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Corrupt Bodies: Death and Dirty Dealing in a London Morgue
Corrupt Bodies: Death and Dirty Dealing in a London Morgue
Peter Everett, Kris Hollington | 2019 | Crime, Medical & Veterinary
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Very interesting
Have to give a big thanks to @AJaneClark for recommending this book following from Richard Shepherd’s Unnatural Causes. It was a great idea to read this straight after, as the similar themes and topics complement each other but yet still showing completely different sides of the post-mortem.

Everett’s book follows the workings of a mortuary, and focuses a lot more on the criminality involved both at the mortuary itself and of the crime scenes Everett attends. It’s fascinating and I never knew until now what sort of state mortuaries in the UK were in less than a few decades ago. To think black market organ dealing was still happening as late as the 1980s is crazy. What’s also crazy is the similarities between Everett and Shepherd’s personal stories. Whilst Everett doesn’t quite go into as much detail about his private life, it’s concerning to read about how their mental health was affected by working in this sort of profession.

I don’t think I enjoyed this quite as much as Unnatural Causes. I’m not sure why, it may be related to the writing style or the focus on the non-scientific side of post-mortems. But despite this I still really enjoyed reading about such an interesting topic and about all of Everett's cases, and it’s good to hear that his story turned out alright in the end.
  
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AJaneClark (3975 KP) Oct 25, 2020

I’m pleased you enjoyed it. And yes the writing styles are very different, but the content is extremely concerning. I do hope things are changing with the emergence of these accounts being published for all sectors

The Heart Of A King: The Loves Of Solomon
The Heart Of A King: The Loves Of Solomon
Jill Eileen Smith | 2019 | Religion
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The heart of a king is well written. It seem to be about the life of King Solomon. We see it though the view of the his wives. This is what I got though reading the book. It seem like book that tell the story of the king.

It starts out with him with his father being King of Israel and his son a prince. We see how he becomes King and what he wants. Do his wives get what they want? I believe this is a story about King Solomon and his god. We are brought back to ancient Israel.

We also see him struggle with himself and his god. He seem to questions if he is doing what is right by his god. His he not following God commands or comments?

If you are into reading the bible, but in a simpler way. This book is good for you. This is what it kind gave me as I was reading it. I enjoyed it, do not get me wrong. It seem better then reading the bible it self to get the history or story of King Solomon. Wish is best for me to understand.

I am not into reading the Bible for say but learning about ancient Israel is something different and the lives of King Solomon and his wives. This book did have look up a bit about King Solomon on google. Which is interesting say the least.
  
Stone Heart (The Compelled Chronicles #1)
Stone Heart (The Compelled Chronicles #1)
Dean Murray | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first of the Compelled Chronicles and it starts with a bang! Dani is starting a new school and although she is nervous, it is not because of the usual new school reasons. The reason Dani is nervous is because she seems to have this ability that draws members of the opposite sex to her, before either making them head for the hills or become a stalker. She has no idea what's going on or why this happens, but she has learned how to live with it. The first boy she meets, Caine, seems immune to her 'charms' and Dani hopes that she has found herself the first male friend she has had in a long time. However, meeting Caine is something that starts off her journey into the unknown where she will have to fight the paranormal, and her life will be threatened simply 'because'.

This is a gripping and thrilling first instalment that ends on an amazing cliffhanger! Full of mystery and action, you are left with questions unanswered. I won't put the questions out here, you'll need to read the book for yourself, but I will say that you will immediately want to know more. Excellent start and definitely recommended.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 26, 2015
  
Labyrinth (Languedoc, #1)
Labyrinth (Languedoc, #1)
Kate Mosse | 2005 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.1 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
115 of 235
Book
Labyrinth ( Languedoc 1)
By Kate Mosse
⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Dr Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons during an archaeological dig in southern France, she unearths a link with a horrific and brutal past. But it's not just the sight of the shattered bones that makes her uneasy; there's an overwhelming sense of evil in the tomb that Alice finds hard to shake off, even in the bright French sunshine. Puzzled by the words carved inside the chamber, Alice has an uneasy feeling that she has disturbed something which was meant to remain hidden... Eight hundred years ago, on the night before a brutal civil war ripped apart Languedoc, a book was entrusted to Alais, a young herbalist and healer. Although she cannot understand the symbols and diagrams the book contains, Alais knows her destiny lies in protecting their secret, at all costs. Skilfully blending the lives of two women divided by centuries but united by a common destiny, LABYRINTH is a powerful story steeped in the atmosphere and history of southern France.

I really enjoy historical fiction and I like how this brought the lives of these two women to life. There were some parts I felt were a chore to read but overall it was a good read. I like Kate Mosse and her writing style so that pulled me through those hard parts. The link between these women was special and so well written!
  
A Matter of Life and Depths
A Matter of Life and Depths
K. B. Jackson | 2024 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Charlotte Must Face Her Pain Head on
Charlotte and her sister, Jane, have settled into their new life as permanent residents on the luxury cruise ship. But as the ship heads to Japan, Charlotte is less than happy to discover that her late husband’s mistress, Kyrie Dawn, and her toddler son have joined the staff with Kyrie Dawn being the new yoga instructor. Charlotte hasn’t even wrapped her head around that when a murder happens. Charlotte finds herself investigating for the last reason she would have expected. Can she figure out what happened?

I’ve read books with similar initial setups before, and I appreciate that this book didn’t go for the predictable victim. It allowed for some great character growth in Charlotte and some of the other characters. It may not all be realistic, but I did like it overall. Like the first book, we met the suspects all at once, so it took me a while to get them all straight. The mystery was strong, with some good surprises and a couple red herrings on the way to a logical climax. A minor subplot involving a diary that Charlotte was reading from her great-grandmother seemed a bit confusing to me, although I do understand why it was there thematically. On the other hand, there were some delightfully funny moments, and the setting was great. Overall, I enjoyed this murderous cruise very much.