A Corruption of Blood

„A Corruption of Blood“ is the third book of a historial crime novel series set in Victorian Edinburgh. Will Raven has seen his fair share of human remains, but when a dead newborn is washed up at the Port of Leith, even he is rattled. Trying to figure out what happened to them, whilst also being asked for help by a man he’s never seen eye to eye with, Raven desperately needs Sarah’s help once again. Putting aside their feelings for one another and Sarah’s quest to obtain a medical degree despite her gender, the two of them join forces once more and uncover truths even more harrowing than they expected. I am a big fan of Ambrose Parry’s series and was very eager to finally get into book three, but unfortunately it didn’t entertain me as much as its predecessors. The case Raven and Sarah are working is just as intricate and surprising as the ones in the previous books, and due to the fact that the victims are only small and innocent infants, even more heart-breaking, but I have to admit that I was a little bit annoyed by our protagonists. I like slow-burns as much as the next person, but this never-ending will-they-won’t-they is kind of pushing it at this point. I did enjoy the fact that there are more characters introduced and events included that aren’t fictional - I rather enjoy casually learning something new, however inconsequential it might be, so that was a big plus for me. If you enjoy historical crime novels and maybe even have a soft spot for the Victorian era, you should definitely read this series. It is rather atmospheric, intricate and surprising and offers a mix of fictional and non-fictional characters and events. Highly recommended!