Customer Reviews

The Kingdom of Bones: A Novel

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Love can be the most wondrous force in our lives, or the mechanism of our worst nightmare. Regrettably, we can't choose who we love, even when the object of our desire might be the cause of our ultimate destruction. Spanning nearly two decades, from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, THE KINGDOM OF BONES tells the story of how one man's obsession changed a multitude of lives.

Tom Sayers, a once-great prizefighter, has hopelessly lost his heart to Louise Porter, an actress in the theater troupe with which he now travels. Beautiful, sweet Louise. But her affections lie elsewhere. Despite Tom's gentle wooing, Louise thinks of him as merely a friend. Before Tom has much of a chance to try to win her over, an anonymous informant tips off the London authorities about a series of murders ranging across England in towns the troupe has played. The anonymous tipster points the finger squarely at Tom Sayers.

Tom's protests of innocence fall on deaf ears, and he is forced to flee for his life. Someone has set him up well, and he thinks he knows who that someone is. He may not have had much before, but now he has nothing, not even his good name. If he is ever again to find an ounce of happiness, he must stop the killer. It is a huge task he has set for himself, but his very life depends on his success. Somehow, he manages to survive, despite the unwavering attentions of Sebastian Becker, the resolute policeman intent on collaring the man he believes to be a serial killer.

Becker is as determined to catch Tom as Tom is determined to find Louise. Across continents, seas and years, the chase continues. Louise has made herself as diaphanous as the costumes she once wore. Hers is not an easy trail to follow, but difficulty never stopped him before. Besides, what else has Tom to live for now?

Louise has told Tom she can never love him. It is not in her heart to do so. She has given her love to another, a man who trifled with her and robbed her of her soul, she now has come to believe. Despite her declaration of love for that man, Tom Sayers pursues Louise with near-superhuman resolve. At the very least, he wants to restore her faith in herself. At best, he hopes to win her love. It is a dangerous game he is playing, for the actors aren't what they seem and the man shadowing him has much to make up for.

Stepping up to help him is an old acquaintance, Bram Stoker, who knows Tom from the theater. He believes unwaveringly in Tom's innocence as he always felt him to be a forthright and honorable man. Stoker's help proves invaluable.

Beautifully written and tenderly portrayed with a depth not often found in thrillers, THE KINGDOM OF BONES melds history and mystery for a spectacular result.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Adding the name Bram Stoker to any late 19th-early-20th century novel introduces an element of otherworldliness in a fascinating tale that winds through England's theatrical world and society's dark dens where purveyors of sin sell their wares. Begun with the chase of an assumed murderer who leaves a trail of death that follows a particular theatrical group, Detective Inspector Sebastian Becker is certain of the culprit, stage manager Tom Sayers, a former boxer with some success in the ring and on the stage. The evidence appears incontrovertible, Sayers the obvious villain as Becker peruses the theater advertisements that perfectly coincide with the dates of the murders.

Sayers is in custody but manages to escape, thanks to the petty bullying of the officers who release Tom for a bare-fisted match. Now the suspect is on the run, Becker determined to recapture his prey. From Tom Sayers' point of view, the problem is not so simple: he knows he is innocent, can suggest the identity of the real killer, but nothing matters once Sayers' name is posted all over England. Turning to the only man who may give him the benefit of the doubt, Sayers approaches Bram Stoker, who is managing a more successful theater company. A man of diverse interests and appetites, Stoker introduces Sayers to a world beyond reason, beyond the obvious, a world where souls enter a godless bargain.

To further complicate his escape, Sayers is obsessed with the well-being of a beautiful young singer-actress to whom he is devoted, Louise Porter. Even with the possibility of eluding the authorities, Sayers cannot turn his back on the innocent Louise, returning to the theater company in hopes of protecting her. Over the course of the next few years, Tom follows the object of his unreciprocated affections, counseled by Stoker as the two men seek a resolution to Sayers' dilemma. Tom remains a wanted man, although the trail has long grown cold; Sebastian is as resolute as his quarry, following from England to Philadelphia to the old south.

Balancing the actions of three pivotal men, Becker, Sayers and Stoker, and the female at the heart of their quest, Gallagher has created an intelligent, challenging novel that explores one man's ungovernable passion and the true nature of evil. As realistic as the abattoirs where the victims are discovered, the shadowy world of theaters, carnies and con men, Sebastian injects the logic of police work, while Stoker suggests darker forces, Sayers single-minded in his pursuit of redemption. One man's good intentions are powerless against a pervasive evil; yet good men agree that the battle must be waged, that good can never acquiesce in the face of attack. Wonderful and frightening characters inhabit this novel, caught in a century in flux, where the truly dangerous slip with ease through an unsuspecting crowd. Luan Gaines/2007.

This is one of the strangest books I've read in a long time. Tom Sayers, an English boxer from the late 19th Century, is suspected of killing a Scotland Yard Inspector, and pursued by that man's protege, another Scotland Yard detective. Fifteen years later, in American now, the Scotland Yard man is now retired, working for the Pinkertons, and on his day off he comes across the boxer, and demands answers from him. The book is constructed as a giant flashback for the first half, then a long sequel that takes place during the early 20th Century.

The central thrust of the plot is that the main character, Sayers, is in love with a woman who in turn likes him but doesn't love him. Sayers works as the manager of a traveling theater troop; the woman he's in love with is an actress who works in it. She's in turn in love with one of her fellow actors, who's evil and endlessly blase about everything around him. As the book progresses, it becomes apparent that the evil, such as it is, isn't entirely worldly, though what it consists of is never entirely clear. Sayers pursues that evil, however, to America and finally to an ending that's poetic, if a bit enigmatic.

I enjoyed this book, though I must say the ending was (as I said above) puzzling to say the least. The writing is intelligent and the setting well-described. I would recommend the book to those interested in period mysteries and/or horror novels.

"The Kingdom of Bones" is a mystery, and a book about the supernatural, but mostly it's a book about obsessive love.

Tom Sayers, ex-boxer and manager of a small theatrical troupe, is in love with Louise Porter, the troupe's ingénue. Sadly for him, she is infatuated with the troupe's young lead, who is being groomed by the owner of the troupe. It's obvious he's being groomed to replace him on stage, but what most don't realize is that he's also set to take over a far darker role from his mentor.

When a string of murders becomes connected to the movements of the troupe and the detective investigating it is killed, Sayers is implicated. He is forced to flee, but his own safety is not his prime worry- he's also concerned with Louise's well being, as it's obvious that the murderer is someone in the group of actors. Another detective, Sebastian Becker, takes the case personally, but the mystery ends up covering decades and a change of continents before he gets full satisfaction. It's not a simple serial killer, but an ancient evil that Becker and Sayers have found.

In one way, the book was gripping. But I found myself unsatisfied; Sayers character is a bit flat, his only motivation being to preserve Louise, even when she makes it very, very clear she does not love him. In fact, all the characters are undeveloped although not horribly so. The plot is a bit slow at times, but the descriptions fill out the late Victorian/early Edwardian scenes wonderfully. The addition of Bram Stoker, who was historically involved in both the theater and the occult world, is a nice touch. A worthwhile, readable book but not a great one.

Initially set in 1903 then flashing back to the late 1800s, in simpler times, before the invention of the car, before World War I, before TV and movies would keep people entertained in their own homes, the travelling entertainment industry would bring the town's populations out to each small and sometimes larger theatres across the country. The nomadic lifestyle brings excitement, the opportunity to travel and experience new cultures and most importantly the ability in a non forensic database era to leave a trail of corpses in your wake and the police non the wiser that a serial killer operates. However when a young boy who is part of the travelling organisation's job is to monitor the media from towns just left, for reviews of the various acts it is possible to notice the tally of young victims coinciding with places worked. So after receiving a selection of these clippings Police Superintendent Clive Turner Smith takes it on himself to travel up to Manchester and investigate the travelling show. When he is murdered with his own cane, and the police informant's corpse is found in the luggage of former boxing champ Tom Sayers it seems to be a pretty clear cut indication of who is the serial killer to detective inspector Sebastian Becker. The local Manchester police force aren't the brightest lot and have plans for their own justice for Sayers. On the run, all Sayers should be thinking about is his own survival but all that his mind contains is love for work colleague Lousie Porter. Unfortunately she does not share these feelings but instead lusts Sayer's arch nemeses James Caspar who Sayers has no doubt set him up and is responsible for the serial killing that has made Sayers a wanted man.

Spanning both England and the USA this book gives a great insight into life in the late 1800s/early 1900s of both. Kingdom of Bones is classified as a mystery (with for some reason an very old quote from Dean Koontz when he still used the R, prominently on the cover stating Gallagher a master of the thriller). This is not a thriller, it's not really a mystery either as you know from the initial murdering who is performing it. The only mystery the reader has to contemplate through the inclusion of Bram Stoker and other researcher characters who Sayers path crosses is, is there really a demon responsible for the bloodshed or is it all a state of the killer's mind.

Stephen Gallagher is a very talented Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror author and I eagerly anticipated reading this novel during the Halloween season - expecting thrills and chills. Unfortunately, this is another example of misrepresentation in both the title and book jacket description.

Although the story begins with a horrific premise involving a Victorian-era serial killer with the possibility of supernatural ties - Gallagher quickly steers away from any and all thrills & chills and the novel becomes a crashing bore that goes nowhere and ultimately draws to a highly unsatisfying conclusion.

The Book Jacket hammered home the presence of Bram Stoker as a principle character in this novel. Regretably, his involvement is very minimal and the reader learns nothing new about the infamous author of "Dracula". The only saving grace were the early depictions of the traveling theater troupe in Victorian London that was quite interesting.

If you are in need of a solid Victorian Era thriller you can do a lot better with anything from Anne Perry or the recent novels by Michael Cox.

This novel had a pretty good start, with hints of a serial killer and demonic possession, but the more I read, the more the story fell apart. The killer/demon aspect became so watered down by the end it practically disappeared. At least three characters had absolutely no dialogue; they were just in the story to move the plot forward. The character of Bram Stoker was unremarkable, and the epilogue/ending has been done too many times before. By the last fifty pages, I had a headache! Not to mention the fact that the title of the book is meaningless. One of the worst books I have ever read. Really should be rated as no stars for sloppy, lazy writing.

Bloodstone Castle
Heinrich the Fowler: Father of the Ottonian Empire

After a successful career as a boxer, Tom Sayers becomes the manager for a traveling theatre company. He becomes desperately besotted with Louise Porter, a beautiful young singer/actress in the group. Louise is conscious of Tom's esteem, but she is romantically interested in another performer. As the company tours about in England, they leave behind a string of suspicious murders that match the dates and locations of their appearances. When Pinkerton detective, Sebastian Becker, arrests Sayers for the serial murders, Sayers escapes, determined to find the true killer and prove his innocence.

Because of his connections to the world of the occult, Sayers seeks the assistance of author Bram Stoker. Stoker believes that Sayer is innocent and offers to help him. But, the murders continue and Sayer soon learns the evil is much darker than anticipated.

Tom follows Louise to America where he learns more disturbing information - the killer may be one of the theatre company's players. Like a faithful bloodhound, Pinkerton follows the trail of his nemesis in order to bring him to justice. Tom is desperate to protect Louise but must continue to seek the true murder and prove his innocence.

Set in the late 19th century, Stephen Gallagher has crafted a wonderfully intense gothic psychological thriller that sweeps the reader from England to America. It is an incredible tale of corruption and human depravity, danger and betrayal, passion and evil.