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Some Rise By Sin
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.
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.
410 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 27, 2021
Take the author’s hand, and let him guide you back to Regency London 1829, from the overcrowding, poverty, filth and disease, to the grand homes of the wealthy.
In the poorest of communities we meet our protagonists, Sammy and Facey, resurrection men, who make their living snatching the newly departed from their resting places in the churchyard, and selling them for medical research. During their work they come across a valuable piece of information, it is rumoured that a most unusual cadaver has come onto the market, a hermaphrodite, which to a body snatcher could be worth a small fortune.
Famous anatomist Joshua Brookes commissions two men to bring him the body, whatever the cost. However, everyone wants this cadaver and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.
This was a fascinating well researched tale, set on the fringes of respectability, showing just how dire it was to be among the poorest of the city, a place of gambling dens, dark and creepy churchyards, back street pubs where the sensible wouldn’t venture, circus freak shows, and in contrast it also takes us into the plush parlours of the toffs, though the criminal element is apparent whatever one’s station in life.
Some wonderful dialogue - “They do say that London is like a man reclining : the West End is his head, the shining face of our metropolis ; the City, a great belly - a repository of trade, our sustenance; the East End, his arse.”
Siôn Scott-Wilson has written a cracking, well researched piece of historical fiction, it’s brutal but exciting, funny and very authentic, all in all a terrific read!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Deixis Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review*
In the poorest of communities we meet our protagonists, Sammy and Facey, resurrection men, who make their living snatching the newly departed from their resting places in the churchyard, and selling them for medical research. During their work they come across a valuable piece of information, it is rumoured that a most unusual cadaver has come onto the market, a hermaphrodite, which to a body snatcher could be worth a small fortune.
Famous anatomist Joshua Brookes commissions two men to bring him the body, whatever the cost. However, everyone wants this cadaver and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.
This was a fascinating well researched tale, set on the fringes of respectability, showing just how dire it was to be among the poorest of the city, a place of gambling dens, dark and creepy churchyards, back street pubs where the sensible wouldn’t venture, circus freak shows, and in contrast it also takes us into the plush parlours of the toffs, though the criminal element is apparent whatever one’s station in life.
Some wonderful dialogue - “They do say that London is like a man reclining : the West End is his head, the shining face of our metropolis ; the City, a great belly - a repository of trade, our sustenance; the East End, his arse.”
Siôn Scott-Wilson has written a cracking, well researched piece of historical fiction, it’s brutal but exciting, funny and very authentic, all in all a terrific read!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Deixis Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review*
December 28, 2021
A dark and yet fascinating historical fiction whose background is the gruesome body-snaching ritual for the sake of medical advancement (and not only) at the beginning of the 19th century London.
The plot covers two snachers whose history is complicated but whose lives are even more so.
I always appreciate if the language feels like the language spoken at the period covered and this book did not fail me. The dialogues and vocabulary are not always easy to follow for a contemporary reader but they definitely add to the flavour.
*Many thanks to Sion Scott-Wilson, Deixis press, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
The plot covers two snachers whose history is complicated but whose lives are even more so.
I always appreciate if the language feels like the language spoken at the period covered and this book did not fail me. The dialogues and vocabulary are not always easy to follow for a contemporary reader but they definitely add to the flavour.
*Many thanks to Sion Scott-Wilson, Deixis press, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
December 5, 2021
This is an entertaining picaresque novel which has something of the caper genre about it. Our narrator is one of a pair of lovable rogues and, throughout the story, they gather additional adherents to concoct an alternative family. For all their disreputable profession (they're grave robbers) the upper-class society which intersects at points with theirs is even more morally corrupt, and we can expect people to get their come-uppance by the end.
What gives this its character is the writing: effusive, full of cant and slang, dynamic and effervescent. There has clearly, too, been a huge amount of research much of which appears here in the descriptions of streets, interiors, gambling dens and drinking houses. There are times when the description is a bit over-egged and the story is slow to emerge - so be patient.
There's an extent to which this aligns itself with modern re-writings of Regency/nineteenth century novels (I was thinking of Fingersmith, especially) rather than authentic fiction written in the nineteenth century, though there's a bit of Oliver Twist in this book's DNA, and also, looking further back, something of Henry Fielding's 'Tom Jones'.
So a rollicking adventure infused with the sights, smells and sounds of Regency London... just not the London more familiar from Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the exuberance.
Thanks to Deixis Press for an ARC via NetGalley
What gives this its character is the writing: effusive, full of cant and slang, dynamic and effervescent. There has clearly, too, been a huge amount of research much of which appears here in the descriptions of streets, interiors, gambling dens and drinking houses. There are times when the description is a bit over-egged and the story is slow to emerge - so be patient.
There's an extent to which this aligns itself with modern re-writings of Regency/nineteenth century novels (I was thinking of Fingersmith, especially) rather than authentic fiction written in the nineteenth century, though there's a bit of Oliver Twist in this book's DNA, and also, looking further back, something of Henry Fielding's 'Tom Jones'.
So a rollicking adventure infused with the sights, smells and sounds of Regency London... just not the London more familiar from Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the exuberance.
Thanks to Deixis Press for an ARC via NetGalley
September 14, 2021
Some Rise By Sin is a rich, authentic and compelling historical novel with a dark edge, set against the grimy backdrop of Regency London. 1829, London. A year after the notorious Burker murders and London medical schools are still crying out for cadavers. Sammy and Facey are a couple of so-called ‘resurrection men’. Their aim is to buy a modest boozing ken and retire. They’re almost there; so close they can taste it. However, an unusual cadaver has popped up on the market: that of Bobby Herman, a hermaphrodite; scientific curiosity and rara avis. Famous anatomist, Joshua Brookes, commissions the two men to obtain it, at any cost but the word is out and others in the profession are already on the trail. What’s more, Bobby's corpse holds secrets, and, before long, the enterprise becomes a deadlier and more complex undertaking than either man could ever have imagined. To locate this elusive cadaver Sammy must navigate the treacherous streets of pre-Victorian London from the opium dens of Whitechapel and the rookeries of St Giles to the cockpits of Westminster and the opulent drawing rooms of the West End.
As Sammy learns more about the curious circumstances of Bobby Herman's life and death he finds himself stalked by a powerful underworld cabal and comes face to face with a ruthless and twisted aristocratic predator. With the aid of his sweetheart Rosamund, the pox-scarred, but resourceful, street artist and Kak John, the 'Pure' collector, ultimately, Sammy finds a way to turn the hunters against one another. This is a compulsive, intriguing and beautifully written piece of historical fiction that is rich in the atmosphere of 19th century Britain. It's not often a book comes along that blows you away with its astounding originality and inventiveness, but Some Rise By Sin absolutely did. It's gritty and intense with a superbly woven narrative and an authenticity many books set in this era are sorely lacking. The descriptions are so vivid and immerse you in the story so well that you can see, smell and hear the city from between these pages.
It evokes the griminess and grubbiness perfectly and the idiosyncratic characters who walked these streets are both fascinating and engaging. From street urchins and circus freaks to boxers, surgeons and prostitutes, it is peopled by a cast who really come alive on the page. This is a beautifully crafted, historical novel with dark, horror elements balanced against witty humour and is both deeply philosophical but highly readable, with themes around class and poverty that are really relevant to a modern audience. Built on a fascinating blend of fact and fiction, the plot is multilayered and full of surprises, twists and strategic reveals. It's a powerful, sinister and absorbing read from the very start, and although it is very much a slow burner, this allows time for you to properly acquaint yourself with the characters and immerse yourself in the narrative. It's a brilliant read with enough drama, mystery, medical shenanigans and stunning descriptions to keep even the most demanding reader satisfied. Highly recommended.
As Sammy learns more about the curious circumstances of Bobby Herman's life and death he finds himself stalked by a powerful underworld cabal and comes face to face with a ruthless and twisted aristocratic predator. With the aid of his sweetheart Rosamund, the pox-scarred, but resourceful, street artist and Kak John, the 'Pure' collector, ultimately, Sammy finds a way to turn the hunters against one another. This is a compulsive, intriguing and beautifully written piece of historical fiction that is rich in the atmosphere of 19th century Britain. It's not often a book comes along that blows you away with its astounding originality and inventiveness, but Some Rise By Sin absolutely did. It's gritty and intense with a superbly woven narrative and an authenticity many books set in this era are sorely lacking. The descriptions are so vivid and immerse you in the story so well that you can see, smell and hear the city from between these pages.
It evokes the griminess and grubbiness perfectly and the idiosyncratic characters who walked these streets are both fascinating and engaging. From street urchins and circus freaks to boxers, surgeons and prostitutes, it is peopled by a cast who really come alive on the page. This is a beautifully crafted, historical novel with dark, horror elements balanced against witty humour and is both deeply philosophical but highly readable, with themes around class and poverty that are really relevant to a modern audience. Built on a fascinating blend of fact and fiction, the plot is multilayered and full of surprises, twists and strategic reveals. It's a powerful, sinister and absorbing read from the very start, and although it is very much a slow burner, this allows time for you to properly acquaint yourself with the characters and immerse yourself in the narrative. It's a brilliant read with enough drama, mystery, medical shenanigans and stunning descriptions to keep even the most demanding reader satisfied. Highly recommended.
June 7, 2021
This novel set amongst those living on the fringes in 1820s London scratches a Dickensian itch, while also having something of a modern Guy Ritchie style crime caper about it.
Some Rise By Sin is populated by a host of memorable characters, starting with our protagonist Mr. Samuel Samuel. Sammy is partners with childhood friend Facey in the profession of stealing recently buried bodies for sale to men of medicine. It's a dishonourable profession but Sammy is a good man trying to survive a society and legal system that gives every advantage and means of life to those who possess a high position in the class system, and withholds the same from those on the low rungs. Given a valuable commission to retrieve the body of a reported hermaphrodite, which brings them into competition with a host of others involved in the affair for their own reasons, their efforts are complicated by their unfortunate recent theft of a body that involves a case of mistaken identity, resulting in a bounty being placed on their heads by local crime bosses.
Trying to make it through this increasingly dangerous time and into a better sort of life, Sammy will have to step forward from his subordinate role to Facey and find the bravery and resoluteness necessary to see them and all their circle safely out the other side, if he can. He'll also need to depend on others around him: on the intelligence and quick wit of smallpox survivor Rosamund, on the generous friendship of retired bare knuckle boxer Tom, on the loyalty of the teenaged street manure seller Kak John, on the money of the heartsick gentleman Brookes, and not least on the dicey medical skill of the showman street stall doctor Nero.
The writing brings this time and place richly to life. You'll feel like you actually are in a rough London tavern of two hundred years ago, overhearing the scheming and the disputes (and witnessing the terrible dental hygiene) in some of the language representative of the time. And then you'll see the loyalty, friendship and love present in the same places.
Very much recommended.
Some Rise By Sin is populated by a host of memorable characters, starting with our protagonist Mr. Samuel Samuel. Sammy is partners with childhood friend Facey in the profession of stealing recently buried bodies for sale to men of medicine. It's a dishonourable profession but Sammy is a good man trying to survive a society and legal system that gives every advantage and means of life to those who possess a high position in the class system, and withholds the same from those on the low rungs. Given a valuable commission to retrieve the body of a reported hermaphrodite, which brings them into competition with a host of others involved in the affair for their own reasons, their efforts are complicated by their unfortunate recent theft of a body that involves a case of mistaken identity, resulting in a bounty being placed on their heads by local crime bosses.
Trying to make it through this increasingly dangerous time and into a better sort of life, Sammy will have to step forward from his subordinate role to Facey and find the bravery and resoluteness necessary to see them and all their circle safely out the other side, if he can. He'll also need to depend on others around him: on the intelligence and quick wit of smallpox survivor Rosamund, on the generous friendship of retired bare knuckle boxer Tom, on the loyalty of the teenaged street manure seller Kak John, on the money of the heartsick gentleman Brookes, and not least on the dicey medical skill of the showman street stall doctor Nero.
The writing brings this time and place richly to life. You'll feel like you actually are in a rough London tavern of two hundred years ago, overhearing the scheming and the disputes (and witnessing the terrible dental hygiene) in some of the language representative of the time. And then you'll see the loyalty, friendship and love present in the same places.
Very much recommended.
August 4, 2023
I loved this book! Set in 1829, the Regency period comes to life in this caper; I do not exaggerate when I say comes to life. Sammy and Facey, partners in a number of questionable money making schemes, are resurrection men, grave robbers who sell the newly dead to men of science and anatomists.
The book gets off to a bit of a slow start as we learn of their schemes, but it quickly picks up when their already risky endeavors become even more dangerous after a gentleman offers them a life changing sum to find and deliver the body of a rumored hermaphrodite.
Told in first person by soft-hearted, intelligent Sammy, we are led through the underworld of London’s east end: smokey taverns and dank gambling dens; we run down foggy streets and alleys, listening for the sound of carriage wheels and horses clopping on cobble stones; we hide in a shite filled tannery and take a treacherous boat ride across the choppy river Thames in darkness, listening for bigger boats; we sneak around in misty graveyards and dark mausoleums, places that suit the massively built and brutish Facey.
We attend colorful street fairs, with street artists and performers, meet the performers in a circus of human oddities, and witness a doctor/showman who performs “chirurgeries” for a crowd’s amusement. We meet people from many stations, the very poor, prostitutes and petty thieves, those philosophically inclined after being brought low by misfortune, and the arrogant, disinherited sons of the very wealthy who brought shame to their families.
As Sammy and Facey are chasing down their various payouts, they discover that they have robbed the wrong grave and very dangerous men are after them, they find that they have competition with other resurrection men as word of the hermaphrodite has gotten out, and that unfortunate soul has secrets, secrets that draw our unlikely heroes into even more intrigue.
Hunted by delightfully wicked villains and aided by a cast of kind, generous, and brave friends Facey and Sammy are truly resurrected more than once. We root for all of them.
What makes this story jump off the page is the brilliantly written and wholly engaging dialogue, told in the vernacular of early 19th century east end Londoners, I could almost hear the characters banter as if I was listening to an audio book.
If there are flaws they are few and insignificant. I highly recommend this romp of a story.
The book gets off to a bit of a slow start as we learn of their schemes, but it quickly picks up when their already risky endeavors become even more dangerous after a gentleman offers them a life changing sum to find and deliver the body of a rumored hermaphrodite.
Told in first person by soft-hearted, intelligent Sammy, we are led through the underworld of London’s east end: smokey taverns and dank gambling dens; we run down foggy streets and alleys, listening for the sound of carriage wheels and horses clopping on cobble stones; we hide in a shite filled tannery and take a treacherous boat ride across the choppy river Thames in darkness, listening for bigger boats; we sneak around in misty graveyards and dark mausoleums, places that suit the massively built and brutish Facey.
We attend colorful street fairs, with street artists and performers, meet the performers in a circus of human oddities, and witness a doctor/showman who performs “chirurgeries” for a crowd’s amusement. We meet people from many stations, the very poor, prostitutes and petty thieves, those philosophically inclined after being brought low by misfortune, and the arrogant, disinherited sons of the very wealthy who brought shame to their families.
As Sammy and Facey are chasing down their various payouts, they discover that they have robbed the wrong grave and very dangerous men are after them, they find that they have competition with other resurrection men as word of the hermaphrodite has gotten out, and that unfortunate soul has secrets, secrets that draw our unlikely heroes into even more intrigue.
Hunted by delightfully wicked villains and aided by a cast of kind, generous, and brave friends Facey and Sammy are truly resurrected more than once. We root for all of them.
What makes this story jump off the page is the brilliantly written and wholly engaging dialogue, told in the vernacular of early 19th century east end Londoners, I could almost hear the characters banter as if I was listening to an audio book.
If there are flaws they are few and insignificant. I highly recommend this romp of a story.
February 12, 2023
This story BLEW ME AWAY!
It’s the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last!
Incredibly richly written, the characters and dialogue were SO convincing, I felt I had time-traveled to London, 1829 every time I settled down to read.
It was gripping, dirty, dark, sickening, sad, and very funny! The research that went into this creation must’ve been so extensive.
I loved everything about it, the story, the awful characters, the DETAIL of ‘medical procedures’ (a loose term!) is enough to turn the strongest of stomaches. I’ll say two words. Spoon. Eyeball.
If you enjoy your historical fiction grimy and written to perfection, this is the book for you.
I will read everything this author has written.
It’s the first book I’ve read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last!
Incredibly richly written, the characters and dialogue were SO convincing, I felt I had time-traveled to London, 1829 every time I settled down to read.
It was gripping, dirty, dark, sickening, sad, and very funny! The research that went into this creation must’ve been so extensive.
I loved everything about it, the story, the awful characters, the DETAIL of ‘medical procedures’ (a loose term!) is enough to turn the strongest of stomaches. I’ll say two words. Spoon. Eyeball.
If you enjoy your historical fiction grimy and written to perfection, this is the book for you.
I will read everything this author has written.
June 21, 2022
This book had such a wonderful portrayal of life for the impoverished classes of London. So much vivid detail popped off the page. The characters were described so well and I really was rooting for the main characters. This book was a real buried treasure and I am surprised I haven’t heard more about this story. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
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March 27, 2026This is a true work of literary art. Siôn Scott-Wilson has done a ton of incredibly meticulous research to tell this story of two good men who just happen to be in bad employment. All they want to do is get out of the body-snatching business and enjoy a quiet life, but one last job comes up, and it's too tempting to say no. I cannot recommend this story highly enough. Take yourself to Regency London, smell the tallow in the grimy pubs, walk the dark and menacing streets, sit yourself down and rest by St Leonard's gravestones with Sammy and Facey. You'll be so glad you did.
June 1, 2021
This is dark, its gritty and dirty. If you like or are familiar with London this will take you on a slightly different tour of London you've never been on before. Its sinister, creepy and tells you where not to go to meet people in a dark alleyway. Different to anything I've read before. Some great characters.
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July 24, 2021Saw a review recently of a new popular history book about the Georgians, in which the reviewer seemed in agreement with the author that the Georgians were a bit of an unknown quantity to most Britons, whose grasp of history tends to skip from the Tudors to the Victorians. Surely that couldn't be right, thinks I – what about prime-time entertainments like Blackadder the Third, or Sharpe? And then I remembered those are themselves historical now, and shuffled back to my crypt (although I'd still submit the ongoing, fathomless appetite for Regency romance as a counter-example). But apart from my own relic status, I think the other reason this seemed so odd is that if you're into the history of London specifically, psychogeographical rambles and excavations of our fruitier forebears, the Georgians loom much larger. Not to do down Pepys, Thomas Cromwell, or Chaucer, but for me Georgian London, with its gin and madhouses and Covent Garden ladies, is the first London that really feels like the modern city – or at any rate the city as it was until a few years back. Which makes that foment of rookeries and vice so much more bittersweet when compared to our own sanitised, gentrified, fun-still-only-tentatively-permitted husk of a place (except of course when the football was on, at which point London became every bit the lawless stew of the most vehement Georgian anti-urbanist propaganda, just with none of the good bits).
It is that grimy, bawdy Georgian city, its pungent scents and grubby textures lovingly evoked through which Some Rise By Sin follows Mr Facey (brawn, temper) and Mr Samuel (brains, narrator), two ne'er-do-wells with fingers in many illicit pies. Probably the most significant for plot purposes, though, is that they are bodysnatchers. Not in either the ska or the alien sense, but in that they are resurrection men, or to put it plainest of all, they steal corpses. There's even a (possible) appearance here by one of their most notorious predecessors in the trade, and I loved the idea that other resurrection men were more outraged than anyone by Burke & Hare, for bringing their perfectly respectable hem hem trade into disrepute.
What follows is in many respects classic noir, just pushed back a century and change, and with particularly morbid apparatus. Samuel and Facey get a lead on a Macguffin (a particularly unusual and thus lucrative cadaver), but also get heat from more powerful villains over a previous job (they lifted a dead'un they shouldn't have). Can they drag their increasingly bedraggled selves through the maze of competing interests, including their own self-destructive tendencies, make a new start for themselves, and rescue those who are somehow still innocents despite existing in this dog-eat-dog world? Running a bit longer than most noir, the old Doctor Who fan in me did occasionally wonder if it could happily have lost a round of capture/escape/recapture, but against that it must be admitted that Scott-Wilson is certainly inventive when it comes to keeping the settings and circumstances varied.
More generally, too, the performance is suitably mired in the slang and the streets and the filth of the old city, and if it never quite had me as convinced I was there as Patrick O'Brian, well, who does? There are writers from the time who don't feel like they caught it as authentically as he did, which is particularly ironic when O'Brian's early nineteenth century self-confessedly doesn't even have the right number of days. Certainly Some Rise By Sin feels a lot less like a photocopy of a costume drama than many modern literary attempts to inhabit the period. Around Facey and Samuel mill a supporting cast who, while representing recognisable types of the time, never feel like they are only types - except perhaps for the vicious rich kid, but as we've been reminded these past few years, even in real life those do tend to be curiously flat and insubstantial characters, don't they? I was especially taken (as is Samuel) with Rosamund the pavement artist, who unlike many in her trade does chalk them fresh each time, the better to catch "a twist – in the light or the sky or the colours". She loves the ephemeral (a word she teaches a couple of the more receptive members of the cast); "I do believe that the heart must ache for there to be true beauty." And I suppose that sense of nothing lasting should inform one's sense of London. After all, despite its liveliness, there's plenty in this stinking, verminous, violent past city which one can be glad to see departed - especially the state of its healthcare, which forms one particularly queasy strand of the plot. It's almost enough to make one believe for a moment that the 2020s city might turn out to have some benefit to set against everything it's lost in recent years. Almost.
(Netgalley ARC, plus the first publishing venture of a mate. Still, you can trust my word on all of this, ooh, at least as much as you can trust any of the leads in this book)
It is that grimy, bawdy Georgian city, its pungent scents and grubby textures lovingly evoked through which Some Rise By Sin follows Mr Facey (brawn, temper) and Mr Samuel (brains, narrator), two ne'er-do-wells with fingers in many illicit pies. Probably the most significant for plot purposes, though, is that they are bodysnatchers. Not in either the ska or the alien sense, but in that they are resurrection men, or to put it plainest of all, they steal corpses. There's even a (possible) appearance here by one of their most notorious predecessors in the trade, and I loved the idea that other resurrection men were more outraged than anyone by Burke & Hare, for bringing their perfectly respectable hem hem trade into disrepute.
What follows is in many respects classic noir, just pushed back a century and change, and with particularly morbid apparatus. Samuel and Facey get a lead on a Macguffin (a particularly unusual and thus lucrative cadaver), but also get heat from more powerful villains over a previous job (they lifted a dead'un they shouldn't have). Can they drag their increasingly bedraggled selves through the maze of competing interests, including their own self-destructive tendencies, make a new start for themselves, and rescue those who are somehow still innocents despite existing in this dog-eat-dog world? Running a bit longer than most noir, the old Doctor Who fan in me did occasionally wonder if it could happily have lost a round of capture/escape/recapture, but against that it must be admitted that Scott-Wilson is certainly inventive when it comes to keeping the settings and circumstances varied.
More generally, too, the performance is suitably mired in the slang and the streets and the filth of the old city, and if it never quite had me as convinced I was there as Patrick O'Brian, well, who does? There are writers from the time who don't feel like they caught it as authentically as he did, which is particularly ironic when O'Brian's early nineteenth century self-confessedly doesn't even have the right number of days. Certainly Some Rise By Sin feels a lot less like a photocopy of a costume drama than many modern literary attempts to inhabit the period. Around Facey and Samuel mill a supporting cast who, while representing recognisable types of the time, never feel like they are only types - except perhaps for the vicious rich kid, but as we've been reminded these past few years, even in real life those do tend to be curiously flat and insubstantial characters, don't they? I was especially taken (as is Samuel) with Rosamund the pavement artist, who unlike many in her trade does chalk them fresh each time, the better to catch "a twist – in the light or the sky or the colours". She loves the ephemeral (a word she teaches a couple of the more receptive members of the cast); "I do believe that the heart must ache for there to be true beauty." And I suppose that sense of nothing lasting should inform one's sense of London. After all, despite its liveliness, there's plenty in this stinking, verminous, violent past city which one can be glad to see departed - especially the state of its healthcare, which forms one particularly queasy strand of the plot. It's almost enough to make one believe for a moment that the 2020s city might turn out to have some benefit to set against everything it's lost in recent years. Almost.
(Netgalley ARC, plus the first publishing venture of a mate. Still, you can trust my word on all of this, ooh, at least as much as you can trust any of the leads in this book)
October 16, 2021
I enjoyed this! A real romp through the dark streets of regency London, with grave robbers, circus freaks, gangsters, urchins and street artists along for the ride. It has such style and character, with gloriously grimey dialogue and a satisfying conclusion to its twisty little caper.
November 24, 2021
A really enjoyable read. Dark but still wholesome, characters you're really rooting for (as well as some you really hope get what's coming to them) and a satisfying ending.
May 9, 2023
Well this was a breath of fresh air. From the blurb alone this book had huge potential and boy did it live up to it. I just adored my time with this from start to finish.
It’s 1829 and our two protagonists, Sammy and Facey, are earning their living as ‘Resurrection’ men. Snatching the dearly departed from their resting places, and selling them for medical research. Rumours begin that an unusual body has come onto the market, that of a hermaphrodite, and worth a small fortune.
What follows is a truly fascinating, and beautifully imagined, tale that takes you to some of the darkest places on the fringes of society.
The authorial voice here is so very strong, this is a book that knows precisely what it is trying to be, and how to set about it. The language and tone perfectly depicts Regency London; you are taken there, to the grime and the filth, the riches and the poverty, the crime and corruption.
A sequel is due out later in the month, and I’m already so looking forward to diving back in. I adore these characters, and I can’t wait to see where their story takes us next.
Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
It’s 1829 and our two protagonists, Sammy and Facey, are earning their living as ‘Resurrection’ men. Snatching the dearly departed from their resting places, and selling them for medical research. Rumours begin that an unusual body has come onto the market, that of a hermaphrodite, and worth a small fortune.
What follows is a truly fascinating, and beautifully imagined, tale that takes you to some of the darkest places on the fringes of society.
The authorial voice here is so very strong, this is a book that knows precisely what it is trying to be, and how to set about it. The language and tone perfectly depicts Regency London; you are taken there, to the grime and the filth, the riches and the poverty, the crime and corruption.
A sequel is due out later in the month, and I’m already so looking forward to diving back in. I adore these characters, and I can’t wait to see where their story takes us next.
Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 22, 2021
To pick up this book and start reading is, I think, as close as you'd ever come to knowing what it would be like to suddenly find yourself in early 19th-century London. Sammy is an eloquent narrator but he speaks the language of the streets, and since he is our guide, we quickly get used to the particular speech eccentricities that these characters have.
There is so much delicious detail, from scenes inside the drinking houses, to the greasy feel of trousers. The sights and sounds of a pulsing London are vividly captured and the city is a character in its own right, playing a huge part in the story.
Sammy and Facey walk many miles, and you get the sense that London pavements were just as hard then as they are today. There is poignancy, with the two little brothers, both called John, who rely on each other and the 'ne'er-do-wells' of their acquaintance, and Rosamund's habit of always smiling behind her hand, so conscious is she of her chipped teeth.
I applaud the author's logistical skills, in corralling so many major and minor characters, all of whom burst onto the pages and make themselves known in a few brief sentences, giving us their back story, their idiosyncrasies, and often providing light humour. I especially liked the minor character who'd had a full set of the finest ebony teeth made, but wondered plaintively whether ebony should in fact splinter so easily and taste of boot polish...
The plot is a lot more intricate than the blurb suggests, and the hermaphrodite's body is not the only one that gets Sammy and Facey into trouble. Again, I have nothing but admiration for the way the author keeps track of the plot. It's easy to read, but must have been one heck of a challenge to write!
Scott-Wilson cleverly avoids making overt statements about wealth / poverty / inequality, and there are no stereotypes here. There are good and bad people on both sides of the socio-economic divide, but one thing is made clear, though again, subtly done: literacy is empowering.
Sammy is an astute young man, able accurately to assess the people who come in and out of his life, but he's equally good at showing us his own character, with all its faults and strengths. Again, hats off to the author for this achievement, something which is quite difficult to pull off when writing in the first person.
My only negative criticism is for the cover: the image is good but the title font and placing could have been better, and what a shame that the author's name is not more prominent - it can barely been seen, especially at thumb-nail size.
I'm not sure I've read a book quite like this one. It's different, it's quirky, beautifully imagined and executed, and stylised without ever becoming pretentious.
Highly recommended.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
There is so much delicious detail, from scenes inside the drinking houses, to the greasy feel of trousers. The sights and sounds of a pulsing London are vividly captured and the city is a character in its own right, playing a huge part in the story.
Sammy and Facey walk many miles, and you get the sense that London pavements were just as hard then as they are today. There is poignancy, with the two little brothers, both called John, who rely on each other and the 'ne'er-do-wells' of their acquaintance, and Rosamund's habit of always smiling behind her hand, so conscious is she of her chipped teeth.
I applaud the author's logistical skills, in corralling so many major and minor characters, all of whom burst onto the pages and make themselves known in a few brief sentences, giving us their back story, their idiosyncrasies, and often providing light humour. I especially liked the minor character who'd had a full set of the finest ebony teeth made, but wondered plaintively whether ebony should in fact splinter so easily and taste of boot polish...
The plot is a lot more intricate than the blurb suggests, and the hermaphrodite's body is not the only one that gets Sammy and Facey into trouble. Again, I have nothing but admiration for the way the author keeps track of the plot. It's easy to read, but must have been one heck of a challenge to write!
Scott-Wilson cleverly avoids making overt statements about wealth / poverty / inequality, and there are no stereotypes here. There are good and bad people on both sides of the socio-economic divide, but one thing is made clear, though again, subtly done: literacy is empowering.
Sammy is an astute young man, able accurately to assess the people who come in and out of his life, but he's equally good at showing us his own character, with all its faults and strengths. Again, hats off to the author for this achievement, something which is quite difficult to pull off when writing in the first person.
My only negative criticism is for the cover: the image is good but the title font and placing could have been better, and what a shame that the author's name is not more prominent - it can barely been seen, especially at thumb-nail size.
I'm not sure I've read a book quite like this one. It's different, it's quirky, beautifully imagined and executed, and stylised without ever becoming pretentious.
Highly recommended.
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
December 29, 2021
"It is a most curious fact of human nature that, though we live our lives immersed in deceit and lies of all description-we exaggerate our virtues and make light of our vices, passing off half-truth and distortion as good coin, and the absolute truth is seldom freely given-yet, once a man has determined to unburden his soul with an unvarnished veracity, there is almost no power on earth that will stop him."
Resembling a picaresque adventure, this is a fun romp, with a dark edge in all the right places, through Regency London set in 1829. It follows a lovable pair of grave robbers, one of whom is our first-person narrator, who make their living by selling stolen dead bodies to anatomists and scientists for experiments and examination. Scott-Wilson is a masterful writer and he brings the era and its people to vivid life. The book has a strong sense of time and place, generating a magnetic narrative that has tragedy but is also wholesome.
The use of language is a very strong aspect of the book. It is generously peppered with cant and slang which instantly add depth to setting and characterization. The dialogue is so natural with great banter and the general prose has gem sentences. The humour is top-notch—I laughed out loud so often. I also appreciated the characters. They are complex, fully fleshed, interesting, especially the side characters. The heroes are worth rooting for, the villains are appropriately bad. It also comments on the class divide, poverty, living on the fringes, how status and values don't always match.
(I received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
September 9, 2021
Some Rise By Sin revisits the 19th century with modern candour, delighting in restoring all the unsavoury details that novelists of the time automatically removed and referred to only obliquely. This makes it a knowing melodrama that packs a brutal punch. In turn exciting, tender, visceral, funny and alarming, with immersively authentic atmosphere and language, it revisits 19th-century pulp fiction with 21st-century sensibilities.
Religious belief was an important part of life at the time and the book is careful to give that appropriate weight. The stakes are raised even higher if you believe it is not just your life on the line but your immortal soul, and the book’s grave-robbing protagonists are right on the front line where that belief runs into sordid reality.
Religious belief was an important part of life at the time and the book is careful to give that appropriate weight. The stakes are raised even higher if you believe it is not just your life on the line but your immortal soul, and the book’s grave-robbing protagonists are right on the front line where that belief runs into sordid reality.
May 30, 2021
I feel I've been on a real adventure with this book,from the dark cemeteries and dirty graves,to the darker and dirtier streets of London.
There's enough humour in here to balance out the brutality and boozing and blood.
A good strong cast of characters,which I couldn't help but like every single one of the good guys,even the grumpy one.
Definitely worth picking up.
There's enough humour in here to balance out the brutality and boozing and blood.
A good strong cast of characters,which I couldn't help but like every single one of the good guys,even the grumpy one.
Definitely worth picking up.
September 28, 2021
The story is told by Sammy Samuel, a survivor on the streets of London in the early 19th century, accompanied by his childhood friend, Facey. Sammy and Facey are resurrectionists - stealing new corpses from graves to sell to anatomists. However, the body they steal causes them a world of hurt, bringing them into the sphere of some incredibly evil men. They then hear of an unusual corpse that seems to have disappeared, and set off to earn the bounty for its retrieval.
The ensuing romp is well written, although not for the weak stomached, as the author spares the reader nothing of the details of the rough life of the time. The book enthralled me throughout, I had no problem at all with the cant language used throughout. Rosamund is a lovely flower in the dirt of London, and Pure John and Kak John are great characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Deixis Press for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The ensuing romp is well written, although not for the weak stomached, as the author spares the reader nothing of the details of the rough life of the time. The book enthralled me throughout, I had no problem at all with the cant language used throughout. Rosamund is a lovely flower in the dirt of London, and Pure John and Kak John are great characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Deixis Press for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2021
This book is one of those I didn't want to end. Fortunately, every time I thought we were close there was another excellent twist on events. This really put me right in the middle of Regency London, I really felt I was travelling with the characters though the city. I also really cared for the characters and their outcomes. A must read.
October 21, 2021
The story told in the first person gives the reader such a rich experience through the observations and language created by the author. Thoroughly enjoyed the ride!
January 23, 2023
I enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable and the plot was unpredictable. You can really imagine what it would've been like; the fragility of life as it was back then, death being very much a part of it.
September 16, 2021
A rollicking and truculent fictional journey through the shallows of London at the tail-end of George IV's reign where we follow the unsavory shenanigans of two very unscrupulous rogues. Blessed with an unforgettable cast of lowlifes and cutthroats the fiendish plot gets darker and grittier as it sinks deeper and deeper into the twisty and despicable entrails of the nightmarish urban landscape. Graveyards, corpses and gore are on the menu, and once this incredible novel grabs you it will be very difficult to walk away from it without feeling absolutely and totally stunned.
Last but not least fasten your seatbelt because you are in for a formidable and fascinating linguistic ride.
The writing left me totally
gobsmacked most of the time. Such magnificent verbal pyrotechnics are so rare and so fiendishly good that I ended up rereading some parts aloud. Just unbelievable!
A magnificent novel that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever! Bravo!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Deixis Press for this unforgettable reading experience👍👍
Last but not least fasten your seatbelt because you are in for a formidable and fascinating linguistic ride.
The writing left me totally
gobsmacked most of the time. Such magnificent verbal pyrotechnics are so rare and so fiendishly good that I ended up rereading some parts aloud. Just unbelievable!
A magnificent novel that deserves to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever! Bravo!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Deixis Press for this unforgettable reading experience👍👍
March 17, 2022
Despite the many horrible things that are going on in the book, and there are many, I am left with a satisfying feeling that good things happen to good people. But this is not a saccharine novel. The adventures of our lead protagonists take us through the dark streets of London in the early 1800s. Public dentistry, circus freak shows, prostitution, dog fights, opium dens and the murderous river Thames are all brought to life with a great use of period vocabulary that has too long been in hibernation. The author creates a realistic portrayal of events and believable characters dipping and diving in a city full of cruelty and violence. Against all the odds, friendships are built on acceptance of each other’s weaknesses and human kindness finds a way out of this misery. A really well written and researched book that deserves to be read.
September 15, 2021
Some Rise by Sin really evokes Regency London. It is grimy, grubby and somehow lovely. You see the underworld of resurrection men Sammy and Facey, and how to survive. The language is perfectly wonderful and helps to transport you into this world of London past.
September 15, 2021
Between the fast-moving, twisty plot and the delightful use of language , this a beautifully crafted caper. The characters leap from the page and, all-in-all, its tremendous fun.
April 17, 2023
A cracking caper and a terrific story. I loved the writing, I loved the characters. London's underworld is colourful and lively. A great read.
August 11, 2021
Published by Deixis Press, a new publisher of fiction with a darker edge, Some Rise By Sin is a historical novel that fits into that category perfectly.
Set in the dark and eerie streets of London in 1829, it follows the tale of Sammy and Facey, a pair of outlaws who make their living by trading in dead bodies. Known as ‘Resurrection Men’, they make their money by robbing the newly dug graves of London and selling the corpses to doctors for the purposes of medical research.
Taking advantage of tip-offs and rumours in the taverns and drinking dens of underworld London, the pair come across some priceless information about a possible venture. The body of a hermaphrodite has come about in the area, which is of extremely high monetary and research value to nearby medics.
Famous anatomist Joshua Brookes enlists the pair to retrieve the body for him, in return for the huge sum of 120 gold sovereigns. However, a mission like this does not come without its challenges, and soon the pair risk life and limb to satisfy Brookes and receive their reward.
This sinful and gloom-ridden novel is an impeccable exploration of the stark realities of human behaviour when driven by the need for money in a hopeless world. Scott-Wilson’s characterisation and descriptive settings of 19th-century London are outstanding, and both help to build an engrossing narrative. In addition, his use of slang contemporary to the time gave the characters an authenticity that I as a reader really appreciated (even if I did have to look some words up!)
If you’re interested in historical fiction, particularly crime thrillers, or have interest in true crime stories, then I’d really recommend this book.
Thanks so much to the publisher Deixis Press for the review copy of this book!
Set in the dark and eerie streets of London in 1829, it follows the tale of Sammy and Facey, a pair of outlaws who make their living by trading in dead bodies. Known as ‘Resurrection Men’, they make their money by robbing the newly dug graves of London and selling the corpses to doctors for the purposes of medical research.
Taking advantage of tip-offs and rumours in the taverns and drinking dens of underworld London, the pair come across some priceless information about a possible venture. The body of a hermaphrodite has come about in the area, which is of extremely high monetary and research value to nearby medics.
Famous anatomist Joshua Brookes enlists the pair to retrieve the body for him, in return for the huge sum of 120 gold sovereigns. However, a mission like this does not come without its challenges, and soon the pair risk life and limb to satisfy Brookes and receive their reward.
This sinful and gloom-ridden novel is an impeccable exploration of the stark realities of human behaviour when driven by the need for money in a hopeless world. Scott-Wilson’s characterisation and descriptive settings of 19th-century London are outstanding, and both help to build an engrossing narrative. In addition, his use of slang contemporary to the time gave the characters an authenticity that I as a reader really appreciated (even if I did have to look some words up!)
If you’re interested in historical fiction, particularly crime thrillers, or have interest in true crime stories, then I’d really recommend this book.
Thanks so much to the publisher Deixis Press for the review copy of this book!
February 6, 2022
This book is a fictional account of two grave robbers in early 19th Century London. It’s a story of the tricks, trials, and tribulations of a couple of body snatchers, who eeked out a living, providing the anatomists of the time with bodies to hone their craft.
While reading this book, I felt that I had been transported to those times, which is a tribute to the research the author put into understanding and painting a picture of this period. The characters were rogues and I found them interesting and even relatable! Their trials and tribulations seemed very real to me, which is the sign of a very good story.
That said, there was one very small point, as part of the story, that spoke very loudly to me from page 285 and one where we could all learn a lot from: “It is a curious but affecting aspect of human nature, that those who have done you a small, good turn will often become even better disposed towards you on account of it.”
I’ve come across this thinking both in real life and in an autobiography of Ben Franklin when he wrote: “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to go you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.”
This may seem like a small thing but there is power in it. Psychologists explain this idea through cognitive dissonance. If you like someone you are willing to help that person. Conversely if you do a favour to someone your brain will assume that you like that person. Your brain believes that it doesn’t make sense to help an unpleasant fellow.
The upshot of this if you want someone to like you ask them to do you a favour.
Getting back to the main story, this was an interesting and fun read. I enjoyed it. It’s well worth the read.
While reading this book, I felt that I had been transported to those times, which is a tribute to the research the author put into understanding and painting a picture of this period. The characters were rogues and I found them interesting and even relatable! Their trials and tribulations seemed very real to me, which is the sign of a very good story.
That said, there was one very small point, as part of the story, that spoke very loudly to me from page 285 and one where we could all learn a lot from: “It is a curious but affecting aspect of human nature, that those who have done you a small, good turn will often become even better disposed towards you on account of it.”
I’ve come across this thinking both in real life and in an autobiography of Ben Franklin when he wrote: “He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to go you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.”
This may seem like a small thing but there is power in it. Psychologists explain this idea through cognitive dissonance. If you like someone you are willing to help that person. Conversely if you do a favour to someone your brain will assume that you like that person. Your brain believes that it doesn’t make sense to help an unpleasant fellow.
The upshot of this if you want someone to like you ask them to do you a favour.
Getting back to the main story, this was an interesting and fun read. I enjoyed it. It’s well worth the read.
December 31, 2021
When you hear a few people talk about how violent London is, I want to laugh for the city is so docile compared to what it was like in Georgian or Regency times. This book captures that spirit. It is a visceral tale of what I call Regency Noir. You are dropped into a truly violent and unforgiving world that has a Hitchcock-like rhythm to it. A couple of resurrectionists (grave robbers) have several hustles on the go and get pulled into something where the powers that be are a lot more sinister and dangerous. I loved this book because the city is still familiar a couple hundred years later and there is one theme that has never changed. Two sets of rules. One for the elite (Who are a million times more dangerous and horrific) and one for the masses (Who must live by their wits and on occasion must bend the rules.) It says a lot that small time criminals are given the harsh punishments in life when they are merely surviving with their limited circumstances while the wealthy and titled are given a lot of protection for their awful ways. This is a book that overwhelms the senses, keeps you moving with the adventure, and has you guessing about the motivations of various characters. You may need a few drinks after reading this because it doesn't treat you gently.
I suggest this to people who don't mind looking up words/antiquated idioms, enjoy being dragged into the criminal underworld, and have strong stomachs for regency life while hiding at home among their books, cardigans, and port.
I suggest this to people who don't mind looking up words/antiquated idioms, enjoy being dragged into the criminal underworld, and have strong stomachs for regency life while hiding at home among their books, cardigans, and port.
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