The Painted Bride

by Stephen Gallagher

A terror novel taking place on the English coast.

177 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Stoker and World Fantasy Award nominee, winner of British Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for his short fiction, Stephen Gallagher has a career both as a novelist and as a creator of primetime miniseries and episodic television. His fifteen novels include Chimera, Oktober, Valley of Lights and Nightmare, with Angel. He's the creator of Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy, in a series of novels that includes The Kingdom of Bones, The Bedlam Detective, and The Authentic William James. In his native England he's adapted and created hour-long and feature-length thrillers and crime dramas. In the US he was lead writer on NBC's Crusoe, creator of CBS Television's Eleventh Hour, and Co-Executive Producer on ABC's The Forgotten. Recent screen credits include an award-winning Silent Witness and Stan Lee's Lucky Man.

He began his TV career as a writer on two seasons of Doctor Who, and wrote two novelizations of his stories under the pseudonym John Lydecker.

** Photo by Lisa Bowerman **

Reviews

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the book on some levels. A mystery of is-she-dead and if-so, did the husband do it. A man, his 12 and 6 year old, a recovering drug addict sister-in-law related to the missing woman as husband, children and estranged sister. The young boy draws a disturbing picture and the police and child protective services get involved. There are fights, chases, murders, temper tantrums, and senseless violence. And the story leaves so many loose ends. The ending is very thready and so is half the plot. Swiss cheese really. The characters are all underdeveloped. I feel like there’s too much left to interpretation. I tolerate ambiguity better than most, and I know this writer did everything intentionally as I have followed and enjoyed other books that were far tighter.

[Jennie Rigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, pacey thriller in which nobody is really a hero. If it had settled on a protagonist it might have got a higher mark from me, but you're never sure who the point of view character is meant to be - is it Molly or Louise or Frank? Or Sandra? Still, if you're into thrillers is an enjoyable enough way to pass a couple of hours.

[Noeleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whilst this book is very well written I honestly didn't see the point of it