| The Scold's Bridle | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Minette Walters |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Crime / Mystery novel |
| Publisher | Pan Books |
| Publication date | 6 May 1994 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) & Audio CD |
| Pages | 480 pp (paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0330336630 |
| OCLC Number | 60224582 |
| Preceded by | The Sculptress |
| Followed by | The Dark Room |
The Scold's Bridle (1994) is a crime novel by English writer Minette Walters. The book, Walters' third, won a CWA Gold Dagger.
Contents |
Mathilda Gillespie, an eccentric recluse known for her incredible meanness of nature, is found dead in her bathtub, her wrists slashed and her head locked inside a so-called 'scold's bridle', a rusted cage built with tongue clamps which was used as a torture device throughout the middle ages. The dead woman's only friend, Dr. Sarah Blakeney, becomes prime suspect in her murder after police discover that she's been left a great deal of money in the will.
To clear her name, Sarah delves deep into Mathilda's mysterious past, and subsequently unravels an intricate web of greed, abuse and depravity.[1]
In 1998 this story was adapted for television by the BBC. The cast featured Miranda Richardson as Dr. Blakeney, Bob Peck as Detective Cooper and Douglas Hodge as Jack Blakeney.