The Scold's Bridle: A NovelWinner of the CWA Gold Dagger Award Dr. Sarah Blakeney is one of very few mourners when her grumpy old patient, Mathilda Gillespie, dies at home in the bathtub, apparently of suicide. The old woman has taken barbiturates, slit her wrists, and bound her head in a rusted contraption called a scold's bridle, a cage with tongue clamps used to torture women in the Middle Ages. The police start to suspect homicide right around the time they learn that Sarah has been generously included in the dead woman's will. When she becomes the prime suspect in the murder, it's up to Sarah to delve into the bizarre details of Mathilda's private life, a history of greed, abuse, and depravity, and uncover the real killer. |
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 17 |
Section 3 | 31 |
Section 4 | 49 |
Section 5 | 67 |
Section 6 | 85 |
Section 7 | 101 |
Section 8 | 119 |
Section 12 | 191 |
Section 13 | 209 |
Section 14 | 227 |
Section 15 | 247 |
Section 16 | 261 |
Section 17 | 281 |
Section 18 | 301 |
Section 19 | 323 |
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Common terms and phrases
afraid anyway asked baby barbiturates believe better Bournemouth Cedar House Charlie Charlie Jones chuckled course damn daughter Dave Hughes dead diaries died doctor door Duggan Duncan eyes face father feel fingers Fontwell Ford transit frowned gave gaze Gerald girl glanced going grandmother Granny hand Hong Kong Hughes husband Inspector Jack Blakeney Jack's James Gillespie Jane Marriott Joanna Keith killed King Lear kitchen knew laugh live looked Mathilda Gillespie mind Minette Walters Miss Lascelles mother murder murmured never night nodded Orloff Othello P. D. James painting Paul Duggan Perhaps person police policeman portrait rape Ruth Ruth's scold's bridle Sergeant Cooper shook his head shrugged sighed silence smiled solicitor someone sort Spede Stanley knife stared stealing suppose sure talk tell There's thing told took turned Violet voice watched What's wife woman women wondered