Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Shadow of the Raven (Dr. Thomas Silkstone #5) by Tessa Harris

In this fifth book of the series, Dr. Silkstone is still performing autopsies and trying to solve crimes.  But he's consumed with the thought of Lydia being in a mentally ill facility.  He keeps trying to visit to no avail.  He even gets escorted out by the staff with instructions not to return...

Kensington Books sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It is being published this month.  I find each book in this series worth reading.  There's a lot of detail about the time period and the beginning of forensics.  The author also bases her stories on historical events in the past, which makes them ring true.

When Thomas is called to do an autopsy on a surveyor, he has no idea about the intricacy of a multi-faceted plan for development of the land that is planned by Lydia's father and his cohorts.  As he looks into the murder, he finds that they are prepared to do whatever is necessary to acquire what they need.  Like putting Lydia in an asylum and blaming the murder on those who oppose them.

Thomas succeeds in proving the man accused could not have committed the crime, but he has made some very bad enemies.  He's also no closer to finding out who actually killed the surveyor.  Then there's another death...

In the meantime, he finds out that Lydia believes he has signed the paperwork confining her to the asylum.  When he finally gets an audience with her, she won't have anything to do with him!  The next thing he hears is that she has died and is being buried immediately.  He can't even get back in time to go to her funeral.  He's heartbroken but he's not sure he believes her father.

The story is full of side plots, nasty high jinks and murder.  As usual, this author kept me intrigued and very busy reading.  However, the ending is awful.  It's a total shocker and a cliff hanger to boot.  I don't like those!  I prefer it ends with open ended questions but not with a last line that looks like there's more to come and they aren't there.  

One thing about it, she has ensured I will read the next book in this series.  And it better not take a year to get here...

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