1892. Sarah Gilchrist has fled from London to Edinburgh in disgrace and is determined to become a doctor. As part of the University of Edinburgh’s first intake of female medical students, Sarah comes up against resistance from lecturers, her male contemporaries, and her fellow woman. When one of her patients turns up in the university dissecting room as a battered corpse, Sarah finds herself drawn into Edinburgh’s dangerous underworld.

I was really looking forward to reading this book. It promised a dark plot, set in 19th century Edinburgh, with a female protagonist determined to become a doctor despite her family and society insisting that such a thing shouldn’t be allowed. In some ways, it delivered exactly what I was looking for. In others, however, it failed to impress.

I really enjoyed the feminist aspects of this novel. It offers an interesting perspective on the so-called ‘fallen woman’ and has plenty to say about the way marriage confines women and the dull lives they have in store once they find a husband. I particularly enjoyed the way Waite presented the relationships between female characters, the way men and society conspire to turn them against each other.

I also enjoyed the way 19th century Edinburgh was brought to life on the page, with all its filth and poverty contrasted with the drawing rooms of the rich. We move from townhouses and the university to brothels and opium dens, with an interesting and varied cast of characters.

However, this novel did have its faults, foremost being the fact that Waite didn’t seem to trust her readers to understand the rules of the Victorian society her characters inhabit. So she repeats how unfair life is to women over and over again, until I became completely exasperated by it. There is just no subtlety to it.

I have no idea how Sarah managed to get into the University of Edinburgh because she makes some terrible decisions that suggest she is in fact rather foolish. Gifted at medicine she may be, but in her everyday life her actions will have readers hanging their heads in despair. Shall I follow this suspected murderer down a dark alleyway? Should I deliberately seek to be alone with this suspected murderer when he has already threatened me? Of course! Why wouldn’t I?

The writing was average, with good atmosphere at times, and Waite clearly wrote this novel with the intention of beginning a series featuring aspiring doctor Sarah Gilchrist. I can’t be sure whether I’ll be picking up the next instalment – it will depend on how good the plot sounds – but if you enjoy Victorian crime novels you’re sure to enjoy this one.

Many thanks to Tinder Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.