Rose Madder Art
Works / Novels

Rose Madder

Rose Madder Art

Released

June 1995

Available Format(s)

Hardcover / Paperback / Audio

Publisher

Viking Press

Rosie Daniels flees from her husband, Norman after fourteen years in an abusive marriage. During one bout of violence, Norman caused Rosie to miscarry their only child. Escaping to a distant city, Rosie establishes a new life and forges new relationships. Norman Daniels, a police officer with a reputation for cruelty, uses his law-enforcement connections to track his wayward wife. 

From the Flap

Roused by a single drop of blood on the bedsheet, Rosie Daniels wakes from fourteen years of a nightmare marriage and suddenly takes flight. She uses her husband's ATM card to buy a bus ticket, determined to lose herself in a place where Norman won't find her. She'll worry about all the rest later.

Alone in a strange city, she begins to make a new life, and good things start to happen. Meeting Bill Steiner is one; and finding a junk-shop painting is another. It may be bad art but it's perfect for her new apartment-and somehow, it seems to want her as much as she wants it.

Still, it's hard for Rosie not to keep looking over her shoulder, and with good reason. Her husband is a cop, with the instincts of a predator. He's very good at finding people. The fact that he's losing his mind might even be an advantage.

Rose-maddened and on the rampage, Norman Daniels becomes a force of relentless terror and savageness, a man almost mythic in his monstrosity. For Rosie to survive, for her to have a chance in her brave new world, she must enter her own myth--a world that lies beyond the surface of a work of art-and become a woman she never knew she could be: Rose Madder.

Characters

Hide List Show List
Name
Description
Amazing Urban Jewboy
Norman Daniels' name for Peter Slowik
Dorcas
The woman who helped Rose in the picture
Erinyes
The blind bull that guards the temple
Radamanthus
Pony in the picture
Thumper
Norman Daniels name for Peter Slowik
Uncle Bill
Man who molested Ramon Sanders as a child
Uncle Carlo
Man who molested Ramon Sanders as a child
?, Andrea
Child on the slides at the Daughters and Sisters picnic
?, Chris
Ticket seller at the Daughters and Sisters picnic
?, Dale
Person in Samuel Lowe's barber shop
?, Fred
Spoken about by 2 women at the Daughters and Sisters picnic
?, Norma
Aunt of a kid on the bus when Rose left Norman
?, Paul
Child on the slides at the Daughters and Sisters picnic
Babcock, Lee
One of the police officers that Norman Daniels kills
Bell, Christina
Writer whose novels Rose read
Bender, Richie
Robbed a Payless store. Sold drugs
Bissington, Harley
Norman Daniels' partner
Briscoe, John
Neighbor of Rose Daniels who was shot by Norman
Bruster, ?
Police officer who busted Ramon Sanders on a drug charge
Chastain, Misery
Character out of a Paul Sheldon novel.
Coras, Ann
Avon Lady
Daniels, Caroline
The name that Rose gave to her baby
Daniels, Norman
Wife beating psychotic cop. Husband of Rose
Daniels, Rose Diana
Married name of Rose McClendon. Wife of Norman
Daniels, Roy
Father or Norman
Day, Susan
woman's activist
Delaney, Marilyn
Fictional woman who nursed Hump Peterson back to health
Delgado, Consuelo
Worked at Daughters and Sisters
Demers, Alvin
One of the police officers that Norman Daniels kills
Diamond, Mrs.
Clerk at Store 24
Dodd, Alvin
Name Norman Daniels uses to register at the Whitestone Hotel
Flyte, Angela
Best friend of Rose when she was at college, and also the name that Rose used to buy the ticket on the bus
Foster, Roy
Police friend of Norman Daniels
Franklin, Randi
At the Daughters and Sisters picnic
Goodis, David
Wrote "Dark Passage"
Gustafson, John
Partner of Lt Hale
Hale, Lieutenant
Police officer who was investigating Norman Daniels attacks at the Daughters and Sisters picnic
Hamilton, Curtis
Recording Engineer at the Tape Engine
Hardaway, Captain
Gave Norman Daniels time off work
Haverford, Pam
Worked at the Whitestone Hotel with Rose.
Huggins, Melanie
Woman at the Daughters and Sisters picnic. Mother of Stanley
Huggins, Stanley
Young boy at Daughters and Sisters picnic. Son of Melanie
Kelly, Al
Police Artist
Kinshaw, Gertrude (Gert)
Big woman who worked at the Daughters and Sisters
Kline, Lana
Psychiatric worker who helped out at the Daughters and Sisters
Lefferts, Rob
Offered Rose a job when he met her
Leffingwell, ?
Police officer who busted Ramon Sanders on a drug charge
Lowe, Samuel
Barber who shaved Norman Daniels' head
Madder, Rose
The name of the picture version of Rose. Also a color
McClendon, Craig
Father of Rose
McClendon, Rose
Maiden name of Rose Daniels
Morelli, Lieutenant
Worked with Norman Daniels
O'Brian, Father
Told Norman Daniels that pets have no souls
O'Hara, Browyn
Girlfriend of Bill Steiner
Parry, ?
Character in "Dark Passage"
Peterson, ?
Character in book "Kill All My Tomorrows"
Peterson, Jeannie
Fictional sister of Hump Peterson
Peterson, Richard (Hump)
Name that Norman Daniels used
Pratt, Mrs.
Mentioned in passing
Robbins, Oliver
Sold Rose the ticket for the Continental Bus ride
Sanders, Ramon
Found with Norman Daniels ATM card. Drug dealer and thief
Satterwaite, Gordon
First detective partner of Norman Daniels
Sheldon, Paul
Writer
Simons, Rhoda
Rose's director at the Tape Engine
Slater, Whitey
Worked with Norman Daniels
Slowik, Hal
Brother of Peter
Slowik, Peter
Ex-husband of Anna Stevenson, worked at the traveler's aid point and directed Rose to the Daughters and Sisters.
Smith, Cynthia
Helped by Daughters and Sisters
Smith, Mr.
Father of Cynthia. Methodist minister
Sparks, Cathy
At the Daughters and Sisters picnic
St. George, Alma
Character in book "Kill All My Tomorrows"
St. James, Robin
Helped by the Daughters and Sisters
Steiner, Abe
Father of Bill
Steiner, Bill
Worked at Liberty City Loan & Pawn
Steiner, Pamela Gertrude
Daughter of Rose and Bill
Steiner, Rose
Rose McClendon's second married name
Stevenson, Anna
Owner of Daughters and Sisters.
Stevenson, Jessica
Mother of Anna.
Stevenson, Leo
Father of Anna.
Verecker, Dawn
Gave cashier lessons to women at Daughters and Sisters
Williams, Sergeant
In the detective Division
Yarrow, Wendy
Made trouble for Norman Daniels.
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