Lock (The Road to Dracula) provides a comprehensive guide to Universal’s most acclaimed horror sequel. His book starts with a history of Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel and spans from the stage and early silent film adaptations to the iconic James Whale–directed film. Lock attributes the success of 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein to Universal getting Whale to helm the sequel and he, in turn, convincing Boris Karloff and Colin Clive to return as cast members, along with other memorable actors. That all took time, however, and delayed the film’s production. This book details how the film industry changed in the four years between films. For example, Bride features a rich film score, whereas its predecessor was filmed when there were concerns about music playing over dialogue. Bride was also shot under the oppressive Hays Code, which led to 15 minutes of cuts for seemingly arbitrary reasons. The lives of the cast and crew are also described in this title. VERDICT Entertaining and well-researched. Best for general readers.