I’m really excited to buy this for friends over the holidays! This was a really enjoyable read and I felt engaged the entire time.

The Resurrectionist is a well-written, enthralling historical fiction that takes us into the lives of medical professionals who get caught up in the art of body snatching. These body snatchers do not see themselves as grave robbers but as resurrectionists, working towards advancements in medical science for the benefit of all mankind. In this book we follow James Willoughby, a newer resurrectionist stemming from a well-off family, and his story of how he came into body snatching, his love for medical science, and of course, him finding love and himself along the way. Throughout the read, we touch on topics of medical science and its advancements, moral ambiguity, self-discovery, and, of course, romance (same sex, which was taboo and illegal at the time). The author has done a wonderful job creating an atmospheric setting, making the reader feel like we were in 19th century Edinburgh. As far as the writing, it was impeccable and gave a poetic feel, and it also flowed nicely with a steady, even pace. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and would highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and A. Rae Dunlap for this captivating ARC!

This was such an interesting and enjoyable read, I can't say I was well informed in the art of body snatching before but now I've definitely learnt a few tips and tricks 😂
I imagine if you knew more about the history of grave diggers and body snatchers in the 1800's, you would have more of an appreciation for the real historical figures' names that were scattered throughout the book. Even without prior knowledge, this was still a great story with enjoyable characters involved in some pretty gruesome tasks and hijinks. As far as historical fiction goes, definitely one of the best I've read in a while and would happily recommend to anyone who wants to take a trip to Edinborough to do some digging. 🦴

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"Say something"
"Tha gaol agam ort, mò chridhe."
"Pretty. What's the meaning?"
"Your forehead would make a lovely pocketbook."
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Big thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for review

As someone whose favorite YA novel of all time is "Anatomy: A Love Story", I was desperately looking for an adult book about 19th-century Edinburgh resurrectionists, where the themes of medicine, romance, and crime would weave together. After seeing the synopsis of "The Resurrectionist" by A. Rae Dunlap, I knew I had to read it. I'm so glad I requested an ARC because this book turned out to be everything I was looking for.

The main character and narrator of "The Resurrectionist" is James Willoughby, the third son of an impoverished gentry family who arrives in Edinburgh to study medicine in 1828. At the time, the city was the leading center for medical training in the British Isles, but due to legal restrictions, there was a shortage of bodies on which future surgeons could practice their skills. This led to the huge problem of body snatching, or stealing bodies from cemeteries. Enrolling in one of the private schools offering additional medical courses, James meets Aneurin "Nye" MacKinnon, a young dissectionist and after-hours resurrectionist who obtains bodies from cemeteries for medical purposes. Pressed by financial problems, James agrees to become Nye's partner. Over time, the relationship between the two protagonists deepens into true affection. Unfortunately, the situation in Edinburgh becomes more dangerous for those in the resurrectionist business, as James's group crosses paths with Burke and Hare, historical figures who would stop at nothing in "procuring specimens."

A. Rae Dunlap skillfully blends fiction with true crime elements, delivering a fantastic, albeit somewhat gory, novel set in a gothic atmosphere. Adding to this is a sweet yet non-dominant romance, making The Resurrectionist almost a perfect book for me - one I would like to write myself. I really enjoyed the author's attention to historical detail, as the book devotes a great deal of space to the specifics of resurrectionists' work and medical education in early 19th-century Edinburgh. For those familiar with the history of Burke and Hare, the plot may be a bit predictable, but that doesn't detract from the experience because the fantastic atmosphere, attention to detail, and character relationships drive the book.

Writing a compelling first-person narrative is not easy, but the author succeeds here. James is not only an insightful observer through whom we are exposed to the world of resurrectionists but also an interesting character whose coming-of-age process unfolds throughout the novel. Aneurin, on the other hand, is a gem of a character. Initially poised and distant, he reveals himself to be a complex figure, with life experiences that shape his goals and methods despite the adversities of his background, sexual orientation, or social class. I love the dynamic between James and Nye, and I think the author made a great decision in crafting the story as a tale of two people motivated by love.

I am aware that my enthusiastic review is partly because I found exactly the book I wanted to read. I am sure that for those interested in the history of medicine and Scottish grave snatchers, this novel will also be perfect. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys gothic atmosphere and historical novels set in the 19th century.

The novel plunges readers into the dark underbelly of the medical advancement of surgery, where the sinister practice of body snatching taints the quest for knowledge. James Willoughby is a determined young man who leaves his comfortable life at Oxford to chase his dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. The city, known for its leading medical university, offers everything in terms of educational knowledge except the opportunity to practice cadavers. A friend of James' promises to help him gain the surgical experience he craves. Not knowing his friend is a body snatcher, he is thrust into the dangerous world of the Resurrectionists.

The author portrays James's moral descent and is caught up in the allure of his friend's noble yet reckless mission. James goes through a significant transformation from a noble and sheltered young man to a student and a willing participant in grave robbing. It reflects the lengths to which someone would go in pursuing knowledge.

The author's depiction of 19th-century Edinburgh brings the world to life for the reader. When James first gets to his boarding house, he speaks of the windows' grimness and the door handle's oiliness. One of the novel's strengths is its exploration of ethical dilemmas: the moral complexities of humanity, the cost of progress, and the ethics of medical research. It is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction, the macabre beginnings of surgical advancement, and suspenseful storylines.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing.

I was a little biased about the subject matter of this book (because honestly the concept of resurrectionists is horribly macabre and interesting) but the story was funny! There was a lot of dark humor and funny situational moments. James is a delightful narrator maneuvering the seedy underbelly of the Enlightenment era Edinburgh with the guidance of Aneurin. It was a delightful, macabre, funny, and good story with a lot of heart…and other stolen body parts.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

“The resurrectionist” is a historical fiction that deep dives into the true crime surrounding the murderous duo Burke and Hare. I sincerely hope that another book will come in the future, as I’m not ready to say goodbye to James and Nye, nor to how well Dunlop has set the scene of their story.

What a great read!
Historical fiction is not something | usually read. However this book was such an a great fun read! It is consistently fitting to the time period, which, in my experience is not always the case. So excited to see where this takes A.Rae Dunlap!

If you’re into
-Dark Academia
-True crime
-Forbidden Romance
-Historical Fiction
-LGBTQ+
-Body Snatching/Grave Robbers
This book is for you!

"The Resurrectionist" is a gothic, historical novel which takes place in Edimburgh, between the Underworld inhabited by crews of body-snatchers and the University where James, the protagonist, in enrolled as a medical student. Soon he will find himself involved with the darker underbelly of the city, in the name of Science and Progress.

The prose is exquisite, and the pace kept me glued to these pages, not so fast that I felt I was being rished trough the story but not so slow that I felt like nothing was happening. This was a great read for every fan of the gothic genre, and the spooky and athmospheric vibe, which was what really drew me in at first, is so beautifully mastered here.

I will definitely purchase this book once it's out, and in the meantime I thank Netgalley for the digital arc.

The spooky, atmospheric setting with academic cadavers and grave-robbing is wonderfully balanced with charming characters and a sweet little romance.

The plot sometimes missed the connecting tissue (is that a pun here?) to make it completely believable, but the characters and atmosphere kept me invested anyways.

I’d be very happy to hear more from James and Nye’s next intrigues!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing story, read while traveling from Bath UK to edinburgh so perfect timing! Great mix of fact and horror. The romance isn't a forefront which I love for this storyline.

A tale of breaking free of expectations to find purpose and love set amongst a macabre backdrop of murder, body snatching, and a quest for knowledge.

The Resurrectionist is a haunting, thought-provoking read that seamlessly blends history, suspense, and romance, leaving me eager for more.

In this chilling gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland, it’s a grim world where the infamous duo Burke and Hare reign terror over Edinburgh's streets. Young medical student, James, becomes ensnared in the clandestine world of body snatching in attempts to live an independent life outside London society. Follow James, his university friends, and his body snatching team in this harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the unsettling evolution of modern medicine.

It transported me to a dark and intricate world. The narrative delves unflinchingly into the gory and gruesome details of Victorian medical practices, painting a vivid picture of the era's fascination with scientific advancement amidst moral ambiguity. The portrayal of societal classes, legal complexities, and the allure of enlightenment provides a compelling backdrop, making the necessity of body snatching tragically understandable.

The skillful use of diction and accents effortlessly brings each character to life, vividly portraying their era and social standing. James undergoes a beautiful coming-of-age journey as he navigates his dreams, financial constraints, familial duties, and a forbidden romance. The LGBTQ+ companionship for the era is handled as sensitively as the relationship needed to be. And the severe punishment for being caught is thoroughly discussed which left me wishing for a better time so their love could bloom.

As a bonus, the inclusion of medical and body snatching puns added a delightful layer of wit and humor to the narrative, enriching the storytelling experience. Overall, I enjoyed this book, its immersive experience, and its embodiment of various genres!

The resurrectionist is a story about a man who finds himself caught up in an underground, highly illegal feud in the name of science, while balancing his moral code and his love and determination of furthering his education.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me a copy of what happens to be my favourite read of the year, The Resurrectionist, in exchange of an honest review.

(this is gonna be a long one, so i’ll quickly note here that if you like dark academia, banter and beautifully detailed writing, this is the book for you.)

03/07/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Wow. Wow wow wow.

There are so many layers to this book, so many things that I could praise highly and rant about for paragraphs upon paragraphs.

I have to start with the beauty of the writing. The entire book felt like reading poetry, with the perfect balance of showing and telling, of simple and abstract diction. It was never too much, while still being enough that the words on the page painted an intricate picture. The descriptions of Edinburg during the day and night had a stark contrast, and I could picture both the horrors of the night and the unique beauty of the day that was displayed.

Alongside the general describing, the actual story was beautiful. This book is historical fiction, a coming of age and a love story all in one, and amazingly the ideas fit together like a puzzle (reference to the book, iykyk…) and it somehow is not overwhelming.

James and Nye are both so charming, detailed and wonderful characters. I found myself rooting for them from the beginning. Their dialogue had me grinning down at my book, and their relationship was nuanced and romantic and all in all lovely.

James’s struggle with his morals versus what he wants most in life was a large part of the story, and dictated many of his choices. He wasn’t written to be a boring, perfect protagonist, but rather a protagonist with many flaws, but many many strengths as well.

Nye has the potential to become a new favourite morally grey book boyfriend. He is not a saint, but as James mentions in the book, he isn’t without his moral code. He is charming, manipulative, smart but also fiercely loyal. He was my favourite part of this story, and I loved him from his first appearance on the page. James’s relationship with Nye was an integral part of the story, but by no means the centre of it. It had been weaves into James’s arc as a result of the situation, and didn’t feel forced at all. I adored their banter, and their genuine conversation as well, as the two men got to know each other’s true selves truly and deeply.

By the end of the book, James had found himself again after years of despair, got himself a man he loves, and had discovered how deep his passion for science went.

Run, don’t walk, to get your hands on this book when it releases. It truly deserves to be read.

Historical Fiction isn’t typically my go-to but when I saw this cover I knew I had to see what lay in the pages behind it!

I went into this blind not reading the synopsis or anything and keeping an open mind. I was very pleased that this was in the world of true crime AND it featured a love story. James and Nye, two very likable characters, had me cheering for their story right away!

So much of the prose in this book is exquisite. It really will transport you back in time! And I loved learning about the history of Burke and Hare - infamous body snatchers. I’ve always fancied the macabre and this scratched that spot so wonderfully!

Fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper, with a bit more historical reference, will definitely love this!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the digital ARC!

Thank you netgalley for letting me read this book. This is a great historical fiction, taking place in the late 1820's. The way she wrote about the medical university's of the time period and connecting in the Burke and Hare serial killers of that time was great. You can tell she put in the time to research the history needed to make this book.
The fictional characters she created fit in perfectly with this story.
James is a young man that has decided to pursue science against the wishes of his wealthy family. He has his struggles, that come along with being on your own with very little and finds ways to stay at the university with some help from his new friends. The love story between James and Nye is a nice extra that adds more to the characters and makes you what to see what will come next for them. I do hope there will be another story about Nye and James.

What a delightful read!
Historical fiction is not something I usually enjoy, I must admit.
This book however is such an excellent read that it swept me along like no other in this genre has managed so far!

The writing is easy to get into, yet not too simple. It is consistently fitting to the time period, which, in my experience, is often not the case.

The main characters are wonderfully multifaceted, and while I feared the author might fall into the trap of writing James as either too snobby or too perfect, there was a good, realistic balance maintained. James himself is an intriguing main character, caught between two worlds, not fitting properly into either, trying to navigate his way towards his own making. On one side, he is immensely intelligent in all the areas he is interested in; on the other hand, he is clumsy and naive when it comes to practically anything else. He is trying to figure out the morals of his known ethics vs. this new world he finds himself in now. A dilemma quickly arises that is still as modern as it was centuries and decades ago: how far should we go for scientific progress?

As fleshed out as the main characters are, I sadly must also mention that every other character is rather one-dimensional.

I had to laugh out loud more than once; however, the scenes where the characters were mostly amused felt very forced to me and had an odd kind of humor, not just because of its darkness.

The plot and story are thrilling and make it hard to put down. I found myself wishing for the next book, eager to see how the two will wreak further chaos and fulfill their ...

All in all, an immensely enjoyable and enlightening read.

Thanks for NetGalley and A Rae Dunlap for providing this read for reviewing.
#TheResurrectionist #NetGalley

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210365385-the-resurrectionist" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Resurrectionist" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1711421228l/210365385._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210365385-the-resurrectionist">The Resurrectionist</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49115764.A_Rae_Dunlap">A Rae Dunlap</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6634930072">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
What a delightful read! <br />Historical fiction is not something I usually enjoy, I must admit.<br />This book however is such an excellent read that it swept me along like no other in this genre has managed so far!<br /><br />The writing is easy to get into, yet not too simple. It is consistently fitting to the time period, which, in my experience, is often not the case.<br /><br />The main characters are wonderfully multifaceted, and while I feared the author might fall into the trap of writing James as either too snobby or too perfect, there was a good, realistic balance maintained. James himself is an intriguing main character, caught between two worlds, not fitting properly into either, trying to navigate his way towards his own making. On one side, he is immensely intelligent in all the areas he is interested in; on the other hand, he is clumsy and naive when it comes to practically anything else. He is trying to figure out the morals of his known ethics vs. this new world he finds himself in now. A dilemma quickly arises that is still as modern as it was centuries and decades ago: how far should we go for scientific progress?<br /><br />As fleshed out as the main characters are, I sadly must also mention that every other character is rather one-dimensional.<br /><br />I had to laugh out loud more than once; however, the scenes where the characters were mostly amused felt very forced to me and had an odd kind of humor, not just because of its darkness.<br /><br />The plot and story are thrilling and make it hard to put down. I found myself wishing for the next book, eager to see how the two will wreak further chaos and fulfill their ...<br /><br />All in all, an immensely enjoyable and enlightening read.<br /><br />Thanks for NetGalley and A Rae Dunlap for providing this read for reviewing.<br />#TheResurrectionist #NetGalley
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I also love the information at the end that its based on true cases, very fascinating realization of such a gruesome tale.

Thank you so much to Kensington Publishing for the early copy of this book!

I cannot put into words how much I loved reading this novel! The main characters were compelling! The plot full of real events, people, and places woven into the story itself. This was a true joy to read and I will sorely miss James and Nye and their adventures as resurrectionists and scientists!

Well this was certainly an interesting read. I requested this book on the science and history. In that aspect, the book knocked it out of the park. Reading about how robbing graves was done and how they were used in the medical field was fun. Reading the afterward and finding out some of the secondary characters were actual people actually elevated the book for me. The one main issue I had was that the romance seemed kind of unnecessary. Although it didn't feel forced, it felt like it didn't add much to the story. It would have played out the same if they were friends. I am excited that the ending gave an opening for a possible sequel which I would be very interested in.

Immersive, creepy and passionate!

The Resurrectionist transports us to Victorian Edinburgh, where the roots of modern surgery can be traced, via the unsettling practice of dissection. Understanding of human anatomy was a core element of modern medicine, but there was one practical issue for the doctors and the students: not enough available bodies.

James, who cast his upper class life aside to pursue his ambition of a medicine degree, is dragged into the black market of body-snatching. Igniting sparks of romance with this particular activity isn't the most common occurrence, but Dunlap makes it work, dancing between the revulsion of dissection and study of removed human organs and limbs and the passion James and Nye have for science...and for each other.

The atmosphere and the vocabulary are immersive, you feel 19th century Edinburgh around you. The blend of real historical figures and fictional ones is smooth, and James' thoughts shed a lot of light in the cultural background.

A splendid debut!

Thank you NetGalley and for the ARC!