LoveReading Says
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ by Gillian Galbraith has an unsettling atmosphere right from the start. You begin to read this short story expecting a revelation as our narrator, former Judge Lord Hand, reflects on the relationship with the almost too good to be true Laura. We see the cautious approach of his carers and the author does a brilliant job of sowing the seeds that not everything in this narrative is going to be straight forward, but leaves you wondering what exactly the pivot is and when it will arrive.
This felt to me to be a classic gothic tale, a narrative intentionally built on unsteady foundations, creating an underlying tension and a sudden shift of understanding at the point where Laura’s secret is revealed and everything drops into place. I thought that ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ was a very well-written and constructed story, with a lot of detail packed into its 100 or so pages.
There’s a timeless nature to the plot that leads me to be uncertain as to when it is set and makes me feel like it fits in well alongside the shorter classic Gothic tales I’ve read in the past. I really enjoyed this book. I found it an entertaining read that I think would appeal to fans of all things gothic, and anyone wanting to while away a few hours reading something dark and mysterious.
Charlotte Walker, A LoveReading Ambassador
About Love Lies Bleeding
‘She neither sounded, nor looked, like a mad woman. I felt a slight chill, a sense of confusion, of unreality. The ground beneath me seemed no longer solid.
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Love Lies Bleeding Synopsis
‘She neither sounded, nor looked, like a mad woman. I felt a slight chill, a sense of confusion, of unreality. The ground beneath me seemed no longer solid.
It was developing fine, hairline cracks, fracturing below my feet, and I did not want to fall into an abyss with her, disappear into a folie à deux, hurtle together into a black hole.’ In this unusual love story, set in Edinburgh, we are introduced to Laura, a beautiful woman, and the middle-aged Judge who falls for her and finds his life transformed beyond recognition by his love for her. At the very moment when he believes he could not be happier, he discovers something about Laura that frightens him and makes him doubt that he ever really knew her.
But it is too late. He knows he cannot live without her.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781998996209 |
| Publication date: |
25th October 2021 |
| Author: |
Gillian Galbraith |
| Publisher: |
FinnStar Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
128 pages |
| Primary Genre |
General Fiction
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| Recommendations: |
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About Gillian Galbraith
Gillian Galbraith grew up near Haddington. For seventeen years, she was an advocate specialising in medical negligence and agricultural law cases. Since then, she has been the legal correspondent for the Scottish Farmer and has written law reports for The Times. She lives deep in the country near Kinross with her husband and daughter, plus assorted cats, dogs, hens and bees.
Below is a Q&A with this author
What was the best thing about being an advocate?
It’s a very stimulating job – you have to quickly come to grips with the facts and put together a convincing argument. I learned something new every day.
And what's the best thing about being a writer?
When things are going well you can lose yourself entirely. Writing becomes more vivid than actual life for that moment. Not to mention the freedom to drop everything and walk the dogs.
Considering the number of male detectives in crime fiction, why did you choose to make your main character a woman?
I find women tend to be more curious about people, increasing the scope for using psychology as a detection tool which intrigued me. There are lots of fictional male detectives and if fiction is to mirror life then there should be female ones, too.
How has Alice Rice changed over the course of the Alice Rice Mysteries?
Alice is smart and capable, but she's also trying to make it in a macho world. She’s more confident in general and, even when she doubts herself, she has enough belief in her own judgement to pursue her own lines of enquiry.
If you could give Alice one piece of advice, what would it be?
Expend less of her energy on her job and more on her life.
Considering the number of male detectives in crime fiction, why did you choose to make your main character a woman?
I find women tend to be more curious about people, increasing the scope for using psychology as a detection tool which intrigued me. There are lots of fictional male detectives and if fiction is to mirror life then there should be female ones, too.
How has Alice Rice changed over the course of the Alice Rice Mysteries?
Alice is smart and capable, but she's also trying to make it in a macho world. She’s more confident in general and, even when she doubts herself, she has enough belief in her own judgement to pursue her own lines of enquiry.
If you could give Alice one piece of advice, what would it be?
Expend less of her energy on her job and more on her life.
More About Gillian Galbraith
