This book had the potential to be a chilling historical thriller in an academic setting and instead was a highly predictable and under developed story. The main plot really doesn't get under way until James, our main character, finds himself desperately in need of money to fund his medical schooling. However, his disgust for body snatching only lasts a mere page or two before his need of money suddenly makes the practice a glorious enterprise for the good of mankind. Most of the plot is included in the description and not much else happens.

I found many characters to be lacking in their characterization and no well flushed out female character to exist within the story. While historical, I think a subversion that included female med students or their more characterized involvement in the body snatching, would have helped this story a lot. The author blows past any conversations surrounding class and gender, that would have been interesting and great barriers to most at the time. Instead we have James, who is to sum it up nicely, a prat.

Lastly the romance... a mlm written by a woman. I definitely prefer own voices stories. It felt that James was given a "female" role and would scoff even at his own "demuring" to Nai. All of his fascination and crushing on Nai was always equated to the feminine, even calling himself "angry like a housewife" when he is ignored for 2 weeks. I would have liked to see him explore his feelings differently and have more built up to their relationship.

Overall this book had a great idea and failed to really entertain me.

If there is a cliché about me that I am rather proud of, is that of me being an avid true crime & dark academia enjoyer. Yes, I am that one girl who walks the dog while listening to a harrowing account of real cases that shocked entire nations, and I am also that one person who you might see at the train station engrossed in memoirs written by survivors of horrendous criminals. Sue me!

Or don't, but either way, I knew I would love A.Rae Dunlap's "The Resurrectionist" the moment I learned that this book was set in XIX century Scotland and told the story of a passionate young man who strikes a deal with the wrong person, and ends up tangled in a rather messy situation involving body snatching and corpses. Gothic novels my beloved! The fact that this fictional tale drew from actual crimes from the time made it all the more authentic, You know a book is THAT good when it keeps you up at night so you can research the time period it's set in, and that was exactly what "The Resurrectionist" made me do. I was fascinated about the body-snatching business, as well as its ramifications and significance in the history of medicine and the development of our understanding of human anatomy.

Regarding the characters and setting, I do have to take my hat off. Both James and Nye were fleshed out to the point that they felt less like characters, and more like real people, and thanks to the author's descriptive prose I was able to visualize all the different scenes and feel the emotional impact of the gorier, more violent ones. Another excellent dimension of this story was the exploration of themes that felt quite appropriate for a historical fiction novel, and included power, class struggles, the ways in which women have been treated by European societies, morality, and power.

Something I cannot, in all good conscience, not mention, is the complex and interesting love story. Morally grey characters are my whole jam, but when they happen to be smart and charming as well as volatile and sneaky? They take my breath away. Remorseless rogue Nye won my heart nearly from the get-go, as he did James', and as the book progressed and we learned more about his backstory, I couldn't help the urge to give him a bear hug. Which might not be something one might expect to hear about a character who literally snatches bodies from their graves, granted, but here we are! James agrees with me, by the way.

If you are familiar with the true crime case of Burke & Hare, you will find strong echoes of it in this novel, and if you aren't you will nonetheless fall in love with this macabre, gruesome, and ultimately fascinating story.

The Resurrectionist by A. Rae. Dunlap has got to be on of my favorite reads! As an individual who is equally invested in true crime, finding a book written with a flare of Burke and Hare was an absolute must read for me! Our main character James is so fun and relatable, you get so easily dragged into the same world he is thrown into. The pacing of the story is immaculate, as the reader you are honestly just kept guessing on what could possibly go wrong next! This era of Edinburgh is so moody and brings us the most delightful scene for fall reading
The character development, and development of friendships throughout the story brings a light-hearted element to a very dark and very real part of history.
This book just so much fun, I recommend it to anyone who loves true crime but also wants a little queer romance, medical drama, found family, or a coming of age story!
Thank you Kensington and Netgalley for sending me an early copy of the Resurrectionist in exchange for my honest review!

What a lovely addition to the historical romance genre! The Resurrectionist is a brilliantly researched debut by A. Rae Dunlap about the 19th century body snatchers that helped supply the medical schools practicing dissections. I already knew that these corpses helped lead to an era of amazing medical discovery, and definitely recommend the book Stiff by Mary Roach which discusses how cadavers are used in medical practice today.

In The Resurrectionist, the narrator, James, is a young student coming to study in Edinburgh who gets caught up with a Resurrectionist crew as a means of paying for his medical school tuition, as well as forming a close connection to the shady leader of the crew, Nye. James is endearingly naive, and his transition to "the dark side" is soft and gradual. I found that this book was not as macabre as I expected and despite the constant mention of death and experimentation is filled with an unexpected softness. The integration of serial killers Burke and Hale formed a fascinating backdrop and increasingly raised the stakes for our crew of misfits as the book progressed. A very engaging tale.

The romance, I felt, was perhaps less central to the story. It is a sweet closed door romance that felt like it took second string to the murder plot but nonetheless was a nice addition. I also struggled a bit with the narration style. The book is told completely from James' point of view, and is written as if we're hearing James' thoughts throughout. The part I struggled with in this is that James' thoughts are written in the 19th century style, which I found less approachable than books that take a similar approach but significantly modernize the mindset and language to fit with current readers. It's a personal preference of mine but I found the language and mindset to actually take me out of the story rather than pulling me into it as the narration feels somewhat detached from the ongoing events. Despite this setback, I still enjoyed the book immensely.

I was fascinated to learn after finishing the book that Burke's body (skeleton) is still on view in Edinburgh's Anatomical Museum. I love a fictional book that is not only filled with historically accurate easter eggs, but also makes me feel engaged and fascinated with the time period.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for the gifted copy of this book! Thoughts are my own.

This book had all the makings of something I should have devoured: 19th-century Edinburgh, Burke and Hare lurking in the shadows, body snatching, dark academia, and a dash of forbidden romance. It screamed read me!

But instead of a gothic feast, I got a wordy, over-seasoned stew. Every single sentence was drowning in adjectives, straining to sound like authentic 19th-century prose, but reading more like a parody. What could’ve been sharp and atmospheric ended up bloated and exhausting—whole paragraphs of filler that buried whatever story was supposed to be there.

I love dark academia when it leans into mood, tension, and obsession. This book, however, confused mood with endless adjectives, and tension with endless words.

Sadly, this was a DNF after 80 pages. I tried.

1828 in Edinburgh, Scotland a gothic tale unfolds, pulling from truth and the mystery of this dark period of history in Scotland. The beautiful writing that pulls from reality just the right amount immerses you in the world of the book and provides you with excellent visuals. The characterization of James Willoughby, the main character, is wonderfully thought out and allows the reader to experience his character growth along with him. Being naive to what he is getting into in the beginning and becoming more and more pulled into the twisted acts of Nye as the book progresses.

If gothic academia fiction that is sprinkled with true crime sounds appealing to you then definitely pick this book up.

This was an adventure from start to finish! It reminded me a lot of Stalking Jack the Ripper concept wise but very different prose wise.

The Resurrectionist is set in Edinburgh in 1828. We're following James Willoughby, who left a somewhat posh lifestyle in Oxford behind in order to pursue the study of surgery in Edinburgh, a city known to be a trendsetter in medical advancements.

The regular University isn't enough though. He wants to be able to work with human cadavers, for which he'll need to enroll in a private surgeon's school, the cost of which is sadly out of his price range. Nevertheless, James is determined, and ready to strike any sort of a deal he can to become a student. Aneurin MacKinnon, a handsome young dissectionist, offers him the opportunity, but it comes at a cost, and James will have to work for it in ways he never could have imagined.

In short, this wasn't at all what I expected, but I still ended up really enjoying it. I expected Horror, but got more of a straight-up historical fiction story, heavy with interpersonal drama. Nevertheless, I was sucked in. Admittedly, Historical Fiction isn't a genre I gravitate towards, but the rich gothic vibes of this definitely saved it for me. I was impressed.

James was a little naive, but that made him endearing. He was also determined and not afraid to put in the work. I was rooting for him to get everything he wanted, in spite of the world fighting against him in many different ways. I also loved Aneurin, or Nye, who plays a big part in the story. He added a bit of dark intrigue. There were moments I couldn't quite figure him out, but enjoyed trying.

Overall, this succeeded in grabbing my attention, and although it's not something I would necessarily reach for if I had known more about it, I'm glad that I did pick it up. Thank you to the publisher, Kensington Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to checking out more from this author!

This book delivered a darkly fascinating story that pulled me in from the start. The mix of atmosphere, tension, and intrigue kept the pages turning, and the writing had such an eerie pull to it. A few moments could’ve dug a little deeper, but overall it was a gripping read with a haunting vibe that sticks with you.

3.5 Stars rounded up!

I thought this was delightful. Who doesn't love a love story between a body snatcher and a medical student? I am usually not one for historical fictions, but I very much enjoyed this one.

This was a really unique story that I hadn't ever read anything like it. It was very interesting to see the medical practices of the time, the idea of private medical schools with stolen cadavers that the students practice on.

If this seems like something you're interested in, I do certainly recommend it!

Thank you, Kensington Publishing | Kensington and NetGalley, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Determined, but naive, james Willoughby has abandoned his posh life at Oxford to pursue his dream to study surgery in Edinburgh. The university offers him everything he could hope for, but working on a human cadaver. For that he has to join the private schools in Surgeon's square and he couldn't afford it
He strikes a deal with a dissectionist, Aneurin "Nye" MacKinnon, but he will soon realize the errors in this bargain, because Nye is a body snatcher and James rapidly descends into the ranks of the Resurrectionists, the body snatchers, famous for stealing bodies from churchyards to be used as medical specimen. Soon James is caught in a rival competion between gangs and with Nye, they found themselves in the crosshairs of opportunists like Burke and Hare.

Set in the fascinating, brilliant and macabre Edinburgh of 19th century, The Resurrectionist is a dark and twisty story that mix fact and fiction in a tale of ambition, pursuit of knowledge, murders, true crime, historical fiction and dark academia.
The story of James and Nye, young and ambitious students, mix with the real-life serial killer Burke and Hare, who terrorized Edinburgh's streets. James, as young and passionate student is involved into the macabre and intriguing world of body snatching, sliding more and more into the underworld belly of crime and corruption and it's such a brilliant and evocative story!
It's macabre and intriguing and so delightful and I loved every single moment of this tale of ambition, scientific pursuit and knowledge.

its almost like a historical fiction, true crime dark academia had a baby, its a tale of murder, greed and grisley origins of modern medicine. its a twisty gothic tales based in edinburg Scotland in the 1828. there's a weird fascination with victorian England and the morbid topic of resurrection of men and the emergence of medical science in the 19th century that I adored in this story. There is so much potential for a sequel.2

Being familiar with the infamous murders committed by Burke and Hare, I was pleased to find they were not the central focus of this fictional work. Instead, the story offered a broader, more atmospheric exploration of the world in which resurrectionists operated. Unlike some reviewers, I didn’t feel morally conflicted—I approached it as an observer of a grim but fascinating historical period.

Having visited Edinburgh, I deeply appreciated the vivid and immersive descriptions of the city’s shadowy kirkyards, where grave robbers prowled and the ethics of medical training were murky at best. The setting felt both authentic and haunting, adding depth to the narrative. Thoroughly enjoyed this rich piece of historical prose.

3.25 stars. A good read, but it never quite soared. Good period atmosphere/Edinburgh vibes. The romance part of this was very sparse. I wouldn't say this book was always believable, but I did enjoy myself, and as the book seems to have more to follow, I will probably stay tuned.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Delightfully reads like a lost work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's. I will warn though that does mean that you shouldn't expect too much modernity when it comes to the way queerness is depicted here. And you can expect period-typical upperclass English snobbery from our protagonist, though that fades as circumstances continue to challenge his instilled sense of class superiority.

Naturally, there's also some gore to be had in the descriptions of dissected dead bodies, along with the horror of murders that go beyond just beyond snatching bodies. Speaking of, if you want wholly conventional morals about how dead bodies are sacred and have rights... look I don't disagree but I also don't read every book to have my morals validated. Especially when the events are set more than 100 years prior to where I am now.

But if English attitudes and medical horrors are to your taste, this is an excellent novel of a time before much of what we take for granted nowadays in medical science (such as the option to procure corpses donated SPECIFICALLY for the use of medical science). A look at the transgressions that helped us to progress, terrible as they were.

And for those who've whined and whinged about "why is a queer romance NECESSARY for this, why wasn't I PREPARED by the blurb for gay boys?!" ... consider how the impediment of medical progress through the edicts of Christian lawmakers parallels the way queer rights are policed and denied.

Started out strong but lost me a little bit about halfway through unfortunately. At that point I felt kind of distant from the characters and the story. It's not a bad book, but also not one that's gonna stick with me, since I already start to forget the story.

The story was very immersive; I loved the detail of the setting and vibe. The plot was a little slow to start but I ended up eating this book up and loving it. I enjoyed the historical setting of spooky, atmospheric Edinburgh most of all. The mystery to the story was captivating till the end. Thank you NetGalley + the publisher for choosing me to read this ARC, I thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to more titles by this author.

A. Rae Dunlap’s "The Resurrectionist" weaves together dark academia, true crime, and queer romance. Dunlap’s novel is compelling and kept me engaged the entire time. I felt that the book did a great job at incorporating medical history while also adding its own original storyline. With the backdrop of Edinburgh, this book is a perfect gothic true crime novel that entices you with its plot and setting.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!
Such an interesting book with a cool mix of real historical characters and invented characters that add so much to the story.

I went into The Resurrectionist pretty blind and was quickly swept away by the story.

James is sweet and naive but it doesn't stop him from standing up for what he wants and pursuing his goals. Nye is street smart and charming but deeply sensitive and loyal to his friends. Watching them dance around each other, try to figure out who to trust and how much, both chasing lofty dreams, was a treat.

I loved the nugget of true crime in this fictional story and Dunlap nailed the atmosphere. The characters were incredible and I was not ready to be done with them when the story finished. Would highly recommend for a slightly morbid mystery Achillean romance.