The Yellow Lantern

Dicken (The Outlaw’s Second Chance) explores the black market for dead bodies in 1820s Massachusetts in this macabre, enticing installment of her True Colors series. Josephine Clayton, a medical assistant to Dr. Chadwick, wakes from a coma to find Dr. Chadwick standing over her with a knife. He tells her she was buried after being presumed dead from a fever, and he is ready to kill her and use her body for medical research. Alvin, another assistant, begs for her life, but in exchange for being spared, Josephine must agree to help Dr. Chadwick’s grave-robbing operation. She is sent to work at a cotton mill where she spies on the workers and reports back any unfortunate accidents that might result in a usable body. Josie puts her apothecary skills to use tending a garden and helping sick mill girls, all the while morbidly surveying those she is caring for. Josie, a devout Christian, begins to struggle to make her peace with God about the deceitful web in which she feels trapped, and starts to work with Alvin to secretly thwart the grave-robbing ring. But as they do, they find its roots run deeper than they imagined. While the grave robbery scheme provides a solid foundation for Dicken to build on, unsympathetic characters weaken the overall impact of this historical. Fans of gothic tales will enjoy Dicken’s odd mix of horror and inspirational elements. (Aug.)