Bury Me With Barbie

by m.m. radford

Caresse Redd is 37. She is divorced. She is a mom. She is tired. She is also in love with vintage Barbie dolls. In fact, in the course of answering personal ads and going on dates so she can write a story about her experiences for the newspaper she works at, she comes to the conclusion no man can stack up to her beloved hobby of Barbie collecting. What she doesn’t know is that the scoop of a lifetime looms on the horizon. A woman bent on revenge against adversaries on the Best Barbie Board—for slights including being accused of having a vintage doll gown with a repro rose and removing freckles from a Midge doll with nail polish remover—is prowling her way across the country from Oswego to Walnut Creek, taking not only the lives of those who have tormented her but their doll collections as well. It’s up to Caresse to help detectives connect the dots and figure out who the killer is before more lives are taken, but can she do it?

Genres: Mystery

270 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2014

About the author

Formerly using the pseudonym Wyborn Senna, m.m. radford is finally ready to use her real name. You can contact her at tempus85deck@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I downloaded Bury Me With Barbie to my Kindle, I was intrigued. Like most girls, I had Barbies growing up. What I didn’t know is that there’s such a thing as Barbie collectors. People who make it their mission in life to collect rare Barbies. It was an intriguing plot for a novel – that a fellow Barbie collector ends up killing other Barbie collectors in her bid to have the best Barbie collection, but I didn’t feel like Wyborn Senna pulled it off.

Honestly? I found the novel boring. All the descriptions of all the Barbies soon tired me out. There were just so many, with different outfits and accessories and it just got too much. A Barbie is a Barbie, surely? Who knows? Evidently a Barbie isn’t just a Barbie otherwise PJ has no reason for her crimes. The crimes themselves were interesting – and fairly clever, actually; but, again, it never felt like it was a novel that knew what genre it wanted to be. Was it a crime novel? Chick Lit? I have no idea.

This one wasn’t really the novel for me, which was a shame. It sounded intriguing, and some of the kills were intriguing, and I did enjoy Caresse Redd. But the OTT Barbie descriptions were boring, and I’m still not sure what that ending was. It just STOPPED. I hate that. If you don’t have the guts to follow through on your ending, I end up losing a massive amount of respect, because I don’t want a cliff-hanger. A cliff-hanger is for a book that has a sequel. I want to know definitively what happened, cut and dried. There were two implied endings, but I wanted ONE. I hate indecisive endings.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A killer targets people that collect Barbie dolls.

I found this book hugely enjoyable. The main character’s motivation seemed plausible to me and her interaction with other people and sense of resentment rang true to me. The underlying story was good and the crime sections had a good pace.

My rating is 4 stars (rather than 5) because in a few places the story drifted away from the “crime thriller” story to more of a “romance / family drama” – but this is very much a personal opinion.

If you enjoy odd / off the wall murder mysteries, then this book is definitely worth a look.

[Sheena Macleod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book I have read by Wyborn Senna. Although this is not my top favourite, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The specific Barbie details seem to be a bit like Marmite — you either love them or you don’t. I loved them. The dark humour had me turning the pages to find out what was happening next. PJ is a narcissistic, ruthless and selfish character who goes out and takes what she wants, regardless of who gets hurt- or killed in the process. For me, PJ far outshone the MC, Caresse Redd, a divorced, tired mum working for Barbie International newspaper.
I liked the interactions on the Best Barbie Board—for me, they felt authentic. A strong message within the story is how easy it is for people to track you down from innocent, but personal, details posted on social media. Scary, but true.
This was a fun read which held my interest throughout. I was disappointed when it ended and hope there is a follow up in the pipeline. I did feel that on occasions PJ could have just taken the Barbie dolls without resorting to murder, but she also had revenge on her mind, for slights made on the Best Barbie Board. The methods she used to murder her victims were different from the norm and well thought out.
A great read.

[Annabelle Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my best friends is obsessed with collecting Barbies from eBay, so I was really excited to see this book address the topic. It did not disappoint. It's clear Senna did her research as there is a wealth of Barbie information here. It's a really fun book. I love the way the obsession with these dolls was described so perfectly, and it was a really fast-paced and fun read with a bunch of satisfying twists at the end. The only bad thing is now I'm a little scared of my friend who collects Barbies!

[Daryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're like me and enjoy wicked mysteries with a bent twist, you'll love Bury Me With Barbie. It's a quick-paced romp through Barbie love gone bad.

The insanity starts with the very first sentence: "Most Barbie doll collectors have been known to say, "I would kill to have that," but P.J. Croesus meant it literally." After that it's off to the races, and by races, I mean murders. Once crazed collector P.J. goes off the deed end, no one in Barbie Land is safe.

The narrative mostly pivots between murderous P.J. and Caresse Redd, a reporter and "resident weirdo" because she too collects Barbies. As P.J. slashes, bombs and shoots her way to possessing yet more and more Barbies, Caresse slowly discovers the truth, though the danger is closer than she realizes.

I almost didn't choose this book. Although I'd played with Barbies as a girl, I wasn't all that crazy about her. Sure, I had a bubble-cut blonde who rocked her clothes, but, if anything, I preferred Midge, with her freckles, sassy flipped hair, and googly eyes. Yet when I finished, I realized I had liked my Barbies a lot more than I remembered. Even more surprising, I still do--since finishing Bury Me With Barbie, I've found myself searching for images of Midge, who is just as cute as I remembered. Looking at her, I recall the girl I used to be, and maybe that's part of the allure of collecting.


My point is, you don't a have to be a full-fledged Barbie person to enjoy this book. Bury Me With Barbie is a sly feast of murder, craziness, and Barbie dolls.

[Ann Pratley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I expected this story to be like, given its title, but wowza, was this one exciting ride. I absolutely loved it. For me, the strength was in the well written crime aspect of the story. Reading both sides of murders that happened - from the viewpoints of both the murderer and their numerous victims - meant of course that this wasn't a whodunnit story. That however did not deflect from the power of the read. The author provided movement through the story at a great pace. It was easy for me to be drawn in, and eager to continue reading it until I reached the last page.

One thing I will stress is that I personally have never been a Barbie lover, however in saying that, I was still greatly impressed by all the fine details provided about the dolls and their accessories that have been released throughout their history. In this, the author detailed confidently and in a way that even I - someone without any knowledge or interest for this particular collectable (apologies to any Barbie fans out there!) - found it all quite intriguing. It is a great tale of humanity, in both the aspect of compulsion to collect, and compulsion to prevent others having what we want.

Overall, this was an exciting crime story that I would gladly pass on to anyone to read, even a teenager. Easy five stars from me.

[Suzanne Paschke · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a concept I think this book is fantastic. It is bright, clever, fast paced and insightful into a world I knew nothing about.

But I got left feeling like I found out waaay too much about Barbies. Yes, I know that the book is about Barbie dolls, but isn't it supposed to be more about the murders and the thrill of the chase rather than the minutiae of the Barbie world? Because that's where this book, at times, lost me along the way - during those descriptions and conversations about Barbie that felt long, drawn out and drilled down to the smallest of details.

Having said that I will admit I wasn't a child who particularly played with Barbies, nor as an adult am I a collector of anything in particular (other than books!) so I ultimately may not have quite been the right target audience for this book. For someone that loves Barbies I think they will absolutely love this book.

For me, I wanted more about the crimes, more about the chase of Caresse after PJ. What I was given of this as a reader was fantastic, but I just wanted more.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Really, but I'm biased and in a fabulous mood!

Little know fact about me...I collect Barbies. There. I said it. I don't collect the vintage ones, but the modern Barbie may or may not take up a room upstairs in my house.

A much more less obscure fact about me...I LOVE murder mysteries. (This should not suprise anyone who looks at my books on goodreads, lol) I may or may not spend my Friday nights glued to Dateline.

So a murder mystery combining my two loves! YES PLEASE!!!!

In all honesty, the killer is smart, skilled and ruthless with no remorse. I like that in a character. The pacing of the book was good and the only thing lacking (IMO) was the main character. Caresse Redd is a boring hum-drum 2-D character. I couldn't describe her right now if I had to. Scenes with her are just bland. Boring. Uneventful. Which is tragic, because the killer and her victiums are so vivid and unique. I think you could remove Caresse Redd and it would be a much better book.

Its a solid read. Even if Barbie and mysteries aren't you cup of tea.

[Sara Claridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure which disturbed me more, that the author knew so much about vintage Barbies or that she has such creative ways to kill people off. Either way, Bury Me With Barbie is entertaining read with plenty of twists.

You’d think a serial killer for Barbie dolls would be unhinged enough but this is a story of what tips her over the edge and the fabulous Caresse who solves it, while holding up her day job on the local newspaper, going on a series of dates to write an article for valentine’s day and freelancing for Barbie International on the side.

Bury Me With Barbie was a page turner from the beginning, with just the right amount of humour to keep it light. I’m hoping that another murder happens soon in the Barbie world so we get to see some more of Caresse.

[Robin Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author knows her Barbies

Very fun read even if you don't know your Barbies. I loved the psycho elements and the insanity side of collecting. The macabre humor was amusing even when blood was spilled, and spilled it was.

I adored my Barbies when I was growing up and can relate to the obsession of these little marketed megahits, but the dark side of obsession in grown women made for a very clever premise. Though I fear those who are obsessed with the buxom blonde may see it more as a how to manual. :0)

The ending was a sly surprise, or was it really the end?

Lesson learned: never mess with a woman who knows her Barbies.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG this book. Talk about a guilty pleasure. It's about a Barbie collector who is also a serial killer. In various horrific ways, she murders other collectors who have annoyed her on a Barbie forum and steals the best of their collections for herself.

The author knows Barbie, and I enjoyed all the little details about the vintage dolls. She also knows the online doll collecting community. The murders are outlandish but still made me cringe.

Recommended for those who love Barbie and offbeat mysteries and who understand obsession.

[Kauphy Normand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining comedy-thriller with so much fun Barbie information. Incredibly detailed - can certainly tell a serious doll collector wrote this. Kept me engaged with little twists here and there, including the big reveal. Quite funny as well, hilarious! I would definitely watch a movie version of this.

[Nikki Norell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining

[Paul Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m taking my childhood back,” says P. J., the kill-crazy antagonist of Wyborn Senna’s Bury Me With Barbie. “I get to redo it my way, and nobody can stop me.”
I spent a fortune reacquiring the EC horror comics of my youth that my parents made me burn when I became a teenager because they thought I was too old to still read comic books, so I can easily identify with the doll collectors depicted in this fact-filled novel about all things Barbie. My girlfriend is also an avid doll collector, and I see the same madness in her eyes when she finds a new American Girl or Kids ’n’ Katz for sale as the compulsive madness in the eyes of many of the characters in Bury Me With Barbie. I imagine I get the same kind of madness in my own eyes when I find a novel by a favorite author that I haven’t yet read, or a new book on the history of comics.
I bought Bury Me With Barbie because I am a completist. I try to acquire every book published in my favorite genres, just as I have reacquired every issue of the original EC horror titles. I bought Senna’s new novel because it was about a demented serial killer with compulsions, the kind of tale I sometimes write myself. I didn’t expect I’d actually enjoy reading the story.
Bury Me With Barbie isn’t great literature. Many of the characters are the same kind of stereotypical two-dimensional caricatures found in contemporary romances or 1930s pulp fiction. But B. J. is nasty enough and Caresse is nice enough to make readers care what happens to them, and the plot moves along from murder to murder like clockwork. Wyborn Senna ties up loose ends nicely, and dialogue is natural-sounding. I couldn’t stop reading because I wanted to know what would happen next. That’s my definition of a good read.
The bonus is an abundance of factual Barbie history (everything you ever wanted to know about Barbie but never bothered to ask), plus valid cautions about the dangers of putting so much personal information online or in the media that you become easy prey for predators. P. J. selects victims from members of the Best Barbie Bulletin Board or collectors interviewed for the monthly Barbie International magazine. B. J. is actually the publisher of Barbie International, and Caresse is the freelancer who interviews collectors and photographs collections for B. J.’s magazine. The ending came a little too abruptly and left enough questions in my mind to expect a sequel. What about Darby, P. J.’s half-brother? What will happen to P. J.? And will Caresse ever find her true love? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review.

OK, first my rant which may or may not be accurate, then my actual review. I noticed that this book was published by Full Fathom Five. For those of you who don't know about them it is a publishing firm started by James Frey (yes, THE James Frey of the A Million Little Pieces debacle). New York Magazine did a scathing article about the firm, how it works and how it treats its writers. So, there that is. Plus, in this book I feel fairly certain that FFF was involved in actual product promotion with Applebee's and possibly Mattel. I do not want paid product placement in my novels. Period. It makes me feel all dirty.

I was a Barbie girl - loved them, played with them for years and finally put them away when I was afraid that my friends might see that I still played with them, and there lay my interest in this title. Overall this was a fun little piece of fluff that will likely interest Barbie collectors - I've never read a novel where I so much wanted photos, not of the fairly insipid, stupidly-named-on-purpose characters (maybe they ALL deserved to die. Or I just didn't care), but of the dolls. This is a bit of a thriller where you know all about the killer from the beginning and there's a half-hearted attempt to jam a psychological motive in toward the end, but really it's a long recitation on the various "vintage" (pre-1972 for collectors) Barbies, their outfits and accessories, and I have to admit that I would have PORED over any photographs of the glorious Barbies described, especially the small differences.

Overall, I guess I enjoyed it in spite of myself, and if there are really a hundred thousand Barbie collectors out there, then this book should sell about that many copies. And I'm guessing the writer got paid a flat $5000 or something.

[Lucille Beauregard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world of fanatical Barbie collectors is the setting for a suspenseful and hilarious thriller, filled with both suspense and with commentary on the backbiting and self-absorption of any specialized niche or interest group. It is rare to find a book that so seamlessly combines dark humor with a genuinely absorbing mystery, but “Bury Me With Barbie” manages to do just that to create a genuinely fun read.

It may be hard for outsiders to understand the impetus to literally kill for Barbie dolls, but anyone who has ever been a collector of anything will recognize many of the characters here. For one maligned member of an online Barbie enthusiast community, the obsession crosses a line, and a Barbie Doll serial killer is born. The killer wants revenge against those who questioned her authenticity, and not only lives are at stake: the maniac takes entire doll collections too.

Fellow collector Caresse Redd is writing a story on the world of avid Barbie fans when she stumbles into the murders and becomes the key to bringing the murderer to justice. She has enough knowledge to help the police find the killer, and the suspense here comes from whether the killer will be caught in time. Written with many details only a true collector would know, but also with the dry wit of someone who has enough perspective to see the ridiculous aspects of super collectors, this is a book that will keep you laughing at the same time as you’re on the edge of your seat following the mystery.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I wanted to say that I got a free copy of this book from Story Cartel for an unbiased review. I must admit, I found the basic plot of the story intriguing, but it's execution left a lot to be desired. I loved Barbie dolls as a child so I was looking forward to that tie in. However, the book is eaten up with unnecessary minutiae. I don't need to know every tinny tiny detail of every outfit, accessory, and doll she is stealing. Nor do I need unnecessary dialogue that covers already previously revealed information or that has nothing to do with the advancement of the story.I felt like I was trying to swim upstream against a torrent of words that had nothing to do with the story. It was particularly annoying to be told what music was playing, what band, & the general gist of the lyrics. Really? How does that move the story along? If all of the extraneous fluff had been taken out, a little proof reading for obvious grammatical and spelling errors added, it would have been a very enjoyable read. As it was, I simply finished it because I'm stubborn. Also, one last word to the author; unless you are writing for a college text book it really isn't necessary to find the most "erudite" word available; a simple one will quite often do. It is very disruptive to have to stop and check the meaning of a word just because someone has to show how much smarter they are than anyone else.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an enthusiastic but not very knowledgeable Barbie collector, this is a fun read. Although not exactly a “who dunnit” for the reader, but rather a case of “how soon will they catch the killer.” Create a plot mixing Barbie mania with a psycho, throw in a dab of bitchiness between collectors and you have the makings of murder.
The author is obviously very, very knowledgeable about the Barbie line and her companion dolls and accessories. I never had any idea there were so many variations in Barbie and the range of accessories is mind boggling.
My daughters grew up with Barbie, but she was a play toy, not an item of collectability. My Barbies are for display only at least until one falls into the hands of one of my grandsons. Do you have any idea how fast a preschool age boy can turn a mint in box, never opened, never handled Barbie into a bedraggled dog chew toy? You cannot measure the time with a standard stop watch, it is too fast.
If you want a great beach read and are a Barbie fan, you will definitely enjoy this book. Thank you to Good Reads. I received this book as a free copy from Good Reads.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a very difficult time getting into this book. While the descriptions of the barbies and their accessories were accurate, they were done in extremely excruciating detail, down to the smallest nick on the doll to the slightest discoloration of the smallest spot on the dress to a missing,or somehow otherwise minor mangled accessory. These descriptions went on for pages, one or two for each doll. The killer though was very creative and came up with a different method of murder for each victim, or set of victims in the case of spouses. Somewhere near the middle of the book, the descriptions became more bearable, as it seemed the killer was more rapidly losing her mind. The ending was a surprise , but fitting.

[Amanda Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun and fast-paced read. You can really tell that Wyborn Senna knows her barbies! I lost count of how often I was turning to google to see what the heck kind of barbie she was talking about. The plot isn't so much of a whodunnit since we know who it is right from the beginning. It's more of a "how the heck is this psycho going to get caught?" Although it was filled with murder and more than a couple people who were slightly off their rockers, I found myself chuckling through the whole thing because it feels very lighthearted. Some of the character names are a bit out there (Nibbles?) but it added to the fun. The ending felt a little abrupt, but it was still a great read. Definitely worth the time if you are looking for something a little different.

[Teresa Kander · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.**

I loved this book! The author obviously researched the world of Barbie and Barbie collectors, to be able to give such intricate details. I looked some of the outfits up with which I was unfamiliar, and they are described just as they were in the book.

The mystery was a great one....even though we had some details about the killer from page one, her actual identity came as a complete surprise when it was revealed. Her fate was total karma, in my opinion.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely fun and unique story

This dark comedy brings to light the crazy world of Barbie doll collectors. When it comes to the obsessed, no one can compare to collectors. Along the lines of the Pokemon theme of “gotta have them all”, these doll collectors are hard-core. I found myself cracking up out loud at P.J.’s antics and enjoying this story more than I thought I would. My grandmother collected porcelain dolls and I used to be fascinated by them. Now I wonder if she ever ran into anyone like the characters in this book! Glad I found this novel, it was fun to read. For full disclosure I got this book for free from Story Cartel in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stacked with murder and mayhem

This is one twisted read! Loads of dark fun, crazy characters, and a surprisingly good story line! A lot more dolly details than I needed but a true Barbie aficionado will love it. It does have quite few F bombs but they're strategically placed so you can skip easily. I actually enjoyed this!