Anatomy of Murder
Written by Imogen Robertson
Narrated by Jenny Sterlin
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
Imogen Robertson
Imogen Robertson grew up in Darlington, studied Russian and German at Cambridge and now lives in London. She directed for film, TV and radio before becoming a full-time author and won the Telegraph’s ‘First thousand words of a novel’ competition in 2007 with the opening of Instruments of Darkness, her first novel. Her other novels also featuring the Georgian detective duo of Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther are Anatomy of Murder, Island of Bones, Circle of Shadows and Theft of Life. In 2013 she published The Paris Winter, a story of betrayal and darkness set during the Belle Époque. She has been short-listed for the CWA Historical Dagger three times and once for the Dagger in the Library Award. Imogen was one of our judges for the Solstice Shorts competition and provided us with Time travel/ ghost story, Grange Lodge Which she read for us at the festival and is published in Solstice Shorts, Sixteen Stories about Time.
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Instruments of Darkness: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy of Murder Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Island of Bones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Anatomy of Murder
90 ratings11 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is the second book in a series of mysteries set in late 18th century England.
This time, Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther are in London and asked to assist in the investigation of the murder of a hanger-on of the Opera--a murder that appears to be associated with treason. Harriet and Crowther are friends whose personal characteristics compliment each other in looking into the mystery.
As in the first book, we follow their investigation, along with following a secondary story-line that parallels it. The colour of 1780's London adds to the enjoyment of the story.
Lots of twists and turns and since the reader is following two story-lines, we become aware of what is happening long before the protagonists, which makes things a bit tense. - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Reading Anatomy of Murder has been a chore. There are some good qualities to the book. The main characters are not uninteresting. The story line had the makings of a gripping tale, but the pacing and author's shenanigans were deadly.The near constant weaving from the investigations of Harriet Westerman and Crowther with those of the tarot-reading Jocasta who is full of hocus pocus wisdom was fatiguing. And, why in the name of Tiresias would any author choose the name of Jocasta for a soothsayer. Jocasta, who unwittingly married her son thus bringing doom on Thebes? Geez, she couldn't even figure out the "Riddle of the Sphinx." Is Robertson trying to be funny? Another tiresome feature of the book is the persistent references to the previous novel. At times I was utterly clueless as to who was who as well as who they once were. I still haven't figured out who Uncle Eustache is or why he is learning his ABC's. I think I would have better luck sorting out the varied relationships of the Addam's Family than this crew's. Sometimes a tendency to heighten imagery led the author into singularly cringe-worthy writing - an apron is described as being "held together by grease and bad memories." At least that is evocative, if overreaching, but what am I to do with this as far as imagery goes, "he had a face that reminded her of a self-satisfied raisin pudding." Seems Harriet is familiar with this type. Since the fellow's face reminds her of said smug dessert she must have made the acquaintance of the likes at least once before. Me, I got nothin'. I would not know a self-satisfied raisin pudding from a lugubrious raisin pudding. I admit to having once looked upon the face of a churlish beignet. But then, who hasn't?
The basic plot runs along these lines : a not much liked fellow, one Fitzraven, is found afloat in the Thames. Soon there are questions abounding. At the crux there seems to be a whisper of treason and spying. The English are faring poorly against the colonies (truth be told they have already lost on land) and espionage seems to be in evidence. Meanwhile there is questionable goings on at the opera house which may be a sideline or... Meanwhile there are family tensions about Mrs. Westerman's detective tendencies (never avoid a cliche if you can work one in. If you were to go by the output of current novels, prior to 1930 a good 1/4 of English gentlewomen were scurrying about solving mysteries much to their families' chagrin) Meanwhile there is some romantic tension involving Graves, the guardian of the little Lord Sussex (shades of Little Lord F. ?) and a girl named Verity who has popped in for a brief visit from the previous book....Meanwhile... Capt. Westerman is in a madhouse after an accident at sea. Pity this accident came shortly after a conversation he had with a mysterious passenger from the French ship Westerman had besieged. All wish him a swift return to his former bonhomie and of his memory of the conversation with the odd prisoner. As everyone knows, the why and wherefore of a chap bobbing about in the Thames can most often be cleared up by knowing what was said months before off the coast of Newfoundland.
This is a ridiculously tiresome book. Perhaps one of the most vexing mysteries is why at the front of the book there is a map of London, 1871. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Dickensian romp through 1781 London. This installment of the Westerman/Crowther series finds the odd couple in London as Mrs. Westerman's husband tries to recover from a traumatic brain injury. Recruited by the Admiralty's spy master, the duo investigate the seemingly minor murder of a gossipy musician. As in the first novel [Instruments of Darkness], part of the fun is watching how Imogene Robertson weaves together subplots and social details in a manner reminiscent of Dickens. Both high and low society come into play as an assassin stalks London.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5If you haven’t yet discovered Imogen Robertson and her amateur sleuths Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther, the perfect time is now. Anatomy of Murder is the second installment of this series which takes place in 1780’s England. Harriet is the wife of a ship’s captain who, after years of sailing beside her husband, is now a stay-at-home mom. Once again enlisting the help of the anti-social anatomist Crowther, Harriet has been sought out by a government official to explain the death of a man found floating in the Thames. This investigation will take them into the world of Opera in search of just what this death has to do with the Franco-American Treaty and how, exactly, Captain Westerman is involved. You can read the first book, Instruments of Darkness, now. Then, adventures continue, exposing the secret past of Gabriel Crowther, in the October release of Island of Bones.(This review was originally written for Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5First Line: Captain Westerman was in his cabin reading the letter from his wife for the fourth time when he heard the officer of the morning watch ring Six Bells.It's 1781, and Harriet Westerman finds herself in London. Her husband, a ship's captain, has been very seriously injured while capturing a French vessel, and Harriet needs to be near him during his recuperation.She and the reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther have become famous (or infamous) as amateur detectives for solving the mysteries of Thornleigh Hall, which occurred in the first book of the series, Instruments of Darkness. The British government requests their skills as detectives in investigating the death of a man whose body was pulled from the Thames. Harriet's presence at her husband's bedside is doing him no good. Since the doctor tells her to occupy her time in some other fashion-- and because "requests" from the government can seldom be ignored-- the team of Crowther and Westerman find themselves unraveling a plot filled with spies and betrayal.Once again author Imogen Robertson immerses the reader in the England of the late eighteenth century. The setting, the time period, and the plot are all engrossing, but as with any high calibre mystery, the characters are what lift everything to a more lofty, enjoyable plane. We meet Harriet's husband, Harriet can now be seen as an anxious wife, and the hermit-like Gabriel Crowther is slowly becoming used to Harriet, her family, and just dealing with the general populace. (When you've avoided the public for years, it can take a while to get reacquainted.) Robertson's characters are anything but static and one-dimensional; things happen to them, they grow, and they change. Put this interesting cast in the middle of a genuinely puzzling investigation, and you experience a little bit of mystery reading nirvana.If you're a fan of historical mysteries, strong characters, intriguing plots, and a rich, almost Dickensian setting, I'd advise you to read Imogen Robertson's Crowther and Westerman series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The purchase of this book was a lucky accident. It caught my eye at the book store and I have a new series to love.Harriet Westerman is the wife of a Commander of the Royal Navy during the time of the American Revolution and a lucky capture of a French vessel has set them up comfortably. A bad piece of luck, however, her husband was struck in the head and has not been able to regain his memories. While he is recuperating in an asylum, Harriett and her children are staying in the house of a very young Lady Susan, orphan and a continuing story from the first episode of the series.Harriet's comrade-in-arms is Gabriel Crowther, a man with a mysterious past which included a passion for autopsies and dissection, very handy in murder investigations.Another character, Jocaste Bligh, is a poor, illiterate woman who reads Tarot cards for a living. She is following a different investigation that ends up meshing with the first. Hopefully, she will return in more stories as she was equally as interesting.The two murder investigations alternate in shorter and shorter chapters as the action gets more and more intense. It made for a riveting read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I loved the description on the back of the book that said CSI for Georgian England. It was so true, that although there was a lack of technology or sophisticated science, the amateur sleuths in this series are able to uncover many facts and clues to solve a mystery. Add onto that the historical fiction setting and you have a great premise for a novel with lively characters and a well formed plot. I certainly can't wait to read other books in this series!Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The unlikely detective team of Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther are at it again in Imogen Robertson's Anatomy of Murder, a followup to her impressive debut, Instruments of Darkness. Like the first installment in the series, this volume sees Westerman and Crowther investigating a series of crimes with far-reaching consequences, this time at the behest of England's overmatched spymasters. Another good afternoon's read: well paced, suspenseful and with some good twists and turns tossed in.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's a period of war between England and France, it's 1781, and Harriet Westerman needs distraction as her husband is injured and she's in London at a slight loose end. Gabriel Crowther is there too and they are drawn into an investigation when a body is found in the Thames. Their investigation draws them into treason and more murder before they can find the truth.I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first but it was an interesting read. The complex issues and problems were interesting. I was somewhat irritated with the fact that the author skipped scenes without clearly marking them, making me re-read pieces thinking that I was following a different scene. The ending almost broke my heart. The mystery was quite involved and I did like some of the period touches and the problems that Harriet had occasionally being a woman in this period.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anatomy of Murder is an overall fun read, with lots of action, good characterization, and a fine sense of place and time. Picking up a few months after Robertson's previous novel, Instruments of Darkness, leaves off, Anatomy of Murder takes place in London in 1781, as the American Revolution is winding down. Captain Westerman, disabled by a blow to the head, is being cared for in a private asylum in London; consequently, Mrs. Westerman and her family have taken up residence in Town with the Thornleigh household. With her is Mr. Crowther, the reclusive, unsociable anatomist with whom Mrs. Westerman had solved a crime that threatened the Thornleigh children.A dead man is pulled from the Thames. Fearing that he had been spying for the French, the Admiralty steps in, discreetly requesting Westerman and Crowther to step in and investigate the murder. Fitzraven, the dead man, had been employed at an opera house; the plot moves from the royal box to the stews of the city, pulling in a beautiful soprano, an Italian castrato, a tarot reader, orphans, and peers in a Dickensian sweep.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is Robertson’s second book, the sequel to Instruments of Murder, and already critics are comparing her work to Sansom’s Shardlake series, and suggesting Harriet Westerman will do for 18th Century Britain what Matthew Shardlake did for Tudor England. The year is 1781: Great Britain is at war with France and America, and Harriet is in London nursing her husband – injured in a naval battle – when she is asked to investigate a murder which might be vital to national security. Spies, Castrati, fortune tellers, rookeries, drawing rooms, politics and religion – all have their part to play in a story which while far from excellent is entertaining and exciting.