Allan Gaw’s novel, The Silent House of Sleep, won the 2024 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, and deservedly so. The historical mystery introduces Dr. Jack Cuthbert in a story that beautifully entwines Cuthbert’s years in medical school in Edinburgh, his time serving in World War I, and a case in post-war London. Cuthbert is a complicated, troubled man. His housekeeper, one of the few people who knows him well, sees him as one of the loneliest man she ever met. The combination of historical forensics, war years, and a complex man makes for an engrossing story.
By December 1928, Dr. Cuthbert is the senior patholgist at St Thomas’s Hospital in London, and the Senior police surgeon with the Metropolitan police. He’s not popular with many of the police officers because he’s meticulous. DS Baker’s boss dislikes him, but Baker likes working with Cuthbert because he “had a reputation for getting it right”. There is no love lost between Detective Inspector Franklin and Cuthbert. Franklin only wants fast results. So, when a college student, Freddie Dawson, goes missing, it’s Franklin’s case. But, the discovery of a body that might be Freddie only frustrates Franklin when Cuthbert can’t give him immediate answers. Fortunately, for both men, Franklin retires before Cuthbert has some answers. Detective Chief Inspector Mowbray steps into a messy case. Despite his reluctance to work with any doctor, he and Cuthbert became allies in solving a mystery involving two unidentified bodies buried in a park. The two intelligent men, although not friends, can work together.
This is a complex case that takes almost a year to solve. There are some gruesome details to the forensics and the case, ones that are sometimes stomach-turning. But, Gaw does a magnificent job telling Jack Cuthbert’s story. While Charles Todd brought Ian Rutledge home from WWI with shell shock and memories that he can’t escape, Gaw takes readers right into Cuthbert’s war. There is vivid imagery, and Cuthbert’s memories haunt him, sometimes bringing him to his knees. “Something inside him was broken, and he doubted any medicine could fix it.” There’s a reason Cuthbert went into pathology and forensics. “Forensic medicine …was an entirely objcetive science that ideally required complete detachment from any emotion.”
The note on the author says Allan Gaw studied medicine at Glasgow and trained as a pathologist. He’s written numerous nonfiction books about medicine and legal consequences. With The Silent House of Sleep, he’s created an unforgettable character in Dr. Jack Cuthbert. It’s an engrossing, riveting story, if a little graphic at times.
Allan Gaw’s website is https://researchet.wordpress.com/about/
The Silent House of Sleep by Allan Gaw. The Mysterious Press, 2026. 288p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley supplied by the publisher through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
I’ve just looked this up on our library system Lesa – hooray! I thought, when I saw it in the list.
But then I noticed the doom laden words ‘electronic resource.’
Our libraries seem to be buying more and more books in electronic format only. I don’t have an E-reader that’s compatible with the library software (Amazon made sure no kindle can use it.) I’m beginning to think I need to invest in one.
Thank you for the excellent review anyway!
I do a ton of library stuff by way of the Library and my kindle, Rosemary.
I don’t know if your library does this, but here in Dallas, if you bring your Kindle or other eReader to the library, a librarian will help you set it up to work. My adult son has helped me with mine, off and on, to make it continue to work with the system. It will be fine and then, something, somewhere, gets changed and he has to fiddle with it.
So, maybe that is an option for you.
Thanks Kevin
I having read that Kindle will not accept library downloads, I asked a library staff member, who confirmed this, so I wonder if it is to do with our library’s particular software?
My Kindle is pretty old so I was contemplating buying a Kobo instead – what do you think?
Morning, everyone…. As I write this at 8:15 AM CDT, I have an email from Lesa saying that she is unable to get in to the blog today. So she can’t read, respond, or do anything. She is very frustrated and rightfully so. Her webmaster, says the company is having huge server issues, and she is not alone.
Hopefully, like yesterday, at some point later today, she can get back in and play catchup.
I will keep you updated when I hear anything more from her.
KRT in Big D
This sounds like a great book, and since it’s a debut, I can start right in with it, instead of reading an excellent review of #5, say, in a series and feeling like I have to go back to #1 to appreciate it. Hurray!
I’ve had trouble getting to the blog all day. I finally refreshed the link right after the gateway error message and finally got in. I can’t imagine how frustrated Lesa is.
I’m heading to bed, but I got in at 11:30 PM. No blog on Sunday because no one had a chance to read this one. I’ll see if I can get in on Sunday. Thanks for your patience.