A review by skconaghan
The Dead Shall Not Rest by Tessa Harris

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Better character development and more complex plot in this one than the first. The addition of historical personalities of Charles Byrne and the anatomist John Hunter was fascinating—and compelled me to read up more about the ongoing petition for the skeletal remains of Byrne in the Hunter Museum to be released to the sea as per his wishes.

The question of ownership of body post-mortem is an interesting philosophical discussion; some manner of credence of the soul is required to engage, but if the soul is absent from the body, and the body is mere dust to be returned to dust—does the earth not own the corpse? And if the earth is ours (the living) to nourish and discover and investigate and replenish—does the soulless body not belong to discovery and science for the advancement of humanity? I certainly understand respecting the wishes of the living for their future corpse… but the whole discussion does raise interesting ideas about scientific & medical advancement, community responsibility, religious beliefs about the dead… and well, so much more.

Thought-provoking. A solid piece of educational entertainment.