Forced to Spy for Grave Robbers True Colors – Fiction Based on Strange-But-True History In 1824, Josephine Clayton is considered dead by everyone in her Massachusetts village–especially the doctor she has assisted for several months. Yet, she is still very much alive. After the doctor’s illegal dealing with his body snatcher to obtain her body, Josephine awakens, positioned as the next … Josephine awakens, positioned as the next corpse for his research. To cover up his crime, the doctor tries to kill her, but Josephine begs to be spared. They strike a deal–Josephine will leave her village and work at a distant cotton mill. All the while, she’ll await her true mission–posing as a mourner to help the body snatcher procure her replacement.
At the mill though, Josephine is praised for her medical remedies among the other female workers, gaining attention from the handsome factory manager, Braham Taylor. Yet, when Braham’s own loved one becomes the prey for the next grave robbing, Josie must make a choice that could put her dark past behind her or steal away the promise of any future at all.
What price will Josie pay for love when her secrets begin to unravel?
More from the True Colors Series
The White City by Grace Hitchcock (March 2019)
The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma (June 2019)
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The series True colors: Historical Stories of American Crime has taught me areas of history that I knew nothing about. As is true in history, some things are harder to believe than others. So it is with the wicked web of the ‘resurrectionists’, people who snatched bodies from the grave for medical research. How is Josephine Clayton to extricate herself from this horror when she wakes up on the table, finding herself about to be autopsied? In an effort to save her father who has become entangled in this network, she promises to help replace her body. After all, everyone thinks she is dead!
This story holds a certain gruesomeness as you follow Josie and those who are coercing her help in their dreadful task. I appreciated the author’s note at the end of the book, explaining that this practice was widespread in the early 1800’s. As one who has benefited from medical experimentation, I can partly understand the need for this learning. However, I am grateful for those who donate their bodies to medical science, thus replacing the need for such nefarious activities!
I enjoyed learning a little more about the healing herbs that were cultivated by our young herbalist. Her reliance on prayer reminded me that the Lord is there even in the direst of circumstances.
I received a copy of this wonderful book through Barbour Publishing, NetGalley and CelebrateLit. The comments, impressions and opinions given are my own and were not solicited.
Grave robbers! Body snatchers! Medical research! These are the themes found in The Yellow Lantern and author Angie Dicken has written a story that I found both intriguing and disturbing. I had heard of robbing graves to steal jewels and other objects off of dead bodies but I wasn’t as familiar with these corpses being removed to be used for medical research. The opening scene describes a young girl, presumed dead and already buried, who awakens to find herself staring up at a doctor with a knife. Yes, she was believed to be a corpse but now, she will need to be killed so that her body can be sold by a body-snatching ring that is operating in her Massachusetts village. In exchange for her safety and to help her father, Josephine Clayton reluctantly agrees to become a part of “The Network” and help obtain bodies to satisfy the demands of those who steal and then sell these corpses. As Josie becomes more involved, she realizes that she must try to discover who these “Resurrectionists” are and to stop this evil practice that is clearly against all of her Christian beliefs.
The Yellow Lantern is based on true facts and it is apparent that Dicken extensively researched this practice that occurred in the nineteenth century. She describes how these bodies were stolen and how women were often hired as “mourners” so that they could be look-outs as the graves were being robbed. Her story has mysterious deaths, unexplained accidents, and Josie’s ability to heal with herbs. There is also a romantic interest between Josie and Braham Taylor, her boss at the local cotton mill, but most of The Yellow Lantern centers around the rush to discover who is responsible before more innocent people become victims. There is definitely a surprise when the identities of these truly evil people are uncovered and there is also the redemption of one character who was very unlikeable throughout much of this book.
If you enjoy historical fiction and Christian suspense, you will want to read The Yellow Lantern, the third book in the True Colors series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
I am really enjoying this series of books centered around true stories based on historical American crimes. While the characters in The Yellow Lantern are fictitious, the crime if bodysnatching was rampant at this time in history. While it is obvious that Ms. Dickens had researched the topic, at times the story felt forced. But that did not take away from the enjoyment of the story.
I recommend The Yellow Lantern for those who enjoy a good story centered around a truly horrendous crime, a few plot twists and a sweet romance. The author also included a lot of interesting information about the cotton factories and a little bit about the healing practices of the time.
I look forward to reading more books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
When Barbour introduced the True Colors series, I was immediately intrigued. True crime is an interesting genre, and one that I have both read about and watched documentaries about over the years. Having a basis of factual information, this subject tends toward more neutral ground with regard to narrative voice and presentation, and part of what makes True Colors so unique is the Christian aspect. The characters and precise situations are fictional, but the crimes themselves actually happened, and the merging of sordid history and Christian perspective offers a different angle and a novel approach. This has become my favorite Barbour series, with Daughters of the Mayflower a close second.
“Heaven stank of tallow and shone a honey glow.” From that inimitable first line, Angie Dicken’s “The Yellow Lantern” shoots out of the gate and doesn’t relent until the final page. There is no easing into the plot; rather, readers find themselves thrust headlong into a nightmare situation straight from the nineteenth century. Being buried alive was a legitimate concern in the years before modern technology and an increasing understanding of the human body, and in this age of nascent medical knowledge, doctors needed fresh bodies to advance their studies—bodies supplied to them by aptly-named body snatchers. In 1824 Massachusetts, Josephine Clayton unwittingly finds herself a part of this practice after being quite literally taken for dead and buried and ending up on the table of her employer, Dr. Chadwick. In order to save her own life, she must agree to go to work at a factory mill and pose as a mourner to signal a body snatcher to obtain her replacement. However, her circumstances become more convoluted as she finds herself drawn more deeply into a web of deception.
“The Yellow Lantern” sets forth a plausible scenario in which Christian, good-hearted people may become ensnared in conspiracies and duplicitous dealings. Josie experiences remorse and a stinging conscience as events escalate: “No matter if she played the part of a mill girl, she could not ignore the tangled thread of deceit that wrapped around her soul as tightly as the cotton on the bobbins”. Her proficiency as an herbal healer conflicts with the job she is to perform, as does a budding romance. The description of the cotton mill, with motes and dust thick in the air and obscuring the windows, is eye-opening, as is the lack of recourse for those without positions of authority and prestige in society. Not knowing whom to trust adds to the suspense, creating a sinister, murky atmosphere and making this a very difficult book to put down. Fans of true crime, factory life, nineteenth century customs, and romance will not want to miss out on this illuminating book!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and CelebrateLit and was under no obligation to post a review.
The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken is the third book in the True Colors, Historical Stories of American Crime. The historical crime was known as body snatching for doctors during the early 19th century. Even though it sounds gruesome with burying bodies then having “resurrection men”, as they were known, to dig them up after burial for research brought the reality of this hidden crime to life while reading Josephine and Braham’s story within the pages of this book.
Josephine Clayton aka Josie Clay was alive but assumed dead. She had suffered many things but knew about herbs and their healing from her decreased mother. Braham Taylor’s life as a young lad had not been easy but he had found favorite in the eyes of his plantation owner. There’s plenty of suspense as to all that was transpiring with the heroine, hero and secondary characters. There were times the story seemed to move at a slow pace, but then the story really came forth as all the deception and hidden meetings were uncovered. Will Josephine’s life be spared or will the leader of the body snatchers have his way?
Fans who enjoy American history, crime, mystery along with romance and faith woven into the story will not want to miss reading The Yellow Lantern. I highly recommend reading each of the books in True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. I have expressed my own opinion with this review.
3.5 Stars
In an effort to save her father, Josephine Clayton (Josie Clay) takes a position at a factory. Braham Taylor, the factory foreman, prides himself in gauging the characters of the people he hires. Yet, his newest employee is a mixture of challenge and mystery as well as strength and vulnerability.
As Josie (unsuccessfully) tries to blend in and play her part in a conspiracy, mysterious accidents are occurring within the factory walls.
I thoroughly enjoyed the romance in The Yellow Lantern. The slow build between Josie and Braham from distrust to admiration and the swinging pendulum between the two created some intense moments as well as some sweet ones. And the peek into the life of mill workers was interesting.
There were also a few challenges with this book. The number of characters is overwhelming at times and keeping track of who is who requires some brainpower. The sabotage of the factory equipment could have been fleshed out more, and the grave digging aspect was fairly disjointed throughout the book (at least until the end).
All that said, I know this is the first suspense Angie Dicken has written, so it’s a decent first attempt at the genre. Plus, I’m a fan of romantic suspense that’s heavy on the romance and definitely appreciated that aspect of this book.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
I admired the loyalty Josephine had for her father in spite of his misdeeds. I loved the forgiveness that was portrayed in the story and enjoyed reading about the faith of Josephine and Braham. There is an HEA for the main characters. I found the facts that the story was based on quite interesting. The author writes without any graphic details of the grave robbing. I received a copy from NetGalley. I chose to write a review and share my opinion.
I confess, although I had heard the term “grave robbers” I did not realize it was an actual practice that took place sometime in our history. What an interesting book The Yellow Lantern is and is book One in this true crime series. This historical mystery revolves around the practice of body snatching, stealing recently dead bodies after burial for medical research. This was strictly forbidden and also illegal, and if the culprits were caught they faced severe penalties. Josephine was thought to be dead although she was barely alive, when the grave snatcher brought her to the doctor for research. The Doctor realizing she was alive was going to kill her to cover up his mistake. She pled for her life and he allowed her to live if she would help him in letting him know when someone was close to death so they could be ready to snatch the body as soon as it was buried. …..Thus begins this most interesting tale Dicken has written about a horrid practice in an era bygone. The history in this book is well researched. It is interesting to learn about grave robbing and body snatching. The plot is an interesting one and centers on Jessie fighting against her conscience and religious scruples in trying to help the body snatchers. She is doing this to save her beloved father from debtors prison…….I r
The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken is a book in the series True Colors, Historical Stories Of American Crime.
The Yellow Lantern is seen as a symbol of light and life and if it is extinguished—Death!
Josie Clayton learned the art of healing herbs from her mother. She also told Josie that the symbol of Lilacs is first love. “ Mother told her to always remember her first love — Christ, the Creator and Comforter.”
Josie has always tried to do what is right, even working to get her father out of debtors prison. Now forced into something illegal in order to once again save her father, Josie is conflicted. “She was stuck between two men- one whom she’d loved all her life, and one who stirred something inside her she’d never felt before. Her loyalty to one was an inevitable choice at the expense of the other. How could she choose between affection and her very own blood?”
“Josie walked beneath the shadow of a secret, one that would astound any kind, upstanding soul.”
She goes to work in a cotton mill run by Braham Taylor. Braham is trying to navigate the management of the mill and some troubling family situations.
When Josie is accused of something nefarious, will she be able to clear her name and win back the trust of one she holds dear?
The level of suspense didn’t seem to let up, making for a wonderful gothic tale about grave robbers.
This story never failed to keep my interest. I learned about early cotton mill work and the customs and attitudes of the early 1800’s. The author captured the era through the fascinating descriptions and the believable characters.
*I received this ARC book from the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
Wow! When Josephine awakens, she is positioned as the next corpse for research. Her body snatched from the graveyard, only she hadn’t died! Josephine makes it her challenge to stop the Doctor and those he employs. Based on true stories it certainly gives a person some history to ponder!
I had a hard time getting into this book. The similarity of the names Miss Clay and Miss Clyde confused me in the early part of the book. Grave robbing was an interesting concept for the story. I found the working and living conditions of the mill girls shocking. Josie Clay was an excellent female protagonist as she lived in a boarding house for factory workers. I admired her dedication to her father. The Yellow Lantern is based on strange-but-true history. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
Can you Imagine waking up on an operating table being thought dead? well that happens to Josie. She manages to avoid being disected and lives. She has to find a body to replace herself. She moves to another town and gets a job in a mill. She becomes attracted to the mill foreman, Braham. Trying to keep her secret, she tries to avoid any attachments. This book discusses the hazards of mill work and the illegal body snatching for experiments. This historical is filled with interesting and complex characters. I could not put this book down!
This is another story in the True Colors series. Fictionalized accounts of true crime. So far, this series has been very interesting going back in history to tell us how these crimes came about. This one is set in late 1800’s in MA depicting a grave robbing ring that studies the bodies for medical reasons. Very macabre and disturbing. This mostly revolves around a cotton mill and the girls that work there. All kinds of accidents happen so there are quite a few victims. All in all, a good read.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.
I found this book to be really interesting. I was almost afraid to read it, but I’m glad that I did. Angie Dicken did a great job writing a story about a dark subject. I really cared for Josephine and Braham.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
This was the first book I’d read by Angie Dicken, and I was blown away! From the first lines, I found it impossible to put this novel down. Hauntingly beautiful, the characters were rich in depth, and the settings oh-so-real. A must read for those who love historical romance filled with mystery and suspense.
This is a very good book about the crimes that existed in our country at the turn of the century. It is full of intrigue, suspense and romance. It was very interesting to learn about the crimes that took place.
4.5 stars
“In my village, there were thieves in the night . . . . . Body snatchers.”
Is it possible to look upon one’s grave and yet remain very much alive? Such was the life that Josie Clay, formerly known as Josephine Clayton, was living, but it came with a price. The fact that she lived and breathed upon the table of a snatcher meant that another had to take her place; a cruel trade-off for the sake of her penniless father.
Travelling away from her hometown to find employment while she watched and waited, Josie unintentionally becomes fond of her employer, Braham Taylor. Unexplained accidents seem to plague the cotton factory and Josie’s skills as a healer draw her into an unwanted limelight. Soon Josie faces a nearly impossible decision, as she searches the depths of her heart, and pleads with the One who truly holds the power over life and death.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Expect to hold your breath many times over while turning each page of this astounding story!
Step back in time to 1824 when medical science is rudimentary at best and exploratory science is booming. A dead body on the black market was worth a small fortune, and once you started down that path, it was impossible to navigate the twists and turns to find your way out.
When Josephine Clayton wakes up on the doctors examining table, with him standing over her ready to perform the post-mortem. Her life is spared, but she is ruthlessly thrown into a dark secretive ring of body-snatchers. Eager to find her way out of the endless maze of dead-end scenarios Josephine goes along with the plot to provide 1 body in place of her own on the condition that the person isn’t murdered. But will she find the price too high? Working at a cotton mill as a cover for her secret mission, she reluctantly makes friends and quickly realizes that the spider web she has found herself in only tangles around her tighter.
I enjoyed learning more about the cotton mill and meeting the girls that worked there. Each element of this story is so carefully crafted and realistic. I felt like I was part of that world. I could almost hear the steam of the machines as they roared to life and see the bits of cotton floating in the air. I could see little Liesel, the bobbin girl sitting along the wall with her basket, ready to leap up and help at a moments notice.
With vivid characters and an exciting plot, this page-turning romantic suspense will keep you up late into the night, turning pages and trying to discover what will happen next. I loved the unexpected twists and turns!
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.)
This engrossing tale had my attention from the opening scene. I didn’t realize that I would be so drawn into a story involving grave robbers and body snatchers. But within this well researched true crime fiction, Angie Dicken has depicted a beautiful picture of the power of forgiveness. Her characters are unique and I found myself cheering on the heroine to make right decisions. While mysterious circumstances are investigated, a budding romance takes root that becomes complicated fast. I felt that elements of faith were seamlessly woven throughout the novel, which added depth to this memorable story. This is the first book that I have read by Dicken, but it won’t be the last. I was given a copy of the book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
“How he’d wish that some of those yesterdays would stop creeping into his todays…”
This is the first book by Angie Dicken I have read. It is well-written with a fascinating premise, a plot that contains surprises, main characters who have experienced grief and suffering, and faith woven into the characters’ lives. The atmosphere of the story is eerie with a gothic undertone, set in 1824 Massachusetts, as Josephine gets blackmailed into finding fresh graves that can be dug up and the deceased sold to those conducting “scientific research”. She finds work at a cotton mill as she awaits opportunities and meets the factory manager Braham, who has his own past and prejudices to deal with. Darkness hangs over their lives and the lives of those working at the factory as incidents pile up in the village as well as at the factory and the boarding house where the mill girls live. It is interesting to see how facts regarding grave robbing and dangerous conditions of factory work in early 1800s have been incorporated into the plot line. If you enjoy historical fiction with suspense and intrigue, you will enjoy this book.
I was given a copy of the book by Barbour Publishing as well as via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.