This was such an interesting an unusual book! Based on true events, the author tells the story of James Willoughby, a young English aristocrat who moves to Edinburgh in 1828 to study medicine. He soon learns that a key part of his medical education will require him to pay to enroll in one of the many private schools that have sprung up to enable students to work on human cadavers. This leads him to join a group of "Resurrectionists"--people who steal bodies so they can use them as anatomical specimen. James and his fellow Resurrectionists soon run afoul of the real life serial killers Burke and Hare, leading to a dramatic finale.

The author did a masterful job of combining truth and fiction to tell the story of this fascinating period in medical education. The fictional characters were well drawn and made for a very exciting story as we followed their somewhat unsavory methods to advance their knowledge. Definitely recommend for anyone interested in medical history or historical fiction in general.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ☆

What a stunning debut! The writing was incredibly immersive and so beautiful that I was immediately drawn in. I loved the way the author took the real life events surrounding the Burke and Hare killings and included their own fictional elements while still staying true to the goings on of the time.

Maybe it’s my love of science and true crime that caused it, but I couldn’t help but support them excavating these bodies in the name of research. Aneurin, who is the assistant of the famous Dr. Malstrom, painted such an exquisite picture to make one not view these body snatchings as crimes, but as a way to revolutionize the medical field, the effects trickling down to other aspects of life.

The romance between James and Aneurin was so cute! It didn’t take away from the mystery at all; but was rather just another thing to love about the story! Aneurin, along with his band of body snatchers, greatly contributed to James’s character development and I loved seeing him come into himself.

I’m finding historical fiction to be a genre I enjoy and I can’t wait for more people to read this! If you like gothic writing, macabre settings, hilariously dramatic characters with a little romance, then this is definitely the book for you. Dunlap definitely outdid herself and I’m excited to see what else she delivers in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington publishing for this arc in exchange for a review!

⤷ <b>Fave quotes/lines:

• ’Yet I must insist that in the end, this is not a story about Death. It is perhaps a Life story, or even--yes--a Love story. It is the story of how I clawed my way from the decay of a crumbling legacy into the modern era of Reason and Science. It is the story of how I escaped the prison of archaic superstition to the freedom of enlightenment. It is the story of how a rose can blossom from even the bloodiest soil, of how light can grow from shadow, how love can grow from despair.’

• Aneurin’s eyes raked across my face, and I had the uncomfortable sensation of being dissected without so much as a single incision. At long last, he responded. “I can’t tell whether you’re stupider than you seem, more naive than I’d come to believe, or so intentionally obtuse as to be a rare and volatile combination of the two.”

• “You came to Edinburgh because you were looking for the face of God and couldn’t find it in your Bible. Don’t cast blame on me if His true appearance is not the one of beatific serenity you’d been deceived into believing. This is the face of Progress, James. Don’t you dare look away.”

• ’How could anything be unnatural when our coupling felt as easy as breathing air? How could the life I’d found with Nye be anything other than a benediction, full of grace? How could Nye ever be less than everything?’

I don't usually read historical fiction, but the concept of gay grave robbing just wasn't something I could pass up. Based on the true tales of the Resurrectionist activity in Edinburgh during the early 19th century, this book is full of grotesque descriptions of early anatomists, harrowing capers trough graveyards, and a charming measure of stolen glances and forbidden longing. I was delighted by the unexpected madcap humor sprinkled throughout, it added a much needed balance to the absurdity of the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced digital copy.

Firstly, thank you so much to A. Rae Dunlap, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this free eARC of The Resurrectionist in exchange for an honest review.

Dunlap's The Resurrectionist follows high-class James Willoughby and mysterious dissections Nye MacKinnon as they gain surgical experience under some somewhat sketchy circumstances. The circumstances being body snatching--which is oddly enough in a legal grey area as long as no physical items of the deceased are stolen along with the body. Though this book is a work of fiction, our sweet body snatchers will eventually find themselves head to head with some real world threats that were around back in the 1800s when this story takes place. Making an appearance are body snatchers (and creators) William Burke and William Hare, known for a series of sixteen murders committed in quick succession in real-world Edinburgh.

What amazes me is how smoothly Dunlap meshed the worlds of fact and fiction together. While I am always excited to read a fictional macabre story, true crime is one of my favorite genres when it comes to non fiction books. Most of the story follows our main characters as they come to terms with life, love, and death, and also touched upon many other topics such as social class, society, queerness in 19th century Europe, There was a lot packed in to a relatively simple story, which makes this a book for those interested in an abundance of topics--not just body snatching and murder. The characters were loved, and Dunlap made sure to give everyone their own motivations that pushed the plot forward in a way that makes sense. Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend it to others!

“The Resurrectionist,” by A. Rae Dunlap

I loved loved loved everything about this book. 19th century medical student becoming a bodysnatcher was so interesting and a standout story plot. I loved the characters and how one was stuck up a little and trying to see the world through his new friends’ eyes but not giving up his life and dream of being a doctor in the prestigious world, and the other was a street kid who found a career in the medical field even if it is doing things others look down on. The M/M relationship was so perfect, and I saw how opposites attracted and how they complimented each other’s bad and good personality traits. I loved the world and scenery being sort of gross but also really cool at the same time. I could not put this book down, and it will definitely be a book I reread many times. 5 out of 5 stars.

-M/M
-19th century
-Medical Students
-Body Snatchers

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

This was a slow read. It took a while for the storyline to get really good, so I picked this up and put it down a few times over a month. The spooky horror of the character's education was wild, and the last 1/3 or so of the book took a turn I didn't see coming.

I loved the LGBTQ+ storyline, the nods to actual historical events and the fact I couldn't read this in the dark because I am a giant chicken.

After reading a quarter of The Resurrectionist, even though I knew it had to appear at some point because of the synopsis, I couldn't see how a love story could emerge in such an eclectic Edinburgh setting where scientific aspects of the human body were highlighted along with the afterlife of those who have passed away. Everything started so timidly, but I was happy to see that young James had no preconceived ideas and did not curb his desires for fear of society's judgment. He took a step forward and realized that it was more important to live up to his own standards instead of doing what would be acceptable from the standpoint of the public opinion in the 1800s.

I must admit that at the moment of discovering what was to become James's future hobby, I had the same opinion as him regarding this activity, but Aneurin manages throughout the book to be the voice of reason and to convince through logical and infallible arguments how appearances are deceiving and how some actions can be interpreted wrongly when the background context is not known. This is also one of the reasons why Aneurin is and will always be one of my favorite characters who made his way with the precision of a scalpel into one of the four chambers of my heart.

The language used throughout the book is a refined, exquisite one, an interpenetration of some archaic terms, with specialized terms from the medical field (as expected) and with expressions rarely found in the usual vocabulary found in other books.

In addition, I appreciated the author's help from the beginning regarding the pronunciation of Aneurin's name. If it wasn't for this aid, I probably would have pronounced it wrong until the end.

A. Rae Dunlap successfully managed to weave elements of historical fiction and true crime to create The Resurrectionist and I must warn you, this book is not for the faint of heart, so proceed with caution.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am an absolute sucker for dark academia, and this was no exception. From the moment I read the first paragraph, I knew I was going to be hooked. I absolutely adore James and Nye, and Dunlap's decision to blend their story with the true crime of Burke and Hare was magnificent. I can't wait until this book is published so that I can have this baby on my shelves.

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

I did not finish this one. I was so excited for it, but I could not sit through it. The chapters are so long and theres so much information to keep in your mind. I may come back to it again at a later date and try to finish it, but it has put me in a huge slump.

If you are not a fan of medical terminology and a story about grave robbing in europe then this book is not for you.

The you to NetGalley for a digital copy.
Filled with mortuary humor, The Resurrectionist is a quick read inspired by the disgusting underbelly of early surgeon training.
Squeamish people should give this book a pass, because there are scenes describing surgical practices and the very real attraction some people have towards death.
While far from cozy, I found this book to be amusing thanks to the narrator's quicky humor as he retells his story to you. I believe it was referred to as gothic, but in many ways the only "gothic" thing about this book is the fact that they're dealing with corpses, as one does when training to be a doctor. I didn't find the atmosphere gothic or disturbing or even mysterious since I had no difficulties in knowing the various twists before they happened.
If you want it to be more mysterious, then don't read the book blurb.
If you want a more light-hearted gothic-inspired story, then pick this book up. (Warning: I'm trained to handle human remains, so the ideas that surgery practices or corpses = creepy does not fly with me.) Dunlap does a great job explaining the wonder and awe one experiences during your first autopsy along with the fear that you'll prove yourself to be too weak to handle remains.

Brilliant.
The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap is at its heart a love story.

The characters feel REAL, and I had genuine emotions about their actions (or inaction!) and screamed and celebrated with them.
At one point Aneurin speaks a line of Gaelic (now Irish) and I had to use Google Translate, and when I did my heart leapt and broke at the same time.

This book is so unlike anything I've ever read. It was a joy to read, never felt like it dragged, and will leave me thinking about it for days!

I'd like to thank @Netgalley @Kingstonbooks and @araewrites for this early review copy. I can't wait for its release later this year!

I've read and watched several books/tv shows that focus on the Resurrection Men movement in Edinburgh and how that relates to modern medicine. Each time, I am fascinated by the history. Truthfully I was unsure whether we really needed another piece of content in this realm, but this book was a happy surprise! I loved our narrator's voice, and that the story somehow combined the expected body-snatching caper with elements of a cozy detective novel.
The only thing keeping me from 5 stars is the fact that I wish we'd had more time with our 2 main characters. I would've loved to see further fleshing out of their relationship (both before they get together and later on). Although once the body snatching starts, this book MOVES, so it's possible this would've just felt out of place. That being said, I would definitely read a follow up story about what happens to the two of them in London

I got an arc for this book from Netgalley and I’m really glad I did. It was a very dark, interesting read. Different from what I’ve read before and captivating. Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. I definitely recommend checking this one out. It kind of had some thriller elements to it too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for sending me the ARC of this book!

The Resurrectionist is a coming-of-age novel by A. Rae Dunlap where historical fiction meets queer romance blended with some true crime elements. It’s focused on a side of scientific history often overlooked—its dark underbelly where many questionable choices were made in the nascent stage of scientific inquiry in its name. In this particular story, it is the era when anatomical studies and medical practices involving surgeries were flourishing in Europe at the cost of graves being robbed to supply specimens for study, a task undertaken by those dubbed as ‘resurrection men’. Donating one’s body to science was still quite an unknown phenomenon yet, the world wanted medical advancements.

Set against this backdrop in the early 1800s, The Resurrectionist follows the point-of-view of James Willoughby—a young man barely into his adulthood who is eager to study medicine and pursue the anatomical sciences. However, when he moves to Edinburgh for this purpose and finds the university curriculum lacking, James discovers the existence of anatomy schools—private houses where the arts of surgery were taught to a select few by skilled persons of the profession in the style of Parisian doctors. However, admission to any of these schools requires a fee, one which our protagonist is hard-pressed to pay thanks to his deceased father’s debts and his family’s declining finances. So, to further his education, James strikes a deal with Aneurin, the assistant to one of these anatomy schools—a deal which introduces him to the dark world of those who call themselves ‘Resurrectionists’, responsible for supplying corpses fresh from the grave for the sake of science.

The Resurrectionist blends nineteenth-century language with gothic, dark academia themes. As such, it is a very pleasant read despite dealing with a fairly morbid subject matter. It even manages to weave in a neat little mystery inspired by the true murders of Burke and Hare in that era which is a very nice touch that grounds this fictitious tale in real history. At the heart of it though, this is the story of James’ coming-of-age. It is truly a pleasure to see James blossom throughout the course of the novel; from a timid, naive, and sheltered boy eager to explore a new vista, to a self-assured, more confident, and shrewd young man, who takes charge of his path in life and hatches his own plans instead of playing along to others'.

A part of this character arc and growth is also centered in James’ coming to realize his sexuality and queer identity. I’ll admit, the romance was my personal favorite part of the novel—I think it was very well done; it progressed naturally and felt very satisfying to see develop. The relationship dynamics and banter never felt forced and were often humourous, sweet, and genuine.

The friendships and side characters are charming and never feel too underutilized or cardboard-like, while the main characters are vividly vibrant. There are also a few informative and interesting discussions regarding these 'resurrection men' and the morality of their work which adds to an understanding of the issues of this time that the novel deals with. My only criticism for this novel is the pacing which does get a little slow in the middle, but not for long.

Overall, The Resurrectionist tackles a lot of themes within its pages but if you are a fan of queer romances, gothic and morbid settings, and historical fiction, this should be a perfect read. It has a little bit of everything to appeal to all kinds of tastes, so as long as you can stomach some gore and morbidity, I would highly recommend this book.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

This book really surprised me. I'm not sure what I was expecting going in, but it was actually quite good. It reads like something written in the 1800s, which took some getting into, but I really liked the narration and I think it fits the story very well.

James Willoughby is the third son of a noble family deep in gambling debts, and while he was supposed to earn his living by going into the military or the church, James's passion lies in surgery. He goes to med school in Edinburgh, the best medical university at the time, but when all his friends go take private surgery classes from doctor Malstrom, James finds himself short on money.

To finance his private classes, where all students get to practice on their own bodies, James makes a deal with Malstrom's assistant Aneurin "Nye" MacKinnon, an anatomist and a body snatcher.

At its heart, this is a coming of age story for James. At the start he fully buys into some lies Aneurin tells him about the job he needs him to do and it hasn't occurred to him that the bodies they practice on during his private classes have to come from somewhere. James has to go through several moral panics before coming to terms with the body snatching process.
Meanwhile, Aneurin is a man with a rather dubious moral code, but he does have a moral code and believes in scientific progress more than anything. Without bodies to study, medical research can't progress, but the law is rather behind on this and only the bodies of executed murderers may be used.

I loved the development of the body snatching, and I can tell the author did a lot of research into the topic, I think more than some of the other books using a similar setting. The body snatchers work as a team, and there are multiple crews through Edinburgh all working their own graveyards. The side characters are not all super developed, but I did like Mary Paterson, who is based on a real life historical figure. Charlie, who is one of James' med student friends, was also quite charming.

The book has a romantic subplot between James and Aneurin, and while it's not the center of the book it's still quite signficant and I liked how their relationship developed, it didn't feel forced, but rather a natural result of James ending up more in the body snatcher circuit and all they go through together there. While it was a subplot, I do think the love between James and Aneurin strenghtened everything else in this book, it all fit together well and the romance added to the tension later on.

I loved the true crime elements added later on, James and Aneurin have to go up against Burke and Hare, a pair of real life serial killers who sold their victims's corpses rather than digging up bodies on a cemetery.

I would recommend this book to people interested in the history of the time period, the resurrectionists and medical history, people interested in true crime, and people who like queer romance within such a setting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Resurrectionist.

First, I love the cover! It's the first thing that caught my eye! The premise was intriguing so I was pleased my request was approved.

Second, this is more of a coming of age tale about James Willoughby, a naive, young man from a posh family attending medical school in 19th century Edinburgh, which really isn't my cup of tea.

I was hoping for a frightening, gory tale (there are scenes of gore, violence, and trauma) but not in the ways I prefer it.

Third, I wasn't a fan of James. I didn't dislike him but his naivete and innocence was particularly annoying.

I realize that's part of his character and the reason that propels him to take part in body snatching.

It was pretty ironic and narrow minded of James to believe his sister, Edith, had an easier time in life than he did. Women had no rights back then other than to marry (well) and breed as many sons as possible.

Fourth, I loved the blend of true crime and historical fiction. it's clear the author did research and incorporated the real life serial killers Burke and Hare seamlessly into the narrative. That's not easy to do.

I visited Edinburgh almost 10 years ago and learned about Burke and Hare on a ghost tour, and I did my own research into the lucrative body snatching business prevalent in Scotland at the time.

Fifth, I liked the scenes in the laboratory, but the body snatching parts were darkly comedic and in my opinion, the best parts.

The writing was good, formal and it fit the world and the time period.

I liked Nye the most, not surprisingly, he's street smart, ambitious, loyal, charismatic, and confident.

I'm not a fan of dark academia but I did love the blend of true crime and historical fiction.

It would definitely compel some readers to learn more about Burke and Hare.

James is a great narrator. I loved reading about his journey through early surgery studies and the story was well tied into the history of resurrectionists such as Burke and Hare without losing the heart of the story.

This story was willing to show you compassion, guts and all, for the sake of showing you the value of taking risks in life.

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

“You must understand that just as actions have consequences, just as laws have repercussions, progress has a cost.”

genre: historical fiction

rating: 4.50 ☆

review:

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me ARC access to this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Resurrectionist delves into the study of medical anatomy. The story, which takes place in Edinburgh, follows James Willoughby, the main character, as he abandons his old life at Oxford to pursue science and knowledge. When he arrived at the institution, he was presented with an offer that was too good to turn down but had financial difficulties. He finds himself, with unwavering will, in the nexus of two distinct worlds, both centred on the same dimension.

I found the book to be really well written, and I really like it in every way. the author did a terrific job creating the universe via the eccentricities and humours of the characters, instead of relying just on the flow of the plot. I almost felt as though I was there to witness every moment and movement thanks to the delicate settings of Edinburgh's dismal and dark city. despite the frigid mood, the romantic subplot definitely warms things up. discussions on interlinked science and its advancements with societal ethics lend a nice detailed touch to the tale. I couldn’t put down the book from the moment I read it. highly recommend!

Overall I adored this gothic novel set in 19th century Edinburgh. It is the perfect blend of historical fiction, true crime and dark academia. The writing is highly descriptive and made me genuinely forget I was reading. I really loved the characters and thought they all had clearly defined individual personalities. My one criticism was that Burke and Hare were introduced too late, leading to the ending seeming a bit rushed.

It was clear that the author had done plenty of research prior to writing this book, and I though the fictional elements were perfectly interwoven amongst the true setting and characters. I must admit I hadn’t heard of the Burke and Hare murders before reading this book, but I was inspired to do further research upon completion.

I loved the side romance between James and Nye which provided an extra layer of complexity but didn’t overshadow the exciting plot.

The main characters are studying anatomy and medicine at university and I thought the detailed medical descriptions were done well. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper or to anyone who likes historical fiction, dark academia or true crime.

4.5/5. Well written and enjoyable historical fiction blended with an unexpected queer love story. Highly recommend.