She wrote three novels: Shiver, Cleave and Love Song, before the 2003 publication of The Bride Stripped Bare, which became an international bestseller. Although published anonymously, Gemmell was soon identified as the author. Gemmell's searching narratives have led the French to compare her to hail her as a "female Jack Kerouac"; critics in the United States have hailed her as one of the few truly original literary voices to emerge in a long time. The influential Francophone literary journal Lire included her in a list of the 50 international writers it believes will have "a significant influence on the literature of the 21st century". The writers - selected by a group of editors - were chosen for their "originality of subject", "individual voice" and "unmistakeable style".