Resurrectionist

Officer Matthew Harkwood, a Bow Street Runner (London's Foot Patrol), is charged with investigating the recent atrocities by the city's busy resurrectionists, gangs of men who plunder the dead to sell for medical research. In the course of looking into the macabre murder of a minister by a mental patient in the notorious Bedlam, Hawkwood discovers a nefarious plot by a surgeon that leads from the pubs of Smithfield to the highest echelons of government.
Based on actual people and events, the author recreates with chilling and authentic detail the grim realities of medical research in the era, when progressive surgeons imagine medical feats to preserve lives, though still far from the practices that might eventually accommodate their show more goals. McGee comfortably, almost off-handedly, lays out the vivid reality of resurrectionists and life in morgues and psychiatric facilities. He does not paint a picture of the genteel aristocratic residents of the period, but depicts the sights and smells of the slums of London - and it's not pleasant.
Hawkwood is a great character, both dark and likeable, as is the supporting cast, with quick-witted dialogue, a maintenance of suspense and barely a wasted page to break the pace. The historical context of the books is also well done; McGee has clearly done his research.
It's not for the faint-hearted, but it's a really good read. I enjoyed the first book in the series, and this will keep me following Hawkwood to his next adventure. show less

I haven't read any of the books in this series but felt reading this book which is number two it really didn't make much difference. Matthew Hawkwood is a Bow Street runner, ex army, very dashing, a Victorian Jack Reacher maybe.

In this outing hes out to solve murders that are somehow connected to the grave robbers. The book is very gory at times and I did squirm. Loved the descriptions and did feel like I was there in Bedlam myself.

I couldn't make my mind up if I was enjoying this book or not. I felt it was a slog at times and there wasn't a lot going on. When I feel like this I tend to see what other reviewers thought, and to see if its worth me continuing. I did read one lovely review with a mild spoiler, with warning and it did sort show more of tell me the why and why nots. I have to say from this point I have skipped to finish the book.

I'm not sure if I would seek out anymore books in this series. Loved the setting and time of place, liked the story line and Hawkwood himself, just got bored with the book. show less

Let's face it, if you read a book about bodysnatching, you have to expect a lot of 'yuck' factor. But I never felt that the gruesome details were being told just to be gruesome. This is just the way it was. I enjoyed this. Not everything that happened, but the way it was told.

I expected to enjoy this book far more than I did but that was because I had the wrong writer. This is the first McGee I have read and from an historical point of view it was very interesting indeed, with descriptions of Bedlam, the London slums and sewers and the state of medicine in the early Nineteenth Century.

Hawkwood, an ex army man, is a formidable character and called to investigate a murder in the notorious London Asylum: from there he is summoned to a church yard where a corpse is gruesomely displayed. Nothing seems to link the two at first but of course, fiction being less random than real life, its all part of the same plot, planned by an evil genius and executed by his no less evil henchmen, and women.

Body snatching, show more amazingly, was not a crime initially, as long as the corpse was stripped of all clothes - even the shroud - or jewellery, since taking those was 'theft'. Bodies were usually taken for medical schools, and good teeth were prized by dentists for dentures. But there's a new buyer in London who is not satisfied with even the most freshly disinterred corpse: for his purposes, he needs them alive.

Matthew Hawkwood soon realises his adversary is a [supposedly] dead man, and one who has some very powerful allies at that. In the end - SPOILER ALERT - the mad scheme to revive his long dead daughter using the fresh blood and organs of other girls is foiled and, despite making some enemies, Hawkwood emerges victorious.

Not an easy or enjoyable read but a very interesting one. show less

I gave the first book in this series, Ratcatcher, a five star rating and still believe it deserves it. However, i can not say the same for this second installment. Wow, the only word I can use is "gross". One other reviewer stated that this book was not for the prudish or squeamish, which I dont' believe I am, but this was simply over the top and beyond squeamish. I do believe it comes close to being thrown into the HORROR genre, or at the least a serial killer murder mystery. Where did the fun, action adventure story go that we encountered in the first book? I won't say I didnt like it, but I certainly didnt love it as I did Ratcatcher. Serious editing was also very much in need. The book goes on and on, and there are a lot of filler show more pages describing way too much detail on the topics of early surgical procedures and how anatomists plied their trade in body snatching. A few pages dedicated to these topics would have been sufficient for us to get the drift and history behind it all, and much less graphic GROSS detail in both areas would have been easier to handle. I was definitely disappointed in the lack of action and adventure scenes because I felt it was a key ingredient to the success of book one. Ratcatcher was fast paced and I couldnt put it down. Resurrectionist, drags on and not much really happens that I consider exciting. I'll be honest, I couldnt wait for it to end. It was too much. But, I love the character the author has created, Matthew Hawkwood is very likeable, and I really hope that in book three McGee takes more time developing his character in depth. I am anxious for Raspcallion to be released, this downfall was not enough for me to be put off on the series at all, but I have to make readers aware, it is not the caliber or type of story as the first and it really isnt a book for anyone weak-kneed. I think the trouble with this book was that it wasnt scary per se, because you always knew what was going on, the problem was that the scenes were downright too disgusting. If the author is reading this..my recommendation is to put back the action and fun and take out the macabre. I felt I was reading Poe show less

Potential to be good tale, but totally spoiled by over the top violence, horror and blatant sexual abuse. Sensationalism for its own sake adds nothing to the story. I am too old to be shocked, but really do not need this.

This was good, great plot, characters and development. An easy enjoyable read that has twists and surprises up to the end.