The Resurrectionist

Old Philadelphia #2

by Mark Graham

"In 1871, a nation shattered by bloody war and divided by race needs to be born again. And so does Civil War veteran and Philadelphia policeman Wilton McCleary. Still bearing the scars of his past, McCleary is fighting for his future and his soul. But now an investigation has plunged him into a realm of sadism, murder, and the raising of the dead...The Resurrectionist

Nine women of color have disappeared from Philadelphia's teeming streets. With a crucial election approaching, some suspect that Democratic forces are out to intimidate new Negro voters. But as McCleary investigates, with a beautiful, highly educated black woman at his side, he finds something even more sinister: both the living "and the dead have been vanishing. Now, with streets exploding in race riots, McCleary faces a rogue cop's madness, a cabal's racism, and a doctor's ambition -- in a case that will force him to face the ultimate human darkness, where victims suffer a fate far worse than death.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

About the author

Mark Graham is the Edgar award-winning author of "Black Maria", third in a series of historical novels which have been translated into several languages. He studied medieval history and religious studies at Connecticut College and has a master's degree in English literature from Kutztown University. He lives in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: It's 1871; Civil War veteran and Philadelphia policeman Wilton McCleary is investigating sadism, murder, and the raising of the dead.

[Mark Stattelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. Similar in style and time period to a lot of writing I have been doing. Read it a few years back. I actually thought this was #1 of series. Definitely the first one I read. I've got the others, just haven't read them yet.

[S.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Police Detective Wilton McCleary returns in a tale of corruption, vice and power under the gaslights of late-19th Century Philadelphia. Those who followed McCleary's first case in The Killing Breed will delight in reading about the case that earned him his promotion to detective, while those meeting him for the first time will want to read more. The Resurrectionist firmly establishes author Mark Graham’s ability to re-create a sordid underworld, and still manage to capture the alluring charm of a by-gone era. McCleary’s humane demeanor is juxtaposed against terse Chandleresque dialogue and description, to plot a mystery that reads in the hard-boiled tradition, but has a story that is rich in the realistic and literary aesthetics of Ross MacDonald.

[Dallas F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a solid book in terms of mystery, characters, and pacing, but it's one that's hard to enjoy simply because the setting is so grim, dirty, real, dangerous, and depressing.