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The Anatomist's Wife (A Lady Darby Mystery Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Anna Lee Huber (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,111 ratings
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THE FIRST LADY DARBY MYSTERY

“A riveting debut…an original premise, an enigmatic heroine, and a compelling Highland setting…a book you won’t want to put down.”—New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn

Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby has taken refuge at her sister’s estate, finding solace in her passion for painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit his own macabre purposes.

Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage—a fellow guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn’t about to let her guard down as accusations and rumors swirl.

When Kiera and Gage’s search leads them to even more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim…
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  1. Book 1 of 12
    Lady Darby Mysteries
  2. Print length
    369 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Berkley
  6. Publication date
    November 6, 2012
  7. Reading age
    18 years and up
  8. File size
    1216 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Anatomist’s Wife

“Lady Darby is an engaging new sleuth to follow…[A] history mystery in fine Victorian style!”—New York Times bestselling author Julia Spencer-Fleming

“A fast-paced, atmospheric and chilling debut featuring a clever heroine with a shocking past and a talent for detection.  I’m already anticipating Lady Darby’s next adventure.”—National bestselling author Carol K. Carr

“An unusual and romantic heroine, haunted by a deadly past and trying to be herself in a society that wants to silence her—and worse.”—Judith Rock

“Huber's protagonist is complex and likable and the well-lotted mystery is filled with fascinating secondary characters. The setting is lavishly portrayed...you'll be engaged right to the end.”—RT Book Reviews

“Huber’s debut...reads like a cross between a gothic novel and a mystery with a decidedly unusual heroine.”—Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Anna Lee Huber is the Daphne award–winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries, including An Artless Demise, A Brush with Shadows, As Death Draws Near, A Study in Death, A Grave Matter, Mortal Arts, and The Anatomist’s Wife, and the Verity Kent Mysteries. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides with her family and is hard at work on her next novel.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008EXNOZI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (November 6, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 6, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1216 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 369 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,111 ratings

About the author

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Anna Lee Huber

Anna Lee Huber

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Anna Lee Huber is the USA Today bestselling & Daphne award-winning author of the Lady Darby Mysteries, the Verity Kent Mysteries, the Gothic Myths series, and the anthology The Deadly Hours. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she majored in music and minored in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana with her family and is hard at work on her next novel. Visit her online at www.annaleehuber.com.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
3,111 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Janel Silva
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024
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Well written and suspenseful with a bit of romance thrown in. A good read with a promise of more to come. I really enjoyed the story and the twists the plot took.
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L. J. Roberts
4.0 out of 5 stars Quite good read with well-developed characters, a strong sense of time, and effective suspense.
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2016
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First Sentence: The scream froze me in my tracks, but the shout that followed propelled me out of my indecision and around the hedge line of the maze.

Lady Kiera Darby is staying with her sister and brother-in-law in order to recover public notoriety heaped on her after her husband’s death. Her peace quickly ends with the murder of a house-party guest, and the request by an enquiry agent, and fellow guest, asking for her to help by employing the skills others deemed unnatural.

There’s no peaceful lead-in here. Huber throws the reader directly into the story while very skillfully introducing the characters, their connections. This is particularly true of the protagonist.

The thing which differentiates Lady Kierra from other similar protagonists is both that she is a widow and, thus, more experienced in life, and that she has a talent and a previous background which enable her to fulfill the role she is asked to play. She is someone who has been bruised by life and is wary, but she is also strong, intelligent, independent and resolute in following her instincts, even when others don’t pay them mind.

Some of the attitudes and relationships seem a bit modern, but not upsettingly so. Gage, the inquiry agent, is a bit stereotypical, but improves in the end. One does particularly appreciate the understanding and support of Kierra's sister and brother-in-law.

We also become aware of Huber’s excellent voice, which includes a wry humor in the midst of an otherwise gruesome scene, as well as just enough period flavor to create a sense of time, which introducing us to a second major character in the story—“What made this golden lothario think he should be there?...As far as I could tell, Mr. Gage’s only talents seemed to be charming his way into house-party invitations and underneath ladies’ skirts.”

There are wonderfully evocative descriptions—“I closed my eyes as he removed the handkerchief. Taking deep breaths through my mouth, I remained in Gage’s loose embrace until I felt my muscles steadying. He cupped my elbow to help e rise, and I immediately felt the loss of his comforting hold and heat.” Interesting observations on the behavior of the wealthy further cements Huber’s attention to detail—“The upper class’s stubborn sense of entitlement could not be curtailed by something so mundane as murder.”

There were a few failings to the writing – portents, being the first. Not just a subtle foreshadowing, but literally—“If only I had known then…” One must question why this is done. They story had already captivated our imagination, the characters were compelling and there was no possibility of not continuing on with the story. The use of portents was not only unnecessary, but off-putting and disruptive. Let us dearly hope the author abandoned this weakness in further books. The second issue was the weak sense of place. Beside one character speaking with in Scots dialect, there was no sense of the book taking place in Scotland. And last, it was a bit overwritten. However, Huber earns points back for although a relationship is brewing, Huber doesn’t overstep the propriety of the time.

In all, Huber has given us an enjoyable period mystery with nicely-done red herrings and a solid plot. She takes advantage of a scandalous actual trial of the day and incorporates the protagonist's past into a tangential relationship to it.

“The Anatomist’s Wife” is a quite good read with well-developed characters, a strong sense of time, and effective suspense.

THE ANATOMIST’S WIFE (Hist Mys-Lady Kiera Darby-Scotland-1830) – G+
Huber, Anne Lee – 1st in series
Berkeley Prime Crime – 2012
6 people found this helpful
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Anne The Lit B*tch
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book! I can’t believe it took me this long to read it!
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
After reading Anne Lee Huber’s novel Secrets in the Mist, I realized how desperate I was for another Gothic romance novel. I wasn’t really up for a murder mystery but everyone raved about Huber’s Lady Darby mysteries so I thought I would try out her well known mysteries that boast Gothic elements and romance.

The Anatomist’s Wife was on my radar years ago when it released and I recall trying desperately to win a copy when it was published. I obviously didn’t win a copy, but I did try very aggressively for days. Then of course I moved on to some other novels only to have this one resurface again on my radar.

So I devoured this book in a matter of days. This book was more mystery than Gothic romance but that was fine by me. I loved the odd nature of Kiera’s marriage to Sir Anthony and how she was shunned by society to the extreme. I loved Kiera’s attitude…..a spicy little thing and I loved that! Her wit and tart responses to the frustrating Gage were endearing and at times made me laugh out loud from how perfect they were. The one that stands out in my mind is when she reveals herself in the library to Gage after questioning a suspect. I died laughing at her retort. From that moment on, I loved her and knew I would be reading this whole series in rapid succession.

The mystery was equal parts dark and unthinkable. I loved the red herrings and twists in the plot with the end culminating in a climax that was cultivated for just the right amount of time for readers.

But it wasn’t Kiera and the mystery that completely hooked me…it was the chemistry between Kiera and Gage that made me LOVE this book. At times, I wasn’t entirely convinced that Gage cared for Kiera to the degree that the author wasn’t us to believe….likewise, I thought Kiera was uncharacteristically taken with Gage and it didn’t make sense. That said…..I didn’t care in the least. I thought Gage was charming and sexy in his own right and it was clear that he was at the least attracted to Kiera but I didn’t get the same tormented love interest that I think was being implied in this book. Kiera acknowledged Gage’s good looks and easy manners and that she liked him more than she was willing to admit and it was easy to believe her at least in that regard…..however, Kiera was seemingly so put off by men from her marriage to Sir Anthony that I felt like she needed a little more ‘winning over’ from Gage than we got in this book for it to be believable.

However, as I said, I didn’t care one wit if their individual feelings needed more development because when you got them together in the story, it was the perfect fit not just for romantic inclinations but for a true detective partnership. I suppose thinking back, it’s fitting that their relationship isn’t all brooding and moody in the first book because they are just getting used to the idea of each other…..and I fully expect to see more in this regard in later books.

I loved Kiera and Gage together….they worked so well together. Each had their flaws as characters and I loved watching them try to work together……rather successfully I might add. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a series whose two main characters captivate me in both a romantic sense and a detecting sense….I loved this book! I can’t believe it took me this long to read it!
20 people found this helpful
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Pamela M Curry
5.0 out of 5 stars Book 1, exciting and suspenseful.
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2023
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Very much a well written Book 1 for a series. The character development was quite good to the point where I’m still not sure our gal is making right decisions. I’m sure future books will tell. The story lends itself to mystery that seemed to twist and turn, Don’t set your belief of guilt on one character,,,you will be surprised…loved it…on to Book 2
One person found this helpful
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mcerner
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written, tearful heroine, mystery too obvious
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2022
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The book was for the most part nicely written, and the heroine was intriguing. The story was good as well but the culprit and motive were too easily apparent three quarters into the book. The only surprise was that he heroine found the hero appealing. We keep hearing how handsome he is and how many women he has been involved with, but not other evidence of charm or special intellect. For instance, when finding a planted murder weapon, he propose that it was phoney but then used it to arrest someone, disgarding his own conclusions. Sloppy investigative work. The heroine was more witty, however she tended to be wimpy. Annoying was that she was often in tears. This was silliness in a book and especially in a mystery. I will read the next book in this series to see if she develops a backbone. Also to find out perhaps why she finds the incompetent hero appealing.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Nadia
5.0 out of 5 stars Slow burn romance
Reviewed in Australia on August 21, 2019
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If you like a more Gothic mystery with the start of a romance, this is your book. If you are looking for a resolved relationship, not for you.
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Sasa
5.0 out of 5 stars Delighted with this book.
Reviewed in Canada on September 3, 2015
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A great new to me author,loved it !
3 people found this helpful
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Fuchs Joan
4.0 out of 5 stars Haarscharf am Trash vorbei
Reviewed in Germany on November 6, 2015
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Eigentlich ist das ein gut geschriebenes Buch, die Geschichte ist spannend, genug komplex, die Akteure interessant genug, aber dennoch stimmt etwas nicht ganz damit. Mal von Fremdsprachfehlern abgesehen (ja, es gibt einen Imperativ im Französischen!), und von bereits von anderen Rezensenten erwähnten Fehlern bezüglich historischen gesellschaftlichen Gegebenheiten, welche die Autorin einfach ignoriert, ist hier einfach etwas faul. Vielleicht das ewige hin und her, vielleicht braucht sie das zum Seiten füllen, manche Sätze wirken komplett fehl am Platz. Vielleicht hätte sie von strafferem Editing profitiert. Jedenfalls musste ich mehrfach "das darf doch nicht wahr sein" denken und der Schluss war echt zu viel des Guten. Ich werden den nächsten Band lesen, vielleicht gibt es ja eine Verbesserung, 4.2 Sterne, mit sehr viel Wohlwollen.
One person found this helpful
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LEP
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2013
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A good suspense set in 1830 Scotland, the reign of William IV. Artist, Lady Kiera Darby has taken refuge with her sister and brother in law after the death of her husband, a surgeon and anatomist. Unable to draw and illustrate the book he was writing on anatomy, her husband made Kiera sit in on his autopsies and do the illustrations of various body parts. After his death, scandal breaks when the illustrations are found and it is realised who drew and painted them.

Kiera's sister and brother in law throw a house party, inviting members of the ton. The women of whom are particularly scathing towards Kiera. When a body is found in the castle grounds, it makes things considerably worse for Kiera, especially when her brother in law asks her to help a guest, Sebastian Gage, investigate, as it is going to take the Procurator Fiscal 4 days to get to the house. Prickly and wary Kiera is exceedingly wary of ladies man Gage, as an uneasy alliance is made between the pair.

A good read. There are however a couple af bloomers. We don't have raccoons in the UK and the author mixes up the months somewhat is relation to flowering plants and fruit. Bluebells don't flower in August, nor do wild raspberries fruit at that time (autumn fruiting raspberries are new and wouldn't have been around in 1830). Despite those slip-ups, it's a good book.
8 people found this helpful
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Ulli
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in Germany on June 26, 2021
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Good read with authentic heroine and nice plot. A bit of romance and lot of excitement. Will definitely follow-up with next book.
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