Sawbones

Story

Sixteen-year-old Ezra McAdam seems set for life. As an apprentice to a respected London surgeon in the 18th Century, his sharp knowledge of anatomy and steady hand at the dissection table promise a secure future.

But everything changes when a botched break-in at his master’s house sparks a chain of dark events involving grave robbing, stolen bodies, and murder. Ezra is soon drawn into an investigation by Loveday Finch, a bright, persuasive girl determined to uncover the truth behind her magician father’s mysterious death — a death disturbingly similar to others Ezra has seen.

Their search leads them across Georgian London, from the operating theatre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital to the bleak expanse of Coldbath Fields, through the streets of Clerkenwell, the damp vaults of Newgate Prison, and finally to the shadowy Ottoman Embassy, where the key to the mystery may lie.

Why we chose it

A thrilling mystery that winds through 18th-century London, featuring a cast of diverse characters who bring the city’s vibrant, complex world to life.

First published

2013, Walker Books