The Yellow Lantern

Angie Dicken

Aug 2019 · Barbour Publishing

About this ebook

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?

More from the True Colors Series
The White City by Grace Hitchcock (March 2019)
The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma (June 2019)

Ratings and reviews

The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken is Christian Historical Mystery Thriller Fiction. Josephine wakes up in one of the worst living nightmares possible. She has been ill and is receiving care from evil villains. Fear mixed with secrets and mysteries grab you from the beginning of the book and doesn’t let you go. Mystery and suspense to the end with a message of hope. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

This fascinating novel is third in Barbour’s multi-author series “True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime”. It is exciting, with characters defined through actions, conversations, and thoughts. It is based on actual crimes in general in the early 1800’s that anyone desperate for money to help a loved one, could fall into. It is written with skill and sensitivity. Josephine awakens to find Dr. Chadwick, who she works for as an assistant, ready to plunge a knife into her. The fact that she was alive stuns him, and he tries to talk her into letting him finish the deed as she won’t survive the illness she has. She was dead for 24 hours and her father already grieves her. Chadwick is doing research he thought he could only accomplish by stealing bodies of people who had just died. Alvin, her father’s hired hand, comes in and sees Josephine alive. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her and reminds Chadwick he knows where the empty graves are. Chadwick leaves her to the cellar to recover. Her father visited once and said that he and Alvin have a plan to get him out of a mess and she had to trust Alvin. He said he committed a terrible wrong, that murderers were after him and only Josephine could save him. Mr. Bates, Sr. successfully owned and ran a factory in Gloughton, Massachusetts, to process cotton fibers from his plantation in Georgia. Mr. Bates became the legal guardian of Braham when his father died at the plantation where they were indentured. When Mr. Bates died, he left ownership of the mill and the plantation to his son, Gerald. Braham would manage the factory. Gerald has always hated Braham and continues to treat him as a servant. Alvin brings Josephine, now called Josie, to this factory to get a job. Braham hired her, unaware that accidental deaths of women in the mill attracted the attention of grave robbers. That is what Alvin expects Josie to help with – when people die, she will hold the lantern for him as he digs up the grave, then refill it. As a healer using herbs as her mother taught her, the idea is abhorrent, yet she has to save her father. Despite the growing attraction between Braham and Josie, she tries to do her job and stay quiet. Until the first woman is injured in an accident and Josie treats the woman with herbs and salves, gaining Braham’s respect. I like Josie/Josephine and her struggle with her faith even when thinking God wants nothing more to do with her. Braham is a good man, also a believer, yet he seems almost too emotional with regards to Josie. Her healing skills, her help with the late Mr. Bates’ sister who is dying, and what he sees as her goodness appeals to him even though people start to talk. Along with challenges to their faith and their places in the world, there is a complex mystery. How injuries keep occurring, what is causing the severe illness of some of the women that Josie and the local apothecary are treating, and who is behind the growing grave robbing scheme make this a compelling read. I like the frequent, varied references to the lantern lights. The end holds more than one surprise, and all loose ends are tied up. I highly recommend it to Christian women who appreciate the underlying spiritual themes, mystery, history, and romance. From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this from the publisher and CelebrateLit, and this is my honest review.

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 her online at www.angiedicken.com