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Benjamin Franklin Serial Killer
London, 1998. Beneath the former home of Benjamin Franklin, workmen uncover a sealed stone box filled with human bones. The secret has slept for more than two centuries.
In 1750, young William Hewson enters the forbidden world of anatomy after the death of his twin sister. His brilliance attracts the attention of Benjamin Franklin, a respected inventor whose public reputation hides a far darker the search for the human soul.
Drawn into Franklin’s secret circle of Freemasons and scientists called the Lunar Society, Hewson becomes both protege and captive. In hidden rooms lit by candlelight, dissections shift from scientific study to ritual. Franklin insists that only blood and sacrifice can reveal the truth about life itself.
As political unrest spreads across Europe and the American colonies, Hewson’s breakthroughs in medicine are overshadowed by his mentor’s crimes. The closer he comes to understanding the inner workings of the body, the deeper he is pulled into a nightmare of madness, murder, and betrayal.
From the basements of eighteenth century London to the first sparks of revolution, The Anatomist’s Curse follows the descent of a genius who believed he could reshape humanity and the young scientist caught in his shadow.
In 1750, young William Hewson enters the forbidden world of anatomy after the death of his twin sister. His brilliance attracts the attention of Benjamin Franklin, a respected inventor whose public reputation hides a far darker the search for the human soul.
Drawn into Franklin’s secret circle of Freemasons and scientists called the Lunar Society, Hewson becomes both protege and captive. In hidden rooms lit by candlelight, dissections shift from scientific study to ritual. Franklin insists that only blood and sacrifice can reveal the truth about life itself.
As political unrest spreads across Europe and the American colonies, Hewson’s breakthroughs in medicine are overshadowed by his mentor’s crimes. The closer he comes to understanding the inner workings of the body, the deeper he is pulled into a nightmare of madness, murder, and betrayal.
From the basements of eighteenth century London to the first sparks of revolution, The Anatomist’s Curse follows the descent of a genius who believed he could reshape humanity and the young scientist caught in his shadow.
119 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 25, 2026
3.5 ⭐
I had such high hopes for this book, but unfortunately they weren’t fully met. Whilst the book is a very informative dive into the various aspects of Benjamin Franklin, I found the pace and the writing style confusing and disorienting at times.
The plot sometimes jumps from one place to another, leaving me wondering where I was in the story.
What I appreciated was the amount of research done and therefore how much information was provided.
Still, I was engrossed in the plot and was curious to understand the secret life of both Benjamin Franklin and his protégé William Hewson, although this is very much fiction based on speculations after some remains found in Franklin’s house in London in 1998.
If you like historical fiction based on true facts, give this a go. The story is interesting, and you might have a better experience than me.
Thanks to BookSirens for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
I had such high hopes for this book, but unfortunately they weren’t fully met. Whilst the book is a very informative dive into the various aspects of Benjamin Franklin, I found the pace and the writing style confusing and disorienting at times.
The plot sometimes jumps from one place to another, leaving me wondering where I was in the story.
What I appreciated was the amount of research done and therefore how much information was provided.
Still, I was engrossed in the plot and was curious to understand the secret life of both Benjamin Franklin and his protégé William Hewson, although this is very much fiction based on speculations after some remains found in Franklin’s house in London in 1998.
If you like historical fiction based on true facts, give this a go. The story is interesting, and you might have a better experience than me.
Thanks to BookSirens for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy
A unique story and wonderful idea. Benjamin Franklin Serial Killer left me wanting for more. It felt like I started the book midway and rushed to catch up on all the information provided. That isn't a bad thing but I did feel like I wanted more background information. I really enjoyed the idea and concept. I can honestly say it was so well written and so believable that I started to wonder about our dear Franklin. Overall a quick, insightful and brilliant read with a unique perspective.
Thank you BookSirens for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
Thank you BookSirens for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.
January 11, 2026
I was really interested in historical fiction aspect of this and draw of a founding father being a serial killer was too good, but this book did not execute it the way I had hoped. It was a short read which was nice and it had a lot of research done to back it up.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Benjamin Franklin is in England in the 1750s before becoming a US revolutionary. Dr Hewson is a yojng british surgeon studying blood. Some awful surgeries including live dissections of humans. The main character ends up in Bedlam lobotomised. It shows 18th century London with its gin-drinkers and Freemasons at its worst.
Read as an ARC from booksirens, review for them is below:
This novel almost read like an essay rather than a story. It is packed with facts, and considering it is only 120 pages that means there is little space left to write a story. There are so many pieces of information - snapshots of the young Hewson at the grave, King the slave, Franklin at the table with his family, experiments by both on animals, the gin scene at the time, the Masons, the gravediggers including their nicknames. So much information but so much of it cried out for elaboration, and I didnt feel there was any time for exploration of the characters. There are more quotation marks than I like in prose - for example, Franklin teaching the "butterfly" stroke - a few mentions of those wooden paddles which got more mention than some of the characters - was the butterfly stroke invented in the 1700s? - I think it was invented in the 1930s - so I had some queries about historical accuracy. Some better spell-checking - "one day while scanning the isles of religious texts" .
It is a novella that seems to primarily showcase the author's research, to the detriment of the story. Why did I finish? I was interested by the facts and it was short
Read as an ARC from booksirens, review for them is below:
This novel almost read like an essay rather than a story. It is packed with facts, and considering it is only 120 pages that means there is little space left to write a story. There are so many pieces of information - snapshots of the young Hewson at the grave, King the slave, Franklin at the table with his family, experiments by both on animals, the gin scene at the time, the Masons, the gravediggers including their nicknames. So much information but so much of it cried out for elaboration, and I didnt feel there was any time for exploration of the characters. There are more quotation marks than I like in prose - for example, Franklin teaching the "butterfly" stroke - a few mentions of those wooden paddles which got more mention than some of the characters - was the butterfly stroke invented in the 1700s? - I think it was invented in the 1930s - so I had some queries about historical accuracy. Some better spell-checking - "one day while scanning the isles of religious texts" .
It is a novella that seems to primarily showcase the author's research, to the detriment of the story. Why did I finish? I was interested by the facts and it was short
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a provocative and genuinely intriguing read. Patrick Salway takes a bold and chilling idea and turns it into a compelling piece of historical fiction. The concept of such a well known historical figure being reimagined as a murderer, whether in the name of science or obsession, is unsettling in the best possible way and immediately draws you in.
The book is well written, with language that feels thoughtful without ever becoming heavy. The pacing is particularly enjoyable, making it an easy yet fulfilling read. I found myself quickly absorbed in the story of William Hewson and his descent into Benjamin Franklin’s shadow, where scientific curiosity slowly gives way to horror. The blend of real historical context with dark speculation works beautifully and adds an extra layer of fascination.
My only real complaint is that I wanted more. The story felt a little short, but this is not a criticism of its quality. It is concise, well presented, and nothing feels rushed or left unsaid. Instead, it left me wishing I could spend more time in this unsettling version of history.
Overall, this is a brilliant read and one I would happily recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fact based fiction with a dark and imaginative twist.
This was a provocative and genuinely intriguing read. Patrick Salway takes a bold and chilling idea and turns it into a compelling piece of historical fiction. The concept of such a well known historical figure being reimagined as a murderer, whether in the name of science or obsession, is unsettling in the best possible way and immediately draws you in.
The book is well written, with language that feels thoughtful without ever becoming heavy. The pacing is particularly enjoyable, making it an easy yet fulfilling read. I found myself quickly absorbed in the story of William Hewson and his descent into Benjamin Franklin’s shadow, where scientific curiosity slowly gives way to horror. The blend of real historical context with dark speculation works beautifully and adds an extra layer of fascination.
My only real complaint is that I wanted more. The story felt a little short, but this is not a criticism of its quality. It is concise, well presented, and nothing feels rushed or left unsaid. Instead, it left me wishing I could spend more time in this unsettling version of history.
Overall, this is a brilliant read and one I would happily recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fact based fiction with a dark and imaginative twist.
February 19, 2026
I was immediately interested in reading this spin on the astounding factual discovery of the Craven Street bones and their link to Benjamin Franklin. The story blends fact with fiction in a fantastically blurry way and left me hoping that some of the more horrific parts were indeed entirely fictional.
It was a short read, I would have liked a little more backstory on some of the characters. Additional info would gave been useful to fill out the story, glass armonicas being one example - I'd never heard of them before personally and surely am not alone.
For being such a short story, it was disapointing to find spelling errors; scalpal used multiple times rather than scalpel, to name but one.
Many thanks to the author and Book Sirens for the chance to read an ARC copy.
It was a short read, I would have liked a little more backstory on some of the characters. Additional info would gave been useful to fill out the story, glass armonicas being one example - I'd never heard of them before personally and surely am not alone.
For being such a short story, it was disapointing to find spelling errors; scalpal used multiple times rather than scalpel, to name but one.
Many thanks to the author and Book Sirens for the chance to read an ARC copy.
June 23, 2026
The plot is fascinating in that it reveals a theoretical hidden identity of Franklin as a serial killer and describes how finding out the secret affected his younger protégé William Hewson. However, there is a bit of jumping around, especially suddenly toward the middle of the book, that takes readers back to Franklin's younger years for a moment. It can be confusing for readers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This story is a packed mix of historical fact and fiction, its well gathered and engaging to read but at times felt that areas needed more explanation and depth to really draw me in as a reader. A good fiction account based on the true discovery and tale
December 13, 2025
2.5… Kind of a fun speculative book… but it goes too far.
January 6, 2026
This book seemed like it was really researched well and I did enjoy all the details of the time period. I didn't know that Franklin lived in the UK for 20 years and I never knew about the Macaroni groups. I had seen pictures of men wearing the huge wigs, but it was interesting to learn about them. I know there were a lot of interesting facts about Ben Franklin in this book but I really hope some of the surgical stories were not true. It was pretty creepy in parts. Interesting story, but I was a little disappointed in the book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews