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Fiction book reviews
The Blood Doctor
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The Blood Doctor Barbara Vine. London, UK: Penguin, 2003. ISBN-13: 978-0-14-100916-2. Price: £7.99. Pages: 480 (paperback)
I came across this book through a display in the foyer of a local secondary school where I had been asked to lead a sex education lesson. The teachers were recommending books they had enjoyed and this was one of the science teacher's choices. The story is narrated by Martin Nander who is writing a biography of his great grandfather, Henry Nander. Henry was an expert on diseases of the blood and Physician-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria, who rewarded him with a hereditary peerage. Martin, the current Lord Nander, is facing losing his vote (and the expenses that go with it!) as part of the recent reform of the House of Lords.
Martin is in his second marriage and his younger wife is becoming more and more desperate to have …