The Doctor is In

What is better than a work of historical fiction in which the history is well-researched and powerfully presented? .... Nothing, I tell you! Young's first mystery novel about Dr. Dorothy McCleland and Chief Inspector Matthew Pike is a gem.

Dody is not an entirely original leading lady as far as personality and moral fiber goes, but Young has managed to present her as a heroine we can both enjoy hearing from and admire. Her quick mind and capable demeanor give us the strength we like to see from female sleuths in historical mysteries during time periods of male supremacy. She offers a surprise, though, in that while she stands for women's rights, she is not subject to the fervor of her fellow suffragettes (her sister for example). While the story revolves around an incident involving women's suffrage, it is not driven by any sort of personal vendetta on Dody's part. Her concern is establishing herself as a doctor and keeping her more demonstratively-minded sister out of prison. It is only because of an accident of circumstance that she becomes involved in the case of a suspiciously dead suffragette at all. Dody's an interesting woman in a time when history generally cataloged women as either radical protestors or "properly-minded" housewives. Her intelligence and levelheadedness makes her an ideal partner for the emotionally scarred, traditionalist Chief Inspector Pike. Each works to open the others eyes on issues important to them and they eventually develop a rapport which serves to allow them to put their heads together and work out the tangle of clues.

The history behind this story is a volatile topic and leads to some tense moments. I would warn those considering picking this book up for reading that there are a few scenes which may be considered disturbing. Due to Dody's career as a doctor of forensic science it shouldn't be much of a surprise that she performs autopsies, however, some of the description might be considered mildly to moderately graphic by some. In addition, there is a scene in which forced feeding is described - a political response to incarcerated suffragettes who went on hunger strike. Nothing in this book really crosses any lines as far as I'm concerned, but it is not for the faint-hearted. The inclusion of these activities and historical details add both accuracy and power.

Although it has the occasional editorial mishap as far as word order or grammar goes, the writing is fluid - eloquent when needed and at all times coherent. Young has successfully drawn me into Dody and Pike's story and I look forward to continuing the series. Bravo!

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BE SURE TO CATCH THE SCENT OF MURDER, BOOK THREE IN THE DR. DODY MCCLELAND MYSTERY SERIES NOW AVAILABLE!