Talkshow Thursday: A Guest Post by Lorri Dudley

The Regency Underworld

by Lorri Dudley

Listed among the Regency underworld of housebreakers, Thames pirates, sneaks (pickpockets), Covent Garden nuns (prostitutes), vagrants, and ruffians are another class of evil-doers called resurrection men, also known as sack-‘em-up men or body snatchers. The dark industry of grave robbing blossomed in the early 1800s and was thrust into the public’s eye by the notorious Burke and Hare murders in 1831. While my story takes place earlier, in 1817, the laws and practices were already in place before Burke and his accomplice were arrested.

In the early 1800s, the academic field of anatomy and physiology started to break new ground with the invention of the stethoscope and the first open heart surgeries (not all successful). Many of these breakthroughs developed as a result of the dissection of human cadavers. Fresh bodies became a hot commodity, but by law, the only bodies legally designated for dissection were those of hung criminals. Demand outweighed the supply, and an underground market for grave robbing grew as academics handsomely paid resurrection men to dig up specimens. The fresher the body, the higher the earnings, which ultimately led to the ugly intent of murder.

Sometimes, researching requires an author to have an iron stomach. If body snatching and resurrection men for wasn’t frightening enough, I needed a way in my most recent release, Relinquishing the Agent, to incapacitate someone before chloroform or anesthesia was invented, and the results from the Regency era were shocking. Surgeries were often performed while the patient was awake and tied down, with only a prior cordial or glass of wine to numb the pain, or if they protested spirits, a wooden stick to bite down on. 

Poisons were often used as sedatives, creating the paradox of what was worse, the injury or the

treatment? Dwale, an old English housewife’s anesthetic, was used to make a man sleep while under the knife or saw. It contained hemlock (a known poison), opium (a highly addictive drug), and mandrake (known to cause severe drowsiness and hallucinations). I can’t imagine how they survived the sedative, much less the surgery.

Why would a Christian author want to write about a horrific topic like body snatching?

While my story doesn’t go into any gory details (I get woozy at the sight of blood), Rebecca and Daniel’s story allowed me to dive into the concept that we all have intrinsic worth. The victims of Burke and Hare were people society had forgotten—people who were expected to go unnoticed if they disappeared. But those victims were image bearers of God. Jesus proved their value by dying for them on the cross. They are not forgotten because God knit them together in their mother’s womb, knows every hair on their heads, and has carved their names into the palms of His hands.

With mystery, espionage, and romance mixed in, Rebecca and Daniel's love story demonstrates how God’s power is made perfect in weakness. The house party hostess, Lady Coburn, her eccentric party guests, and the victims of the villainous resurrection men exemplify that worth isn’t based on works, popularity, or lineage but on the sacrifice Jesus made for them. Readers can learn more about me, my recent release, Relinquishing the Agent, and my other books at http://www.lorridudley.com or http://www.wildheartbooks.org. My books can be purchased from your favorite online retailer here: https://books2read.com/u/bPpyo7

Relinquishing the Agent

Can love bloom between a woman living a lie and a man sworn to uncover the truth?

Bluestocking Rebecca Leah Prestcote would prefer to hide in a library, searching for a cure to her sister’s ailment, over participating in London’s Season. But when her wealthy cousin demands Rebecca attend a house party as her, Rebecca cannot refuse. Her cousin intends to win the affection of the Marquis of Wolston and Rebecca is, after all, a charity case. When the Marquis unexpectedly arrives at the wrong party, Rebecca must uphold the ruse, or be caught in her cousin’s lie.

Daniel Elmsley, Marquis of Wolston, cannot let another target escape, not if he plans to catch the band of body snatchers and prove his worth as a spy. But when people at Lady Coburn’s house party go missing, his mission escalates to stopping a murderer. When he intercepts a letter meant to blackmail Lady Prestcote, he begins to wonder if the beguiling beauty may be involved in the conspiracy.

Singled out for Lord Wolston’s affections, Rebecca must maintain her web of deception and evade the investigation of the captivating marquis even while he ensnares her heart.

Photo Credits:

Author Photo and Book Image: Property Lorri Dudley

Bottles: Pixabay/Nathan Wright