The Dead Shall Not Rest

Kensington

The Dead Shall Not Rest
Tessa Harris
2012

The Summary
"It is not just the living who are prey to London's criminals and cutpurses.  Corpses, too, are fair game--dug up from fresh graves and sold to unscrupulous men of science.  Dr. Thomas Silkstone abhors such methods, but his leading rival, Dr. John Hunter, has learned of the imminent death of eight-foot-tall Charles Byrne, known as the "Irish Giant," and will go to any lengths to obtain the body for his research.

"Thomas intends to see that Byrne is allowed to rest in peace.  Yet his efforts are complicated by concern for his betrothed, Lady Lydia Farrell, who breaks off their engagement without explanation.  When Dr. Hunter is implicated in the horrific murder of a young castrato, Thomas must determine how far the increasingly erratic surgeon will go in the name of knowledge.  For as Thomas knows too well, the blackest of hearts sometimes go undetected--and even an unblemished facade can hide terrifying secrets..."

The Good
Like The Anatomist's Apprentice, The Dead Shall Not Rest is a complex story that pulls upon a variety of narrative threads.  Sometimes, it sends you haring off in a different direction, leading you on a merry chase through a dark and terrible story, before leaving you utterly speechless as you return to the primary narrative.

But it's very, very good.

I was intrigued by the story from the very beginning, because it deals with Charles Byrne, a gigantic man who was known as the "Irish Giant."  His story is a sad, tragic tale of deception and greed--and medical misfortune.  I have to admit, I was very upset when I learned of his fate.  (Fair warning, fellow readers.)

However, it shouldn't deter you from reading (or, as I did, listening) to Tessa Harris' novel.  As the second in her Thomas Silkstone series, The Dead Shall Not Rest has all the things I loved about the first novel:  incredible characters, complex plots and narrative threads, intriguing interpersonal relationships and dynamic dialog, historical fact.

I loved how Harris continued to develop Thomas and Lydia's relationship, offering glimpses into their lives and their feelings toward one another, as well as developing them as individual characters.  Lydia is certainly more complex than I gave her credit in the first novel, but I can't say I like her more this time around.  She still seems to have all the qualities--vulnerabilities, weaknesses, insecurities--I disliked when I first met her; however, after catching a glimpse into her tumultuous past, I can more readily understand her.

I also loved the flavor of the story.  Like its predecessor, The Dead Shall Not Rest draws heavily from cultural and medical history.  Suspense is sprinkled liberally throughout the novel, but it often draws from historical fact, introducing readers to all the quirks and oddities of eighteenth century England.  It shows what life was like during such turbulent times; moreover, it offers a glimpse into the fledgling days of medicine when ignorance was rampant and superstition frequently ruled.

Simon Vance reprises his role as narrator, and I can't even explain how thrilled I was with his narration.  He manages to give a voice to Harris's characters, bringing them to life with his extraordinary range of vocal tones and accents.  He does excellent work, and he definitely doesn't disappoint.

The Bad
I hated the end of this book.  Hated.

Like The Anatomist's Apprentice, it has a bit of a twist ending.  It doesn't end like you expect or hope, and I was displeased by the fate of Charles Byrne--and I was doubly disheartened by the lingering feeling that something terrible was allowed to happen, that the villain (who I perceived as a villain) managed to get away without incurring any consequences for his barbaric actions.

It's truly horrifying.

The Ugly
Venereal disease.

The only reason I mention "venereal disease" is that there's a little episode in the book that describes a certain condition, in sickening detail, and examines its immediate effects on the human body.  I'm not ashamed to say that, afterward, I felt sick to my stomach.