About the Book
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 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?
Excerpt
Heaven stank of tallow and shone a honey glow. Her eyes could not adjust beyond a blur. An unsteady drip plucked against a thick silence, prodding her skin to crawl with gooseflesh. Where was she? No, this could not be—
No lightness, no feather existence.
She tried to sit up, but her head was as heavy as her father’s felling ax. She could hardly drag it through the stale air. Panic swarmed within her. Perhaps death had not just stolen her breath but her salvation?
Josephine Clayton had not been afraid of dying. Mourning had taught her that living proved more difficult. The last moment she remembered was her father’s watery eyes while he begged her to live. She was overjoyed he’d been freed from debtors’ prison, yet the fever was raging, and she’d felt her breath slipping from her infected lungs. Her wages had set Father free. Now all she could pray was for death to come quickly.
Had her prayer been answered?
The celestial bed where she’d slept clung to her, wrapping her in an unforgiving grip. A smudged-out figure stole away the light and stood above her. Her heart raced with fear. A glint sparked in the shadows and her eyes focused at last.
Dr. Chadwick stood above her with his knife raised and his usual coat of dried blood and bile brushing against her arm.
“No!” Her body lurched upward, but she was trapped.
The man’s eyes widened, and the clatter of his tool against the hard floor pinged about the room. He shuffled out of view and came forward again; a blue bottle in his hand trembled as he pressed it against her lips. Josephine’s breaths, no matter how much they hurt against her chest, were a wild stampede. She knew what he was doing. Would he force her to sleep?
“Sir, please! I am alive!” She jerked her head to the side. Her body writhed like a worm hanging from the clutches of a wren. “You cannot—”
“Josephine, you are weak and incurable. Let me help you now.” Help? Like he had with the last patient?
Josephine had convinced herself that all hope was lost after Mr. Baldwin’s fever never broke. She was sure that Dr. Chadwick used wise judgment in giving him the elixir that would bring on a deep sleep. But she had wondered if he’d mistakenly given too much to Ainsley’s oldest man. And she was irritated by the quickness of Dr. Chadwick’s transfer from the sickbed to the operating table. Josephine was hardly done with a prayer over the dead body when Dr. Chadwick had prepared his tools.
“Take care, my daughter, that you respect the doctor,” her father had advised after she was hired as the doctor’s assistant. Even though her mother often despised Dr. Chadwick’s visits, in her last days he had seemed a comfort to the family, assuring them that he was giving her the best treatment he knew how.
But now? Josephine’s head swam with doubt.
Review
What a chilling predicament Josephine Clayton finds herself in in this story! But really, it’s just as chilling to think that grave robbing was quite an industry at one time—one open to all kinds of abuses, including those that figure in this story.
For all the gruesomeness of the subject, this was not a gruesome read. The historical aspects were well researched, and the opening scene definitely caught my attention, but as the story developed I began to feel as though the plot was driven by the need to have Braham and Josie interacting, and the suspense relied more on Josie calling to mind her real purpose for being at the mill than it did actual grave robbing. There was a definite upswing in the action in the last third of the story, however, as all the threads of the plot began to draw together.
The progression of Braham and Josie’s relationship also felt rushed at times, their interactions too familiar and their regard too developed for the amount of time they had known each other, particularly in view of the employer/employee relationship and the time setting of the novel (1820s). As a result, I never quite reached the point where these characters felt real to me, but I was still sufficiently invested in the story to read to the end.
Overall, this story is likely to appeal to historical romance readers who are looking for an unusual premise and a healthy dose of mystery/suspense.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
About the Author
Angie Dicken credits her love of story to reading British literature during life as a military kid in England. Now living in the U.S. heartland, she’s a member of ACFW, sharing about author life with her fellow Alley Cats on The Writer’s Alley blog and Facebook page. Besides writing, she is a busy mom of four and works in Adult Ministry. Angie enjoys eclectic new restaurants, authentic conversation with friends, and date nights with her Texas Aggie husband.
Connect with Angie: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
I was so excited about the True Colors – Fiction Based on Strange-But-True History series, but unfortunately the three I’ve read have not lived up to my expectations. Fact is sometimes stranger than fiction, so I was disappointed the authors of these books were unable to build upon the already bizarre foundations that were laid and give more depth to the characters and backstory of the events to hold my attention.