Having won his emancipation after fighting on the side of the colonies during the American Revolution, Salem Hawley is a free man. Only a handful of years after the end of British rule, Hawley finds himself drawn into a new war unlike anything he has ever seen.
New York City is on the cusp of a new revolution as the science of medicine advances, but procuring bodies for study is still illegal. Bands of resurrectionists are stealing corpses from New York cemeteries, and women of the night are disappearing from the streets, only to meet grisly ends elsewhere.
After a friend's family is robbed from their graves, Hawley is compelled to fight back against the wave of exhumations plaguing the Black cemetery. Little does he know, the theft of bodies is key to far darker arts being performed by the resurrectionists. If successful, the work of these occultists could spell the end of the fledgling American Experiment... and the world itself.
The Resurrectionists, the first book in the Salem Hawley series, is a novella of historical cosmic horror from the author of Broken Shells and Mass Hysteria.
Release date: June 4, 2019 | High Fever Books, LLC
“As terrifying and action-packed as a slasher flick, but also saturated with literary merit at its core, exploring social issues like racism, classism, and the ramifications of medical experimentation. It was such a fun, provocative read. I can’t wait to see what direction he steers the plot in the second book.”
“I had a BLAST reading this book. … This novella captivated me from the get-go, introducing me to an array of characters that were fascinating in their own right. The last chapters held a special kind of mayhem, and I was in my element throughout.”
“Gritty, grand and grotesque, The Resurrectionists is a mind-bending, Lovecraftian myth set in the murky underbelly of post-Revolutionary War Manhattan. It played out in my imagination in a palette of reds and browns like a lush Hammer horror film. Salem Hawley is a riveting avenger, and I’m eager to follow him on further macabre adventures.”
“Grim, perverse, and written with literary panache, The Resurrectionists sets the bar high for modern authors of Lovecraftian horror. With its mix of Lovecraftian and human monsters, this opening chapter in the Salem Hawley series will delight readers of both cosmic horror and the morbidly beautiful works of Clive Barker.”
“One of the best Lovecraftian books I’ve read in quite some time. Fans of the sub-genre should find this book right up their alley... Michael Patrick Hicks captures the sense of helplessness, dread, and the smallness of Man in the universe very well.”
“A perfect blend of historical and cosmic horror. Hicks has definitely created something special here, simultaneously authentic and otherworldly. Great characterization, vivid descriptions, and a cast of villains that will make your skin crawl.”
“A gritty, grisly historical fiction with poetic prose and plenty of heart and guts. A mesmerizing, cosmic horror tale channeling elements of Lovecraft and Chambers with a dash of Poe. I can’t wait for the next chapter!”
“Not since Victor LaValle’s The Ballad of Black Tom have I been so intrigued by a Lovecraftian inspired novella… a very enjoyable read for fans of Hick’s work and for those who enjoy Lovecraftian/Cosmic horror.”
“Cosmic horror at its finest! This book gives us flawed characters with all the weakness and petty desires we humans love to dwell upon, and it shows the awful and spellbinding results of those urges.”