The Resurrectionist is a fantastic debut novel of historical fiction riddled with true crime centered on the serial killers Burke and Hare.

The extent of research into the characters, the crimes of Burke and Hare as well as the city of Edinburgh is very clear throughout the book but does not overpower the great writing of Dunlop. The characters she wrote were well-developed and I was eager to see where the story took them. The balance between fact and fiction is well done.

The romance was a surprising factor for me, but it entirely made sense as it developed and I enjoyed reading about the two main characters growing romance and the challenges of it in this period.

Overall, a great book. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this! It's an immersive entertaining story. I like the writing style and the pacing is good. The characters are well developed. I would recommend this! Special Thank You to A. Rae Dunlap, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Against his family’s wishes, James Willoughby has abandoned his education at Oxford and come to Edinburgh to pursue studies as a surgeon. The city is the center of the New Enlightenment, a place of discovery and advancement, and James is thrilled to be a part of it all. He quickly learns, however, that much of the action is happening not at the university, but at the private medical schools at Surgeon’s Square where they have actual cadavers for the students to use. James enrolls in one of the schools and he knows he has found his calling.

However, when his family’s fortunes fall, James no longer has the money for either school’s tuition. Out of desperation, he approaches Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, an assistant at his medical school, to see if there is some way he can work off his fees. Nye opens James’ eyes to the secret world of the Resurrectionists, body snatchers who dig up corpses from fresh graves to be used in study. At first, James is horrified by the very idea of stealing bodies, but he soon comes to recognize that it is the only way to facilitate all the scientific advancement that is ushering in a new era of medical knowledge. He also finds himself getting an unexpected thrill out of being part of a dig crew, staying one step ahead of the police in the dark of night.

As James gets more involved with the body snatching, he also grows closer to Nye and the two begin building a relationship. James seems to have everything he wants: excelling in his studies, a romance with Nye, and an exciting secret life. But the competition to lead the body trade in Edinburgh is fierce and new players seem to want a piece of the business — and are willing to do anything to get it. As the fight for bodies heats up, James and Nye find themselves with their own lives on the line.

The Resurrectionist is a fascinating historical that combines fiction with real-life characters and events. Author A. Rae Dunlap does such a nice job creating a sense of time and place here, and I felt like I was getting an inside look into the secret underbelly of the city. I found it all really fascinating, and Dunlap gives such wonderful detail to really show how the dig crews worked, as well as what was going on at these medical schools. There is just such a well developed setting here and I think historical fans are going to enjoy this a lot.

James is our POV character and he has a strong voice that worked well for me. James is a younger son of a titled family who have fallen on hard times. He has been raised in society and has an upper-class perspective on life, but he doesn’t want the typical younger son careers of military or clergy. What he wants is to study medicine, so he walks away from his education at Oxford to live a much more down-to-earth life above a pub in Edinburgh. James is a little naive and out of touch with the real world, as one would expect of a young man in his position. He serves as the perfect entry point for the reader, as James starts to explore this new life and the seedy underbelly of body snatching. Nye, on the other hand, is street smart and much more savvy. He is James’ guide into this new world and the two become sort of an odd couple pairing that just works.

The story takes place in 1828 at the time Edinburgh is the center of medical study and discovery. At first, James is appalled when he learns people are digging up fresh corpses for the classes. Of course, he never once wondered how the medical schools got all these bodies, how they can manage to have cadavers for each student while the university cannot. But slowly, James comes to not only understand what is going on behind the scenes, but embrace it. The Resurrectionists are digging up bodies, giving them a new life for study, and James starts to see his role as noble rather than criminal. Of course, they are still breaking the law, something that gives the posh James a thrill as well.

The story combines fictional characters with real life Edinburgh history. Some of the side characters are real people who lived at the time, including the story’s antagonists, Burke and Hare. While the blurb does disclose who they are, I somehow missed it, so I didn’t realize they were real people or what their role was until after I finished the book. I actually think that benefitted me, as it kept some mystery as to what was going on that folks who know the history (or read the blurb) will already know. This is the only place the book stumbled a little for me, as I don’t think the real life characters were integrated as seamlessly as they could have been. I found myself confused about some of what was going on toward the latter part of the story. There is a gang of body snatchers that comes into town who are threatening the existing gangs and no one knows quite who they are, but even when Nye and the others find out, the answer was not totally clear to me. Then, separately (I think?), we have Burke and Hare, but those two storylines sort of interconnect and I just didn’t completely understand who was doing what. In hindsight, it seems like maybe the real-life story just didn’t quite blend with the fictionalized portion quite as smoothly as it might have. I also didn’t feel like we get a solid resolution to the conflict that comes with James’ family, who want him to return home and make an advantageous marriage. The plan for how to resolve that seemed sort of nebulous and, for the seriousness of the situation (as it ends up threatening Nye), I wanted a clearer resolution. That said, the story is suspenseful and exciting and we get a really intense ending overall.

Overall, I found this one a fascinating blend of fiction and reality. Dunlap gives the story a really great sense of time and place and I was really intrigued by both the medical world and the body snatching schemes. I think historical fans are going to find a lot to like here and I really enjoyed this one.

I really loved this book. As soon as I started reading I was immediately drawn in by the atmospheric and immersive writing. I loved the characters, especially James and Aneurin, and their dedication to furthering science no matter the cost. This book is dark, gritty, a little violent, and little gory, but it’s also full of light, hope, love, and discovery.

My only complaint is that I personally felt like the ending was a bit rushed. After everything with Burke & Hare I felt like many things were just told instead of shown. I wish the last 20 pages had been a little more fleshed out. Otherwise, this book is amazing and I really loved reading it!

4.5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Resurrectionist: A Twisty Gothic Mystery of Dark Scottish History by A. Rae Dunlap from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley. The book is available now!

The Resurrectionist: A Twisty Gothic Mystery of Dark Scottish History by A. Rae Dunlap takes you into a history of medical science that some people don't realize existed. In order to make advancements in medicine, doctors and medical schools needed bodies. But for religious reasons, many people were not willing to donate their body or the body of a loved one to the medical community. This led to body snatching. It seems like an unsavory profession, but it was a necessary evil. This story delves into that world and the cut-throat competition for corpses. It is also a love story. Didn't see that coming, did you? If you like dark history, check this out!

The title and cover drew me in, the description was intriguing, and I anticipated an enjoyable read. The short version of this review is that it is a well-written and objectively very good book; I just did not enjoy the reading experience as much as I had hoped to.

James Willoughby comes from an upper-class life where society and how one conducts oneself are very black-and-white. For this reason, James is a little insufferable and unlikeable at the commencement of the novel. He has been drawn to the world of science and medicine, though with his family’s money all but gone, he has to reevaluate his morals in exchange for the education he so desires. This leads him down the path of body snatching and entangles him in the Edinburgh underworld.

Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon is the dissectionist at the private school James attends and is the one who brings James into the body-snatching business in exchange for a discounted education. He is evasive to questions, a bit impulsive, and a bit of a madman, but he does grow to care for James.

I did not particularly like either of the main characters, which I believe is why I feel I struggled to connect to the story. The remaining characters are essentially extras in this story, only learning enough about them for the plot to work. One such example is Charlie, who would have to be my favourite of all the characters. I couldn’t remember or find if a surname was ever mentioned, but he was such a kind, supportive, and generous character that was only really used to help James when the plot demanded it.

As for the plot, it was well thought out, interesting, and had a somewhat satisfying conclusion. The pace was consistent and the story delivered on what was promised in the description, a macabre tale of scientific pursuit with a side of a love story. I feel this story would have been complete without the ‘love’ component, as I feel its inclusion was more of a convenient side story using available characters rather than a connection the reader could feel invested in. Still, it was nice to see some Queer representation in a story set in the early 1800s.

To conclude, a good book and I am glad I got to experience the story, but I did not enjoy the characters and, as a result, did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped to.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded-up.

🪦 Grave Robbing
💀 M/M Romance
🪦 Macabre... but sweet
💀 Funny banter
🪦 A pinch of murder mystery

This wasn't exactly what I expected, but I had a good time.

This story follows a young man named James in Victorian-era Edinburgh who is studying to become a surgeon/physician, but hands-on work is hard to find...

So I kind of expected more of an atmospheric and gothic vibe from this book, but it's almost more of a dark comedy and historical crime read. I love learning about grave robbing and resurrection men, so the actual historical tie-ins were well done and informative but in a fun way.

It's at times grotesque but more in a humorous macabre way than overtly dark. The actual grave robbing and dissection portions earlier on in the story were my favourite aspects. I did find the romance element in this kind of took over the plot for me, but I still feel like I enjoyed the story overall. The m/m romance, however, was very sweet (it is closed-door). It was one of those stories where the first 1/3 packs a greater punch than the rest of the book, I did find I lost interest here and there, but it also has a very unique overall vibe.

I think it was a really good debut, but it's not as horror-esque as I was expecting. It's like macabre: but make it lighter & fluffy.

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓽𝓸𝓷 𝓟𝓾𝓫𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.

Thank You to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

As a gothic horror lover, this book delivered beautifully! The author’s research shines through, making the historical fiction elements feel authentic and immersive. Ironically, I was reading A Tale of Two Cities alongside The Resurrectionist, which felt perfectly fitting for my macabre Victorian mood. The eerie atmosphere and dark themes hit all the right notes for me. I’m so grateful to have had the chance to read this before publication!

The Resurrectionist is a historical novel set in 1820s Edinburgh, which was the centre of medical learning of the time. Not only were the ideas concerning medicine more enlightened, the students were able to study with actual human bodies, albeit those of the dead. But people weren’t exactly willing to donate their bodies to study medicine, so the only legally available bodies were those of people executed by hanging. It didn’t offer many opportunities, so the bodies had to be obtained by less legal manners, hence the rise of body-snatchers like Burke and Hare, who made steady business with providing bodies to anatomy schools.

James Willoughby is the third son of a landed gentry and is expected to find a profession to support himself. He spends a brief spell in Oxford, studying to become a clergyman, which he is wholly unsuited for. But science, especially medicine, draws him. So he abandons Oxford and declares to his family that he’ll be studying medicine in Edinburgh instead, leading to his father’s untimely death. That has unfortunate consequences for James, because it turns out, his father has gambled away the family fortune and there’s barely any money for his studies.

It doesn’t matter at first. He finds a cheap accommodation, throws himself to his studies, and makes some like-minded friends, enjoying the freedom of spirit Edinburgh offers. But then he learns about the anatomy schools that offer a proper chance to practice with human bodies, and he has to join one. Problem is, it costs money he doesn’t have.

Unwilling to let the opportunity go, he asks if he can help out at the school in exchange for a cheaper tuition. And the surgeon’s assistant, Aneurin MacKinnon, a dashing and brilliant if slightly eccentric young man, agrees. James is to be a lookout while Nye tries to capture body-snatchers. Only, that’s not what it’s really about, as James discovers for his horror. Nye is a body-snatcher too, or a resurrectionist, as he calls himself.

They part ways, but when James’s family informs him that the money is completely gone and order him to return home to become a businessman instead, desperation leads him back to Nye to become a body-snatcher too, as the money is good. It’s a life-changing experience for him. Things seem perfect at first; his friendship with Nye is blooming amid their criminal adventures, soon deepening to love and adding another thing he needs to hide from his friends. But this doesn’t last. A ruthless gang of body-snatchers arrive to Edinburgh, and James and Nye find themselves stepping on toes of Burke and Hare.

This was a good book, and an excellent debut. The story was interesting and flowed in a fairly fast pace. The narrative emulated 19th century prose very well, made fresher by the first-person point of view. James was a likeable if single-minded in his need to study medicine, but not always observant when it came to his surroundings and his friends, so the historical setting and side-characters apart from Nye remained slightly vague. It’s not a long book, and while it wasn’t a “Twisty Gothic Mystery” that the subtitle promised, it was entertaining. The ending was open enough that there might even be more adventures of James and Nye. I would be willing to read them.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

A Rae Dunlap debuts with The Resurrectionist, a dark historical thriller surrounding the body snatchers of 19th century Scotland. Add in true crime serial killers Burke and Hare, a naive medical student of certain station, and a captivating anatomist with an abundance of trickery and charm in equal parts? A Rae Dunlap produced a winner.

I am exactly the target audience for this book. I know this. I read all the stories surrounding resurrection men. I work in forensic science. But the book is also objectively good.

Dunlap cleverly interfaces true crime easter eggs into the story of James Willoughby as he begins medical school in Edinborough and is quickly convinced to serve as a lookout for Aneurin's team of Resurrection men as they snatch bodies from the graveyard behind James' lodging house. After all, half price tuition is half price tuition. Even acknowledging the clever weaving of historical facts and persons into the story, Dunlap expended a great deal of energy into making James and Aneurin compelling characters in their own right. Add in one queer love story, and there was no chance I could avoid being sucked right in. I purchased a hard copy at only 50% through. When you know you need a shelf trophy, you just know.

Is there room for criticism? Sure. The ending was a tad rushed and tied in a pretty bow, but I honestly didn't care. I was already tied in to James and Aneurin's scheme.

I would happily recommend this novel to fans of resurrection men stories (Anatomy A Love Story/The Corpse Queen) though seeking a bit more grit. Likewise, historical dark academia fans looking for queer stories a la Death in the Spires can find their match here too.

Wishing A Rae Dunlap much success and looking forward to future releases.

More like 4.25 stars!

Overall a really solid and interesting historical fiction debut! I was first interested because the premise reminded me of Anatomy by Dana Schwartz, which is one of my all-time favorite books, and I'm very happy that this did not disappoint either!

The atmosphere and writing style fit the vibe of the story really well in my opinion, and it was really easy to get into James's head right from the start (a particular feat for me since I rarely enjoy male protagonists who aren't Percy Jackson)! I also enjoyed his relationship with Nye and wish them all the happiness ever!!

I also went through the whole book not realizing it was based on a real case, so it was definitely cool to read the author's note and realize that afterwards! You definitely don't need to know anything about the real case to understand the book, but I'm definitely interested in learning more about the basis for the mystery!

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this if you're looking for an LGBTQ+ historical fiction and/or if you enjoyed books like Stalking Jack the Ripper or Anatomy (like myself)! I'm definitely interested to see what Dunlap writes next since this was a really great debut!

Rating: 4 stars

I received a digital copy of this book through the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review.

This book was an intriguingly interesting read to me. From beginning to end, I was captivated by the story told within this book’s pages, wanting to find out what was going to happen next to James and Nye. While I felt like I didn’t really know too much about either of them as I feel like this book’s focus is more on the events that transpire than character development, the story within The Resurrectionist was an enjoyable one for me.

What also helped draw me into the story here is the setting of this book. It takes place during a different time in Edinburgh when the world didn’t have the advancements in medicine and science that we have today. Back when there weren’t enough dead bodies to study in medical schools, they had to rely on body snatchers to bring fresh corpses to be used for scientific study. I felt like with The Resurrectionist, I was very easily swept into this time period with James as he talked about his experiences at his college and the private school he ended up attending. I felt like I was right along with James as he discovered the underbelly of life as a body snatcher and as the stakes in his life kept getting more and more dangerous. This book essentially drew me in through its descriptive storytelling when it comes to the world around James and his mates.

What I also enjoyed about The Resurrectionist along with the setting of the book is the story itself. The plot was fast-moving, with conflicts occurring every so often with James and his companion Nye. The story of James being in debt when he finally found somewhere he belonged and doing things most people would find morally questionable, to his life as a body snatcher, to the discovery of a group of people who are a threat to what James and Nye do, to their lives being in immediate danger when they become involved with Burke and Hare. It kept me on the edge, continuing to read to see what would happen next to James and Nye and how this story would conclude. Especially knowing what I do now that some of the characters in this historical fiction novel are based on real people and real killings that have taken place. Knowing that now intrigues me enough to want to learn more and see how events in this book connect with the true crimes committed by Burke and Hare.

Another piece of The Resurrectionist I enjoyed was seeing the relationship between James and Nye. Since there isn’t a lot of character development in this book, I was interested in their relationship because I wanted to see how it would develop. And while the direction it takes doesn’t surprise me, I wanted to see more of it unfold than what as a reader I get.

As a whole, I did enjoy reading this book. However, if there was anything with it I didn’t particularly like it would be lack of character development and information. I feel like this book does a marvelous job of describing the events that happened from James' point of view. As a reader, I get a good sense of what the world he lives in is like and what his life is like as a body snatcher. But that’s it. I feel like there’s a lot that happens in the story with these characters but there’s a minimal amount of character development with them. I also feel like this book does a wonderful job of giving us the events that happen but feel like at times I wanted more information when something happened as a lot of the conflicts that occurred were resolved pretty quickly. I felt like there could’ve been more here in this story than what was given, but enjoyed what I read, nonetheless.

The Resurrectionist is an enjoyable read that I highly recommend. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, true crime, medical crime, and anyone who likes a story that takes place near an academic institution. The Resurrectionist was published on December 24, 2024 for those interested in reading this book.

The book spun a fantastic atmosphere - Dunlap's writing style is good at drawing the reader in. As someone who is quite familiar with the setting and history of the book, I found it to be well-portrayed in the narrative. The pacing dragged in places, but it was made up for by how we were brought in to the mind of James, the protagonist. The narration style was a good fit for the book, and how James rationalised the events. The love story was also convincingly written. I'd love to read more from this author.

Loved everything about this book! Dark historical fiction is so amazing when done right, and Dunlap hits each mark with this story for sure. I cannot wait to purchase a copy for my shelves.

This is my dream historical fiction. Medical, morbid, gory, true crime/murder, and a gay love story intertwined. Perfection. Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

A very interesting and macabre topic, based on true events of the resurrectionists. I had some trouble picking this back up after a while, because I felt like the pacing was slightly off. I really liked the characters and the story in general, but feel like I expected a bit more from it somehow.

Equal parts macabre and romantic, The Resurrectionist is an incredibly gripping story of a young physician who travels to Edinburgh to learn the careful art of surgery, and finds himself wrapped up in the illicit and gory world of body snatching that coloured much of Edinburgh’s 19th century. I loved the first person narration and how curious and determined James was both to learn and to make his way in the world. I’ve read several books set in this time period revolving around the graveyard antics of the underworld, but this was by far my favorite. The romance between James and Nye was the perfect dose of sweetness amidst the fast moving plot, and I love how their queerness wasn’t made a contentious plot line or something James grappled with - his friendship with Nye developed into more in a very believable and heartwarming way. Overall, I absolutely adored this story and will eagerly read whatever the author might write next!

This was a very beautifully written and engaging, twisting turny, dark book. I loved the gothic themes and historical atmosphere. I really loved the characters. I can agree with some reviews the pacing is a bit odd but I loved this debut novel and I’m excited to read more from this author!!

Thanks so much Kensington Publishing via NetGalley for allowing me early access to this book! 🌹🥀

I absolutely adored this debut from A. Rae Dunlap! A huge thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC. The writing style and choice of language instantly transported me to the time and place the story takes place. I felt immediately connected to our protagonist, James; I could envision his life growing up as the odd one out, struggling towards his calling and making a name and a life of his own away from a family more concerned with their reputation and standing in high society than his personal wellbeing. I found myself going through the same mental gymnastics as James as he came into the world of bodysnatching, becoming a Resurrectionist; the warring of social mores with justifications for scientific progress. I loved the progress of his acquaintanceship, partnership, and companionship with Nye. It was at every turn hilarious and heartwarming. There were shocking moments sprinkled throughout so masterfully that it kept me quickly turning the pages to find out what happened next. I highly recommend this book and I truly hope to see some striking special editions in the future!

#TheResurrectionist #NetGalley

This was super interesting! I had no idea about the real life inspiration behind this so that was really fun to learn about and get a fictional view on a real historical event. The writing was also phenomenal I was blown away from the very first page how great the writing was! And I loved the characters and the story and really connected to them.