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De Poppenmaker
New Orleans: stad van feesten en muziek, maar ook van geheimen en misdaad. Wanneer een vrouw een van die geheimen dreigt te onthullen, proberen duistere krachten haar tegen te houden. Zeven jaar geleden verdween Claire Ducetts dochtertje Ruby spoorloos, en nog steeds is ze verbeten naar haar op zoek. Op een dag ziet ze in een etalage iets wat haar hart doet overslaan: een pop die sprekend op Ruby lijkt. De winkel is gesloten, en wanneer ze later terugkeert, is de pop verdwenen... en de eigenares van de winkel vermoord. Als niemand wil geloven dat de pop echt bestaat en dat de maker ervan haar dochtertje gekend moet hebben, wendt ze zich in wanhoop tot haar ex-man Dave, een voormalig rechercheur. Dave verwijt zichzelf nog steeds dat Ruby ontvoerd is, en hoewel zijn gevecht tegen zijn demonen hen uit elkaar heeft gedreven, gaat hij samen met haar op zoek. Voordat ze de pop kunnen vinden, krijgen ze schokkend nieuws. Er is namelijk opnieuw een klein meisje verdwenen...
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2004
33 people are currently reading
937 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Stevens
261 books2,228 followersAmanda Stevens is the award-winning author of over fifty novels, including the modern gothic series, The Graveyard Queen. Her books have been described as eerie and atmospheric, “a new take on the classic ghost story.” Born and raised in the rural south, she now resides in Houston, Texas, where she enjoys binge-watching, bike riding and the occasional Horror Night with friends.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 119 reviews
May 17, 2020
Why are all dolls so damn creepy?
The plot. Claire Doucett's daughter, Ruby, vanished without a trace several years ago and her disappearance has haunted Claire ever since. When she spots a doll in a store window that's the spitting image of Ruby, right down to her birthmark, Claire becomes obsessed with finding the maker of the doll.
The characters. Despite me liking Claire well enough she was probably my least favorite character. I found myself liking Dave's overall character development a lot more and actually wanted more chapters from his POV. The scene stealer however was The Dollmaker. It's always fascinating to get a glimpse into the mind of such a twisted and downright insane person.
The writing. I ended up racing through this book once I started reading it again. I had forgotten how suspenseful it was. The action starts right from the very beginning of the book and doesn't let up until the end.
The negative. The ending of the book could have used a couple more chapters or even an epilogue because it felt very rushed. There was a lot going on in the final chapters and it felt like some important details were left out which resulted in some plot points feeling incomplete.
The special. I haven't read a Dutch book in what must have been several years now and it's only because of the online reading of Claire Highton-Stevenson's The Doll Maker that I remembered this being tucked away on one of my bookshelves.
The verdict. What a trip down memory lane this book was. Overall rating is a 3,75* Also maybe don't look too closely at that cover if dolls creep you out.
The plot. Claire Doucett's daughter, Ruby, vanished without a trace several years ago and her disappearance has haunted Claire ever since. When she spots a doll in a store window that's the spitting image of Ruby, right down to her birthmark, Claire becomes obsessed with finding the maker of the doll.
The characters. Despite me liking Claire well enough she was probably my least favorite character. I found myself liking Dave's overall character development a lot more and actually wanted more chapters from his POV. The scene stealer however was The Dollmaker. It's always fascinating to get a glimpse into the mind of such a twisted and downright insane person.
The writing. I ended up racing through this book once I started reading it again. I had forgotten how suspenseful it was. The action starts right from the very beginning of the book and doesn't let up until the end.
The negative. The ending of the book could have used a couple more chapters or even an epilogue because it felt very rushed. There was a lot going on in the final chapters and it felt like some important details were left out which resulted in some plot points feeling incomplete.
The special. I haven't read a Dutch book in what must have been several years now and it's only because of the online reading of Claire Highton-Stevenson's The Doll Maker that I remembered this being tucked away on one of my bookshelves.
The verdict. What a trip down memory lane this book was. Overall rating is a 3,75* Also maybe don't look too closely at that cover if dolls creep you out.
October 30, 2010
I picked this book up on a recommendation, and I wasn't dissapointed. For what is Amanda Stevens's debut novel, this book was incredibly fast paced & hardly ever dropped a beat. I really liked how she made even the villains into complex & (for some of them) even sometimes sympathetic characters.
My only complaint is that the ending felt incredibly rushed in comparison to the rest of the book's pace. There was a lot that was left out & there was more than one question that was left unanswered. There was one specific plot element that was all but screamed out loud, yet the author did nothing with it. It just seemed a little unrealistic for such a thing to be, yet for that particular character to do nothing with it. Other than that, the book was fantastic. The ending is such a minor flaw in comparison to the rest of the book that you really don't mind. This book has "future blockbuster movie" written all over it.
My only complaint is that the ending felt incredibly rushed in comparison to the rest of the book's pace. There was a lot that was left out & there was more than one question that was left unanswered. There was one specific plot element that was all but screamed out loud, yet the author did nothing with it. It just seemed a little unrealistic for such a thing to be, yet for that particular character to do nothing with it. Other than that, the book was fantastic. The ending is such a minor flaw in comparison to the rest of the book that you really don't mind. This book has "future blockbuster movie" written all over it.
September 18, 2013
THE DOLLMAKER. Yep, it was as creepy as the cover. This book came out a few years before The Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens, and I loved it. She knows how to create troubled and tragic characters who draw readers into their stories, and Dave and Claire – ugh, their story was heart-wrenching! Their daughter disappeared without a trace seven years earlier, their marriage fell apart, and Dave turned to alcohol. Then suddenly, Claire comes across a mysterious doll in a shop window that looks just like their missing daughter, down to the birthmark on her arm. Coincidence?
THE DOLLMAKER was an exciting and emotional novel of suspense, set in one of my favorite locations, New Orleans. It was interesting how the author talked about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on the city. There were many layers to this story, not only the doll, but also the reemergence of a cold case Dave had first investigated at the time of his daughter’s disappearance. There was also a diverse cast of notable secondary characters, some good, some bad, but which was which?
Final Thoughts: If you enjoy page-turning, creepy suspense with just the barest hint of romance, I’d highly recommend THE DOLLMAKER.
Rating: 4½ Stars
THE DOLLMAKER was an exciting and emotional novel of suspense, set in one of my favorite locations, New Orleans. It was interesting how the author talked about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on the city. There were many layers to this story, not only the doll, but also the reemergence of a cold case Dave had first investigated at the time of his daughter’s disappearance. There was also a diverse cast of notable secondary characters, some good, some bad, but which was which?
Final Thoughts: If you enjoy page-turning, creepy suspense with just the barest hint of romance, I’d highly recommend THE DOLLMAKER.
Rating: 4½ Stars
January 30, 2013
Big fan of this Author's Graveyard Queen series. This book was totally not my cup of tea. I had to force myself to finish it. I thought it was draggy, I didn't like any of the characters, it had dead little children and the most action happened in the last 10 pages then it just ended. With hardly any resolutions. Can't recommend this book but try the author's others.
March 6, 2008
4.5 out of 5 stars
ISBN-10: 0778324281 and ISBN-13: 978-0778324287
Publish date: March 1, 2007
Mass market paperback; 384 pages; $6.99
Fiction, Suspense
The Dollmaker is satisfyingly creepy.
The cover of The Dollmaker was what first drew me, its shadowy blue and green tones, and the doll’s face, particularly the eye. I found it mesmerizing and was drawn to it many times before I bought it. And when I did, I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a story about tragic loss―the abduction of a child and the resulting destruction of a marriage.
Claire Doucett’s life spins out of control from the moment she glimpses a doll that looks exactly like her missing daughter Ruby, right down to an identical birthmark on the doll’s arm. To complicate matters, no one believes her and the doll mysteriously disappears.
Then Claire’s ex-husband Dave, a former cop and alcoholic who is investigating the murder of a stripper, comes back to town. He’s looking for answers in the stripper’s death, but also searching for resolution in a cold case―one that has haunted him because it is linked to his daughter’s disappearance.
The plot lines are woven meticulously, connecting then separating, making for a very interesting read. The New Orleans setting is perfect (especially with the Katrina references and haunting visuals), the characters are compelling and flawed, and the pacing is dead on, until the end where I felt that the resolution was a bit rushed. Everything happened so fast, I lost a bit of the emotional connection, which is why I didn’t give this book 5 stars.
Regardless, Amanda Stevens has penned a spine-tingling story about love, loss, lies, guilt and family secrets. This is a great read for that cold winter night. I highly recommend it! And I’ll never look at a doll the same way again.
―Bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, http://www.cherylktardif.com
ISBN-10: 0778324281 and ISBN-13: 978-0778324287
Publish date: March 1, 2007
Mass market paperback; 384 pages; $6.99
Fiction, Suspense
The Dollmaker is satisfyingly creepy.
The cover of The Dollmaker was what first drew me, its shadowy blue and green tones, and the doll’s face, particularly the eye. I found it mesmerizing and was drawn to it many times before I bought it. And when I did, I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a story about tragic loss―the abduction of a child and the resulting destruction of a marriage.
Claire Doucett’s life spins out of control from the moment she glimpses a doll that looks exactly like her missing daughter Ruby, right down to an identical birthmark on the doll’s arm. To complicate matters, no one believes her and the doll mysteriously disappears.
Then Claire’s ex-husband Dave, a former cop and alcoholic who is investigating the murder of a stripper, comes back to town. He’s looking for answers in the stripper’s death, but also searching for resolution in a cold case―one that has haunted him because it is linked to his daughter’s disappearance.
The plot lines are woven meticulously, connecting then separating, making for a very interesting read. The New Orleans setting is perfect (especially with the Katrina references and haunting visuals), the characters are compelling and flawed, and the pacing is dead on, until the end where I felt that the resolution was a bit rushed. Everything happened so fast, I lost a bit of the emotional connection, which is why I didn’t give this book 5 stars.
Regardless, Amanda Stevens has penned a spine-tingling story about love, loss, lies, guilt and family secrets. This is a great read for that cold winter night. I highly recommend it! And I’ll never look at a doll the same way again.
―Bestselling author Cheryl Kaye Tardif, http://www.cherylktardif.com
September 20, 2019
Wow, really fantastic book! Loved the plot and the characters, and wow, the mysteries were so great to read! Such a great read!
July 13, 2017
Maybe dragged out a little too much for me to really like it for 4 stars but I did like the descriptions of New Orleans-I never been there so gave me a good picture in my mind! Loved that part!
September 9, 2022
En weer een goed en spannend boek van Amanda Stevens. Het is leuk om te lezen over de plekken waar het verhaal zich afspeelt. Ik ben 2x in New Orleans geweest en vond het een fascinerende stad met een mooie omgeving. Een paar keer speelt een scene zich af in het mooie Hotel Monteleone waar ik ooit in de jaren 90 heb gelogeerd. Schitterend hotel!
March 6, 2017
I'd never heard of this author before, so when I had some of her Graveyard Queen series picked for a challenge for me, I decided I'd sit down with one of her standalones first to see if I liked her writing style, but unfortunately, my hunch was correct, and I didn't care for her at all.
This book was extremely boring! The plot really dragged and felt like it was being drug out for length. I couldn't care about the characters and found Claire the heroine to be a whiny get. Yes, you had a kid abducted, but you had to be a heck of a lot stronger than this woman seemed! She came off as a delicate flower, rather than a mama that would stop at nothing to know what happened to her child! Dave gave off the self-absorbed a-hole vibe, rather that a hardened cop that would bust butt to discover why tragedy had struck his family.
The creepy factor was the only thing that saved this from me DNFing it or a 1 star rating. I rather enjoyed the serial killer angle and could see glimmers of what others really enjoy this author for in it. Sadly, it's not enough to save the author for me and I doubt I'll be reading her again.
This book was extremely boring! The plot really dragged and felt like it was being drug out for length. I couldn't care about the characters and found Claire the heroine to be a whiny get. Yes, you had a kid abducted, but you had to be a heck of a lot stronger than this woman seemed! She came off as a delicate flower, rather than a mama that would stop at nothing to know what happened to her child! Dave gave off the self-absorbed a-hole vibe, rather that a hardened cop that would bust butt to discover why tragedy had struck his family.
The creepy factor was the only thing that saved this from me DNFing it or a 1 star rating. I rather enjoyed the serial killer angle and could see glimmers of what others really enjoy this author for in it. Sadly, it's not enough to save the author for me and I doubt I'll be reading her again.
November 15, 2017
Felt a little bit long to me. Reminded me of The Uncanny Valley (Criminal Minds episode, which came out after the book). Personally, I enjoyed The Graveyard Queen series more. Enjoyed the descriptions though, easy to see it in my mind.
May 25, 2019
Loved the suspense and smooth flow of the book. Was glued to the book which was very well written. A very chilling mystery. The main characters are unforgettable.
November 26, 2012
This was a pretty interesting book. It took me a terribly long time to read, but that wasn't because it was boring, I just had a lot going on. (Fiance lost his job, then I found a job, holidays, birthdays, etc.) So at one point I was only reading 5-6 pages in a sitting. However when I got to the middle of the book (finally!!) things started to come together and I managed to finish the book quickly. So the book is about a little girl named Ruby who was abducted and the story is about how her parents are coping afterwards. Her father becomes a drunk and the parents split. The mother who is a glassblower, re marries but never found happiness after her daughter went missing.
Now, the Doll maker is a boy who was born an inter sexed baby and while the mother embraced, it the father called the child a fag. The child was a boy named Matthew but went by Maddy because he wanted to be a girl. His mother threw him a tea party on his 7th birthday and the father came home very angry and got rid of the mother and took the child to his aunts. The child, Matthew, had many surgeries to make himself flawless and he picked up doll making from his aunt. He creates a doll that looks like his alter ego did (Maddy) and he kidnaps little girls periodically to make dolls of them and then he kills them or somehow does away with them. He is trying to capture the innocence of little girls into the dolls that he creates, because he was not born a little girl like he wished. One day he spotted Ruby (Claire and Dave's daughter) and he kidnaps her because she bears a striking resemblance to his alter ego as a child. The doll he made to look like Maddy is stolen though and sold by some dirt bag at a doll shop, and that is where the story picks up.
Claire spots the doll in the shop and goes after it but is hit by a car, this delays her plans to go back to the doll shop and when she finally does, the doll is missing. That is because Matthew tracked down his doll, took it back, and killed the innocent shop owner. Claire finds the shop owners body days later and then weird things start to happen. A photo of her daughter is stolen from her home and she feels as though a door to the past has been opened. On the side, there is a story of Dave (who is now an ex cop) and how he coped with Ruby disappearing. Someone had taken advantage of his daughters kidnapping when he was in the middle of a high profile case. He destroyed evidence in the case when he gets called by Ruby's "kidnapper" which we later find out wasn't Matthew at all, but instead Claire's second husband, a cop as well, Alex. Dave's side story was good for his character as far as shaping Dave, but it didn't make much sense with the rest of the story. I liked Claire a lot. So in the end Dave and Claire reunite to find the missing doll and try to find out what happened to their daughter. Claire winds up going to the Doll Makers aunts house to speak to her and Matthew is dressed up as his aunt and tries to trick Claire because he has a warped perception that she is his "mama" (now mind you his father did away with his mother after the 7th birthday party years ago) the end came quick and a little messy but Dave busts into the doll maker (Matthew) and his aunts house and I guess he takes Matthew down. Claire wakes up in a hospital and the last line is "Dave?" and he says "I'm here, Claire."
So we never find out what happened to Ruby, I guess she was killed but it would have been nice to find out what he did to the little girls he abducted. Also, there was a little side story of Claire's sister Charlotte sleeping with Alex (Claire's 2nd husband that she is divorcing) and that bothered me because Claire never found out and I was hoping she would. There were some inconsistencies that bugged me but overall it was a thrilling story. I especially enjoyed the creep parts with Matthew in them, and I love that he got what he deserves (or at least what I presumed happened). I may look into this author again and see what other books she has, I picked this one up at a thrift store simply because I loved the cover and plot.
Now, the Doll maker is a boy who was born an inter sexed baby and while the mother embraced, it the father called the child a fag. The child was a boy named Matthew but went by Maddy because he wanted to be a girl. His mother threw him a tea party on his 7th birthday and the father came home very angry and got rid of the mother and took the child to his aunts. The child, Matthew, had many surgeries to make himself flawless and he picked up doll making from his aunt. He creates a doll that looks like his alter ego did (Maddy) and he kidnaps little girls periodically to make dolls of them and then he kills them or somehow does away with them. He is trying to capture the innocence of little girls into the dolls that he creates, because he was not born a little girl like he wished. One day he spotted Ruby (Claire and Dave's daughter) and he kidnaps her because she bears a striking resemblance to his alter ego as a child. The doll he made to look like Maddy is stolen though and sold by some dirt bag at a doll shop, and that is where the story picks up.
Claire spots the doll in the shop and goes after it but is hit by a car, this delays her plans to go back to the doll shop and when she finally does, the doll is missing. That is because Matthew tracked down his doll, took it back, and killed the innocent shop owner. Claire finds the shop owners body days later and then weird things start to happen. A photo of her daughter is stolen from her home and she feels as though a door to the past has been opened. On the side, there is a story of Dave (who is now an ex cop) and how he coped with Ruby disappearing. Someone had taken advantage of his daughters kidnapping when he was in the middle of a high profile case. He destroyed evidence in the case when he gets called by Ruby's "kidnapper" which we later find out wasn't Matthew at all, but instead Claire's second husband, a cop as well, Alex. Dave's side story was good for his character as far as shaping Dave, but it didn't make much sense with the rest of the story. I liked Claire a lot. So in the end Dave and Claire reunite to find the missing doll and try to find out what happened to their daughter. Claire winds up going to the Doll Makers aunts house to speak to her and Matthew is dressed up as his aunt and tries to trick Claire because he has a warped perception that she is his "mama" (now mind you his father did away with his mother after the 7th birthday party years ago) the end came quick and a little messy but Dave busts into the doll maker (Matthew) and his aunts house and I guess he takes Matthew down. Claire wakes up in a hospital and the last line is "Dave?" and he says "I'm here, Claire."
So we never find out what happened to Ruby, I guess she was killed but it would have been nice to find out what he did to the little girls he abducted. Also, there was a little side story of Claire's sister Charlotte sleeping with Alex (Claire's 2nd husband that she is divorcing) and that bothered me because Claire never found out and I was hoping she would. There were some inconsistencies that bugged me but overall it was a thrilling story. I especially enjoyed the creep parts with Matthew in them, and I love that he got what he deserves (or at least what I presumed happened). I may look into this author again and see what other books she has, I picked this one up at a thrift store simply because I loved the cover and plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2012
على قدر ما كانت مثيرة هذه الرواية لكنها لم تكن بذاك الغموض المعتاد عليه ... تناولت المؤلفة قضيتين الرئيسية منها تدور حول صانع الدمى الذي يختطف الصغيرات لصنع و خلق عرائس ذات طابع خاص .. ما يثير القارئ هي سيكولوجية المجرم دائما ما تدخلنا الكاتبة لخلفية شخصياتها و ما حدث لهم بطفولتهم دائما ما أرى نفسي "متعاطفة" نوعاً ما مع هذه الشخصيات .. عيب هذه الشخصية انها لم تكن نهايتها مؤثرة او حتى مقبولة .. نهاية باهتة جداً .. هذه ثاني رواية لأماندا تزعجني نهايتها .. و كأنها حكت الاحداث بخلاصة و انهت الموضوع دون تعمق دون اي إهتمام .. على الرغم ان الرواية كانت بإجزاء منها ذات عمق نفسي و شخصي .. تعجبني عندما تتحدث بعمق عن المدينة و سكانها .. المهم القضية الثانية كانت تتعلق برجال الشرطة و جرائم لقتل .. كمعالجة للقضية وجدتها منطقية و نهايتها حلوة
June 3, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Some of the content was a bit disturbing, and sad, having to do with missing children, etc. but it was well written and kept me interested to see how it would end. I did think the ending was a little abrupt and could have been drawn out more but all in all I enjoyed the book.
July 13, 2017
I loved this book. Good read.
I like to read other reviews and I thought it helpful to leave one. I like this author and think others will like her too.
I like to read other reviews and I thought it helpful to leave one. I like this author and think others will like her too.
March 8, 2016
Spannend en vlot lezend boek!
March 10, 2025
The author really hated the heroine.
The author had the heroine's husband cheating on her the day her daughter was kidnapped and murdered. They didn't find her body, you only find out about how she died at the very end. The OW rang the h anonymously to tell the h that her husband was having sex with her when her daughter was kidnapped.
She divorced him, good on her.
The OW had been having sex with the H/husband close to 7 years. Now she has a new boyfriend he is some big moneyed DA. She feeds the H/husband with bits of information to get him to investigate a girls death, because she wants the police involved with her death to be caught. She knows all the details but she doesn't want to put it out there as it is a boys club and she doesn't want them thinking she is involved. The h married again after divorcing the H/husband this new husband is high up with the police, he covered up the murder.The OW wants them all put in jail as then she can increase her chances of getting a higher position in the police force. Everything is for and about her. She didn't care the the h had just lost her child and was going through hell, she wanted the H/husband. Now not so much he lost his job became a drunk, and she has a chance to marry the DA who is very rich. But she is using the H/husband to do her dirty work.
So the author not only has the h's daughter kidnapped and murdered, she has her husband cheat on her the same day with the OW, and the husband still in sexual contact with OW until the OW begins a relationship with her new boyfriend. But the OW is playing him to get what she wants, and he just follows.
Not only is the new husband found out to be rotten the h's sister has been having an affair with the new husband since they were seperated, not sure but I think it started when they were seperated.
I have read a few books where I thought that the author didn't really like the h at all, but this one takes the cake. And what gets me is that the OW knew the H/1st husband was married she knew that her daughter had been kidnapped and she didn't care she wanted the H/husband for herself. Now the husband has done her dirty work for her, she walks away with doing the h serious damage to both of her relationships and she walks away with a monied boyfriend and a great promotion. She gets everything she ever wanted. whilst the h has her daughter kidnapped and murdered and has both her husbands cheat on her. The h's sister who was cheating with her 2nd husband gets away with it to. Yeah she gets hurt at the end, but really. Why so much hate towards the heroine???? Why the OW gets everything??? Made me sick that the author did this that I have never picked up a book by her again. If you can't trust an author to do right by the h, then you just can't trust her.
The author had the heroine's husband cheating on her the day her daughter was kidnapped and murdered. They didn't find her body, you only find out about how she died at the very end. The OW rang the h anonymously to tell the h that her husband was having sex with her when her daughter was kidnapped.
She divorced him, good on her.
The OW had been having sex with the H/husband close to 7 years. Now she has a new boyfriend he is some big moneyed DA. She feeds the H/husband with bits of information to get him to investigate a girls death, because she wants the police involved with her death to be caught. She knows all the details but she doesn't want to put it out there as it is a boys club and she doesn't want them thinking she is involved. The h married again after divorcing the H/husband this new husband is high up with the police, he covered up the murder.The OW wants them all put in jail as then she can increase her chances of getting a higher position in the police force. Everything is for and about her. She didn't care the the h had just lost her child and was going through hell, she wanted the H/husband. Now not so much he lost his job became a drunk, and she has a chance to marry the DA who is very rich. But she is using the H/husband to do her dirty work.
So the author not only has the h's daughter kidnapped and murdered, she has her husband cheat on her the same day with the OW, and the husband still in sexual contact with OW until the OW begins a relationship with her new boyfriend. But the OW is playing him to get what she wants, and he just follows.
Not only is the new husband found out to be rotten the h's sister has been having an affair with the new husband since they were seperated, not sure but I think it started when they were seperated.
I have read a few books where I thought that the author didn't really like the h at all, but this one takes the cake. And what gets me is that the OW knew the H/1st husband was married she knew that her daughter had been kidnapped and she didn't care she wanted the H/husband for herself. Now the husband has done her dirty work for her, she walks away with doing the h serious damage to both of her relationships and she walks away with a monied boyfriend and a great promotion. She gets everything she ever wanted. whilst the h has her daughter kidnapped and murdered and has both her husbands cheat on her. The h's sister who was cheating with her 2nd husband gets away with it to. Yeah she gets hurt at the end, but really. Why so much hate towards the heroine???? Why the OW gets everything??? Made me sick that the author did this that I have never picked up a book by her again. If you can't trust an author to do right by the h, then you just can't trust her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2019
I had tried starting this book a couple different times over the years, and never really got very far. This year, it was selected for my "Books to Read" list for the year. So...I tried it again. I did finish the book this time, but I was not enthusiastic about it. It had multiple points-of-view, and sometimes it was narrated by the sister of the main female character, and I don't really understand why. I can understand switching between the mother and father of the missing girl, but I don't get why there needed to be other narrators thrown in there. I feel like there was a lot of story line that didn't necessarily need to be there, it was just extraneous information that had no real bearing to the actual story. The characters were alright, there was enough development to have a feel for them, and there were redeeming qualities in them. But I wasn't really rooting for anyone, or really invested in them finding their daughter (or who took her). The ending needed about another 15-20 pages to tie everything together. I was thoroughly underwhelmed when I got to the last page, and still had questions about plot lines that didn't really have an end.
All in all, I'd say skip this book. It didn't grip me like a mystery should, and I didn't really care who did it, why, or what happened to their daughter. I really pretty much just went through the motions reading this, I wasn't really interested or invested in it.
All in all, I'd say skip this book. It didn't grip me like a mystery should, and I didn't really care who did it, why, or what happened to their daughter. I really pretty much just went through the motions reading this, I wasn't really interested or invested in it.
skimmed
August 19, 2023Skimmed. Terrible, very abrupt ending that completely ruined the book. I was like....is there a sequel? So many things left unresolved, including the main relationship between the heroine and her ex-husband.
The ex-husband / hero, was having sex with OW at the time his daughter went missing. His cheating is unforgivable in my opinion -- not only the timing of course, but he said at the time he still loved his wife, the heroine, and that they didn't have any problems. The OW was just a 'poison in his veins' and he'd been obsessing over her and flirting with her for months. OW was a coworker. He said he really doesn't know why he cheated, yet the heroine still forgave him.
How could the heroine ever trust him again if he can cheat at any time and just can't help but be seduced by a beautiful woman? It's not like he was drunk, having trouble in their marriage, having personal issues, etc etc. Nope. He just was spellbound by this OW all on his own.
The ex-husband / hero, was having sex with OW at the time his daughter went missing. His cheating is unforgivable in my opinion -- not only the timing of course, but he said at the time he still loved his wife, the heroine, and that they didn't have any problems. The OW was just a 'poison in his veins' and he'd been obsessing over her and flirting with her for months. OW was a coworker. He said he really doesn't know why he cheated, yet the heroine still forgave him.
How could the heroine ever trust him again if he can cheat at any time and just can't help but be seduced by a beautiful woman? It's not like he was drunk, having trouble in their marriage, having personal issues, etc etc. Nope. He just was spellbound by this OW all on his own.
April 19, 2021
☽ 45 / 100 ☾
okay look. i was extremely disappointed by this, and that says something since i didn't think it was going to be like a new favourite, but rather something like the usual in the middle enjoyable enough but not fantastic mystery/thriller book. i liked it well enough at first, quite a long way in to be honest, but the ending was wayyyyy too short and rushed for my taste. it didn't feel like an ending at all.
also, it doesn't really sit right with me to use an intersex character in the way that this book did. while i can somehow see the appeal of it, the way it was used in this book (especially considering the extremely quick ending) wasn't really my favourite thing. please send me a message if i've got the wrong idea though!!
okay look. i was extremely disappointed by this, and that says something since i didn't think it was going to be like a new favourite, but rather something like the usual in the middle enjoyable enough but not fantastic mystery/thriller book. i liked it well enough at first, quite a long way in to be honest, but the ending was wayyyyy too short and rushed for my taste. it didn't feel like an ending at all.
also, it doesn't really sit right with me to use an intersex character in the way that this book did. while i can somehow see the appeal of it, the way it was used in this book (especially considering the extremely quick ending) wasn't really my favourite thing. please send me a message if i've got the wrong idea though!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2023
Started out really well had a bit of a lull in the middle and then came home strongly. The sisters relationship with the ex husband is a bit of a red herring and an annoyance which interrupts the story and am still unsure if the sisters are related to the killer and if his mother is dead or incarcerated so could do with a bit of polishing. I gather from the ending with the first husband in the hospital room their is likely to be a sequel but would have liked the story to round off in a more satisfactory manner. Strong premise but not quite executed as well as I hoped.
March 2, 2021
Like the bookcover, this one is creepy
I purchased this audiobook because of a favored narrator of mine. I found it when I searched for “narrator Christian Rummel.” His performance was excellent. This is complex and I had to go back several times. Listen intently. Author Amanda Stevens pens a sad, intricate and dark tale; I did figure out the tragic ending early on; interesting if others do as well.
I purchased this audiobook because of a favored narrator of mine. I found it when I searched for “narrator Christian Rummel.” His performance was excellent. This is complex and I had to go back several times. Listen intently. Author Amanda Stevens pens a sad, intricate and dark tale; I did figure out the tragic ending early on; interesting if others do as well.
August 4, 2017
I believe that this is her first book or at least earlier than the "Graveyard Queen" series and it certainly wasn't as good. It is a stand alone book, so there wasn't the chance for the to be developed as well as they are in the Graveyard Queen books. It also had a not so surprising ending. It does, however, give you a chance to see how the author improves with each subsequent book.
July 5, 2017
Great book
I don't like dolls so was surprised I bought this book but so glad I did. The book was based around Doug and Claire daughter who was kidnapped 7 years earlier. Claire sees a doll that looks exactly like her daughter. This author could be my favorite new author!!
I don't like dolls so was surprised I bought this book but so glad I did. The book was based around Doug and Claire daughter who was kidnapped 7 years earlier. Claire sees a doll that looks exactly like her daughter. This author could be my favorite new author!!
October 16, 2017
This book was ok. The story line was decent. I hated the ending and i felt there were to many unnecessary characters. Almost two different story lines going on that did not really relate to each other. So 3 stars at the most.
July 29, 2018
The Dollmaker kept your interest and brought one surprise after another. It was about one mothers grief for losing her child and even after seven years and two marriages still looked for her daughter. Was surprised by the ending.
February 11, 2018
Good read!
October 2, 2018
It didn’t live up to how creepy I thought it would be... but it passed an airplane ride. 🤷🏻♀️
July 1, 2019
WOW! I normally can predict a story a few chapters in but The Doll maker caught me completely by surprise! Awesome characters, brilliantly creepy! Another great read.
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