Digging in the Dark (2017) Review

It’s strange to think of the times when the religious leanings of the day and the laws they inspired handicapped medical science. These were true dark days, and knowledge was hard to gain. As with most things in life, there’s a gray area, but one which can turn to the dark side. The advancement of medical science wasn’t helped along by religions or governments. Instead, a select group roamed through the gray, and on occasion, drifted into the black. Medical science thanks them, but they weren’t trying to aid the cause of science. Their cause was their own, putting cold cash into their pockets. They went by many names. Grave robber. Body snatcher. Ghoul. Resurrectionist. In his 2017 book, Ben Johnson shines a light into the dark cemeteries with Digging in the Dark: A History of the Yorkshire Resurrectionists. He uncovers many shocking tales, and at least one humorous episode.

Most people with any working knowledge of body snatchers, or resurrectionists, would think of the infamous serial killer tandem of Burke and Hare. They led off the book, but this isn’t solely about them. Johnson does a good job to get them out of the way early, and mention them later only when absolutely required. It would be easy to give the duo more than the majority of printed space. Digging in the Dark isn’t their story, but the story of the trade, and the many others plying it swallowed up by the passage of time.

Johnson’s done his research, and each chapter tells a different macabre tale. He doesn’t add a lot of extra commentary or opinion as he re-creates the horrors. I didn’t encounter any “cheekiness” either. Each tale and the overall subject gets discussed in a serious tone. When there might be a humorous episode or an opinion/commentary, Johnson saves it for the end and gives fair warning it’s coming. Non-fiction can get dry, but I didn’t notice a lot within these pages.

Digging in the Dark is a short read, and an interesting one. Burke and Hare might be the most (in)famous resurrectionists, but they weren’t the only ones. If you’re into this type of thing, give it a read. The History Channel has a body snatchers episode of History’s Mysteries, and if you can find it it’s one of the better episodes. As of this writing Digging in the Dark has an official release date of August 19, 2017.

*I received this as an uncorrected eBook galley from netgalley.com in exchange for this honest review.