Nightmare, with Angel [Mass Market Paperback]

Stephen Gallagher (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine (1985)
• ASIN: B002VUM9CY
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Kind of Thriller, Superbly Done, December 19, 2001

By 

Dr. Christopher Coleman (HONG KONG) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Nightmare, with Angel (Hardcover)

I can't agree with the previous critics who found holes in the plot and the pace slow. Given that they didn't cite any holes I can't rebut their claim, but I certainly found none and I am a quite critical reader. My take on Nightmare, With Angel was that it is a terrific thriller, far beyond the norm that takes up so much shelf space today. It is a pity that it is out of print, and I definitely recommend seeking out a used copy to thriller readers everywhere.

What makes Nightmare, With Angel so special is that the reader is never quite certain about the protagonist, Ryan O'Donnell. We first meet him saving the life of a young girl, Marianne Cadogan; but he is a reluctant hero at best. Marianne is drawn to him, but the reader knows him first as little more than a bum, then as a former mental patient, and finally as a convicted child killer. Whether the conviction was justified remains questionable almost to the end.

It is this complexity of characterization that makes the book so very good. Few of the characters are drawn in black or white; even Marianne's father and mother are ultimately revealed as deeply flawed people. As to the identity of the "Angel" of the title, O'Donnell, Marianne, and O'Donnell's psychotic vision are all cast at various times.

After reading Gallagher's Red, Red Robin (also out of print, but see my review here) I ordered this book, and Gallagher is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Look to him for something more than the standard American serial killer novels that have overwhelmed popular publishing today.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Plot, with character, November 6, 2004

By 

Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nightmare, with Angel (Mass Market Paperback)

In the hands of most authors, NIGHTMARE, WITH ANGEL would be an amusing distraction. But given that it comes from the pen (or keyboard, one assumes) of Stephen Gallagher, we must expect something a little bit better than that. And he certainly delivers on those expectations. NIGHTMARE is not just a tightly paced, exciting psychological thriller; it's also a fascinating character study.

Gallagher places as much importance on character and theme as he does upon plot and story. To be honest, I'm not sure which he did the best, because all of those aspects were well done. He creates a small number of extremely realistic characters and slowly reveals them to the reader at a thoughtful pace. The fact that he does this for characters of both genders, a child, and someone of questionable mental facilities is commendable. He manages to make all of these people seem real. And even though they are strongly defined, he can still have them perform surprises.

The plot is actually quite simple when you boil it down to a sentence: a young girl and a man run away from the child's father in an attempt to discover what happened to her mother. But Gallagher packs a lot of shocks along the way. It's straightforward but it isn't at all predictable.

I mentioned earlier being impressed by Gallagher's themes. This was the part of the story that will stick with me. He throws thoughts of redemption and forgiveness into his twist on good vs. evil. It's this sort of thoughtfulness that raises this book above its peers.

NIGHTMARE, WITH ANGEL is dark without being pessimistic, and absorbing without basing itself on gimmicks. This is a worthy thriller whose characters will appeal to readers who aren't crazy about this genre and whose plot will electrify those who are. Gallagher's prose will raise the hairs on your head, while also giving your brain something to chew on.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT CHARACTER STUDY, January 22, 2001

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nightmare, with Angel (Mass Market Paperback)

"Nightmare, With Angel" is a 1992 book that obviously didn't receive too warm a welcome, as it is now out of print. If you can find a copy, however, it is a brilliant character study by a gifted English writer.

There are a few plot holes in the plot, and the pace is typically British "slow." However, one cannot deny the power of the characterizations. There are five outstanding examples.

*Marianne Cadogan - the eleven year old protagonist of the story is a complex mix of child and adult. You may at first be irritated with the way she entwines herself in the life of one Ryan O'Donnell, a convicted child molester who rescues her from a certain death in the first chapter. However, once you learn more about Marianne, you can't help but admire the child's tenacity, spunk, and ability to warm the hearts of even the coldest of people. As Marianne leads Ryan on a seemingly futile search for her estranged mother, she develops a maturity way beyond her years, and can only share her desperation and hope as she comes so close to a reunion. *Ryan O'Donnell - a remarkable study in social alienation and heroism. Ryan starts out avoiding Marianne's friendship, but in the end, he is persuaded to assist Marianne in her quest. As we learn more about Ryan, it becomes hard to view him as a hero. He DID commit the crime he was imprisoned for at the age of fifteen. But in journeying with him to Germany, we discover much more about him, and as he does everything he can to help Marianne, he becomes the true hero of the book, and the ending is gutwrenching in its poignancy and sadness. Three other characters well-fleshed out are the mother, Anneliese Cadogan, whose descent into madness and irreparable harm, is chilling; Patrick Cadogan, the father of Marianne, is also expertly drawn, and he too undergoes a metamorphosis that can only be deemed as inevitable, in light of what he must go through to re-unite with his daughter; and finally, the police detective Jennifer is also a sharp characterization, a mix of professional apathy and human sympathy, too.

All in all, this book is worth reading to simply experience the rich characterizations of Gallagher's pen.