The Anatomist’s Apprentice

The Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mysteries, Book 1

By: Tessa Harris

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

In the first in a stunning mystery series set in eighteenth-century England, Tessa Harris introduces Dr. Thomas Silkstone, anatomist and pioneering forensic detective.

The death of Lord Edward Crick has unleashed a torrent of gossip through the seedy taverns and elegant ballrooms of Oxfordshire. Few mourn the dissolute young man - except his sister, the beautiful Lady Lydia Farrell. When her husband comes under suspicion of murder, she seeks expert help from Dr. Thomas Silkstone, a young anatomist from Philadelphia.

Thomas arrived in England to study under its foremost surgeon, where his unconventional methods only add to his outsider status. Against his better judgment, he agrees to examine Lord Edward’s corpse. But it is not only the dead but also the living to whom he must apply the keen blade of his intellect. And the deeper the doctor’s investigations go, the greater the risk that he will be consigned to the ranks of the corpses he studies.

Tessa Harris, born in Lincolnshire, holds a history degree from Oxford University, and after four years of working with local newspapers she set her sights on women’s magazines. She is regularly heard on local BBC radio and over the years has interviewed such people as Margaret Thatcher, Jeffrey Archer, Anthony Hopkins, Susan Hampshire, Alan Titchmarsh, Jackie Stewart, Boris Johnson, and Uri Geller. She lives in Berkshire with her husband and their two children.

©2011 Tessa Harris (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“ CSI meets The Age of Reason…Welldrawn, intriguing cast of characters…Full of twists and turns…Vivid details…A pageturner!” (Karen Harper, New York Times best-selling author)

AMAZING STORY!

If you like Sherlock Holmes, you will be so glad to be able to "graduate" to the big league in forensic science. Dr. Thomas Silkstone does amazing things in medicine in the 18th century, before the microscope or any of the most basic tools that scientists relied on during Holmes" era. The book is great read with numerous twists and turn, keeping you guessing on who is good and who is bad. A good lesson on watching your back at all times!

Good historical fiction and a murder to solve.

This wasn't a great book, but it was a good book. The plot was interesting and, while I don't think the "murder mystery" was solvable by the reader, it was still intriguing. I liked the depth and breadth of the characters but was especially taken with the historical setting and the "old medicine" that is practiced. It is an interesting and entertaining look at medical practice and police procedure of the late 18th century.

The narrator did a nice job, with a good range of voices. As is usually true, I find a male narrator does a less than great job with female voices, but his were less bad than most. I expect to look into more of the Silkstone Mysteries.

meh

This book was enjoyable if you didn't think too hard about anything that happened. Obviously the writer did a lot of excellent research and knows her subject matter (early forensic science) very well. My big problems with this book are: some continuity errors (aka the doctor is beaten almost to death, but ten pages later injuries don't bother him and is never mentioned again) and some of the motivations for character's actions are a bit stretched. The romance seems quite forced. By the end of the book, it almost feels like the author is throwing in extra stuff just to make the book longer, or in an effort to make the plot twistier, which isn't necessary. Anyway, fun enough if you're on a long drive, but don't expect excellence.

liked it

mildly predictable, but an enjoyable read. characters were drawn well.. will check other Silkstone books

Tons of Twists and Turns

Loved this story. Kept me guessing right up to the end. Fantastic cast of characters that the narrator skillfully brought to life. I will definitely continue to listen to the series. The only thing that occasionally elicited an eye-roll from me, was how often the female lead was dramatically overcome to near swooning. With that said, I can't wait to listen to the next book in this series!

Lots of twists

Interesting, layered mystery. Excellent narration. A few implausible or overlooked issues, but with suspended belief, it was easy to not let them stall the flow too much. It was a slow at times, and the reading was slow, so I often listened at 1.2 and 1.4 speeds, especially toward the end when I felt the story could have ended in multiple places. It kept going on for yet more twists. Especially of interest is the anatomist angle and history. Worth a read, though I don’t think I’ll read it a second time.

Intriguing Forensic Mystery

This was a great Forensic mystery with all of the investigation you would expect. Great descriptions of anatomy and disease processes while also having a great story line. Plenty of villains to go around and a wonderful damsel in distress. The setting and time period showed the characters in their true light. I enjoyed the twists and turns of this mystery and was curious to the end. The ending was strong and was quite a surprise. If you like medical history with an English flair, this is a great book!

Mystery is good

I thought that the mystery and anatomy details are very good in this, but the characters are a little dry. I wasn't even sure there was a romance between the doctor and the lady.

Gruesome but Deftly Plotted

First Simon Vance does a good job with his narration, always does. I thought he did an excellent job with the voices, especially differentiating the young doctor's Philadelphian accent from that of the English characters.

I rather wish that the author of the other review had given some examples of historical errors. I didn't catch anything glaring although I did have some questions. I gave some thought to the estate being passed by inheritance but I just assumed that someone earlier had barred the entail on the estate in question. The book felt more like Andrew Taylor's Anatomy of a Ghost (also available on Audible) than Anne Perry's mysteries. Anne Perry's books generally take some social justice issue and weaves the mystery around how the issue leads up to the crime or impedes the detection of the crime. This mystery is kept within the framework of 18th century thought and social mores with a bit of a forensic stretch now and then.

There are a couple of rather gruesome post mortem examinations so don't try to listen to this one when eating. If you want to follow up with some true 18th century crimes there are several editions of the Newgate Calendar available for free on line and a great web site called Voices of the Old Bailey.

Although it contains a love story it isn't a genre romance and doesn't follow romance conventions.

Recommended for those who enjoy historical mysteries.

Lord Crick is Dead! Was He Murdered?

Would you consider the audio edition of The Anatomist’s Apprentice to be better than the print version?

Never read the printed version... please do not ask this question. we are here for the audio versions.....

Who was your favorite character and why?

The anatomist

Which scene was your favorite?

No favorite scene, but an unusual scene is when Lord Crick's body exhumed and opened, a storm of flies comes out and catches everybody by surprise.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.....

Any additional comments?

There is not much to be said about this story... it is pretty much one dimensional in that a man (Lord Crick) is dead and buried, his death ruled natural causes, but the town gossipers says that he was murdered and Lady Farrell's husband is the suspect. Lady Farrell calls on the best anatomist to investigate and -- you guessed it! -- somebody else killed him.