Review of The Scold’s Bridle by MInette Walters

The Scold’s Bridle is one of Minette Walters’ earlier works being published in 1994. It managed to win the CWA’s top, gold dagger award in that year for the best crime novel of the year.

Knowing this, I made it top of my pile of Minette Walters’ books to read and got round to it after finishing “The Tenderness of Wolves” which in man senses was a crime novel.

As usual, the tale is set in sleepy Dorset, a popular locality for Ms Walters. I suppose its easier to set your stories in an area you know well and have lived in most of your life. Some may complaint about the repeating canvasses for the setting of her stories, but I think that at the end of the day in most her books the particular county in which they are set is irrelevant, it is the crime and the way the characters involved interact with each other that form the most important part of the story.

The book begins with the death of Mathilda Gillespie, a middle aged spinster who lives alone in Cedar House, a mansion in the village of Fontwell. At first, it looks like suicide. She is found in a bath of water with her wrists slashed. Unusually though she is wearing what is called a Scold’s Bridle, a medieval kind of mask, used to keep gossiping women quiet in the Middle Ages. This is decorated with flowers and she is also found to have a high level of barbiturates in her system.

In due course, the police begin investigations, talking to neighbours, local people etc. They soon find that Ms Gillespie was not well liked in the village and one or two people may have had a motive to kill her……
In turn, several, interesting, well drawn characters are woven into the fabric of the tale and we find out that Mathilda has been the victim of abuse and rape in her past. Added to that are the diaries she has kept for many years and you’ve got a plot filled to bursting.

The story moves along quite swiftly and before you know it, you’ve reached the end, breathless, not quite believing the denouement.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one in my pile in the bookcase!

Review of Frankie and Stankie by Barabara Stapido

Frankie and Stankie is a Whitbread nominated novel from 2004 which tells the story of Dinah growing in the context of a racially aggravated Durban in South Africa.

It was presented to me as a book to be read for the first meeting of a Book Group I joined at Langside Library. I had never heard of it and probably would never have read it if it hadn’t been given as a book group read.
I have to say that I enjoyed the book very much despite the fact the book seemed to be written with a female audience in mind.

Dinah and her sister, Lisa are born to German immigrants who move to South Africa during the second World War. They grow up in 40’s post war, South Africa just as all the Pass Laws and segregation laws are passed by a far right wing South African government in the 1950’s.

The book mixes history, humour and pathos in equal amounts and truly engages with the reader on many levels. Dinah is a very engaging character who tries to conform to the times and become what will be the perfect housewife only to turn against it and eventually meet and marry a political activist and move away from South Africa.

Quite clearly, the book is written across a semi-autobiographical landscape given the author’s background.
On the whoie, a very interesting choice for the Book Group. Next up is Tenderness of Wolves by Stefi Penney. Yikes! More chiclit!