2019/19: The Resurrection Fireplace -- Hiroko Minagawa

"I do not like to be touched by strangers."
"You have no right to refuse, Mr. Turner," Anne told him. "Sir John holds people's hands because he cannot see them."
"But that is to help him detect an offender, is it not? I am confessing to the crime myself."
"Your confession may be a lie," said Anne.
"What reason have I to lie?" She paused.
"To protect someone, perhaps," she said finally. [loc. 4036]

The setting is London in 1770. Dr Daniel Barton and his students are happily dissecting the corpse of a pregnant woman when they're alerted to the approach of the Bow Street Runners. Quickly concealing the cadaver in the oddly-designed fireplace, they brazen out the questions. But when the students go retrieve the corpse, it has company: the body of a young man with arms and legs amputated, and the body of a middle-aged man whose face has been destroyed.

The chapters concerning Dr Barton and his students alternate with those telling the story of Nathan Cullen, a young poet who has come to London seeking fame and fortune. He possesses a manuscript which he hopes will be of interest to antiquarians: but can he find a reputable publisher? And will he ever have a chance with the beautiful, wealthy and well-bred Elaine? Luckily he falls into good company: a couple of medical students, who take pity on him ...

This has the makings of an excellent crime novel, but I was annoyed by the frequent explanations of historical context, which broke the flow of the narrative and drew attention to its artificiality. ("'Was it lack of funds to bring suit against him?' In France and elsewhere, the state itself could indict an offender against whom there was no one willing to take legal action. In eighteenth-century England, however, only a suit from a private citizen could launch a trial. [loc. 4412]). Furthermore, there were some historical details that simply didn't ring true. For instance, there's a rumour that the pregnant cadaver was pregnant by a 'negro'. "Impossible! This is not the colonies, after all. Where would she even meet one? We have no slaves in London..." [loc 2310]. But in 1772, just two years after this novel is set, the black population of London was estimated to be at least 10,000.

There are also errors, in translation or in editing, that vexed me. One minor character's name changes from Hooper to Cooper (and possibly back again). More seriously, another character bears a grudge against the judiciary because of his father's unjust execution: yet he explains to a friend 'there are things I cannot ask my father to buy' [loc 4486]. Since this is a crime novel, I leapt on this apparent clue: his father isn't dead after all? I eventually concluded that it was a consequence of some wording in the original Japanese, whereby 'father' and 'benevolent professor' / 'mentor' may have been conflated.

Those criticisms aside, I did enjoy aspects of the story. The blind magistrate Sir John Fielding and his able assistant Anne were capable and creative investigators, and students Nigel and Edward very likeable (even before their 'trangression', portrayed without judgement, was revealed). The murders, and their motivations, were pleasantly twisty, and there were surprises even in the last few pages. And I did like the fictionalisation of the Thomas Chatterton affair. On the whole, though, I found the style alienating.