Dody McCleland

A DONATION OF MURDER is book number five in this excellent historical series from WA based author Felicity Young. Built around the central characters of Forensic surgeon Dody McCleland and her love interest Chief Inspector Matthew Pike, there are some important historical aspects to these two, their working lives and their relationship. For a start that relationship would be frowned upon because of their work together so it's secret, but it's also most unusual that McCleland is a qualified doctor at that point in history. That's why she is working in Forensics, and doing some private work as a doctor in a specialist women's clinic which she runs. McCleland's sister is an active participant in the Suffragette movement and frequently in trouble, their house is often filled with leaders of that movement, and their parents are Bohemians, unusual enough in their own right. Pike, on the other hand, is ex-Military, now Police, a widower with a young daughter who is, in this book, seriously contemplating his career future in large part because he's sick of the secrecy and really wants to marry McCleland.

Obviously there is a lot of historical fact and information built into the books, and, in particular, there's a serious message here about past attitudes towards women and the struggle for equality, done as part of the general narrative and not in a heavy-handed manner. That actually serves to make the whole situation more starkly unfair, and an excellent reminder of what a struggle equal rights has always been. The romantic aspects in A DONATION OF MURDER are slightly stronger than in the past books as well, it's the reason for so many of the decisions being made by Pike. There's also a very nice switch in the nature of personal jeopardy - he-jep instead of she-jep for a change!

A large part of the strength of this series is the characters - whilst McCleland, Pike, his daughter and Dody's sister are present in all the books, and each nicely drawn out in the process - Pike's daughter, in particular, seems to be stepping out of the shadows more recently. There are also reoccurring characters or types of characters - such as the suffragettes, the women involved with the medical clinic, etc who flesh out the difficulties of life at that time - not just for women although there is a tendency to focus on them. The plots are also particularly clever as they always cast some light into the particularly dark aspects of society at this time. In A DONATION OF MURDER the jewel thieves is one side of the story, but the nature of organised crime at the time, and the precarious position of a powerful female gang leader are other aspects that are particularly fascinating. All of these multi-layered, multi-threaded views make for great reading in a series that is tense and action packed, with really strong female characters, and a lesson in history built in. 

This is the latest in a series of intelligent, well-researched and engagingly written crime-fiction novels set amid the suffragette battles of early 1900s England. http://newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/2015/08/20/crime-scene-felicity-young...

Somebody, years ago, in "one of those long and philosophical nights around the dinner table" made a comment about history always being written by the victor, and it's stayed with me ever since (even though it's not an original proposition). I'm always reminded of it when a new Dody McCleland book arrives. Although they are fictional books, they speak with a resonance and an authority which draws a vivid picture of the time of the suffragettes, using the point of view of the women, demonstrating the utter stupidity and nastiness of the restrictions placed on women, without turning absolutely all the men into demons. In fact there are demons and good from both sexes.

Whilst there's a lot about THE SCENT OF MURDER that feels instructive, in the way that it draws a picture of life in that period, all of that is woven cleverly into a very solid crime fiction plot. Even with a touch of the cold case about this one.

Newcomers to the series (and you may need to explain why you've not read the two earlier books!) will get enough of the background to Dr McCleland to be able to fill in the blanks, although knowing why she's an autopsy surgeon in particular really fleshes out the pettiness of the restrictions on women. You'll know from this book that Chief Inspector Matthew Pike is a love interest, as well as a colleague. The earlier books will fill in the history to their relationship, and their own personal situations. There's actually a touching and quite clever statement going on with these two - a respectful and equal professional partnership, alongside a loving and supportive, albeit secret, personal partnership. Goes to show that feminism doesn't have to automatically put the feminine and the masculine at odds.

Before you start to think that THE SCENT OF MURDER is some sort of chest thumping treatise ... it most definitely is not. All of this series is written with a careful touch, much of the subtext is exactly that - subtext - and it would not be at all surprising that readers don't notice it / don't care. These are great stories, featuring really good characters, with a particularly strong feeling of both time and place. Needless to say, THE SCENT OF MURDER is an outstanding example of what's really really good about Australian crime writing.

ANTIDOTE TO MURDER is the second Dr Dody McCleland book from WA based author Felicity Young. If this is a series that you are yet to catch up with, then all I can say is get to it. Immediately.

Set in Edwardian London, McCleland is a qualified doctor, fighting a society that has some very confronting attitudes towards women, in particular. To remain working as a doctor, McCleland has to battle daily against mindless prejudice and power games. To simply survive many more women are fighting a similar battle. Particularly any poor woman who is unlucky enough to be single, poor (or both) and pregnant. In a world where contraceptives are expensive and frowned upon, the attitude of people to young women in very difficult circumstances is portrayed starkly by Young.

One of the great strengths of this series (THE DISSECTION OF MURDER is the first book) is the way that they illustrate the nature of the society in which Dody McCleland must find a way to live her life. There is a very realistic tussle between her desire to stay working as a doctor, and her attraction to Matthew Pike, and the inevitable loss of work and position that marriage imposed in those days. Alongside McCleland's professional life, her sister and friends continue their suffragette activities, and it is within the spectrum of the fight for overall rights, that the spectre of illegal abortion arises. Somehow the blaming of the deaths of young women, at the hands of a criminal abortionist, on the only female doctor within sight, seems inevitable.

In a delicate balancing act, the resolution of who actually killed those women and why, is part of a wider exploration, looking at the nature of women's lives in that time period. The balance maintained is done cleverly, subtly, it's a crime story undoubtedly, but along with that, it's a look at a way of life that should remain well behind us. Although there are days when I do wonder if that's going to always be the case. Perhaps the reading of history wrapped up in proper, good old storytelling should become mandatory - for both men and women, because this, most definitely, is not women's fiction. It's informative, it's interesting, and it's very very revealing. It's most definitely not a world I want to return to, and I'm really grateful that Young takes the time to write this series. It's well worth reading, even if you don't think you're a fan of historical crime fiction.

A DISSECTION OF MURDER is the first in a series of books from Western Australian author Felicity Young.  Set in London at the turn of the twentieth Century, featuring Dr Dody McCleland, the first female autopsy surgeon, the action in this book takes place in the midst of the Suffragette struggle, with the crime being investigated the death of a prominent suffragette during a rally that turned particularly violent.

More historical crime fiction, in other words.  Not so long ago I'd have been dodging this particular sub-genre.  Particularly when it comes with a hefty mixing of fictional and non-fictional events and characters.  It's worth reading Young's author note at the end of the book to get your head around who and what are the fictional aspects of the book, just to keep reality straight in your head, because A DISSECTION OF MURDER really has a most authentic, realistic feel about it.  Needless to say, I've been converted recently, mostly because of some excellent local authors.

Readers will have to stick with the early part of book as it does take a while for things to get moving.  To be fair, it is the start of a new series, and there's a fair bit of background explanation, the whys and wheres of Dody McCleland becoming the first female autopsy surgeon, and a significant amount of scene setting going on.  Once all of that is worked through, the book quickly becomes extremely compelling.  Part of this is due to the characters - Dody and her sister Florence seem like very real people, the world that they live in is very vividly drawn.  There's a fullish cast of characters surrounding them, and whilst many of them are, by necessity, very much bit players, there's also some starring roles - not the least of which being the Morgue attendant.  In what seems like quite a deliberate styling, the two sisters are poles apart - Dody is considered, cautious, almost withdrawn; Florence more vivacious, outgoing, impulsive.  Obviously these two character traits are going to dictate the parts that both women play in the unravelling of the plot, but that set-up didn't come across as overly manipulative.  Perhaps because the relationship between the two sisters, whilst sometimes volatile, seemed right, supportive and understanding.  Undoubtedly accepting who and what they are is helped by their bohemian family background, as clichéd as that may sound, somehow it gives the girls licence to be willing to push the boundaries.

The main police character in the book - Pike - is a man very much of his time.  Jilted widower, father of a young daughter, he supports the concept of the women's vote, but not the methods being used to achieve it.  He carries an injury from his time as a serving soldier, which constantly weighs on both his mind, and his career prospects, making him vulnerable to the whims of the upper-hierarchy of the Force.  He is a nice combination of stickler for the proprieties and bender of rules when justified by the circumstances, his life has not been as privileged as the McCleland sisters, but he is an interesting combination of acceptance, contentment and longing.

The plot of the book is reasonably strong, although there is the occasional point at which the death of the suffragette disappears a little into the difficulties of the struggle in general, the violence of the police and their motivations, and the involvement of Irish Nationalists.  There's also just the slightest hint of possible romantic leanings for the two main characters, which will undoubtedly appeal to many readers.  Given it's the opening in a series which is obviously setting up a world for Dr Dody McCleland to function in; particularly as many of the difficulties she experiences as a female doctor, let alone autopsy surgeon, are very far removed from our own current day female experience; I was more than a bit surprised about how happy I felt going with the scene setting.  It's a sure sign that A DISSECTION OF MURDER is the opening book in a series I'll be looking forward to seeing more of.

Publication Date: 1st March, 2012.