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  • The Dead Shall Not Rest

  • A Dr. Thomas Silkstone Mystery, Book 2
  • Written by: Tessa Harris
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (25 ratings)

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The Dead Shall Not Rest cover art

The Dead Shall Not Rest

Written by: Tessa Harris
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's Summary

The brilliant anatomist Dr. Thomas Silkstone returns in the second installment of Tessa Harris' vivid and compelling mystery series set in 1780s London.

It is not just the living who are prey to London's criminals and cutpurses. Corpses, too, are fair game - dug up from fresh graves and sold to unscrupulous men of science. Dr. Thomas Silkstone abhors such methods, but his leading rival, Dr. John Hunter, has learned of the imminent death of eight-foot-tall Charles Byrne - known as the "Irish Giant" - and will go to any lengths to obtain the body for his research.

Thomas intends to see that Byrne is allowed to rest in peace, but his efforts are complicated when his betrothed, Lady Lydia Farrell, breaks off their engagement without explanation. When Dr. Hunter is implicated in the horrific murder of a young castrato, Thomas must determine how far the increasingly erratic surgeon will go in the name of knowledge. For as Thomas knows too well, the blackest hearts sometimes go undetected - and even an unblemished façade can hide terrifying secrets.

Tessa Harris, an English author with a history degree from Oxford University, spent years working for women’s magazines. She is regularly heard on local BBC radio and over the years has interviewed such people as Margaret Thatcher, Jeffrey Archer, Anthony Hopkins, Susan Hampshire, Alan Titchmarsh, Jackie Stewart, Boris Johnson, and Uri Geller.
©2013 Tessa Harris (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc
Traditional Detectives Historical
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What the critics say

"Outstanding…. Well-rounded characters, cleverly concealed evidence, and an assured prose style point to a long run for this historical series." ( Publishers Weekly)

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Profile Image for Langer MD

Captivating "Historical" Piece

The central crime in this story (the murder of a gay opera singer) is relatively pedestrian and Tessa Harris's handling of the mystery/investigation is actually pretty average.. but the characters are fascinating (including castrati, a midget Count, 8-foot-tall Irishman Charles Byrne - a real historical figure, btw - and a Scottish "Dr. Moreau"-like anatomist buying up cadavers from unscrupulous street criminals & eager to dissect the giant's corpse). The setting is furthermore notably unique (peri-Revolutionary War London).
Harris revels in the unusual cast of characters and makes very nice use of the relatively primitive state of medical knowledge in that era.. having her protagonist - American ex-pat ("Colonist") Dr. Thomas Silkstone - use "innovative" (ie. modern) forensic techniques to solve the crime and free the wrongly accused.. while trying to protect the giant from ending up in the menagerie and having his body desecrated by the mad doctor's knife.
The writing isn't all that great (Tessa Harris isn't winning Pulitzers any time soon).. and - oddly for someone with a History degree from Oxford - her historical research is best characterized as "adequate".. but I found the book gripping.

Unfortunately, Simon Vance's voice-acting is over-the-top on this project. To be certain, his diction, timbre, cadence, and tone are characteristically commendable.. but his American accent for Dr. Silkstone is inferior and his repertoire of character interpretations is too often cartoonish (the jowly-deep Charles Byrne is straight-up groanworthy, for example).

Altogether - despite weak narration - 'The Dead Shall Not Rest' merits 8/10-stars. Harris ensures the book can stand on it's own (you don't need to read the 'Thomas Silkstone' series in order) but I recommend starting with 'The Anatomist's Apprentice' if you want to give the books an honest try.
As to this installment: if you can get it as a 'Plus' selection you should absolutely download it.. because even if they asked for a Credit, this intriguing effort would be worth it.

[Beware: this episode ends with a couple of cliffhangers. You may feel pressured into continuing with the series]

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