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Stephen Gallagher Books In Order

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Publication Order of Sebastian Becker Books

The Kingdom of Bones (2007)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Bedlam Detective (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Authentic William James (2016)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of The Lost Stories Books

Doctor Who: The Nightmare Fair (By: Nicola Bryant,Colin Baker,David Bailie,John Ainsworth,Graham Williams) (2009)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: Mission to Magnus (By: Nicholas Briggs,Nicola Bryant,Colin Baker,Philip Martin,Nabil Shaban) (2009)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Hollows of Time (By: Nicola Bryant,Colin Baker,Christopher H. Bidmead) (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Song of Megaptera (By: Pat Mills) (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: Point of Entry (By: Marc Platt,Nicola Bryant,Colin Baker,Barbara Clegg) (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Macros (By: Nicola Bryant,Colin Baker,Ingrid Pitt,Tony Rudlin) (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The First Doctor Box Set (By: Nigel Robinson,Moris Farhi) (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Second Doctor Box Set (By: Simon Guerrier,Nicholas Briggs,Terry Nation,John Dorney,Dick Sharples) (2010)Description / Buy at Amazon
Thin Ice (By: Marc Platt) (2011)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Elite (By: Peter Davison,Janet Fielding,John Dorney,Sarah Sutton,Barbara Clegg) (2011)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Children of Seth (By: Marc Platt) (2011)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Boxset (By: Jonathan Morris,John Dorney,Philip Hinchcliffe,Robert Banks Stewart) (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The First Sontarans (By: Andrew Smith) (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Dark Planet (By: Matt Fitton,Ken Bentley,William Russell,Maureen O'Brien,Brian Hayles) (2013)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Queen of Time (By: Frazer Hines,Wendy Padbury,Catherine Harvey,Brian Hayles) (2013)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: Lords of the Red Planet (By: Lisa Bowerman,Frazer Hines,Nicholas Briggs,John Dorney,Wendy Padbury,Brian Hayles,Michael Troughton,Charlie Hayes,Abigail Thaw) (2013)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: The Doomsday Contract (By: John Lloyd) (2021)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who: Return of the Cybermen (By: John Dorney,Gerry Davis) (2021)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Dying of Paradise / The Last Rose of Summer (As: Stephen Couper) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Saturn 3 (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Silver Dream Racer (As: John Lydecker) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Chimera (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Ice Belt (As: Stephen Couper) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Follower (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Valley of Lights (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
Oktober (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Down River (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Boat House (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
Nightmare, with Angel (1992)Description / Buy at Amazon
Rain (1995)Description / Buy at Amazon
Red Red Robin (1995)Description / Buy at Amazon
White Bizango (2002)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Spirit Box (2005)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Painted Bride (2006)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Collections

Little Dead Girl Singing (2002)Description / Buy at Amazon
Out Of His Mind (2004)Description / Buy at Amazon
Plots and Misadventures (2007)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Night Visions Books

Night Visions: In the Blood (By: Tanith Lee,Charles L. Grant,Steve Tem,Gregory Manchess,Alan Ryan) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions (By: Charles L. Grant) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 2 (By: Charles L. Grant) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 3 (By: Ramsey Campbell) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions: The Hellbound Heart (By: George R.R. Martin) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 6 (By: F. Paul Wilson) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 8 (With: Joe R. Lansdale,John Farris,Robert R. McCammon) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 9 (By: F. Paul Wilson) (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 10 (By: Richard T. Chizmar) (2001)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 11 (By: Lucius Shepard) (2004)Description / Buy at Amazon
Night Visions 12 (By: P.D. Cacek,Mark Morris,Simon Clark,Kealan Patrick Burke) (2006)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Doctor Who Novelizations Books

The Time of Angels (By: Trevor Baxendale) (1963)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Daleks / Doctor Who in an Exciting Adventure with the Daleks (By: David Whitaker) (1964)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Zarbi (By: Bill Strutton) (1965)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Crusaders (By: David Whitaker) (1966)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Massacre (By: John Lucarotti) (1966)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Sea-Devils (By: Malcolm Hulke) (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion (By: Terrance Dicks) (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters (By: Malcolm Hulke) (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Doomsday Weapon (By: Malcolm Hulke) (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks (By: Terrance Dicks) (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Daemons (By: Barry Letts) (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Abominable Snowmen (By: Terrance Dicks) (1974)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Cybermen (By: Gerry Davis) (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Giant Robot (By: Terrance Dicks) (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Terror of the Autons (By: Terrance Dicks) (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Green Death (By: Malcolm Hulke) (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders (By: Terrance Dicks) (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Three Doctors (By: Terrance Dicks) (1975)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks (By: Terrance Dicks) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen (By: Terrance Dicks) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Web of Fear (By: Terrance Dicks) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster (By: Terrance Dicks) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Dinosaur Invasion (By: Malcolm Hulke) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet (By: Gerry Davis) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Tenth Planet (By: Gerry Davis) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Ice Warriors (By: Brian Hayles) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Space War (By: Malcolm Hulke) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Planet of the Daleks (By: Terrance Dicks) (1976)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Masque of Mandragora (By: Philip Hinchcliffe) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Brain of Morbius (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Face of Evil (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Mutants (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Planet of Evil (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Seeds of Doom (By: Philip Hinchcliffe) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Claws of Axos (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Ark in Space (By: Ian Marter) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Deadly Assassin (By: Terrance Dicks) (1977)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Time Warrior (By: Terrance Dicks) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Tomb of the Cybermen (By: Gerry Davis) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Pyramids of Mars (By: Terrance Dicks) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Death to the Daleks (By: Terrance Dicks) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Horror of Fang Rock (By: Terrance Dicks) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment (By: Ian Marter) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Android Invasion (By: Terrance Dicks) (1978)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Image of the Fendahl (By: Terrance Dicks) (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the War Games (By: Malcolm Hulke) (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Hand of Fear (By: Terrance Dicks) (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Robots of Death (By: Terrance Dicks) (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Invisible Enemy (By: Terrance Dicks) (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Destiny of the Daleks (By: Terrance Dicks) (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Ribos Operation (By: Ian Marter) (1979)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Androids of Tara (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Stones of Blood (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Armageddon Factor (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Underworld (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Invasion of Time (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Monster of Peladon (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Power of Kroll (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Nightmare of Eden (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinus (By: Philip Hinchcliffe) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Horns of Nimon (By: Terrance Dicks) (1980)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit (By: David Fisher) (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Enemy of the World (By: Ian Marter) (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the State of Decay (By: Terrance Dicks) (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child (By: Terrance Dicks) (1981)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Leisure Hive (By: David Fisher) (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate (As: John Lydecker) (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken (By: Terrance Dicks) (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Visitation (By: Eric Saward) (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
Full Circle (By: Andrew Smith) (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and theSunmakers (By: Terrance Dicks) (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
Logopolis (By: Christopher H. Bidmead) (1982)Description / Buy at Amazon
Meglos (By: Terrance Dicks) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Four to Doomsday (By: Terrance Dicks) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Time-Flight (By: Peter Grimwade) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Terminus (As: John Lydecker) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Castrovalva (By: Christopher H. Bidmead) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Arc of Infinity (By: Terrance Dicks) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Mawdryn Undead (By: Peter Grimwade) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Earthshock (By: Ian Marter) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Five Doctors (By: Terrance Dicks) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Kinda (By: Terrance Dicks) (1983)Description / Buy at Amazon
Snakedance (By: Terrance Dicks) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Aztecs (By: John Lucarotti) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Dominators (By: Ian Marter) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Enlightenment (By: Barbara Clegg) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Inferno (By: Terrance Dicks) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Warriors of the Deep (By: Terrance Dicks) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Highlanders (By: Gerry Davis) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Frontios (By: Christopher H. Bidmead) (1984)Description / Buy at Amazon
Galaxy Four (By: William Emms) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Gunfighters (By: Donald Cotton) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Time Monster (By: Terrance Dicks) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Krotons (By: Terrance Dicks) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
Planet of Fire (By: Peter Grimwade) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mind of Evil (By: Terrance Dicks) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Caves of Androzani (By: Terrance Dicks) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Myth Makers (By: Donald Cotton) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
Marco Polo (By: John Lucarotti) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Invasion (By: Ian Marter) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Awakening (By: Eric Pringle) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Two Doctors (By: Robert Holmes) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
Timelash (By: Glen McCoy) (1985)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Faceless Ones (By: Terrance Dicks) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Seeds of Death (By: Terrance Dicks) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Ark (By: Paul Erickson) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Savages (By: Ian Stuart Black) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
Black Orchid (By: Terence Dudley) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Twin Dilemma (By: Eric Saward) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mark of the Rani (By: Pip Baker,Jane Baker) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Celestial Toymaker (By: Gerry Davis,AlisonBingeman) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The King's Demons (By: Terence Dudley) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
Fury from the Deep (By: Victor Pemberton) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mind Robber (By: Peter Ling) (1986)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Rescue (By: Ian Marter) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Reign of Terror (By: Ian Marter) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Time Meddler (By: Nigel Robinson) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Ambassadors of Death (By: Terrance Dicks) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Space Museum (By: GlynJones) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Sensorites (By: Nigel Robinson) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Romans (By: Donald Cotton) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mysterious Planet (By: Terrance Dicks) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
Time and the Rani (By: Pip Baker,Jane Baker) (1987)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Macra Terror (By: Ian Stuart Black) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
Terror of the Vervoids (By: Pip Baker,Jane Baker) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Underwater Menace (By: Nigel Robinson) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Wheel in Space (By: Terrance Dicks) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
Edge of Destruction (By: Nigel Robinson) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Smugglers (By: Terrance Dicks) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
Vengeance on Varos (By: Philip Martin) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
Vengeance on Varos ) (By: Philip Martin) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Ultimate Foe (By: Pip Baker,Jane Baker) (1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (By: Stephen Wyatt) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Delta and the Bannermen (By: Malcolm Kohll) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Dalek's Master Plan: The Mutation of Time (By: John Peel) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Paradise Towers (By: Stephen Wyatt) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
The War Machines (By: Ian Stuart Black) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Attack of the Cybermen (By: Eric Saward) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Dragonfire (By: Ian Briggs) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Chase (By: Terrance Dicks,John Peel) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Mindwarp (By: Philip Martin) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Silver Nemesis (By: Kevin Clarke) (1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Planet of Giants (By: Terrance Dicks) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Happiness Patrol (By: Graeme Curry) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Space Pirates (By: Terrance Dicks) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Remembrance of the Daleks (By: James Goss) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Survival (By: Rona Munro) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Ghost Light (By: Marc Platt) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Curse of Fenric (By: Ian Briggs) (1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Battlefield (By: Marc Platt) (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Pescatons (By: Victor Pemberton) (1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Power of the Daleks (By: John Peel) (1993)Description / Buy at Amazon
The TV Movie / The Novel of the Film (By: Gary Russell) (1996)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Eleventh Hour (By: Trevor Baxendale) (2012)Description / Buy at Amazon
City of Death (By: James Goss) (2015)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Christmas Invasion (By: Jenny Colgan) (2018)Description / Buy at Amazon
Rose (By: Russell T. Davies) (2018)Description / Buy at Amazon
Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen (By: Douglas Adams,James Goss) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon
Resurrection of the Daleks (By: Eric Saward) (2019)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Crimson Horror (By: Mark Gatiss) (2020)Description / Buy at Amazon
Dalek (By: Robert Shearman) (2021)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Witchfinders (By: Joy Wilkinson) (2021)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Fires of Pompeii (By: James Moran) (2022)Description / Buy at Amazon

Publication Order of Anthologies

Scaremongers(1981)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Best Horror Stories from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction(1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Drabble Project(1988)Description / Buy at Amazon
Arrows Of Eros(1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Dark Fantasies(1989)Description / Buy at Amazon
Best New Horror(1990)Description / Buy at Amazon
Now We Are Sick(1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
Hotter Blood: More Tales of Erotic Horror(1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
Darklands No 1(1991)Description / Buy at Amazon
Fifth Annual Collection(1992)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Giant Book of Best New Horror(1993)Description / Buy at Amazon
Giant Book of Fantasy Tales(1996)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 7(1996)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 14(2003)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Dark: New Ghost Stories(2003)Description / Buy at Amazon
Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection(2003)Description / Buy at Amazon
Best New Horror 16(2005)Description / Buy at Amazon
TwentiethAnnual Collection(2007)Description / Buy at Amazon
Full Fathom Forty(2011)Description / Buy at Amazon
Ghosts: Recent Hauntings(2012)Description / Buy at Amazon
Writing Crime Fiction(2012)Description / Buy at Amazon
Twisted Histories(2013)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Doll Collection(2015)Description / Buy at Amazon
New Fears(2017)Description / Buy at Amazon
Best Horror of the Year: Volume Ten(2018)Description / Buy at Amazon
Dark Mirages(2018)Description / Buy at Amazon
The Conception of Terror(2019)Description / Buy at Amazon
Beyond the Veil(2021)Description / Buy at Amazon

Stephen Gallagher is an English author of horror, crime and historical fiction books. He was born and raised in Salford, Greater Manchester. He has written several television scripts and novels including BBC TV series Doctor Who for which the author wrote two series Terminus (1983) and Warrior’s Gate (1981). Stephen Gallagher adapted his own book Chimera into a television miniseries of the same name. The author wrote and developed series for ITV, Eleventh Hour featuring Patrick Stewart as the main character working as a government science advisor and investigator. This program was rumored to be the answer to the series Doctor Who but it was more in the tradition of a thriller.

Gallagher became a published author in 1978 when Dying of Paradise; a standalone novel was published. In 2007 he published The Kingdom of Bones which marked the beginning of Sebastian Becker series. The author has authored several story collection and novellas and has written under pseudonyms such as John Lydecker and Stephen Couper.

The Kingdom of Bones

The Kingdom of Bones is the first book in Sebastian Becker series by Stephen Gallagher. It is the haunting narrative of Tom Sayers a retired boxing champion who must continue his fights in the ring to clear his name after a series of brutal murder. It is a fast-paced thriller with a subtle touch of the supernatural. The story kicks off as a normal Victorian crime story with a dash of greasepaint and limelight but soon develops into something deeply characterized by subtle shades of expression, a supernatural story, people with scary and shady characters and a tale of unrequited and obsessive love.

The narrative opens up in Victorian British provincial theatre where we meet Tom Sayers, a once flourishing professional boxer now working as a stage manager with a touring company. He is set up for a murder that he did not commit which forces him to exile himself to America where he earns his daily bread by working as a fairground prize-fighter. It is from here where the narrative takes a supernatural twist- it is revealed that Tom Sayer has not only come to America to escape the murder charge, he is also tracking down Louise-a singer with his company. He believes that the young beauty is possessed by a demon named The Wanderer- a demon that grants youth and immortality in exchange for a constant diet of blood through murder. Now Tom’s sole purpose in life has become to find the whereabouts of Louise and save her from the demon. The motive as to why Tom dedicates his life to this mission is never known.

The first book in Sebastian Becker series is a wonderful read. It is an intricate and creative narrative that uses historical characters of the late 1880’s and early 1900’ with most of the action taking place between America and England. The story incorporates a couple of themes. One theme gives the readers an intimate knowledge of the operations of English theatre, the knowledge about occult activities, themes of boxing from carnival to formal as well as the knowledge of early Pinkerton work.
Initially, the reader’s sympathy lies with Tom Sayers, a retired boxer who is now efficiently managing his own company in England. The relationship that exists between Tom Sayers and Detective Sebastian Becker is a bittersweet and a long one that starts when Tom Sayer is wrongly accused as being the man responsible for a series of murders in the wake of his theatre’s engagements. His story unfolds openly from the time he meets (by chance) an old friend Sebastian Becker based n Philadelphia. Becker uses his detective skills to pursue Sayers across America in this tale of crazy obsession and murder.

Gallagher did an excellent job in plot development, world-building, and characterization. The secondary characters are beautifully woven and are all fascinating especially Louise Porter, the woman who Sayers lust for and whom he tries to save from what he terms as possession by the demon. In his quest, he encounters so many strange, mysterious and deadly situations which in the result into a thrilling conclusion. Gallagher’s use of a fictitious version of a real person is a proof that he is a master in this realm of writing. His impressive historical research is vividly portrayed in the realistic recreations of 19th century London Manchester, Richmond, Philadelphia and New Orleans. As the narrative progresses, it becomes less about fighting monsters but instead centers more on finding redemption and salvation from what may be simply a strong psychological idea or a horrid supernatural force.

The Bedlam Detective

The second book in the series is set in 1912 and introduces Sebastian Becker a retired detective now working for London’s Bethlehem Hospital, a notorious insane asylum nicknamed Bedlam- thanks to its chaotic atmosphere.

The former detective now works for Lord Chancellor Lunacy Commission, and he is investigating the rich individuals to determine if they are competent enough to take care of their fortunes or if the Lord Chancellor needs to appoint an overseer for them. As the story opens up, Sebastian is requested to check up on Sir Owain, a rich industrialist who went on an expedition in Amazon forest that left everyone else in his team either dead or missing.

After his return, Owain tarnished his reputation by publishing an account of the expedition that puts the blames of his fellow travel mates on pre-historic monsters that attacked the group. This publication causes the public to ridicule Owain to the point that he leaves London and goes back to his country estate where Sebastian is sent to check on him.

As soon as Sebastian arrives to start investigations, two girls in the nearby village are killed on Owain’s land in the same fashion as the earlier death in Amazon. Owain becomes the main suspect, and it falls to Sebastian to assist the local police in determining the innocence or guilt as well as Owain’s sanity.

Did Sir Owain kill the two girls or did the pre-historic man-eating monster- monster of Arnmouth kill them? If Owain is the killer- could he have also murdered the Amazon expedition team and concocted this fantasy story as a cover-up?

Book Series In Order » Authors » Stephen Gallagher

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