I had a hard time getting into this book. I've loved the other books in the series, but they are all written by different people. I felt like the pace of this story was a little slow, and the writing a little clunky at times. It was like the sentence structure was a little odd. I would find myself reading a sentence and get to the end only to be confused and have to reread it - sometimes because of pronouns or sometimes word choices that didn't seem to fit. Sadly, I also had a bit of a hard time liking the main character, Josie. She spent much of the book bemoaning her circumstances and feeling worried and guilty about things that hadn't happened yet, and that were in her control to change... Instead of focusing on a way to extract herself from having to achieve a good end by terrible means, she just kept viewing herself as a terrible person. The characters also seemed to make lots of leaps from brooding to giddy-flirty very easily. It made their moods seem a bit drastic and unrealistic. Josie told Braham they couldn't even be friends, but instead of distancing herself, or even attempting to, she's immediately eating dinner at his home again with no discussion of any internal struggle about it.
Most of the action of the plot takes place in the last 25% of the book. Overall it's a good story, but I feel like the character development and the writing needed a little more work. It feels a little more like a draft than a polished novel.

I love true crime and medical crime. It blows me away the things people used to do before we enforced some morality. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Sometimes characters in stories and people in real life get caught in situations beyond their control.That is the situation for the two main characters Josie and Braham. Josie feels the need to do something to help her father who is being harassed and beaten because of his debts. Braham is being bullied by his cousin who reminds him that he had been an indentured servant.
On the other hand, sometimes characters in stories and people in real life suffer the consequences of bad choices. That is evident in several of the other character’s lives. I felt the story had a good mix of tension, suspense, description, and emotion. There were times I wondered how Josie was going to get out of one of her situations. The body snatching topic is not pleasant, but I feel the story is sensitive to the characters’ circumstances. I enjoyed reading this book.
Thank you to #TheYellowLantern and #NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Step back in time to 1824 when medical science is rudimentary at best and exploratory science is booming. A dead body on the black market was worth a small fortune, and once you started down that path, it was impossible to navigate the twists and turns to find your way out.

When Josephine Clayton wakes up on the doctors examining table, with him standing over her ready to perform the post-mortem. Her life is spared, but she is ruthlessly thrown into a dark secretive ring of body-snatchers. Eager to find her way out of the endless maze of dead-end scenarios Josephine goes along with the plot to provide 1 body in place of her own on the condition that the person isn’t murdered. But will she find the price too high? Working at a cotton mill as a cover for her secret mission, she reluctantly makes friends and quickly realizes that the spider web she has found herself in only tangles around her tighter.

I enjoyed learning more about the cotton mill and meeting the girls that worked there. Each element of this story is so carefully crafted and realistic. I felt like I was part of that world. I could almost hear the steam of the machines as they roared to life and see the bits of cotton floating in the air. I could see little Liesel, the bobbin girl sitting along the wall with her basket, ready to leap up and help at a moments notice.

With vivid characters and an exciting plot, this page-turning romantic suspense will keep you up late into the night, turning pages and trying to discover what will happen next. I loved the unexpected twists and turns!

(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.)

I love the concept of this series and the first novel, The White City, was very well done. The next two have missed the mark for me. In The Yellow Lantern the subject matter is at once gruesome and fascinating. The story line and romance, however, didn't hold my interest after the initial pages which were engaging.

The Yellow Lantern: True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime
by Angie Dicken
The poverty of debt caused by illness has cost her family everything. She is lost in the complex and evil world of body snatchers and doctors in the late 1800's. She is required by the debts of her father to provide for his services. She is a healer at heart, and is conflicted by her role. Her bid to find freedom and love may bring her everything and cost her everything. Its a beautiful story with mystery center that will cause the reader to delve deeper into the concepts and conflicts. Angie Dicken has great potential in her writing, and a very faith based story line.

Wow! I was intrigued by the premise of this book, but I never imagined how hooked I would be from the first page to the last​ Although it is the third book in the series it is perfect as a standalone.

I have never read anything by Angie Dicken, and I am pleased to say she has a new reader in me. The opening pages of this book are startling, yet so well written you almost feel it happening. Imagine waking up to discover you have been dead and buried, and a doctor is standing over you with a scalpel in his hand. Dr. Chadwick is very put out that his corpse, Josephine Clayton, is alive and so he tries to kill her but is stopped by his grave digger, Alvin. What transpires from there is a convoluted plan to keep Josephine alive by forcing her to participate in his grave robbing. She only agrees, because her father has aligned himself with the doctor and is now threatened with prison or worse by the network of grave robbers who keep the doctor (and others like him) well supplied.

Josephine is sent away from her hometown to work in a mill, and it is there she meets Braham Taylor. Braham is intrigued by the lovely Josephine and starts to fall for her. What he doesn't know is that she is there to procure bodies for the evil doctor. What happens next is too good to divulge so you'll have to read the book to find out!

A perfect mix of historical fiction, romance, mystery and murder. A combination that will keep you reading until the wee hours of the night!

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Barbour Publishing through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

True Colors is a multi-author series from Barbour Books that weaves true crime into historical fiction filled with danger and a bit of romance. The third book in the series, The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken, begins with a nightmare inducing scene and the tension does not let up from there.

The hazards of working in a mill, the dangers of being a female mill worker, the greed and villainy of grave robbers, and the struggles that Josephine and Braham go through all meld into an engrossing story. With personable characters and just the right touches of faith and romance to soften the horrors of the crimes involved, Angie Dicken has crafted a story that brings the past to life and sweeps the reader along through Josephine's travails and triumphs.

If you haven't yet tried the True Colors series of stand-alone novels, The Yellow Lantern is a fine place to start.

This review refers to a digital galley I read through NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Yellow Lantern
True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime

by Angie Dicken

Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Barbour Books

Christian , True Crime

Pub Date 01 Aug 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Yellow Lantern through Barbour Books and Netgalley:

Josephine Clayton is considered dead by everyone in her Massachusetts Village In 1824 especially the doctor she has assisted for months. But she is still very much alive.

Josephine awakens as the next corpse for his research after the doctor illegally obtains her body from a body snatcher. The doctor tries to kill her to cover up his crime, but Josephine somehow convinced him to spare her life. They come up with a deal Josephine will leave her village and work at a far away Cotton Mill. While waiting for her true mission to pose as a mourner and help the body snatcher procure her replacement.

Josephine is praised for her medical remedies with the other female workers at the factory, even gaining the attention of handsome factory manager Braham Taylor. When Braham Taylor’s own loved ones becomes prey for the next grave robbing. Josie must make a decision that could bring her dark past to light and take away her chance from any promise at a future.

I give The Yellow Lantern five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

The Yellow Lantern is a fictional narrative inspired by historical accounts of grave robbing. Josephine Clayton finds herself in a no-win situation. To save her father and herself she must perform the vilest of tasks by helping a “resurrectionist” procure bodies for a sinister doctor. Part of the plan is to work incognito at a cotton mill while she waits for an accidental factory death to fulfill her obligation of a much needed body. Unexpectedly, in her new role as “mill girl” she finds friendship, belonging, and contentment meeting the needs of the other workers with her skill in herbal medicine. How can she find a way out of this mess and fulfill her true passion of healing? Can she find love amidst all this loss?

This is third in the True Colors series published by Barbour. Angie Dicken paints of vivid yet brief picture of the 19th century crime of grave robbing. However, the book is mainly about the secondary storyline of life in a cotton mill and the ownership of the mill as an inheritance. The complex moral struggle of the protagonist is well-developed and the addition of some delightfully engaging peripheral characters rounds out the story well. I would recommend this book as an easy read for those who enjoy historical or Christian fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

“How he’d wish that some of those yesterdays would stop creeping into his todays...”

This is the first book by Angie Dicken I have read. It is well-written with a fascinating premise, a plot that contains surprises, main characters who have experienced grief and suffering, and faith woven into the characters’ lives. The atmosphere of the story is eerie with a gothic undertone, set in 1824 Massachusetts, as Josephine gets blackmailed into finding fresh graves that can be dug up and the deceased sold to those conducting “scientific research”. She finds work at a cotton mill as she awaits opportunities and meets the factory manager Braham, who has his own past and prejudices to deal with. Darkness hangs over their lives and the lives of those working at the factory as incidents pile up in the village as well as at the factory and the boarding house where the mill girls live. It is interesting to see how facts regarding grave robbing and dangerous conditions of factory work in early 1800s have been incorporated into the plot line. If you enjoy historical fiction with suspense and intrigue, you will enjoy this book.

I was given a copy of the book by Barbour Publishing as well as via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

This engrossing tale had my attention from the opening scene. I didn’t realize that I would be so drawn into a story involving grave robbers and body snatchers. But within this well researched true crime fiction, Angie Dicken has depicted a beautiful picture of the power of forgiveness. Her characters are unique and I found myself cheering on the heroine to make right decisions. While mysterious circumstances are investigated, a budding romance takes root that becomes complicated fast. I felt that elements of faith were seamlessly woven throughout the novel, which added depth to this memorable story. This is the first book that I have read by Dicken, but it won’t be the last. I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken is a Christian historical crime novel that has its base in fact. Angie Dicken has used her imagination to weave her marvellous tale.
The book surrounds the topic of grave robbing to serve medical advances. This was rife in the United States and England in the nineteenth century. The tale is set in 1824. It was a horrific practice from which the leaders of it became wealthy while the poor did the despicable acts. The Yellow Lantern is part of the True Colors Crime series.
There is the theme of trust. Trust does not come easy when it is the wicked who wield the power.
There are times when the only thing we can do is to pray. “I have not forgotten You, Lord. But where are You in all this?” The world seems so black that even God seems absent but he is not. He has promised to never leave us.
It is important to make time for God in our lives. “Her garden… had been a footstall for prayer and praise.” We all need that place where we can connect with God. When we are close to Him, we can experience true joy. “A prayer burst in her heart.”
There are some kind and gentle hearts in the novel, hearts that seek to do good at all times.
Traditional medicine was supplemented with herbal remedies that had been passed down through the generations.
For me, the novel seemed reminiscent of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights as there was a very similar family dynamic.
The Yellow Lantern was an entertaining, though horrifying read especially so as it was based on historical fact.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

The Yellow Lantern: True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime by Angie Dicken was a very interesting book. The year is 1824 and Josie Clay is no longer assisting the doctor she once worked for but instead is being forced to help him steal corpses from the grave for medical research purposes. She is forced into doing this to protect her father from debtor's prison and from some unsavory characters who want the money they loaned him and will stop at nothing to recover the money. Loved the characters, the mill setting, and the women's boarding house where the women live.

Not my cup of tea and I suspect not too attractive to other modern readers. The writing style is quasi Victorian, so just like their furnishings, overly complicated, heavy and hard to get comfortable with. I found it so hard to latch on to what the story is actually about that I gave up. I can't imagine why the writer chose this form.

The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken is Christian Historical Mystery Thriller Fiction. Josephine wakes up in one of the worst living nightmares possible. She has been ill and is receiving care from evil villains. Fear mixed with secrets and mysteries grab you from the beginning of the book and doesn’t let you go. Mystery and suspense to the end with a message of hope.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

This was the first book of this author I have read. While her writing style took me a little while to get used to at the beginning, soon I was lost in the story and it flowed more easily for me. The characters were well developed. I got to the point where I had to keep reading simply so I could find out what happened. The storyline was definitely one that was intriguing and to know it was based on history made it that much more interesting. At times I found myself compassionate for the characters, other times frustrated, which is also the mark of a good book, in my opinion. I’m glad I had the chance to read about this topic in history and while it wasn’t my favorite topic, the author made the subject interesting.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit but was not under any obligation to write a review. All opinions are strictly mine.

The Yellow Lantern
by Angie Dicken
Part of True Colors – Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
Rating: 4/5

Imagine waking up in 1824 in Massachusetts and being told that you were already pronounced dead. Imagine being told that your body was taken by grave robbers for the purpose of medical research. Imagine that in order to keep your life and your family’s lives safe, you are forced to spy for said grave robbers in order to get more cadavers. How would you handle that? How would you deal with the situation? Josephine Clayton is in such a position. Her whole world is turned upside down as she leaves home to work at a cotton mill. Her mission is simple – report on any fatal accidents that occur at the cotton mill and pose as a mourner at the funeral so the doctor can get his replacement corpse. When Josephine enters the world of cotton, she finds her talents for healing a welcome relief to the accident prone mill and finds friendship with the other mill girls. The factory manager, Braham Terrance, sees her worth and they form a friendship. However, what happens when a family member close to Braham becomes ill and Josephine has a choice to make on whether she can fulfill her duty?

Just reading the premise of this book was so interesting that I had to read it. I haven’t read many true crime novels but as a medical student, I found the grave robbing for medical purposes very interesting. I’ve read a few books about the cotton mill girls and was interested to see what the author chose to focus on. The author is able to transport the reader into the world of cotton mills and grave robbing in a very understandable way. The characters are interesting and seem authentic. They’ve seen many hardships but still try to make their way in the world.

Highly recommend this delightful read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Josie has the power in her hands of protecting someone's loved one from being robbed from her grave. All she has to do is keep the lantern lit.
Josie woke from the most frightening moment in her life. She had been buried alive. Her father's farm worker saved her, when he figured out she wasn't dead. The doctor in charge now wants them to help him by becoming grave robbers The decisions they make will determine whether they will have riches or happiness. What will Josie choose. Her father has been thrown in debtor's prison. He is all the family she has left.
A story of love and courage. Interesting characters. Touches on a subject that was prevalent when doctors stole dead bodies to experiment.
Good read!

The Yellow Lantern is part of the True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime series. It tells the story of Josephine Clayton in 1824 Massachusetts. Josie works for Dr Chadwick and finds herself in danger. To survive, she has to go undercover as a spy in a mill. This leads her to a level of deceitfulness she needs to get away from. Will she ever be able to have a life of normalcy?
I liked The Yellow Lantern. I did not find it predictable and was often wondering what would happen next. They were a few scenes that were a little slow but the suspense made me to keep reading. It quickly picked up and I could not put it down.
I give The Yellow Lantern four stars. I received this book to readers who enjoy clean fiction based on true events. I look forward to more by Angie Dicken in the future.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.