Love love love this series!!! It's managed to tie together several of my favorite things: true crime, historical fiction, and Christian fiction. Highly recommended!

Fortunately, the plot doesn’t linger overly long on the more disturbing aspects of this historical American crime. Let’s be honest, the fact that Angie Dicken is able to create a compelling romance in a story of grave robbers is pretty impressive!

Josephine is a complex character who vacillates between vulnerability and moments of confident strength. Her compassion and healing skills are a stark contrast to the callous hard-heartedness of the body-snatchers. Josephine’s journey to freedom and strength in faith is deliciously sweetened by her encounters with a chivalrous man of integrity.

The Yellow Lantern was historically interesting, suspenseful, and surprisingly romantic (given the lingering subjects of graves, bodies, and death)! I definitely recommend this book and look forward to future stories from the author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Intriguing.
With a mix of overcoming the past to solve the problems in the present, Angie Dicken puts her characters through quite the adventure. My favorite part was definitely the mix of facts among the plot.
The suspense was gentle and I felt the historical side was stronger.

This story was well wrote and very interesting. I did not know where this story was going and it kept changing on me if I thought I might have a little bit of an idea.

Josie was a beautiful well wrote character. I liked how she hated what she was forced to do and wanted to do what was right.

Braham was a lovely character. I liked how strong and dependable he was without loosing his faith.

I would have liked this story to go on longer so I could find out more. But it was very well wrote from the beginning to the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What I think you should know:
 The Yellow Lantern is in the True Colors series, however it can be read as a stand alone because each book features a different true crime. The Yellow Lantern is a fictionalized story of grave robbers who stole bodies for doctors. It is set in 1821 Massachusetts when Josephine Clayton awakes on an operating table in a doctor’s basement the struggle for her life begins and the only way he will let her live is if she provides a body for her replacement.
 
What you might want to know:
 This is based on true crimes, it does contain dead bodies, murder and other crimes, however it does in a way that does not contain gory details.

What I enjoyed about this book:
  Angie Dicken, the author did a great job of giving book wonderful historically correct details.  As the great granddaughter and daughter in law of a mill workers, I have heard many stories about working in a mill and the various jobs in a mill, the author helped to bring the story to life for me while the girls were working in the mill. The knowledge and explanation of herbs and their healing properties were a welcome addition to the story. I found myself holding my breath for Josie and enjoyed every minute of this book. 


Who will enjoy this book ( just to name a few):
Fans of True Crime
Fans of Historical Fiction
Fans of Suspense

I received a complimentary copy for this book from Celebrate Lit, this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.

This is an intense story that keeps the reader captivated in the adventure from start to finish. It is set in Massachusetts during the 1820s. It was a time of adventure when graves were robed, perhaps being buried alive, the medical field during that time and many more elements providing a Gothic feel to this interesting story.
The descriptions in this book were well done producing a powerful read. The writer brings the characters to life and allows the reader to become interested in learning more about what is happening in this story. Lives are turned upside down in this story and we read it become more interesting. The main character unexpectedly finds herself looking for graves and starting on a path the readers follow. Readers question what is going to happen next. Those that enjoy true crime fiction and historical fiction will enjoy this book.

This book was a little confusing at the start but it cleared up by the end of the story.  The romance was a little predictable, but the story was good, and I would read another book by this author.

This is the third book in the True Colors collection. These books are beautifully written with so much depth and detail. Angie Dicken is a truly talented author, and took a piece of history, added fictional details and beautifully created characters, and turned the readers onto a novel that will wrap you up and take you on a ride of a life time.

The Yellow Latern has the perfect amount of suspenseful happenings within it. Each page turn brought me further into the life of Josephine Clayton, and what brought her to working as a healer. Her characters is strong willed, determined and very much in need of knowing the truth behind the body snatching. I fell in love with her instantly!

And let’s not forget her boss, Braham Taylor. My heart warmed to him and loved every second of watching him with Josie.

Four stars go to this terrifically written novel. Filled with facts and fiction, this novel captivates the reader in a way that makes them feel as if they are right beside the characters, living through it with them. Dicken has a beautiful talent and it shouldn’t be missed by any one! Well done, Dicken,well done!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

I am a huge fan of this author and her work. She always does careful research to ensure that her stories are as accurate as possible. I have read about mill girls in the past but this put a whole new spin on it. I have never read about grave robbers. However, I was intrugied when I read the story summary. Josephine Clay, has been a doctor's assistant for a long time - so she was surprised to awake on the table - about to become medical research. She is able to strike a deal, and she ultimately becomes the look out for grave robbers. This book is so well researched. I felt like I learned so much while I was reading. The author has written amazing characters that feel like they are out of a page of a history textbook. Her storyline is a page turner. You will want to keep on reading. If you like based on true history stories, this book is for you.

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit blogging program. All thoughts are my own

The first pages was captivating, waking up after being buried (which I'm certain is quite a few peoples' fear) to almost being murdered...this set up an expectation for a thrilling ride.  Sadly, the suspense ended there until the last 10% of the book.  

The story was still interesting and with Braham and Josie as main characters with their own struggles to overcome, made for an entertaining read.  The supporting characters, especially the ladies, added to the entertainment.

The plot of the grave robbers were quite surreal.  If I didn't know that it was based on true facts, I would think this was quite a great fictional idea - the fact that it actually happened added to the gloomy feel of the story.  There was quite a few hints of who was behind everything and I guessed everything way before it was revealed.  Not sure if that was the author's intent but it did subdue the revelations and suspense.

Still a very interesting story and series.  This series is more mystery that suspense and would be recommended to people who like "real-life-crime" stories.

From the first sentence of The Yellow Lantern you feel a darkness that encapsulates you, and the further you read the more you become cloaked in that darkness.  The subject of death normally does that to you.  This story so twisted that it's unimaginable that something similar happened once upon a time.  I was left spellbound and wondering just how much of the advancements of medicine is attributed to grave robbing, a regular occurrence in the 1800's.  I can only imagine...

Though the ending is bright with promise it took me awhile to shake that dark, depressing feeling, proving just how captivating the story telling really is, immersing you in this seedy business.  The depth of characterization is stunning and the setting, though dark, came alive for me, down to the smallest detail that grounded you in this incredibly unique world.

The True Colors series continues to get better and better and is the perfect mix of historical fact and fiction.  This was a dark read for sure, and the fact that grave robbing and murdering for bodies is another stain on our nation's history.  I loved the "little light of mine" that was apparent throughout, and love that light truly does cast out all darkness, and even when you find yourself in the most hopeless place, remember that all hope is never really lost.  Just have faith.

The Yellow Lantern: True Colors is a Christian mystery/suspense romance novel by author Angie Dicken. It is book one of the True Colors series. And, is included in the Historical Stories of American Crime series.

In 1824, Josephine Clayton was buried alive. How would she be able to help her dad get out of debtors prison? Would she be forced to work for grave robbers?

I wanted to read this novel because it is based on true life events. How much of it was true? Did it meet my expectations? No! I found the novel to be dry and full of doom and gloom. It had a hard time keeping my interest.

If the reader is looking for something positive and full of faith I suggest looking elsewhere.

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

I finished The Yellow Lantern yesterday. This book starts out with Josephine on the surgical table presumed dead but wakes up. This is a thrilling start to this book! I had no idea about grave robbers so this book was quite the eye opener. Between the grave robbing a love story evolves. I really enjoyed the twist at the end. I give this book 🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars.

Creepy... Grave Robbers... body snatching... buried alive... murder. Medical Research in the19th Century. All sounds bizarre but it happened back then. I enjoyed the fictional story written around it.

Visit www.truecolorscrime.com



I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

What a chilling predicament Josephine Clayton finds herself in in this story! But really, it’s just as chilling to think that grave robbing was quite an industry at one time—one open to all kinds of abuses, including those that figure in this story.

For all the gruesomeness of the subject, this was not a gruesome read. The historical aspects were well researched, and the opening scene definitely caught my attention, but as the story developed I began to feel as though the plot was driven by the need to have Braham and Josie interacting, and the suspense relied more on Josie calling to mind her real purpose for being at the mill than it did actual grave robbing. There was a definite upswing in the action in the last third of the story, however, as all the threads of the plot began to draw together.

The progression of Braham and Josie’s relationship also felt rushed at times, their interactions too familiar and their regard too developed for the amount of time they had known each other, particularly in view of the employer/employee relationship and the time setting of the novel (1820s). As a result, I never quite reached the point where these characters felt real to me, but I was still sufficiently invested in the story to read to the end.

Overall, this story is likely to appeal to historical romance readers who are looking for an unusual premise and a healthy dose of mystery/suspense.

While this book was not exactly what I had in mind based on the description,  I did enjoy it. It was interesting and had to put down.

The history behind The Yellow Lantern was interesting -- I'd never heard of the shady practice of body snatching for medical research. If this book had been novella length, it might have been a decent read. As a full-length novel, it just dragged on and onnnnnnnnnnnn... The cheesy romance didn't add anything to the plot, aside from making it even longer. Some books make me want to read in one sitting. This one took me months.

I really like the premise of the True Colors series, but this is the third book that underwhelmed me. Unfortunately, I will probably skip future titles in this series.

This book grabbed me from the start when Josephine wakes up just in time to find out she was to be Dr. Chadwick's next corpse to experiment on in his lab.   Fortunately, Josephine is able to strike a bargain with the evil doctor and save her life and hopefully her father's life as well.  As part of the deal, Josephine must put on a new identity and pose as a young mill worker at Gloughton Mill in Massachusetts.  The hope then is that the dangerous work conditions will soon produce a dead body.  Josephine (now Josie) will pose as a late night mourner and provide a lantern signal to one of Dr. Chadwick's body snatchers that it is okay to come and dig up the fresh corpse.  Although trying to be inconspicuous at the mill, Josie's medical/healing skills make her stand out to the other woman and to Braham Terrance, the mill's factory manager.  Josie's new connection with Braham and his aunt make it very difficult for her to maintain her part of the doctor's sinister deal. When the women at the mill start to become seriously sick, Josie's healing skills are tested to the max.  Will Josie be able to save the women and herself from the evil schemes of Dr. Chadwick?

I found this book to be a little bit different than the first two books in the series because the main characters weren't completely sympathetic to me.  I found myself wishing the author could have found a way to keep Josie and her father completely innocent and disconnected from helping with the body snatching operation.  I had mixed feelings about another character's change of heart near the end of the book too.  Josie was sure quick to let him off the hook for his crimes.  It also bothered me that there were a lot of people involved in robbing bodies in this book with very little justice served.  Despite my hang ups on this book, I wouldn't hesitate to read more books from this series.  All three books of this series have been entertaining and have allowed me to learn some little known facts about American history.  Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.  All thoughts expressed are my honest opinions of this book.

All is not as it seems.

I have been on a bit of a mystery kick lately as I have just been more intrigued by their synopsis. As I read the pages, I find that my decisions have been rewarding.

The Yellow Lantern is a True Crime mystery that the subject matter will make your skin crawl but the message of hope lessens the blow. This “Frankenstein-esk” plot, that is based on an actual events in our history, will leave you asking yourself, “What could possibly possess a person to do something so morbid and disturbing?” By the end of the book, you will know.

The time was different and the things we take for granted now where considered a luxury then. Knowing that gave some understanding, but what could possibly convince a young woman to join the grave robber trade?

When I read the first section of the first chapter, I wondered what kind of book I was reading. Soon, my concern was transformed into understanding and from then on, I struggled against heavy eyes just to see what would happen next.

Bravo to Angie Dicken, an author whose work I have not read before, for opening our eyes to the ugly beginnings of the medical profession while giving us hope for these characters.

**This book was provided to me by the publisher through CelebrateLit. These thoughts are entirely my own.

This book, as well as a previous book in the series, The Pink Bonnet, left me bored.  I just could not get invested in the story and the first few chapters were difficult to figure out what was happening and who the characters were.  There were many abrupt and confusing aspects to the story.

I guess the writing style is just not one I particularly enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.