The Anatomy of Deception

by Lawrence Goldstone

Book Overview

In the tradition of Caleb Carr'sThe Alienistand Matthew Pearl'sThe Dante Club, this mesmerizing forensic thriller thrusts the reader into the operating rooms, drawing rooms, and back alleys of 1889... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385341342
• ISBN13: 9780385341349
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Very good book

I have actually read this book twice. I forgot I had read it several years ago and ordered again it by 'accident'. It held for the second reading as well as the first. It is very detailed and you really need a medical vocabulary and an interest in the history of medicine in the US to appreciate/enjoy it. It focuses on early surgical procedures, autopsy practices and developments, the history of John Hopkins Medical School and University and addiction. It also has intersecting sub plots that involve art and the personal and professional difficulty women faced in the early 1900s. It is very detailed in some areas but held my interest-again.

Anatomy of deception is a winner

I wasn't familiar with the author, but was very pleased with the excellent writing, plot, and content. A well done historically and medically accurate story. Highly recommended reading about a little known part of our medical history.

Definately 'out of my box' but worth it!

I've never read anything to do with medicine before. Therefore, a lot of the historical aspect was lost on me, and I actually was disappointed by that. Reading this book made me want to do some digging into the history of medicine (if I could only find the time!) I feel I missed out on something, that this book would have been much more satisfying had I been familar with the historical background and terminology, BUT that being said, it was still a fabulous book. The main character learns much about himself in the process of unraveling the mystery of the woman in the morgue, meeting some colorful characters along the way. It was very entertaining, a page-turner that I found difficult to put down.

"This is a wondrous age."

Lawrence Goldstone's "The Anatomy of Deception" opens in 1889. As the nineteenth century is drawing to a close, physicians are employing the principles of analytic detection to make diagnoses and heal sickness. In addition, the world is on the brink of a number of thrilling discoveries that will save many lives. The first chapter is set in the Blockley Dead House, a morgue at the University Hospital in West Philadelphia, described by the author as "a squat, solitary brick building [and] a fetid vault filled with cadavers in various states of putrefaction." In this grim edifice, Dr. William Osler, head of Clinical Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, teaches his students morbid anatomy. Among his acolytes is Dr. Ephraim Carroll, who left his private practice in Chicago to learn from "the Professor." To Carroll and his colleagues, Osler is a "modern-day Hippocrates," an astounding man with a tremendous breadth of knowledge and a willingness to share his expertise with the next generation of doctors. Some vocal protesters still oppose autopsy, which they consider to be a ghoulish and unholy practice. Osler is forced to bribe a morgue attendant to absent himself when a fresh supply of cadavers becomes available for dissection. One day, a session in the morgue ends abruptly when Osler opens up an ice chest containing the corpse of a young, light-haired and once beautiful female whose body had been abandoned in the street. Both Osler and a disreputable medical student named Turk are visibly shocked when they see her, and the Professor quickly slams the lid shut. Ephraim will soon find himself knee deep in a puzzle involving this woman: Who was she? Who or what killed her? When, shortly thereafter, one of his acquaintances dies unexpectedly, Carroll decides to pursue the matter. By the time he learns the shocking truth about this case, Carroll will lose many of his illusions about the integrity and moral values of so-called "honorable" men. Goldstone skillfully recreates the giddy excitement that forward-looking scientists felt as they faced a new century filled with seemingly unlimited possibilities. Surgical techniques that could reduce shock and infection were no longer pipe dreams. This richly detailed book is filled with fascinating information about the pioneers of medicine during this transitional decade. The author smoothly incorporates historical figures into his narrative. In addition to the aforementioned William Osler, both the famed surgeon, William Stewart Halstead, and the great American painter, Thomas Eakins, play key roles. Osler is unquestionably brilliant, but is he also venal and overly ambitious? Halstead is rumored to be a drug addict. Is there any foundation to the destructive gossip that threatens to destroy his reputation? Also worth noting: Abigail Benedict, a lovely and wealthy bohemian who wins Ephraim's heart but hesitates to give hers in return; Mary Simpson, a courageous doctor who is dedicated n

Interesting historical mystery with a medical twist

Philadelphia in the late 1800s is the setting for this interesting historical mystery novel, which follows the adventures of Ephraim Carroll as he tries to figure out who has killed one of his classmates, a doctor studying with him under William Ohsler, one of the great physicians of the 19th century. Ohsler was a real figure in history, as are several of the other characters in the story, and they provide color for the narrative. Carroll is an unsophisticated country boy who is somewhat overwhelmed by Philadelphia. At the beginning of the book he's befriended by one of his classmates, a more worldly character named Turk. Turk later turns up dead, and Carroll swiftly makes the deduction that he's been poisoned. When this proves true, Carroll must find out who the killer is and why he did it. As things progress, the plot gets murkier and moral questions arise, some of which don't appear to have a real answer. I enjoyed this book a great deal. The author does a very good job with the characters and the sense of place. At times it almost seems as if Philadelphia from more than a hundred years ago is real. I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it.

A first-rate first novel

A fabulous page-turner of historical fiction! I couldn't put it down. Once you get past the first autopsies and some rather graphic details, the story will grab hold of you. the author has loaded the book with great details about the history of medicine and about the painter Thomas Eakins. The author is well-known for his non-fiction writing. I hope that he will continue to write more fiction after this wonderful book.