About the Book
In the tradition of The Alienist and Anatomy- A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland - when real-life serial killers Burke and Hare terrorized the streets of Edinburgh - as a young medical student is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching.
Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in a harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the grisly origins of modern medicine for readers of Lydia Kang, ML Rio, Sarah Perry, and C.E. McGill.
"With wit as sharp as a scalpel, and a plot as dark and twisted as the Edinburgh alleys in which it is set, The Resurrectionist is a thrilling debut that will have readers turning pages deep into the night." -Hester Fox, author of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
Library Reads Selection for December 2024 | Aardvark Book Club Pick for December 2024 | Paste Magazine Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of Fall 2024 | Buzz Book Selection for Spring/Summer 2025 | BookBub Best New Horror for January 2025 | The Strand January Mystery Pick of the Month | Criminal Element Most Anticipated Reads- December 2024 | The Escapist Best New Horror Books Coming in December 2024 | A/V Club Books You Should Read in December 2024 | BookRiot Most-Anticipated New Queer Books Out in December 2024
In the tradition of The Alienist and Anatomy- A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland - when real-life serial killers Burke and Hare terrorized the streets of Edinburgh - as a young medical student is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching.
Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in a harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the grisly origins of modern medicine for readers of Lydia Kang, ML Rio, Sarah Perry, and C.E. McGill.
"With wit as sharp as a scalpel, and a plot as dark and twisted as the Edinburgh alleys in which it is set, The Resurrectionist is a thrilling debut that will have readers turning pages deep into the night." -Hester Fox, author of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
Library Reads Selection for December 2024 | Aardvark Book Club Pick for December 2024 | Paste Magazine Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Books of Fall 2024 | Buzz Book Selection for Spring/Summer 2025 | BookBub Best New Horror for January 2025 | The Strand January Mystery Pick of the Month | Criminal Element Most Anticipated Reads- December 2024 | The Escapist Best New Horror Books Coming in December 2024 | A/V Club Books You Should Read in December 2024 | BookRiot Most-Anticipated New Queer Books Out in December 2024
Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naive 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. And James has unwittingly become his accomplice. Intoxicated by Nye and his noble mission, James rapidly descends into the underground ranks of the Resurrectionists-the body snatchers infamous for stealing fresh corpses from churchyards to be used as anatomical specimens. Before he knows it, James is caught up in a life-or-death scheme as rival gangs of snatchers compete in a morbid race for power and prestige.
James and Nye soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a shady pair of unscrupulous opportunists known as Burke and Hare, who are dead set on cornering the market, no matter the cost. These unsavory characters will do anything to beat the competition for bodies. Even if it's cold-blooded murder . . .
Exquisitely macabre and delightfully entertaining, The Resurrectionist combines fact and fiction in a rollicking tale of the risks and rewards of scientific pursuit, the passions of its boldest pioneers, and the anatomy of human desire.
About the Author :
A. Rae Dunlap studied film and Victorian literature at Northwestern University and spends her days as a trailer editor at Disney, bringing to life the magic of the world's most influential storytellers for audiences everywhere. She lives with her husband in a small mountain town in California and can be found online at ARaeDunlap.com.
Review :
Praise for The Resurrectionist
“While the subject matter of The Resurrectionist is certainly macabre (and Dunlap doesn’t skimp on the gory details), the novel remains upbeat and fun, never sinking into a dour gothic spirit. Even if they find their work distasteful, readers will come to love James and Nye’s irreverent crew of miscreants.” —BookPage
“Dunlap’s clever debut explores medical history, queer love, and the cost of progress in 1828 Scotland. Dunlap melds comic, tender, and macabre moments in her well-plotted tale, and makes hay with embellished historical facts. Readers will be entertained.” —Publishers Weekly
“A blend of true crime and historical fiction that’s drawing comparisons to Caleb Carr’s The Alienist.” —Library Journal
“The Resurrectionist introduces a new talent to the field of gothic historical literature. A. Rae Dunlap has done her homework and evocatively creates a picture of 19th century Edinburgh, an educational center particularly known for its medical training. The narrative turns into a drama that's part romance, part mystery, part crime caper. Each part is told with breathtaking pacing and rich descriptions. Each character is vivid and leaps off the page with vibrant personality. Dunlap has written a page-turner of an adventure, one that takes the reader from anatomy lessons to taverns to graveyards, running through the maze of Edinburgh's streets, following James as he fights for his life to have the meaning he wants it to have. Medical school has never been as dramatic or entertaining as it is in this book.” —New York Journal of Books
“This twisty tale of body snatching offers wickedly spooky fun!” —BookBub
"This perfectly ghoulish thriller expertly blends dark academia with historical true crime and unexpected romance. Readers will be delightfully haunted by the lush prose and atmospheric gloom." —B.R. Myers, author of A Dreadful Splendor
"Playing with a captivating point in history, A. Rae Dunlap weaves a story of queer love, coming of age, and macabre science against the richly-drawn atmosphere of a historic and beloved city. The result is a book hauntingly gothic, intimately told, and wickedly, wonderfully grotesque.” —Marielle Thompson, author of The Last Witch in Edinburgh
"The Resurrectionist is a wryly humorous and devilishly macabre cat-and-mouse thriller as dark as a midnight graveyard and as twisting as Edinburgh’s cobblestone streets. It’s an enthralling debut from a writer to watch." —Patrice McDonough, author of Murder by Lamplight
“Brilliantly researched and beautifully written. Dunlap expertly captures the history and cadence of the era, and the thrill and elation of discovery during the Enlightenment, as well as the dark and twisted depths that are the byproducts of progress. A clever tale filled with macabre intrigue and personal revelation.” —Anna Lee Huber, USA Today bestselling author
“Mixing a macabre gothic mystery with a sensitive coming-of-age tale and a touching queer romance, Dunlap has written an exciting, well-researched debut historical adventure.” —firstCLUE
"With wit as sharp as a scalpel, and a plot as dark and twisted as the Edinburgh alleys in which it is set, The Resurrectionist is a thrilling debut that will have readers turning pages deep into the night." —Hester Fox, author of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
“The Resurrectionist combines fact and fiction into a twisty, macabre gothic debut. A. Rae Dunlap’s novel has elements of dark academia, historical fiction and true crime that tell a grisly story of the origins of modern medicine.” —Geek Girl Authority
“Set against the historic backdrop of 19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland, the love story of James Willoughby and Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon is a breathtaking journey filled with adventure, humor, and excitement. The characters are magnetic, drawing readers into a richly woven narrative that is as enlightening as it is entertaining. The enthralling depiction of the shadowy world of body snatching, combined with the personal saga of two young men caught in a struggle for power and recognition, renders this book an unforgettable experience. It earns my wholehearted recommendation.” —The Sirens Podcast
