The Corpse Queen

By: Heather M. Herrman

Narrated by: Alana Kerr Collins

“Deliciously macabre and utterly decadent.” (Kerri Maniscalco, number one New York Times best-selling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper)

In this dark and twisty feminist historical mystery, a teenage girl starts a new life as a grave robber but quickly becomes entangled in a murderer's plans.

Soon after her best friend, Kitty, mysteriously dies, orphaned 17-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt". With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as a maid for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share - for a price.

Molly's estranged aunt, Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaValle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power, and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep, and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance.

©2021 Heather M. Herrman (P)2021 Listening Library

Critic reviews

A 2023 Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee
A 2022 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
A Junior Library Guild Selection

“Stylishly smart and macabre, the story . . . sparkle[s] with class-defying friendships and warmth. Part mystery, part thriller, and part family discovery, this is a delicious horror story from which the reader can’t look away.” —Booklist, starred review

“This historical thriller is dark, twisty, and perfect for a spooky fall read.” —Buzzfeed

“Dark. Glittering. Dangerous. The Corpse Queen is deliciously macabre and utterly decadent. Like a well-placed scalpel, Molly’s sharp mind and cool determination in a male-dominated world will slip under your skin and snip at your heartstrings. A cinematic story cleverly plotted and intoxicatingly addictive; I gulped it down in one sitting.” —Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stalking Jack the Ripper

unique story

First, the narrator did an amazing job. Although I found the MC wishy-washy at times the story kept me engaged. Many twist and turns that I did not see coming. Overall worth the credit

Performance was amazing 👏🏼

It was a struggle to finish but had an interesting conclusion at the end.

Loved it!

Smart and macabre, especially loved the author's notes at the end. Easily in my top 5 audiobooks!

Dark and beautiful

A beautifully crafted piece of art. The story covered the dark early history of anatomist and their quariousity for the human body. The thrilling story keeps you on your toes as the main character, Molly Green, searches for the truth.

Great Story Great Performance !

Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. - Via Amazon

I really liked the authors first book Consumption so I was interested to see if a second book would be as good. It wasn’t, it was better. An engaging read with lavish language and interesting characters. It was easy to get lost in this world Heather Herrman created. Highly Recommend!

Fast-Paced and Fun!

This story kept me guessing with lots of twists and turns, and I was very surprised by the ending. I also loved the beautiful writing, which was complemented perfectly by the audiobook's great narration. I both read and listened to this book and enjoyed both. Perfect for a road-trip listen.

Captivating

Every minute was entertaining. I loved this book. The writing was stunning and the narrator was amazing.

Dealing in Medical Cadavers

A thoroughly engrossing tale of an orphan turned medical cadaver dealer. I got the audiobook and the narrator added to my enjoyment of the tale.

I liked how we got to see several parts of the city cross due to Molly's unexpected job as a procurer of corpses. By day she has to play a charming society woman attending charity functions and a female medical student in a male-centered learning environment. By night she picks up the corpses for medical lectures, which leads her to the poor houses, brothels, and seediest portions of a city scared of a serial killer.

Fun for spooky time but not really a Halloween tale. Would work for any time of year. Mildly macabre but not truly horrific. I'd suggest for fans of historical true crime or historical mystery.

Dark and fun

Basically my favorite YA / NA genre is “witty redheaded protagonist who lives to defy the patriarchy.”

Loved the narrator.

Loved the accent and tone of the narrator, made it very pleasant to listen to. I don’t usually enjoy audiobooks but I did this one.