Review of "The Anatomy of Deception" by Lawrence Goldstone

Noted historian Lawrence Goldstone gives us a historical novel set in Philidelphia in 1889. Young Dr. Ephraim Carroll is appalled when his new mentor, the famous-in-real-life Dr. William Osler, inexplicably decides not to autopsy an unidentified young woman whose abandoned body was found on the street. The thick plotens when a colleague of Osler, Dr. George Turk dies from what was originally thought to be cholera, but traces of arsenic are found in his blood.

"Anatomy of Deception" is a compelling and satisfying mystery that comes with the added bonus of Goldstone's talent for weaving historic data in with the details of his own creations. It's set at the dawn of modern medicine and forensic sciences, and very much reminded me of "Mr. Doyle and Dr. Bell" - the story of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his mentor. Unlike the superficial science of the current television genre, Goldstone's story is nuts and bolts factual, and actually quite entertaining. Yeah, I know, everybody else on the planet loves "CSI" and "Law And Order" and all the rest, but they leave me cold. If you're looking for a forensic mystery that won't leave you feeling like you just ate a plate full of celery, you'll be more than satisfied with this engaging novel.