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    The Anatomy of Deception
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    The Anatomy of Deception
    Unavailable
    The Anatomy of Deception
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Anatomy of Deception

    Written by Lawrence Goldstone

    Narrated by David Ackroyd

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A mesmerizing forensic thriller that thrusts the listener into the operating rooms, drawing rooms, and back alleys of 1889 Philadelphia, as a young doctor grapples with the principles of scientific process to track a daring killer.

    In the morgue of a Philadelphia hospital, a group of physicians open a coffin and uncover the corpse of a beautiful young woman. Within days one of them strongly suspects that he knows the woman's identity . . . and the horrifying events that led to her death. But in this richly atmospheric novel, the most compelling moment is yet to come, as young Ephraim Carroll is plunged into a maze of murder, secrets, and unimaginable crimes. . . .

    Dr. Ephraim Carroll came to Philadelphia to study with a leading professor, the brilliant William Osler, believing that he would gain the power to save countless lives. As America hurtles toward a new century, medicine is changing rapidly, in part due to the legalization of autopsy-a crime only a few years before. But Carroll and his mentor are at odds over what they glimpsed that morning in the hospital's Dead House. And when a second mysterious death is determined to have been a ruthless murder, Carroll can feel the darkness gathering around him-and he ignites an investigation of his own. Ultimately, Carroll is forced to confront an agonizing moral choice-between exposing a killer, undoing a wrong, and, quite possibly, protecting the future of medicine itself.


    From the Compact Disc edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 29, 2008
    ISBN9781415946909
    Unavailable
    The Anatomy of Deception
    Author

    Lawrence Goldstone

    Lawrence Goldstone is the author or co-author of more than a dozen books, and he has written for The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The New Republic, Chicago Tribune, and Miami Herald. He and his wife, author Nancy Goldstone, live in Sagaponack, New York.

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    Reviews for The Anatomy of Deception

    3.5/5

    142 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      An interesting mystery set in the early 1890's when the skills of surgery and autopsy were just being developed. Not for the faint of heart, the descriptions of surgery and autopsy are pretty graphic in places.
    • 4/5
      Goldstone has written an enjoyable historical mystery that is definitely a cut above average, due to his amply displayed knowledge both medical and historical. The story isn't perhaps staggeringly ambitious, the characters not so round as to be perfectly spherical, but it does the job quite admirably. Ephraigm Carroll is one of the star pupils at Doctor Osler's medical college in late 19th century Philadelphia. His curiosity is roused when the scheduled autopsy of a beautiful young woman is abruptly canceled, and piqued further at the reaction from his revered teacher and a fellow pupil. Ephraigm's efforts to discover the truth will take him from the precarious middle-class existence he clings to, to the lowest depths of and most dizzying heights Philly has to offer.Goldstone holds a phd in medical history, and his knowledge is demonstrated on almost every page. Aside from being inherently fascinating in its own right, this detail lends a palpable sense of reality to proceedings. I'm happy to say his skills as an historian are equally deployed outside the operating theatre. Turn-of-the-century Philadelphia is rendered in loving detail - nearly every character is a real person, or as good as, and it makes a tasty setting. Admittedly, the characters are not as strong. Ephraigm's somewhat prissy voice feels a bit formal at first - though it's probably as accurate as anything else (the debt to Wilkie Collins in particular is obvious). However he certainly grows on you, but not all of the characters get that chance. This could partly be explained by Ephraigm's own simple take (the book is written in first person), but it does lend the book a somewhat "stagey" or television/commercial feel. Nonetheless, this shortcoming is more than compensated by the very slight demands The Anatomy of Deception asks of the reader, and the rich bounty of historical detail. The plot moves along swiftly, the prose is competently executed without fuss, and - whilst ever so slightly rote - the conclusion shouldn't leave anyone disappointed. The Anatomy of Deception delivers on its promises to the reader and is a fine way to while away a few afternoons.
    • 3/5
      This was a good read.The author did a good job combining mystery with some early medical history.
    • 4/5
      This is an entertaining book, combining medical and crime mystery with medical history. Though a work of fiction, it involves several historical characters in the world of Philadelphia in the 1880s. On a murder puzzle as the main frame, with a doctor as investigator, the author hangs some fascinating history of autopsy, surgery, and other medical practices that were becoming widespread. The only cavil I had was that at times the background information becomes too digressive and rather badly cuts the pace of the main narrative. But this is indeed a fun book to read.
    • 4/5
      I will not write an extensive long review detailing what this story is about because so many of the other reviewers have already done so, and I agree with most of their reviews. This is truly a page-turning suspense murder mystery that I found truly enjoyable. Those people interested in the history of early medicine will appreciate the author's extensive research and detailed descriptions of the surgical procedures and other medical practices of the late 1800s. Although I thought a little more character development could have been applied to the background group of people, Goldstone did create a good character of the protagonist Dr. Carroll. I felt that I could sympathize with his plight and felt his character to be of good moral fiber as well as a compassionate soul to both his patients, colleagues, lovers and friends. This is a good mystery, however slightly predictable. I would certainly read the next suspense novel the author is working on with anticipation for another good read. It was well written, and thoroughly entertaining. Certainly a fine debut to the fictional world since his other works have been of a non-fiction nature. I think some of the other reviewers tend to analyze to much and one should just sit back, relax, and enjoy the entertainment of a fun read.
    • 4/5
      Historical fiction dealing with the life of Dr.'s William Osler and William Halstead at the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and the founding John Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore in the late 1800's.The story is narrated by a fictionalized student of Dr. Osler's and is wrapped in a mystery of the murder of a mysterious young woman, whose body shows up for autopsy then mysteriously disappears.Lawrence Goldstone writes this as fiction to allow him the inventions needed to weave a story. But some of the story is based on papers of Dr. Osler's which were sealed until 50 years after his death.This was a satisfying read, which reminded me a great deal of Eric Larson's books Devil in the White City and Thunderstruck.
    • 3/5
      This book was an easy and interesting read. The history of Philadelphia and the medical field were accurate and fascinating. The criminal case was a little odd and the main character's motive for trying to solve the case was never completely revealed or understood (by me). Overall, I enjoyed it and will read more from this author.
    • 4/5
      This is a very interesting, well-researched work of historical fiction about medicine as practiced in 1889, and featuring Dr. William Osler and Dr. William Halsted. A young doctor gets pulled into a mystery involving the body of a young girl who they were planning to autopsy, the workings of Philidelphia society, and its criminal element. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      This novel falls into one of my favorite genres, historical fiction. That is, fiction that combines true elements of history within the narrative, fleshing out a period in time around characters that existed in real life. In Anatomy of Deception, Goldstone weaves a mystery into 1880s Philadelphia. Dr. Ephraim Carroll studies under the real-life Dr. William Osler, a pioneer of American surgery. Dr. Carroll quickly becomes embroiled in a mystery that seems to have no end of unexpected twists.Lawrence Goldstone's first attempt at fiction is well-researched and well-written. The pace was slow at times, but I never lost interest in the characters. I would recommend this book to fans of the genre. If you like this, you should definitely check out Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City and Matthew Pearl's The Dante Club.
    • 4/5
      It is 1898, Philadelphia and Dr. Ephraim Carroll is studying with the renowned Dr. William Osler. Autopsies have been legal for only five years and still many people find them barbaric. It is in this setting that one day the corpse of a young lady found in the streets turns up on Dr. Osler's table for autopsy. Dr. Carroll notices that two of the other doctor's seem shocked by her appearance and Dr. Osler quickly replaces the sheet and ends the class early. Later, looking into the suspicious death of one of his colleagues leads him down a dark trail to the waterfront, seedy 'Paris Revue' clubs and back alley operations. Many real-life personalities populate the story and fact mixes with fiction in this intriguing story of late 19th century medicine.While the mystery portion of the story was rather slow going and predictable to this reader, I found the historical aspect absolutely riveting. The characters were rather cliched but the story was entertaining and kept me reading. The piece de resistance of this book is the historical setting and the detailed research of the author. The surgical processes, the medical knowledge and research of the time makes for fascinating reading. This book will appeal more to historical fiction fans than those looking for an intense mystery.
    • 3/5
      Fascinating read. Well researched. Not usually a crime reader but intrigued from a social history of medicine point of view. Some reviews say dialogue wooden but not apparent to moir
    • 3/5
      I did enjoy this book once I got past all the surgery lingo. In fact, I suggested it to a friend who's thinking of becoming a surgeon because the history seems pretty sound, especially after reading the author's note. I only rated this with a three because I felt like the execution of the book was a little lacking at times. It was either a bit predictable or unpredictable depending on the characters, especially Turk who, to me, seemed a little too one-dimensional at times. Though he was a deep character in terms of what we find out, he never really changes in any way. The narrator is similar. Ephraim Carrol is a good guy who gets tossed in with some bad people, but it's a story we've heard. Though there were parts of the storyline I liked that managed to steer clear of cliche, I found, in the end, that I felt like I'd read it before, just in a different time, a different place. Three stars for the history lesson and a readable book, the missing two because I've read better.
    • 5/5
      What I found the most attractive about this book is the author’s writing style. I felt as if I was reading a book set and written in the late 19th Century, instead of the 21st Century. Goldstone is very skilled with his pen. The mood of the book is very dark, paranoid and full of deception. Nearly each scene takes place at night, or somewhere dark, somewhere creepy. There are plenty of well placed twists to make the whodunit guessing game all that much more frustrating for the reader. The investigation itself uncovers a lot of provacative issues, such as the moral and ethical values of autopsies, of abortions, of women’s rights, and of the greater-good mentality to science. A gripping and fantastic tale that any fan of historical fiction would enjoy!
    • 2/5
      1889 Philadelphia medical thriller. I wasn't deceived.
    • 3/5
      A forensic thriller set in 1889 Philadelphia, that tries to answer the question: Is the benefit of a thousand people more important than justice to one? I am not sure he succeeds in the moral dilemma, but it's a good read.
    • 5/5
      Reading this book makes you appreciate the cleanliness of modern medicine. A dark mystery into the disappearance of a young woman and the poisoning of young doctor. It describes life in 19th century Philadelphia and discusses plans for the new modern hospital in Baltimore, John Hopkins.
    • 3/5
      The story of a student doctor in the early 20th century who, involuntarily, gets involved in a murder investigation. The story was a good one, but for me, I enjoyed the "background" items in the story as much as the story itself. I was intrigued by the tidbits of medical history interspersed throughout the book. Personal note: I find this happens to me often in fictional books based on historical facts such as in DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Eric Larson.
    • 4/5
      This medical mystery, set in 1889 begins when a Ephraim Carroll young up and coming surgeon is commissioned by a female acquaintance to discover the whereabouts of her vanished friend. The missing girl, having gone in search of a back-alley abortionist, never returned. To Dr. Carroll's dismay, the vanished girl matches the description of an autopsy patient that came through the hospital only a few days ago. Hoping to impress this young woman who he's coming to love, Carroll sets out to discover the murderer of her young friend. Rife with historical detail and fascinating era characters, this novel will keep you guessing until the end.
    • 4/5
      My original review evaporated somehow, so I will try to come up with something. Going in, I didn’t realize how many of the characters are historical figures and that part was pretty interesting. Pioneers of surgery are single-minded individuals who rarely agree with each other in particulars of new techniques, practices and medications. Absolutely fascinating. Horrifying, but fascinating. Really glad I wasn’t alive then and in need of a surgical procedure. Ephie certainly idolized Osler to the point of blindness and this was a dead give away, plot-wise. Someone that naive is sure to have his eyes opened in the most jarring way. Not only is he innocent of men’s duplicitous nature, he’s also pretty ignorant of women. He’s blind to the obvious and puts women in their age old roles of virgin, other or whore. It was pretty funny to watch the scales fall from his eyes so to speak and I was really glad Ms. Doctor rejected him when he tried to pick her up on the rebound.I really wish that Turk had been left alive a bit longer. He was truly the most interesting character presented to us. He schemed and created a whole new identity for himself, but in the end it was not enough to sustain him. The mystery he left behind wasn’t completely solved, but enough was to wrap up the novel.Pacing was slack, but the details and historical accuracy were spot on to this relatively untrained reader. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the period and the undiminishable optimism felt by the protagonists. The plot was pretty transparent and the characters could have been a bit more original, but it was a pretty good effort overall.