Martha Wickham, $0.99, ISBN 978-1005714376
Horror, 2020
Sometimes, I come across something so quaint that I find myself liking it a lot, despite it being riddled with issues. Martha Wickham’s The Mystery of Frankenstein’s Bride is one such thing.
First, let me point out that the author addresses Dr Frankenstein’s creation as Frankenstein, so there are two Frankies running around for a short while in this thing. It’s not so confusing once the reader figures this one out.
So yes, the mob isn’t so happy with Frankenstein being a serial killer that murders indiscriminately, and soon the whole lab is ruined.
No matter, Terra, the bride of Frankenstein, isn’t too torn up as she decides that she isn’t into Frankie anyway.
She remembers the man she considers her true love when she was alive, Nathaniel Johnston,. Since it’s not like she has anything else to do, she decides to look him up, only to learn that he’s long dead. Car accident and all.
Oh, what good news! She’ll take the body and reanimate him using the remnant technology of Dr Frankenstein, and now, she will be with her true love!
Well… let’s just say that things never go as planned, as usual.
Oh, there are issues galore.
One obvious one is the setting. Where does this one take place in? Dr Frankenstein is usually not something one associates to be a present day fellow, but this story seems set in the present day.
Another issue is the narrative. I suspect either this one hadn’t been edited or the author must have been taken in by someone that claimed to be a good editor—if the latter were the case, she may want to consider another fellow for her future endeavors. There are changes of point of view even within the same paragraph, for example, and things can get super confusing when it’s not immediately clear whose point of view it is at any point of the story.
She snuck by the white house slowly inching toward the door. She didn’t see Nathaniel’s car so she assumed he wasn’t home. Heading toward his old bedroom window she jumped as she turned into a lady who looked curious and wore a black hat. “Is there something you want?” she asked Bride.
That’s a mild example, as anyone paying close attention will know that the “she” asking that question is the lady described in the previous sentence. However, the whole thing could have been worded better, or perhaps broken down into two paragraphs for better clarity.
Still, despite all these issues and the clunky prose, I find myself charmed by the whole thing. Terra is adorably ruthless when it comes to her fickle affections and her efficiency when it comes to getting rid of unwanted boyfriends. I really like how unpredictable the whole thing is, too, in the sense that it seems to be a romance of sorts only to be something else altogether.
I won’t say any more as this is a super short read and I may just end up giving away the whole thing from start to finish.
Let me say instead that I like this one for its wacky, macabre nature and the heroine being what she is. The nature of this story elevates it above its less than polished execution, and I’m fine with that. Other people may not be, though, so do approach this one with caution.
