What We Leave Behind

In the follow up to ‘Some Rise by Sin’, we return to 18th century London, to reunite with Sammy and Facey, former resurrection men ( grave robbers).

Two years ago, Sammy and Facey moved from London to Portsmouth, and are no longer grave robbers. They have now become rather respectable, but when Sammy’s adopted son John is abducted, they must once more return to the criminal underworld in London to secure his release. They are tasked with the procurement of a precious but notorious gemstone, with the promise that if they fail, then John will pay with his life!

Take the author’s hand and let him guide you back through the mists of time to Regency London, to a world of grave robbers, drinking dens, thugs, slippery cobbled streets, together with the stench of contaminated water, backed-up sewers, over-filled privies, and rotting garbage and all manner of diseases. Richly atmospheric, well researched, and a storyline that, whilst grim and gritty, was also peppered with lots of humour, this is another winner for Siôn Scott-Wilson.

This story! These characters! This author! Loved, loved this and really hope it continues as a series and isn’t just the second in a duology. I love the big hearted characters and the streets come to life. The dialogue is superb. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I enjoyed Some Rise By Sin's seamy depiction of early 19th century bodysnatching, but I hadn't really expected a sequel - and indeed, Scott-Wilson is obliged to unpick parts of the previous book's happy ending to get Sammy, Facey and Rosamund back on the wrong side of the law and returning to a metropolis where, on top of everyone they pissed off last time, there's now a cholera outbreak in progress. But I get the impression that the characters' voices were still chatting away too insistently in his head not to be got down on paper too, certainly not when Alan Moore was in the market to read more of their misadventures. Their previous outing had mystery elements, but this time out we're firmly in proto-detective story territory, the grand house with secrets above and below stairs - one of those books I suspect might be riffing on Wilkie Collins, except that I've never read Wilkie Collins so can't be too sure. But the way that the leads are equally engaging company in this different slice of the setting gives me hope that, next time their voices can't be ignored, Scott-Wilson might find a way not to disturb the poor sods' hard-earned rest to the same extent; I'd be just as happy to read them engaged in light scrapes and hijinks as life or death ordeals.

(Netgalley ARC)

Oh my, had I been looking forward to more capers of Facey and Sammy after “Some Rise With Sin”. I was not disappointed: The setting of scene, the register were all executed pitch-perfect. As a reader I was swept away, living every nailbiting moment, every turn of events with them. Loving it, loving it, loving it!

Following on from the first in the series, Some Rise by Sin, Samuel and Facey have been kicked out of London. When Samuel’s adopted son John, goes missing from their new home of Portsmouth, Facey and Samuel are pulled back to try and find him with the help of Samuel’s wife, Rosamund.

A fast-paced, historical fiction with plenty of action, What We Leave Behind is a race against the clock to save John. I have not read the first book and was apprehensive when finding out it was part of a series. However, I found it easy to follow and do not feel like reading the first book is necessary to enjoy it. I liked Facey and Samuel as characters, combining savvy street smarts with hearts of gold. I found the author’s decision to replicate historical speech interesting. I’m personally in two minds about it, enjoying it but also thinking it can introduce a joviality that takes away from the sincerity of it. I decided to go with it and enjoyed the book overall but I do think that my viewpoint remains unchanged about the tone. Maybe not one for those who do not like it.

This was a fantastic and exciting journey through the backstreets and graveyards of 18th century London!