I was drawn to the plot as a lover of dark academia and true crime, but thought it sounded too intriguing to actually deliver what my mind was expecting of it. Somehow it surpassed that, and I had to put timers on so I wouldn't read it too quick and run out of pages faster than I was prepared for.

James has clearly romanticised what life will be like pursuing a medical degree in Edinburgh and really doesn’t know what he is in for. However, with Nye at his side, it’s like you’re following a story of someone studying anatomy that finally discovers their own backbone.
The book is brilliantly written, and the banter between the characters had me just as drawn in as the effortless humour in the author’s writing from the very first page, and the way Dunlop has incorporated Burke and Hare into the story fit so perfectly I almost forgot they weren’t fiction, despite knowing of them before I started reading the book.
I sincerely hope that another book will come in the future, as I’m not ready to say goodbye to James and Nye, nor to how well Dunlop has set the scene of their story.

UN.PUT.DOWNABLE! Or it is if you like historical fiction + old school gothic + the macabre + dash of humor. I couldn’t…well, I couldn’t put it down.

The Resurrectionist is a retelling of the macabre history of illicit body snatching in 19th century Edinburgh. It’s a light and easy read despite being a story centered around human cadavers. A good read if you’re interested in a cozy true crime story with queer characters and a splash of dark academia.

I enjoyed the parts that focused on medical discoveries which were fascinating, and the body snatching adventures which made me laugh. Moreover, I loved the characters even if there isn't much material to get to know them with; though it’d be nice if there were more interactions and a deeper character development. And I want to know more about James’ surgery studies, as I love stories about academia.

The romance is well-executed. It didn’t overshadow the main plot, and yes I LOVE THEM.

Lastly, the writing style isn’t for me, but I see great potential for a sequel, and I would love to watch a movie adaptation.

I loved the stories and the characters.
Very unique approache of the story line and the characters.
Higly recommend

THIS BOOK!!! I need Nye and James so much. If you are looking for a macabre queer historical fiction please look no further. The character and plot development were unmatched imo. Set in Edinburgh, James is looking for a fresh start as a medical student, what he gets is so much more.

The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap, was a thoroughly enjoyable read! I rated it 4.5 stars! The plot, with its anatomy references, plot twists, and special appearances from 2 famous figures from Scottish history, made this book unputdownable!

James, the protagonist of this story, is plummeted into the world of human anatomy- and later body snatching- after moving to Edinburgh to begin his studies with the famous Dr Malstrom (much to the dismay of his family). Once his first lecture has ended, he finds himself striking a deal of employment with Malstrom's assistant, Aneurin. After which, James' journey as a Resurrectionist officially begins!

First of all thank you NetGalley and Kensington Press for gifting me this arc.

3. 75 ⭐️

James has always dreamed of a better education in medicine and the human body. Oxford with its constraints, means he will never fully establish himself as a surgeon. So, he moves to Edinburgh where he is introduced to private schools outside of the university that do live autopsies. There he meets Nye, the assistant to the doctor James admires most. Nye helps James in getting a spot in the doctor's classes by offering work in return for James to complete. It turns south though, when it is soon revealed that Nye is a grave digger, and the bodies that the doctor does autopsies on are normal people being taken from their graves.

But family matters means that James can't turn away from this position, and he can't turn away from Nye's teasing smile and hidden gentle nature. But as danger looms around the corner, what can be done when their profession starts to affect those they love?

The Resurrectionist is just a good ol' time. The characters are enjoyable, the premise is solid and the writing is lovely. I love the relationship between James and Nye, and loved the brutal line between morality and immorality throughout. I wish it was a little more gruesome at times, but then if this is meant to be YA then I can understand why not. However, I had a good time overall.

Thankyou to Kensington Publishing allowing me a chance at reading this book pre publishing. One word WOW!!
A mix of historical fiction, true crime, horror.
Loved the narration of the protagonist, the language used concreted you into his reality as if he is telling you his story in real time. A grave robber love story that felt very balance and never out weighed with the different plots and story lines through out. The ending was chefs kiss.

I enjoy a good, morbid plot and this delivers. I also appreciate a well researched historical fiction tale. Plenty gruesome and a good mystery as well. The M/M romance is in the background--adds to the story but doesn't overshadow it. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This book was fantastic, I gave it 4.25/5 stars (I'm putting five here). The prose was simply fantastic and it helped the setting immensely, as well as the descriptions for the more anatomical parts of the book (Which were so good that I sometimes felt a little nauseous), the characters are very well made and feel pretty round even if we talk about secondary characters, but Nye and James were such perfect main characters and had a great romance that started to simmer from the first instance they saw each other. The only fault I can give is that the chapters felt way too long and some of them could have been easily divided into two, these longer chapters gave the sensation of a heavier reading and sometimes a little more tiring, but the plot always manages to push you through it.

"Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naïve but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the city’s university offers everything James desires—except the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that, he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation, he strikes a deal with Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a dashing young dissectionist with an artist’s eye for anatomy and a reckless passion for knowledge. Nye promises to help him gain the surgical experience he craves—but it doesn’t take long for James to realize he’s made a devil’s bargain . . . Nye is a body snatcher."

This is for fans of the macabre. This book is a great read that keeps you wanting to know more. It is dark and twisty! It reminds me of "Stalking Jack the Ripper"

James is the third son of minor nobility; meaning he has two choices in life join military or the church. As it is fairly obvious that he would make a terrible solider, he heads off to Oxford to study theology where he discovers they he has no interest in the church as well. What he does discover is a deep passion for medical science, and he is in the perfect time and place for it as the University at Edinburgh is the leading university in the world on the subject. So after convincing his family that he would make a far better physician than theologian, he sets off to Edinburgh only to find himself wrapped up in the infamous body trade as a Resurrectionist

Where to start with this one? This was nothing like what I expected, and I am so grateful for that. I was in all honesty looking forward to an interesting story about the body trade, Burke and Hare figured in there sure because I mean can you really write a story during this time frame in Edinburgh without them? What I got was a wonderfully hilarious, incredibly inspiring, coming of age story of a young man who just wants to escape the expectations his family and society have forced upon him. Not just that but one of the most natural, most beautiful romances, period, I have ever read. The fact that it's a gay romance is just icing on the cake. The progression of their relationship felt so natural to me that I'm not even sure how to describe it. It's like if I had been watching these two in real life and you see that chemistry, that spark between two people that you just know that they either are together or they will be. Dunlap somehow captured that spark and infused the pages of this book with it. I genuinely don't know how else to describe it.

Overall, I can not recommend this enough. It was a heartwarming, hilarious story that just happens to have two of Scotland's most infamous serial killers in it.

As always, thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the eArc!

I would say this book is extremely well written. It's basically a historical fiction based on Burke and Hare, which were two guys that were part of an elaborate scheme to snatch bodies from graves in order to sell and use at the medical school. The main character in this book, James was naive and coming from a different planet than what he was thrown into while trying to pursue his medical career. It was pretty entertaining to watch him navigating being on his own and doing whatever it took to stay on his preferred path, no matter what the circumstances might be. I didn't feel this book was took much of a "horror" book, although there were definitely some pretty gruesome parts as it relates to the descriptions of the bodies. No doubt I was seeing a clear picture of corpses in my mind while reading this! I was impressed by the author's knowledge on the topic of body snatching and was impressed by the story he was able to create. I was also impressed by the characters in the book and how they really came to life for me while reading this. Overall this book was twisty, mysterious, funny, witty, and a tad dark. I enjoyed it!

I would say this book is extremely well written. It's basically a historical fiction based on Burke and Hare, which were two guys that were part of an elaborate scheme to snatch bodies from graves in order to sell and use at the medical school. The main character in this book, James was naive and coming from a different planet than what he was thrown into while trying to pursue his medical career. It was pretty entertaining to watch him navigating being on his own and doing whatever it took to stay on his preferred path, no matter what the circumstances might be. I didn't feel this book was took much of a "horror" book, although there were definitely some pretty gruesome parts as it relates to the descriptions of the bodies. No doubt I was seeing a clear picture of corpses in my mind while reading this! I was impressed by the author's knowledge on the topic of body snatching and was impressed by the story he was able to create. I was also impressed by the characters in the book and how they really came to life for me while reading this. Overall this book was twisty, mysterious, funny, witty, and a tad dark. I enjoyed it!

If you're into true crime, forensics, mystery, historical fiction, and anything to do with surgery/dissection of bodies.. this book might be for you.

"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."

James Willoughby has decided to move to Edinburgh to pursue a degree in medicine. He quickly finds that going to university alone wouldn’t be sufficient and needs to attend a secondary anatomy school in order to actually work on cadavers rather than just observe from afar. However, his landed family has just fallen from grace. His father has just died - the blame cast squarely on James by his mother for shocking his father with his intended profession after thoroughly denouncing a role in the military or in the church - and it has come to light that his fathers debts from gambling far surpassed anyone’s wildest imaginings. As such, James must come up with a way to pay for his schooling. To that end, James seeks out the assistant at his chosen anatomy school and they work out an agreement that quickly devolves into James becoming one of the resurrection men - digging up bodies for use at the anatomy school, and ensnared in the drama of the criminal underworld of Edinburgh.

I can’t stress enough how wonderful this book was. From the very first page I was entranced. This book is so unbelievably funny, and equally well researched. The romance aspect is super sweet too.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a coming-of-age tale of a posh boy who trades in a life of Latin and theory at Oxford for some hands on experience in the kirkyards of Edinburgh. A historical fiction inspired by Scotland’s prolific serial killers, Burke and Hare, this book features a delightful cast of characters; an exploration of sexuality and an unambiguous m/m romance that leaves no doubt our characters are queer; and a spot of body snatching to boot. I had a great time with James and Nye.

I enjoyed this a little more than I expected I might (considering this isn't a genre I ever really pick up). It took me a while to get invested but I was invested by the end.

I will say it was a little predictable in terms of the plot surrounding Burke and Hare but that didn't bother me too much. The fact that I wasn't sold on whether Nye was a good guy or not until the end helped keep a bit of suspense for me.

From a true crime perspective I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, I mean it is a very historical case (therefore, no victims or families to be affected), and I don't immediately HATE using real historical criminals as the villains in a historical thriller, however, I do draw the line at using the names and stories of real victims. I guess the lines are super blurred when using a historical case as such a significant influence in a fictional story but.... idk to write about these victims as if they were just characters doesn't sit right with me. Mary Peterson and James Wilson were real people who were tragically murdered, they shouldn't be fodder for a fictional story.

All in all, I think anyone who likes queer historical horror would probably enjoy this, it has some gore but nothing too crazy so probably also a good gateway book for those wanting to venture into a darker genre.

Thank you to Netgally and Kensington Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of this book was a slog to get through. I get that it was all a masterly crafted setup for the second half of the book, but I almost DNF because of it. After reading the author's notes in the back, it made a bit more sense, but I did not see the subtle hints of a relationship forming between Nye and James until it smacked me in the face. I don't typically read historical fiction, and that may play into my rating as well, but I picked this book solely on the cover and title. Overall, it was enjoyable and I finished the second half of the book rather quickly because the story finally grabbed my attention. 3.75 stars.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and I’m so glad I did. Without knowing anything about the historical aspect, I found the whole premise so delightfully morbid.

The author really grasps dark academia, pairing science with beautifully flowing prose in a near perfect matrimony. Our main character has an inner battle between his place in society, his thirst for knowledge and his scholastic endeavors, and his own personal code of ethics. I love the interpersonal relationship development between him and his friends, especially our roguish anti-hero, Aneurin or “Nye.” The conflicts in this book range from literal life-or-death to the more mundane “first world problems” of a “posh boy” from London.

This was a great macabre adventure with a romantic sub-plot and LGBTQ representation in the 1800’s, as well as heavy themes of class differentiations. This author is definitely one to watch out for and I’d certainly recommend this book!

This book was so much fun! I loved the contrast in James' and Nye's personalities and how they both grew throughout the book. I loved the general premise. A mix between Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein. It was a great read!