1829 is a tough year to be a body snatcher. Burke and Hare have just been convicted of killing people to sell their bodies, to widespread outrage—but despite the bad press, doctors still need fresh corpses for medical research.
Sammy and Facey are a couple of so-called ‘resurrection men’, making a living among society's fringe-dwellers by hoisting the newly departed from the churchyards of London whilst masquerading as late-night bakers. Operating on tip-offs and rumours in the capital’s drinking dens and fighting pits, the pair find themselves in receipt of some valuable intelligence: an unusual cadaver has popped up on the market, that of a hermaphrodite.
For any medic worth his salt it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—a medical curiosity and rara avis—and famous anatomist Joshua Brookes commissions the two men to obtain the body, at any cost. But some corpses hold secrets, and before long the enterprise becomes a deadlier and more complex undertaking than either man could ever have imagined.
Some Rise by Sin is a rich, authentic and absorbing historical narrative with a darker edge, a story of surviving on the outskirts of respectability. With echoes of Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White, it is meticulously researched and suffused with the dark and grimy atmosphere of Regency London, and explores what ambition can mean for poor people in a society that conspires to grind them down at every turn.
I didn't expect a book about body snatchers to be so funny and I absolutely loved reading Some Rise by Sin by Siôn Scott-Wilson. I couldn't put it down once I started reading and read it in two sittings.
You've heard of Burke and Hare, now meet Sammy and Facey who provide the medical profession of Victorian London with fresh corpses to dissect. It's always interesting to read how fascinated the Victorians were with bodies so it's no wonder that dodgy gangs of body snatchers saw a gap in the black market; it's all about supply and demand.
The story is entertaining and action-packed as Sammy and Facey track down the body of a hermaphrodite which several parties are interested in acquiring. I sometimes couldn't hold in my laughter at their hilarious escapades that are vividly described by Siôn Scott-Wilson. The pair are a cracking double act who reminded me of Blackadder and Baldrick; Sammy is the thinker who comes up with his cunning plans whereas Facey dives straight in with his fists flying.
It is written colloquially that really adds colour and depth to the story, although I did have to keep stopping to look up some of the unfamiliar Victorian words. I didn't always know what they meant at first but I still found it incredibly funny. I think the book would have benefitted from a glossary of terms at the back as I really didn't want to put the book down to look them up.
Incredibly atmospheric and wonderfully entertaining, Some Rise By Sin is a gripping and amusing novel. I am delighted to see that it is the first book in a series and I can't wait to see what Sammy and Facey get up to next. A very highly recommended read.
I received a gifted paperback to read and review for the Novel Tours bookstagram tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
