The Resurrectionist

By: Matthew Guinn

Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur

"Dog days and the fresh bodies are arriving once again." So begins the fall term at South Carolina Medical College, where Dr. Jacob Thacker is on probation for Xanax abuse. His interim career - working public relations for the dean - takes an unnerving detour into the past when the bones of African American slaves, over a century old, are unearthed on the campus. Out of the college’s dark past, these bones threaten to rise and condemn the present.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, Dr. Frederick Augustus Johnston, one of the school’s founders, had purchased a slave for his unusual knife skills. This slave, Nemo ("no man"), would become an unacknowledged member of the surgical faculty by day - and by night, a "resurrectionist," responsible for procuring bodies for medical study. An unforgettable character, by turns apparently insouciant, tormented, and brilliant, and seen by some as almost supernatural, Nemo will seize his self-respect in ways no listener can anticipate.

With exceptional storytelling pacing and skill, Matthew Guinn weaves together past and present to relate a Southern Gothic tale of shocking crimes and exquisite revenge, a riveting and satisfying moral parable of the South.

©2013 Matthew Guinn (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Wow!

With a handful of days stretching out before me until my next credit, I purchased this book on sale. Hoping for something at least moderately interesting and well enough written that I wouldn't turn it off in frustration, I pressed play. I'm so glad that I did. What a terrific listen. Although there were a few noticeable bumps, overall this book just sang with beautiful writing. I'm off to see what else Mr. Guinn has written, my mind still mulling over much of this intriguing story.

It was a weird ride

Would you try another book from Matthew Guinn and/or Jeremy Arthur?

Yes, I would as always listen to the sample and read reviews.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The journey for lack of a better term was interesting and so were the characters. The ending was frustrating and didn't make since to me. How the actions of the school and the black previous slave were portrayed in the end were off for me.

Did Jeremy Arthur do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes.

Could you see The Resurrectionist being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It could be I doubt I would watch it.

Any additional comments?

Some people might love it. I listened to the whole book but, I wouldn't listen again. Most of the book was well done.

ENDING?

If you could sum up The Resurrectionist in three words, what would they be?

interesting until the ending

Any additional comments?

I love historical mysteries - this was middle of the line and interesting UNTIL the ending.

Surprisingly not what I expected

Wasn't really sure if I'd like this book but it was very good! Interesting history of medical schools of past & present. Great read.

Phenomenal writing and narration

So glad to have come across this book;!ill definitely be seeking out more books by Matthew Guinness. And the narration was excellent. A

Interesting Enough

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I listened to this book in the background as I did other things, so yes. To have taken the time to read it sans actually getting stuff done, it would not have been. But I do admit, I stayed up an extra hour to get to the ending, so obviously it caught me in the end.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Meh. Not as shocking as the blurb insinuated. I was proud of the MC at the end.

Have you listened to any of Jeremy Arthur’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But he was a good narrator.

Was The Resurrectionist worth the listening time?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I didn't go into this looking for great literature, but as something to play as I did other things with my life (cleaning, laundry, etc.). So it was good for that. I got a little mixed up as to who all the characters were, but again, I was not listening with my full attention. When I DID listen with my full attention, I found an interesting story that was not as shocking as the blurb would have me believe, in that the way was paved early on and nothing was unpredictable, except the second-to-last thing, which was unrealistic, but awesome! I found the slave character to be a bit stereotypical.

A pleasant listen on a rather disturbing practice

What did you love best about The Resurrectionist?

I loved the tone and the flow of the story, the narrator was fantastic. Great story line and setting, I'm hungry for more by Matthew Guinn.

What does Jeremy Arthur bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He nailed the tone and accent, I felt like I was there as the story unfolded.

Loved it

Will listen to the book again Present and past done well. Reminds me a bit of Jo Nedbo's THR RED BREAST. Which is best book ever mixing past and present

Resurrect your faith in humanity.

The past is what it is. Skeletons can be hidden or embraced as a platform for truth and reconciliation.

On sale book ended up being great!!!

What a great find! Murder mystery and mayhem with a touch of Deep South politics! What could be better!! Great!