- Paperback
- Publisher: Pan Books (1994)
- ASIN: B002BJZHOC
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heart-Rending Tale of Trauma and Dysfunction,
By
This review is from: The Scold's Bridle: Library Edition (Paperback)
When senior Mathilda Gillespie commits suicide, no one in her village seems to mind very much except her doctor, Sarah Blakeney, one of the few people who'd actually liked Mathilda. Sarah finds it odd that Mathilda died by cutting her wrists in the bath while wearing a scold's bridle entwined with flowers. That she wore a barbaric contraption once used to silence talkative women is strange in itself, but how would she have managed to carefully weave the flowers all the way around her head, especially when the autopsy shows that she'd taken a fair amount of barbiturates? Needless to say, neither Sarah or investigating officers believe Mathilda committed suicide.The Scold's Bridle is a heart-rending tale of a family who's taken dysfunction to a new level. While the family at first seems rather hateful, if not pathetic, author Minette Walters does a superb job of layering back the malicious, selfish layers to reveal deep-seated pain that made me more sympathetic to the characters as the story unfolded. At over 450 pages, the book isn't a fast read, but it is a thought-provoking one which takes a hard look at the ramifications of family secrets, desires, and misunderstandings, past and present. This is an excellent, emotionally charged read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best!,
By
This review is from: The Scold's Bridle (Hardcover)
Unfortunately, I didn't see the BBC TV series but it must have been great. Mathilda Gillespie is a bitter, nasty woman who is found dead in her bath, naked with her wrists slashed and wearing a horrible middle ages contraption called a scold's bridle on her head. The bridle was a metal head collar which held down the tongue, effectively, if cruelly, silencing the wearer.Mathilda was generally disliked so there are quite a few candidates on the police list of suspects. It's a great murder mystery which I enjoyed tremendously.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant!,
By
This review is from: The Scold's Bridle (Mass Market Paperback)
I discovered Walters by accident about 4 years ago when I found a copy of "The Sculptress". I loved it and I haven't enjoyed anything quite like it until now.The Scold's Bridle is wonderful. The characters are dark, complex and quirky. You are never really sure that you know any of them. And yet you can't stop reading about their predicaments. This book was impossible to put down. I think Walters has some of the best mystery characters I have ever read. I did figure out "the murderer" about 2/3 through the book, so I can't give it 5 stars. But the story alone is terrific. Buy & read this book you won't be disappointed!
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