Book Review
The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen
Historical Fiction | Mystery
Amongst Dr. Burnett’s collection of oddities and medical specimens sits a heart in a jar. To anyone else, this juvenile heart with its damaged mitral valve would simply be another exhibit to gawk at. But for Isabel Tait, a woman whose son has been missing for months now… a son who just happened to have that same rare defect… the heart beats out a different story.
The Specimen by Jaima Fixsen has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. After falling in love with her previous work The Girl In His Shadow and The Woman With No Name (co-written under the name Audrey Blake), I was beyond excited to see what Jaima had up her sleeve next. And it absolutely lived up to my expectations!
The book combines all my favorite genres: historical fiction, mystery, and true crime. Add in a sprinkle of gothic fiction and you’ve got this eerie and chilling tale set amidst the historical backdrop of Edinburgh in the 1820s.
While it took me a few chapters to get into the book, this true-crime-inspired novel quickly captivated me and I struggled to put it down at the end of the day. The writing is rich and mesmerizing, and the story is extremely well-set — almost as if you’re walking the gritty Edinburgh streets along with Isobel. It’s a time period that I really enjoy (but find is often overlooked in newer historical fiction) and I loved getting transported there. The story can be a slow burn at times but it is absolutely worth investing in this intricate world-building and strong character development.
Isobel’s character is wrapped up in a mother’s love and fierce determination to find justice for her son. It’s an equally heartbreaking and inspiring read to see her take things into her own hands and push for truth when the world seems to be battling against her. Fixsen brought this grieving-mother protagonist to life and in the process, gave us a haunting and unique historical mystery.
I also appreciated that Fixsen wasn’t afraid to give us a darker mystery with more gothic vibes. While the story isn’t overly graphic in its descriptions, it’s definitely not a cozy mystery — and that’s not always as easy to come by with the historical mystery genre. It’s clear that Jaima did an extensive amount of research into getting the setting and historical plot details accurate and that made for an immersive and memorable read.
For fans of gothic-feeling, historical mysteries, I highly recommend adding this novel to your shelves!
Recommended for:
Readers interested in gothic-feeling, mysterious historical fiction
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Advance copy of the book provided courtesy of the author, Jaima Fixsen. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the book:
(Form the publisher): Walk carefully, lest you become a part of Dr. Burnett’s collection…
1826. Isobel Tait finds herself, by chance, staring at a tiny human heart floating in a jar. It should be of little consequence; Dr. Burnett is renowned for his collection of oddities and medical specimens, and this, a juvenile heart with a damaged mitral valve, is not the strangest thing on display. Except that the condition is rare, and that Isobel’s young son, who has been missing for months, suffered from the ailment.
A phantom pulse beats in Isobel’s ears. She knows something here isn’t right.
Missing persons cases are all too common in Edinburgh, where people simply vanish like mist. But Burnett is obsessed with his specimens – how far would he go to acquire a new one? Determined to investigate, Isobel joins his staff as the keeper of his collection. What she’ll unearth, though, is far worse than any of her nightmares…
Based on true crimes, The Specimen is a mesmerizing story about one woman’s search for truth and vengeance in the darkest of places—where the deadliest secrets lie hidden in plain sight, on a freshly dusted shelf.