. But I went for it based on Kaaberbol's skill. I'm so glad!

You will find no book report here, but the basics are this: a forensic pathologist is aided by his bright 19 year old daughter in doing basic lab work and clerical duties. She can smooth the feathers of flustered female family members (lawd, sorry about that alliteration), and while Madeleine hates being considered vapid because of her gender, she will occasionally play the innocent twit to secure important answers. She feels a bit conflicted about that, and we see that she's no "perfect" protagonist. I like that she has flaws.

She aspires to operate as a peer to her father one day, but young ladies in 1890s France are expected to cinch their corsets and find a good husband of means. This troubles her. Madeleine Karno is far more intrigued by bacteria and ascertaining causes of death than lunching with ladies or having babies.

When her father breaks both an arm and a leg while they are headed out on a death investigation, he must rely on Madeleine to visit another scientist, the police commissioner, and various witnesses. She feels terribly that he is in pain but relishes her freedom to investigate.

This book reminds me of something that Paula Hawkins might have put together, and while it is not a dark thriller, there were some surprises that left my mouth hanging open. I loved the feminist touches, the cutting edge technology (for the 1890s), and the inclusion of various myths that still held sway during that time.

If you, dear reader, are a woman of 20 or more, we may have found a new "it" girl for us all to enjoy. Madeleine Karno has been written into a series of mysteries, and I for one will be looking for more by the wonderful writer Lene Kaaberbol. She is officially my favorite Danish girl.

On my "Favorite Fluff" shelf.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I like this book. A resounding yes. Lee Kaaberbøl has action and murders with interesting twists and turns throughout this book. Maddie and her dad, Dr. Death, are brought in by the Commissioner, to provide autopsies and to state the time of deaths. You aren't let down for very long. There are murders eveywhere you look it seems. Looking back Cecile seems to run away with the wolf boy and they are looked for everywhere. I like Lene's books because they are so full of everything you would like to know. If you enjoy reading I would recommend this book.

November 11, 2019 - Makes you wonder if you ever read this before, a resounding yes. I know I did but the crash that Dr. Death takes and his broken body and Maddie's help is just one of the things that happens. And who is the ultimate killer, you'll have to read the book to find out. Reading this again was to relive some amazing feats, sex scenes, and Maddie's marital wishes. I recommend this book highly.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always excited to read a good historical, especially when that historical revolves around women's rights and struggles to be seen as equals to men. A time when women still had very little say in what went on in the world and even less when it came to having any sort of career outside of the home. Which is why, I was drawn to this read in the first place.

I found myself enchanted with Maddie and the struggles she went through because of her gender and the times, not to mention the mystery behind several deaths in her city. Her struggles were palpable and often times made me feel for her and others like her in her position.

I was never quite certain if there was going to be a paranormal element to the story. It left me guessing if there would be left and right. It wasn't until the very end that I realized what the answer would be and while I should have been disappointed, I instead found myself curious as to the turn of events and how the author choose to go the way she did with the story.

I do admit too, that I never once had it all figured out and that made this even more enjoyable to me. There is nothing worse than going into a story and after only a few pages, having it all figured out.

Overall this was a great mystery with wonderful historic details and a slight (very slight) romance aspect as well.

I would definitely check out more of this author's work in the future.

[Kirstine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend of mine brought this book with him when we went to Cuba, and I agreed to borrow it from him after he finished it. I was very fond of crime stories when I was younger, although my interest in this field has waned over time. The ridiculous popularity of this particular genre in Scandinavia might have done something to steer me away from it. I swear to god, it's like we're freaking obsessed.

So I wasn't really expecting much from it, but I was incredibly surprised. Firstly, it doesn't have an alcoholic, morally ambiguous, and existentially flawed protagonist, instead we're granted the young, intelligent, ambitious and self-aware Madeleine Karno.
Secondly, it's not set in our modern day, but instead in late 19th century France - a time of changes, both socially and scientifically.

Our leading lady is the daughter of a widowed doctor, whose main focus is being the city's coroner. He carries out autopsies, and she gets to assist him, resulting in a clear interest in medicine and anatomy. She wants nothing more than to follow in his footsteps, which is a central part of the story. We follow her as she does her best to help solve the mystery of the novel, as well as fight, in her own way, the misogynistic and outdated views of society.

A lot of things about this book is incredibly refreshing. Our protagonist is well-written, realistic and someone I can relate to, more than with any other character I've ever read. And she's not front and center of the mystery, it isn't her job to solve it - she's just the coroners daughter - so we get a very unorthodox method of investigation, which makes it a lot less cliched, and a lot more interesting, because it's suddenly not arranged the way we're used to with this genre.

The mystery is really interesting as well, and not at all what I expected, with plenty of wonderful side-characters and details. The nuns with the wolves were especially fantastic.

I'm not sure how exactly to explain it. I loved reading it, and I didn't expect to. It had good writing, good story telling, a perfect protagonist, and enough surprises and originality to keep me from sighing the way I normally do when I see a new crime novel on the stands.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very dark, Gothic-like historical mystery book set in 1894 when it was inappropriate for women to me involved in early forensic science. Madeleine Karno's father is known as Doctor Death. When he becomes injured in an accident, he asks his daughter, Madeleine, to take over his cases. Madeleine wants to become a pathologist like her father and is bound and determined to follow her goal. When 17 year old Cecile Montaine's body is found in the snowy streets of Varbourg, France, it has bite marks, mites and bacterial disease. Another body, a priest, is found murdered. Madeleine is left to determine how these deaths are connected. She must seek knowledge in odd places: behind convent walls, in secret diaries, and in the yellow stare of an aging wolf. This is a gripping mystery and a coming-of-age story about the relationship between man and beasts (wolves). This was a very unique story and I enjoyed it very much. I now look forward to reading the 2nd book in the series. I would highly recommend this book to those who love historical mystery.

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disappearance, a dead body and then other dead bodies. What caused the deaths? Was it murder, a natural death, or something else?

It is the 1800's, and medical procedures aren't very sophisticated, but Madeleine Karno wants to learn about medical procedures even though it was not lady-like to see or to take part in the medical field.

Meanwhile, someone was murdering town folks and mutilating them with human teeth bites. Madeleine was required to help even though her father wasn't happy, but she definitely was.

DOCTOR DEATH was a bit slow at first, but once the reader is taken to the convent and other murders happen, DOCTOR DEATH unveils hidden secrets of the town and the book's characters. I love secrets, doesn't everyone, though?

DOCTOR DEATH went from learning about medical procedures to solving multiple murders to an odd ending.

The book was very different in terms of content and a bit confusing. Great characters, though. Even though the ending was odd, it did wrap things up.

I enjoyed the read, but it isn't a favorite just because of the slow beginning, confusion about who was who and what was going on, and the odd ending. 3/5

[Jessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy bueno. Al principio me dieron un poco de cosa los bichitos, pero la historia me gustó mucho. Después del tercer capítulo no pude soltarlo hasta acabarlo. Varias cosas del final las había imaginado, pero también logró sorprenderme con otras cosas. Es el segundo libro que leo de la autora y definitivamente pienso leer más.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1894 in Varbourg, capital of the (imaginary) French region of Varonne, on the border with Germany. Twenty-year-old Madeleine Karno is the daughter of the local forensic pathologist, widely known as "Doctor Death," and is eager to follow in his footsteps: science, especially medical science, is her passion.

When a young woman is found dead in the snow, it seems at first that her death might have been from natural causes -- especially since her aristocratic family refuses to permit a proper autopsy on the body. Even so, Madeleine and her father discover, crawling from the dead woman's nostrils, strange mites of a kind neither they nor the expert they call in from Heidelberg can identify. Soon the priest who sat with the woman's corpse is brutally murdered; before Doctor Death can examine the body properly it has been seized in the course of a cart crash, a cart crash in which Karno pere has an arm and a leg broken. From here on, Maddy must do much of the forensic work he'd have normally done himself.

There are two main problems facing the Karnos and their police colleagues. First, assuming the mites were responsible for the young woman's demise, how likely are they to infect others and how can they be stopped? Second, who murdered the priest?

There are more murders, and more deaths caused by the mites, before both cases are solved.

It's always easy to snort at tales set in the nineteenth century in which the female protagonist is essentially a denizen of the twenty-first century. It's something that's never especially bothered me -- I'm not a standard reader of historical fiction anyway -- and, besides, I think Kaaberbøl has made a pretty good fist of keeping the independent-minded, highly intelligent Maddy just this side of credibility. It's not only through the figure of Maddy that the notion is conveyed, whether historically accurate or not, that this is a period and society in which women are increasingly becoming aware of their own potential and increasingly determined to realize it, with some men welcoming the social shift and others abhorring it.

Doctor Death is billed as a mystery novel, and I'd not cavil with that classification. However, what made me like the book even more than I'd anticipated was that it's not just a mystery in the sense of a crime being solved. There's also the scientific mystery, a mystery made all the more challenging in an era where science knew about bacteria and accepted Pasteur's germ theory of disease but was ignorant of viruses. Although Maddy has many of the characteristics that her milieu would have regarded as quintessentially feminine, she approaches this mystery, as she does much else in life, with a very scientific way of thinking that I loved. For example, when an inadequate, privileged male tries to browbeat her with a particularly coarse and brutal description of a sexual encounter (this novel is not exactly for the little ones) she's a bit intimidated, yes, but not overly so: her main take-away is a scientific interest that this is the first time she's heard someone actually speak the word that's the crudest of those he used.

I can't think how long it is since I've finished a mystery novel and wished there might be a series to follow it -- usually my feelings are exactly the other way round, a sense of doom as I discover that what I'd assumed was a fine standalone novel, complete in and of itself, is instead just the start of a series. But I enjoyed the company of Madeleine Karno and her scientific mind so much, and the teasing scientific mystery that paralleled the (excellent) criminal one, that if there's a follow-up to this novel I'll be snaffling it on sight, you bet your boots I will.

[Jaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

Doctor Death is a very interesting start to what promises to be an intriguing historical mystery series set in nineteenth-century France.

What makes Doctor Death stand out is it’s unique heroine, Madeleine Karno, daughter of a forensic doctor. Due to the death of her mother at a young age, Madeleine has shadowed her father in everything from visits to his patients to autopsies of the dead. Unlike her contemporaries, Madeleine has no desire to marry and be subject to the authority of a husband, rather Madeleine would much rather pursue a medical education and follow in her father’s professional footsteps becoming the new "Doctor Death". Unfortunately for Madeleine, her father has no intention of letting this happen, or even realize that this might be something that his daughter would like to pursue:

My father was reluctant to let me assist when he examined the dead. He said it could only hurt my reputation and my future – by which he meant my chances of marriage. For the most part, my father was a man of progress, absorbed by the newest ideas and the latest technology. But he was incomprehensibly old-fashioned on this particular point (p. 12).

But when her father is injured, Madeleine is allowed to take a much more active role, hence the mystery element to Doctor Death. When the bodies start piling up, Madeleine pursues every lead. She not just trying to find the murderer, she's also trying to find the source of a potentially dangerous contagion.

Doctor Death was an interesting start to the series. The mystery element was unusual and I really liked how it was medical in nature as it called on Madeleine’s scientific skills. After finding the first corpse it soon becomes clear that the bodies of the dead are carrying some sort of transmittable “bug” and tracing the origins of this forces Madeleine to take an authoritative role in the investigation. In fact, Madeleine's gender often allows her to question certain individuals when the legitimate investigators are stymied.

The narrative style was also evocative of time and place; the setting seemed almost other worldly. The mystery was told in Madeleine’s own voice and I got the sense that it was more of journal than a novel. First person narration is not always one that works for me, but I really liked how certain tidbits were recounted by Madeleine; sometimes it was about the case and sometimes it was about her own personal life. For me, this was a very effective style of writing because it gave readers a real glimpse into the life of a young woman at this time, and it was rather heartbreaking to see how bleak Madeleine’s prospects were. Only through marrying will Madeleine break free from her father’s rigid rules about her dabbling with dead bodies, but at the same time, marrying could strip Madeleine of the freedom that she does have by remaining her father’s assistance. A paradox, indeed, and it’s one that I really interested to see unfold in the next book in the series.

Doctor Death introduces readers to a very unusual young lady, one that’s more intrigued by dead bodies than marriage or homemaking. Whether this young lady will get the chance to become something other than wife or assistant is what will keep me coming back for the next book in the series. I recommend Doctor Death to those who like their mystery with great characters and atmospheric settings.

Originally reviewed for The Book Adventures.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided a free copy of this book via Netgalley for review from the publisher. I read Kaaberbol's previous book, "The Boy In The Suitcase" and really liked it. It was a gritty thriller, a compelling, modern social issue thriller which could have been 'ripped from the headlines,' as people like to say. I loved the characters and the feel and tone of the story, so I was excited to be offered a review copy of Kaaberbol's next book.

Unfortunately, I think my expectations worked against me a little bit with this one. It didn't quite live up to them, if I'm honest. That's not to say that this is a bad thing, just that I expected something else.

In many ways I liked this book, but in several others I felt it was lacking. I enjoyed that the main female character was pragmatic and not overly prone to swoon at every opportunity, as well as not marriage-obsessed, but there were things about her that made her difficult to identify with. Her tendency to look at everything in a scientific way actually made her seem distant and awkward at times, rather than coming across as the progressive she wanted to be.

On top of that, there were times that she, or the way she narrated the story, felt very juvenile, despite her being 21 and far more mature and rational than many women her age then. Or now, in fact.

But one of the things that really worked against this story for me was the random magical realism interjected here and there. I suppose it was supposed to denote the superstitious aspect of society, but it just felt strange and out of place, especially from so level-headed and rational a narrator.

Finally, some of the events mentioned, which I felt were relevant to the overall intent of the story, were never resolved, so I was left feeling a bit disappointed about that. It was like it was just forgotten in the dash to the finish line.

Otherwise, I did enjoy the story. There were quite a few threads to be tied together for the mystery to be solved, and as usual quite a few misunderstandings to complicate things, which is always interesting.

I did like the detail and description of the scientific aspects of the investigation. I feel like that was well done, and felt appropriate to the time period and technology available at the time.


I did feel bad for all of the victims. All of them were innocents, at least in terms of not deserving to die the way they did, but I especially felt sorry for Cecile. She was a pawn to be handed off to the most worthy suiter, but the chicanery she endured regarding that engagement made me feel sorrier for her than anything else. Well, and the way Emile was treated, too. Shameful.

Overall, I think this is a pretty good story, but I think I personally prefer the more contemporary style of "The Boy In The Suitcase". Still, I'd have no trouble recommending this to fans of historical mysteries.

[Annie Machuca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pero qué libro tan mas entretenido!!

Aunque los primeros capítulos hicieron que se me revolvió el estómago (Casi 150 páginas hablando de parásitos, larvas y bacterias) el resto me super enganchó.

El desarrollo de la trama es muy rápido, que fluye entre la descripción y los diálogos, lo cual hace que sea bastante fácil de leer.

En cuanto a los personajes, me encantó que fuera una mujer la que protagonizara la historia y que no fuera la víctima, sino una persona que era de gran importancia en la investigación, era sumamente observadora e intuitiva. El padre de la protagonista, no la sobreprotege sino todo lo contrario la alienta a ser independiente. El doctor experto en parásitos se enamora de la protagonista, y nos da una gran sorpresa al final del libro, nada predecible. Y aunque hay romance, no le quita el sueño a los protagonistas, así que es un escenario secundario lo cual me gusta mucho por que son dosis pequeñas (muy pequeñas diría yo).

Me gusto bastante, tiene buena trama, buenos personajes, excelente ambientación y la cantidad justa de diálogos para no sentir que estamos leyendo ni un ensayo ni una obra de teatro.

Le doy 4 estrellas, porque si no hubiera sido una lectura conjunta, la habría dejado por esas 150 páginas que me revolvieron el estómago.

[Terri Wino · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out strong. A unique mystery, characters that were interesting and quite likeable. Maddie is a great narrator. It had me all the way to the end and then just had an abrupt change in the tone of the book. I can't explain without spoilers, but it just...got weird. Thus, 3 stars instead of 4.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend if you enjoy historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the book up to that point and it kept me guessing.
I think this is the start of a series by this author and, if so, I will definitely check out the next one to find out what Maddie and her father are up to next.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy the second book of the series more than this first one, and I approve of my library's decision to not make this book available on kindle due to some gruesome content. Adults can, of course, handle the lupus/werewolf theme, not initially apparent (to me, at least) when death investigations are initiated. Amazon has this currently at just 99 cents, and it is good to go back to see how it came about that Madeleine becomes engaged to a professor she barely knows.
Since her father is recovering from injury, Madeleine is asked to accompany the Commissioner on several harrowing appointments as they must investigate the death of a young woman, then priest and then several deaths in their wake. No spoilers, so will leave it to reader to follow the action.
We meet up with some unusual folks in this tale, including some of the worst parents possible. Not recommended for youth. I like this author's writing and originality - something quite different from the usual murder mystery.
3.5 stars for me

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reseña en Español e Inglés / Review in Spanish and English
____________________________________
[ESPAÑOL]

Siempre es interesante ver el contraste que hay entre la sociedad de los siglos pasados y la de la actualidad.

Madeleine, siendo hija de un médico conocido como “Doctor Cadáver” por su oficio de forense, se ve altamente influencia por la sed de conocimientos en medicina y ciencias, además de una niñez acostumbrada al trabajo de su padre, hace lo posible por poder aprender todo lo que pueda y ser algún día considerada como una igual por su padre y sus colegas médicos y científicos; esto trayendo como consecuencia que se meta de lleno en la investigación que inició como una muerte inesperada a pasar a ser una serie de ellas, aparentemente sin relación alguna entre sí.

Al ser un libro ambientado en el siglo XIX, la protagonista se ve continuamente obstaculizada en sus investigaciones y pesquisas debido a los prejuicios de la sociedad en cuanto a las profesiones que puede ejercer una mujer. Lo que más me gustó de ello fue que, a pesar de ello, la protagonista logra realizar un trabajo muy bueno a pesar de los obstáculos y situaciones algo peligrosas a la que se ve sometida en la búsqueda de la verdad.

Puedo decir que este libro es del estilo introductorio, que a pesar de su inicio algo lento, nos presenta a unos personajes bien definidos que en un futuro (y por lo que pude averiguar ya del segundo libro publicado) formarán parte esencial de esta saga. Con una muy buena ambientación, la trama se vuelve más interesante con cada capítulo y con un desenlace bueno pero predecible, cierra muy bien la historia, con ganas de saber un poco más de lo que sucederá con Madeleine y los demás.

Recomendado para los amantes del misterio, más no para los sensibles de estómago.

____________________________________
[ENGLISH]

It's always interesting to see the contrast between the society of past centuries and that of today.

Madeleine, being the daughter of a doctor known as "Corpse Doctor" for his job as a coroner, is highly influenced by the thirst for knowledge in medicine and science, in addition to a childhood accustomed to her father's work, she does everything possible to be able to learn all that she can and will one day be considered an equal by her father and his medical and scientific colleagues; This, as a consequence, leads her to the investigation that began as an unexpected death to become a series of them, apparently without any relation to each other.

Being a book set in the nineteenth century, the protagonist is continually hindered in her research and inquiries due to the prejudices of society in terms of the professions that can exercise a woman. What I liked most about it was that, despite this, the protagonist manages to do a very good job despite the obstacles and situations that are somewhat dangerous to which she's subjected in the search for the truth.

I can say that this book is of the introductory style, which despite its somewhat slow start, presents us with well-defined characters that in the future (and as far as I could find out from the second published book) will be an essential part of this saga. With a very good atmosphere, the plot becomes more interesting with each chapter and with a good but predictable outcome, closes the story very well, with the desire to know a little more about what will happen with Madeleine and the others.

Recommended for lovers of mystery, but not for stomach sensitives.

[RavensScar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to read this book for a while now. And then I saw it on my latest library trip and decided that now was the time to read it. And I'm really glad I did take it with me this time. It was really really good.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very dark historical tale/mystery following disturbed people with diseases, sexual desires, secrets, and religious delusions. Some of the occurrences within shocked me. It made me think of a historical Patricia Cornwell novel with this heroine, Maddie, as the historical Dr. Scarpetta.

It's very long ago France. Women still wear corsets. Men inherit everything. Women are NOT supposed to be doctors, let alone coroners or the like, but Maddie wants to do this above all else and a carriage accident finally provides her the chance to step into her father's shoes for a while and get in on a case involving dead bodies on ice, wolves, a convent, and nasty little mites in the nose.

And then there's a very dashing professor who suddenly has his sights on Maddie.

There were lots of twists and turns in this story. The mystery is not easy to piece together. Too many of the characters withhold information. I was kept guessing and as I said above, repeatedly shocked. The heroine is strong but not unbelievably so. She has her moments in which she's shaken by what's she witnessed--understandably. She has good intentions and a lot of drive.

I think the story lacked emotion though. There were many instances with her, her father, the professor, others, that I felt exhibited too little emotion for the situation; they were a bit too robotic. Despite this, the writing itself is stellar.

The ending didn't adequately explain some things for me. It's hard for me to convey what I mean without putting spoilers in this though. There are many things in the story that I mustn't reveal.

And to be frank, I found some things just a bit too perverted. I was saying, "Um, seriously? That's sick."

Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2015/...

[Lectora Venezolana · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Una mujer cuya pasión por la ciencia y la medicina la enfrenta a la sociedad de su época"
Realmente eso fue lo que me atrajo del libro (a parte de la portada que tiene un aura de misterioso y antiguo), la historia se desarrolla en Europa del siglo XIX donde los conocimientos de la medicina se ha ampliado y la técnicas de esta mismas se han renovado pero en cuanto a la sociedad la mujer sigue siendo educada para cuidar del hogar y no para ejercer un cargo importante o una profesión como la de médico lo cual iba en contra de las reglas que la sociedad tiene preestablecidas, así que la protagonista decide ir en contra de la sociedad y sus reglas, Madeleine Karno es hija de un doctor (que lo apodan “doctor cadáver”) este ejerce la medicina forense por lo cual Madeleine se siente atraída a todo lo relacionado con la ciencia ya que desde pequeña se crió entre tubos de ensayo y microscopio. 
La trama en si es muy buena, la narración es sencilla y los tecnicismos científicos en su mayoría hemos oídos hablar de ello en el colegio así que eso no resulta un problema a la hora de leer, lo que si le falto fue ese “algo” que hace que no quieras soltar el libro, con respecto al manejo de los asesinatos y el motivo pudo haber sido mejor la verdad no fue algo que me impacto, ya antes he leído historias parecidas y a pesar de que es muy común el motivo hay escritores que le dan un buen giro y la historia se vuelve fantástica, la impresión que me dio fue que la escritora prefirió empezar el primer libro de la serie (donde Madeleine Karno será la protagonista ) mostrando a los personajes que se verán involucrados, su historia y personalidad, para ya con el segundo arrancar como tal la serie y ver a la protagonista convertida en Sherlock Holmes versión femenina.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars -- "There is such an unsatisfactory distance between the CAUSE of a death and the REASON for it."

I love forensic pathology mysteries and book descriptions such as the synopsis of this one grab me immediately. I loved the setting and the 1890s time period. I have read all of this author's previous books and so was immediately intrigued by this first one in a new series featuring a character named Madeleine Karno, the daughter of the forensic doctor in the provincial French town of Varbourg. When a local girl turns up dead in the alleyway outside her home, and when the priest who buried her is murdered and his body vanishes, Madeleine and her father dig deeper into the investigation. What do unusual mites, enigmatic nuns, and nearly tame wolves have to do with these deaths?

This was great fast-paced reading until the discoveries and revelations toward the end that totally overwhelmed my ability to suspend disbelief. Just how close is the relationship between man and beast? Madeleine finds some cryptic clues that attempt to explain this unusual case.

The writing is excellent and the characters are intriguing so I will likely look for another in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the e-book ARC to review.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first three quarters of the book better than the last bit. Madeleine and her doctor father are interesting characters, though Madeleine is certainly more engaging intellectually than emotionally. The historical details about attitudes towards women and medicine, and women in medicine, are well done. The whole forensic aspect of the book, the state of the science at the time, the aversion to autopsy as desecration, the conflict between superstition and science, the business with the unknown mites and the roles they play in several deaths is interesting too.

And then there's the whole nuns and wolves thing, the hypersexual young woman and the feral young man with priapism, the convergence of lupus and wolves and biting, and the just plain crazy weird stuff that comes up in the last part of the book.

If there is another book about Madeleine, I will probably read it.

[PopcornReads - MkNoah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although bestselling and multi-award-winning author Lene Kaaberbol is quite a prolific author, you may know her best as the co-author of the highly acclaimed novel The Boy in the Suitcase. When I saw that she had written Book #1 in a new historical mystery series, Doctor Death, I knew I was going to be in for a treat and I was not disappointed in that prediction. If you like a strong, independent female sleuth and a gripping thriller then you will definitely want to learn more about Doctor Death at http://popcornreads.com/?p=8180.

[EscudrinandoLibros · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 "La verdad no siempre es lo mas amable qie uno podía decir " Una de las mejores frases que he leído. Es una historia bastante estructurada, con personajes bien pensados y una protagonista demasiado moderna para su época. Hay mucha microbiologia y médicina que acompaña la historia pero no la hace aburrida ni extensa ya que los capítulos son cortos y nada pesados. Lo que pensaba en un principio no fue y la escritora se esmera en darte unos giros soprendentes; quizás lo que menos me convenció fue el desenlace de la trama porque a mi parecer le faltó más.

[artemis]

I couldn't finish this book, I'm so bored and everyone's too straight & white.

[Erin Wolak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for books set in the Jack the Ripper times. Especially if they take place in London or France during said times. So this, much like Kerri Maniscalco's novel 'Stalking Jack the Ripper' absolutely drew me in. I was hooked from the first page and drug through a wagon ride of a book. Since the book was translated from another language it did leave me at times feeling disoriented and slightly confused but I was able to get over that quickly by going back a couple pages and reading a tad bit slower to decipher what was happening. 

What I found captivated me the most about this book were the characters themselves. I absolutely adored Mademoiselle Karno and appreciated the fact that she started fighting to continue to do forensics for her father. I also loved the Commissioner. You could tell what kind of a man he was and that the murdered souls meant more to him then just solving some case. He genuinely cared about finding out what happened even though he was not the inspector leading the cases. Everyone was written so well that even the people you know you weren't supposed to like wound up meaning something to you in the end and you didn't want to see everything come to a close.

The world was very well developed and I really enjoyed that the same attention to detail with the characters got brought into her descriptions for the settings visited along our journey through this investigation. The relationships developed and the conversations had were some of the most intriguing things I've come across in a book in a very long time and while this book was written a few years ago I felt like it brought a breath of fresh air into the things I've been reading lately. 

For anyone looking to enjoy a wonderfully written mystery told from a woman's perspective during a time when women weren't supposed to have a chance to flourish then you will love this book and everything that it brings to the table. I cannot wait to dive into the second book in the series and hopefully fall just as much in love with that as I did with this.

[Ida Ottesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in a duology about Madeline Karno, set in 1890s France. Part Murder mystery, part feminist historical fiction.

I really like this book series (I accidentally read the second one first), it's a quick read and very enjoyable. As with the second book, it resolves the plot a little too quickly, I feel like there were a few things that was never really dealt with? But at the same time, it sets the scene so well, and I kinda like that it's 'just' a quick and fun book to read, and it'll keep you guessing as to who the murderer is.

Combined with a science that is just coming to grips with Darwinism and bacteria, it's just a really interesting setting for a murder mystery, and I like Madeline a lot!

Definitely check out these two books (the second is called Det Levende Kød (UK: A Lady In Shadows), if you're into historical fiction/murder mysteries with a feisty heroine.

[Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sin ser bueno, no era malo. Lectura ligera con ciertos plot twist intrigantes y que es agradable. Sin embargo, hay eventos y personajes que se podían prescindir de ellos.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished my first full book in Danish.

[Judy - crazee4books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Am going to start right in on book two. Wish that there were more!

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in provincial France during the late 1800's, Doctor Death is the first book in a new historical mystery series from Lene Kaaberbøl, featuring Madeleine Karno.

"My father was reluctant to let me assist when he examined the dead. He said it could only hurt my reputation and my future – by which he meant my chances of marriage. For the most part, my father was a man of progress, absorbed by the newest ideas and the latest technology. But he was incomprehensibly old-fashioned on this particular point."

The daughter of a widowed surgeon/coroner, Madeleine dreams of one day following in his footsteps but for now must be content with those rare times when her father allows her to assist him. Intelligent, rational and ambitious, Madeleine is an admirable character who chafes at the expectations of the era though rarely in an overt way. When her father is injured she seizes the opportunity to become more involved in his current case that begins with a dead girl, scarred with human bites, found on her snow covered doorstep.

Solving the complex mystery involves a combination of common investigation techniques led by Madeleine's father's colleague, the Commisioner, and the fledgling science of forensics utilised by Madeleine and her father. It is a strange case that involves an unidentified parasite, a missing boy, a pack of wolves, a murdered priest and it becomes increasingly unsettling as Madeleine gets closer to unmasking a killer. There are red herrings and twists that keep the reader guessing as Kaaberbøl explores the conflicts of human and beast, science and faith.

"Illness is not necessarily a punishment from God.... Sometimes it just comes to us. If we are lucky, it is a trial from which we can learn. Other times, we must just accept that we humans do not understand everything."

The tone is quite dark overall and there are elements of the story which readers may find disturbing. There is a touch of unconventional romance which will be interesting to see develop in further installments. The pace is good but the narrative does feel a little dry and formal at times, perhaps a consequence of the translation as much as a reflection of the period.

I did enjoy Doctor Death, the mystery was intriguing and Madeleine is an interesting lead but I have to admit I wasn't as engaged as I hoped to have been. I do hope to continue with the series though to see how it develops.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully crafted story had me riveted from start to finish!

The story centers around a young woman named Madeleine Karno. Madeleine lives in Varbourg, France in 1894. She is the only child of a local doctor whose nickname is “Doctor Death”. Not only does he treat the living but he is also the one who determines cause of death, much like what we know today as the coroner. Forensic science is not even a phrase yet but this is exactly what Dr. Karno is doing with the help of his daughter. Madeleine hopes to follow in his footsteps.

On a snowy night in February a young woman is found dead on her doorstep and Madeleine and her father are drawn into a twisted tale of murder. Shortly after the girl’s death the priest who watched over her body is also found dead and a young boy has gone missing. Is there a connection? What are the strange mites that are found on the bodies on the young woman and the priest? How does the missing boy fit in and is he dead or alive? Tracking down the answers will take Madeleine to a convent where the nuns are keeping wolves and where the young woman had been a student. She will also journey to Heidelberg to meet a leading scientist in the field of parasites who will end up changing her life. Because her father has been injured in an accident she will be given the opportunity to be the one to examine the evidence, practically unheard for women at the time, and give testimony in court. It’s all very exciting!

I found this story to be so well written that I felt like I was there with Madeleine as she is searching for clues to the mysterious deaths, interviewing those closest to the victims, and finding herself on the wrong end of a gun more than once. And just when you think they have it all figured out there is a spine-tingling and completely unexpected twist. I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers and forensics buffs alike. I will definitely be looking for more of Lene Kaaberbol’s books to add to my reading list.

Happy reading!