Fiction Pick of the Week: The Anatomy of Deception

Anatomy of Deception by Lawrence Goldstone 2007
This novel is an intriguing tale of historical suspense seamlessly weaving fact and fiction. It is a first work of fiction by Goldstone but he uses his extensive knowledge in the medical field to create a period medical suspense novel. The setting is 1889 Philadelphia featuring real-life characters William Osler, William Stewart Halstead, and Thomas Eakins. During a routine autopsy, young Doctor Ephraim Carroll, witnesses Williams Osler’s dismay when an open cooler reveals the cadaver of a young woman. The autopsy is quickly cancelled and the class is dismissed. After a series of events, Dr. Carroll becomes very suspicious and begins an investigation of his own. Secrets abound in the medical community of the nineteenth century. This is a novel for readers who enjoy Anne Perry or historical page turners.