Speakers of the Dead (very spoilery)

 Speakers of the Dead (2016) by J. Aaron Sanders

Synopsis (from the back of the book): The year is 1843; the place, New York City. Aurora reporter Walt Whitman arrives at the Tombs prison yard, where his friend Lena Stowe is scheduled to hang for the murder of her husband, Abraham. Walt intends to present evidence on Lena's behalf, but the police turn him away. As Lena drops to her death, Walt vows to exonerate her.

When Walt's estranged boyfriend Henry Saunders returns to New York, the two men uncover a link between body snatching and Abraham's murder: a man named Samuel Clement. To get to Clement, Walt and Henry descend into a dangerous underworld where resurrection men steal the bodies of the recently deceased and sell them to medical colleges. With no legal means to acquire cadavers, medical students are forced to rely on these criminals to advance their research, a practice that Abraham detested. Abraham's involvement with the Bone Bill, legislation that would put the resurrection men out of business, seems to have led to his and Lena's deaths--and Walt is determined to connect the evidence.

Read for the 12 Challenge and recommended by Buddy (Adam) Burgess on Facebook. I'm sorry, Adam, but I'm just not feeling this one. It's about 90% a me problem--I can't get my head around this guy

being a rough and tumble journalist taking on the bad guys. I mean, it does make sense that he's not very good at it when you have the classic picture in mind. Because let's face it, in this book he's not a good detective. Several of the suspicious characters get the drop on him...not just once, but repeatedly. His former boyfriend gets killed because of his inept style of investigation. And he doesn't really "solve" anything because he knows who killed these people--he watched the guy in action.

I can definitely see the makings of Walt Whitman, the poet. Some of the language is just beautiful--especially attributed to Walt towards the end. I appreciate the research and attention to detail. The history behind the American version of the "resurrection men" and the early days of dissection and women's medical colleges is all interesting (and gives the book what star-power I'm handing out). But as a mystery it leaves a lot to be desired. I can't say I'm eager to read another if this is indeed the beginnings of a series (as Goodreads seems to imply).  ★★ and 1/2 If it had been more of a straight novel and my expectations weren't looking for a good mystery, then it might have been higher. I think it fair to judge it as a mystery novel and not as a picture of Walt Whitman's metamorphosis into a poet or as a picture of the historical period, because in the author's note Sanders says, "Speakers of the Dead is first and foremost a mystery novel...."

First line: In the dream, Elizabeth Blackwell sits opposite Jane Avery's deathbed.

Last line: So Walt return to the present, to Abby on his lap, to the mourners in the other room, to the chorus of voices rising from the street, to the materiality of the real, and he holds on tight.

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Deaths: 9 (two hanged; two shot; two poisoned; three natural)