SAWBONES

This book is a rarity because I love all things horror and gory but even two scenes in this book made me pause and shudder. However, I felt the book was far too long and some of the details got a little monotonous. I appreciated the historical fiction aspect but the main character, Septimus Whitehall, or so his name is when we meet him, strikes me as a bit ridiculous. As for the motives for a revenge killings, this one is flimsy at best and you don't wind up rooting for the bad guy to get his vengeance.

It was an OK book but not something I would read again. If you're willing to slog some of the parts are good but others were just dull.

Set in the mid-1860s, it's the story of a man out for revenge after a flophouse fire takes the life of a woman he has strong feelings for, even though they've barely spoken.
Calling himself, Dr. Septimus Whithall (not his real name), he sets off on a cross-country journey to find and dispose of those responsible. Not an easy task by any means...
At times Sawbones is a visceral, cringe-inducing, and violent story. Totally immersive in the way the tale takes the reader from the comfort of their reading place to this wonderful world created by the author. I loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crossroad Press for this e-arc.*

SAWBONES is quite the unusual read. The author creates a sympathetic character in Septimus Whitehall as he travels from New York City to the Dakota Territory, seeking to murder those who are on his “list” of victims. Whitehall is avenging the death of his only love by taking the lives of those who were involved in her death, either directly or indirectly. There is wonderful detail in the author’s descriptions of Five Points in the 1800’s, as well as the Civil War, and the unsettled West. As I read, I felt as if I were there, seeing, hearing and smelling the same things Septimus was.
Another curious and fascinating thing about SAWBONES is the author’s use of language. I consider myself to be quite familiar with the English language; yet there were many words that I needed to look up. As I read the definitions I felt as if I had struck gold. I became familiar with words such as effigial, pantophagy, and raillery. As I’ve said before, any book that makes me look up definitions is always a winner.
Septimus is at times, a complete gentleman and then a murderer. He stalks his prey yet remains courteous to others. He is clearly an intelligent man with deep emotions but with a singular goal; eliminate those on his macabre list. During his journey he encounters many roadblocks, skirting his own death all the while. He is a solitary man with one purpose in life, and it is easy to cheer him on as he searches for his victims.
This is definitely a violent and gory read, but I feel that the balance of gore and period detail are perfectly blended. As I kept reading, I wondered when the book would draw to a close – it is actually quite long. However, the author kept me interested by throwing in some action just as the book bordered on dull/too much description. That being said, I totally loved SAWBONES. It’s a quirky, intelligent read that will stay with you long after you are done reading. I would love to see a sequel to see what Septimus is up to now.