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Dr. Kate Pearson #2
The Doll's House
Winner of the Irish Crime Fiction Book of the Year Award Thirty-five years ago Adrian Hamilton drowned. At the time his death was deemed a tragic accident but the exact circumstances remain a mystery. His daughter Clodagh now visits a hypnotherapist in an attempt to come to terms with her past, and her father's death. As disturbing childhood memories are unleashed, memories of another tragedy begin to come to light.
Meanwhile criminal psychologist Dr Kate Pearson is called to assist in a murder investigation after a body is found in a Dublin canal. And when Kate digs beneath the surface of the killing, she discovers a sinister connection to the Hamilton family. Time is running out for Clodagh and Kate.
And the killer has already chosen his next victim . . .
Meanwhile criminal psychologist Dr Kate Pearson is called to assist in a murder investigation after a body is found in a Dublin canal. And when Kate digs beneath the surface of the killing, she discovers a sinister connection to the Hamilton family. Time is running out for Clodagh and Kate.
And the killer has already chosen his next victim . . .
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
97 people are currently reading
1993 people want to read
About the author
Louise Phillips
7 books227 followersWINNER OF BEST IRISH CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR.
LONGLISTED CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY AWARD.
WINNER IRISH LITERARY AWARD, JACK HARTE AWARD & THE JONATHON SWIFT AWARD
LOUISE PHILLIPS is a bestselling author of seven crime novels, five of which were shortlisted for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year. Her second novel, THE DOLL’S HOUSE, won the award. She has been longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award in the UK. Her fifth novel, ‘THE HIDING GAME' was optioned and developed by a major U.S. film company, and her latest novel ‘NINA' will be published in the US & Canada by Union Square & Co in November 2025. She is currently working on her eight novel.
LONGLISTED CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY AWARD.
WINNER IRISH LITERARY AWARD, JACK HARTE AWARD & THE JONATHON SWIFT AWARD
LOUISE PHILLIPS is a bestselling author of seven crime novels, five of which were shortlisted for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year. Her second novel, THE DOLL’S HOUSE, won the award. She has been longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award in the UK. Her fifth novel, ‘THE HIDING GAME' was optioned and developed by a major U.S. film company, and her latest novel ‘NINA' will be published in the US & Canada by Union Square & Co in November 2025. She is currently working on her eight novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
December 13, 2016
The Doll’s House, the 2nd book in Louise Phillips's Dr Kate Pearson Series, sees the return of criminal psychologist/profiler Dr Kate Pearson and Detective Inspector O’Connor.
From the very first page.......... "feet sinking into the sand, seaweed between my toes. In my arms I hold a doll, with curly blonde hair and sea-blue eyes." you are hooked.
Set in Dublin and its surroundings, Kate and O'Connor are both dealing with their own personal issues, and are now working together in a new case. A well-known local TV personality's body is floating in one of the city's canals and soon after, another body, with links to the first one, is also murdered and left floating in another city canal.....
An intriguing and suspenseful plot, that digs into the depths of human nature, lies, secrets, with sub-plots that slowly build up to an explosive conclusion. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next....bam...another twist and turn.......and not even one or two that I had expected.
A refreshingly different crime story, that's well-written, well-developed and human characters.
I am really looking forward to the next book, Last Kiss.
Highly recommended.
From the very first page.......... "feet sinking into the sand, seaweed between my toes. In my arms I hold a doll, with curly blonde hair and sea-blue eyes." you are hooked.
Set in Dublin and its surroundings, Kate and O'Connor are both dealing with their own personal issues, and are now working together in a new case. A well-known local TV personality's body is floating in one of the city's canals and soon after, another body, with links to the first one, is also murdered and left floating in another city canal.....
Once again, the story is told from multiple POV'S of Kate Pearson, Clodagh McKay and the twisted and psychotic mind of the killer.
An intriguing and suspenseful plot, that digs into the depths of human nature, lies, secrets, with sub-plots that slowly build up to an explosive conclusion. Just when I thought I knew what would happen next....bam...another twist and turn.......and not even one or two that I had expected.
A refreshingly different crime story, that's well-written, well-developed and human characters.
I am really looking forward to the next book, Last Kiss.
Highly recommended.
October 6, 2017
Two men have been repeatedly stabbed and thrown in the canal. Dr. Kate Pearson is called in to help police investigate. One was a very rich man, one was a vagrant. What's their connection?
Adrian Hamilton drowned 35 years ago. Accident or suicide? His daughter Clogagh has holes in her memory. She's always felt that her mother hated her and her older brother always kept secrets from her.
Clodaugh is now visiting a hypnotherapist to help her regain the bits of memory she has forgotten. Disturbing childhood memories float to the surface and another tragedy is revealed.
Someone is watching Clodagh. The more she remembers, the closer she gets to becoming the latest victim.
This is a well-written mystery. Lots of emotions from the characters keep the suspense on the upper side of edgy. Fright, fearfulness, panic, agitation bounce around like ping pong balls. The story ricochets from 35 years ago and it is mainly Clodagh's voice we hear as a child.
Then we see and hear today's grown-up Clodagh trying to put the pieces together while Dr. Pearson and O'Connor, the investigating officer desperately hunt a serial killer before he takes another victim.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unsolicited, unbiased, and entirely my own.
Adrian Hamilton drowned 35 years ago. Accident or suicide? His daughter Clogagh has holes in her memory. She's always felt that her mother hated her and her older brother always kept secrets from her.
Clodaugh is now visiting a hypnotherapist to help her regain the bits of memory she has forgotten. Disturbing childhood memories float to the surface and another tragedy is revealed.
Someone is watching Clodagh. The more she remembers, the closer she gets to becoming the latest victim.
This is a well-written mystery. Lots of emotions from the characters keep the suspense on the upper side of edgy. Fright, fearfulness, panic, agitation bounce around like ping pong balls. The story ricochets from 35 years ago and it is mainly Clodagh's voice we hear as a child.
Then we see and hear today's grown-up Clodagh trying to put the pieces together while Dr. Pearson and O'Connor, the investigating officer desperately hunt a serial killer before he takes another victim.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unsolicited, unbiased, and entirely my own.
September 24, 2013
Despite Louise Phillips’ first book Red Ribbons receiving some acclaim and having been shortlisted for the Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year, I must admit that she is a new author to me. Always keen to discover new Irish crime fiction, I have once again joined the party late having read The Doll’s House- the second in her series featuring criminal psychologist Kate Pearson and DI O’Connor, aiming to unravel the implications of a decades old suspicious death in relation to the investigation of a current one…
I would say from the outset that if you enjoy the psychological thrillers of writers in the same vein as Sophie Hannah, Erin Kelly, et al that this novel sits very comfortably within this genre. With an exceptionally strong female protagonist pit against the introspective and grizzled detective, Phillips brings their professional and personal relationship to the fore with both characters being the lynchpin to the central plot. It is so important for a writer to construct credible characters that you genuinely feel engaged with, to counterbalance the demands of the plot, and this balance is difficult to achieve with sometimes one of the two falling into the shadows. However, Phillips achieves this with aplomb, and I felt totally at home with both Pearson and O’Connor from the beginning and enjoyed the interesting dynamics at play in their relationship and the events of Pearson’s personal life that unfold throughout the book as a wife and mother. Likewise, the surrounding cast tainted by the murder investigation proved an engaging study in the exploration of family and the ties of loyalty, with the character of Clodagh- a woman seeking to uncover the truth of her past through regression-being a particularly effective protagonist in the central storyline.
As Phillips skilfully intertwines the timelines of a thirty-odd year suspicious death with the very contemporary murder investigation, the actions moves swiftly and seamlessly between the two, and explores how past events get suppressed in the memory of the characters so enmeshed in the current murder case. This for me was the most satisfying aspect of the book as the exploration of the human psyche and the suppression of memories by the consciousness loom large within the plot. We see how criminal psychologist Kate Pearson delves into the psychological impulses of a killer attempting to unravel the sinister events perpetuating themselves in a tangled web of deceit and murder. Likewise, the notion of the psychological repression of memory being explored through the story of Clodagh, adds another interesting dimension to the whole affair. Apparently an overheard conversation about mental hypnosis, sowed the seed for Phillips’ exploration of the subject initially, and she has even attempted regression herself to see how hypnosis can return you to a state of pure memory, but how the subconscious tries to bar the way to realising this. Hence, the enjoyment of this novel to me was not only in the traditional remit of crime fiction to follow the investigation of a murder, but to bring to my attention a new facet, in this case the world of the subconscious, that enriched the reading experience overall. I will definitely be seeking out Phillips’ first novel Red Ribbons on the strength of this one, and am delighted to have discovered a new and highly readable author.
I would say from the outset that if you enjoy the psychological thrillers of writers in the same vein as Sophie Hannah, Erin Kelly, et al that this novel sits very comfortably within this genre. With an exceptionally strong female protagonist pit against the introspective and grizzled detective, Phillips brings their professional and personal relationship to the fore with both characters being the lynchpin to the central plot. It is so important for a writer to construct credible characters that you genuinely feel engaged with, to counterbalance the demands of the plot, and this balance is difficult to achieve with sometimes one of the two falling into the shadows. However, Phillips achieves this with aplomb, and I felt totally at home with both Pearson and O’Connor from the beginning and enjoyed the interesting dynamics at play in their relationship and the events of Pearson’s personal life that unfold throughout the book as a wife and mother. Likewise, the surrounding cast tainted by the murder investigation proved an engaging study in the exploration of family and the ties of loyalty, with the character of Clodagh- a woman seeking to uncover the truth of her past through regression-being a particularly effective protagonist in the central storyline.
As Phillips skilfully intertwines the timelines of a thirty-odd year suspicious death with the very contemporary murder investigation, the actions moves swiftly and seamlessly between the two, and explores how past events get suppressed in the memory of the characters so enmeshed in the current murder case. This for me was the most satisfying aspect of the book as the exploration of the human psyche and the suppression of memories by the consciousness loom large within the plot. We see how criminal psychologist Kate Pearson delves into the psychological impulses of a killer attempting to unravel the sinister events perpetuating themselves in a tangled web of deceit and murder. Likewise, the notion of the psychological repression of memory being explored through the story of Clodagh, adds another interesting dimension to the whole affair. Apparently an overheard conversation about mental hypnosis, sowed the seed for Phillips’ exploration of the subject initially, and she has even attempted regression herself to see how hypnosis can return you to a state of pure memory, but how the subconscious tries to bar the way to realising this. Hence, the enjoyment of this novel to me was not only in the traditional remit of crime fiction to follow the investigation of a murder, but to bring to my attention a new facet, in this case the world of the subconscious, that enriched the reading experience overall. I will definitely be seeking out Phillips’ first novel Red Ribbons on the strength of this one, and am delighted to have discovered a new and highly readable author.
December 4, 2013
I bought this book today and have not been able to put it down since! I need to know what happens. I have liked Phillips writing since I first came across her blog, and boy am I glad I did.
October 20, 2013
Louise Phillips n demonstrates her ability to weave a cracking good tale in the second book in the series. Following on from Red Ribbons we catch up with Kate Pearson, who is a criminal psychologist who again called in to work with Detective Inspector O'Connor.
Set in Ireland this tale, like her debut, is told from multiple viewpoints of Kate Pearson, Clodagh McKay and the shadowy figure of the murderer himself. Personally I found Clodagh's story by far the most interesting and engaging of the book. Clodagh is the mother of a teenage daughter, has a marriage which has all that dissolved and a drink problem and crucially is the owner of the Doll's House.
The story begins with the murder of the presenter of a TV show which allows members of the public to air their dirty laundry in exchange for five minutes of fame on daytime TV and it is presumed that he will have made a few enemies along the way. Within pages another body is added to the pile....
One of the aspects of this book which I enjoyed the most was the uncovering of memories. Clodagh visits a hypnotist to try and remember key events in her childhood while Kate, as if she wasn't busy enough, is trying to help an anorexic girl in her practice who suffers from memory gaps. This added another dimension to the puzzle of the motive and perpetrator of the murders as I willed Clodagh to remember what had really happened all those years before. Themes of memories and the effects childhood trauma run throughout the book as Clodagh fights to find out what is being kept from her along with the reasons for the truth being withheld.
In conclusion an absorbing read although I found it a little off-putting that Clodagh appeared to believe that the dolls knew the answers despite realising that this was the device used to uncover those shadowy events of childhood.
Set in Ireland this tale, like her debut, is told from multiple viewpoints of Kate Pearson, Clodagh McKay and the shadowy figure of the murderer himself. Personally I found Clodagh's story by far the most interesting and engaging of the book. Clodagh is the mother of a teenage daughter, has a marriage which has all that dissolved and a drink problem and crucially is the owner of the Doll's House.
The story begins with the murder of the presenter of a TV show which allows members of the public to air their dirty laundry in exchange for five minutes of fame on daytime TV and it is presumed that he will have made a few enemies along the way. Within pages another body is added to the pile....
One of the aspects of this book which I enjoyed the most was the uncovering of memories. Clodagh visits a hypnotist to try and remember key events in her childhood while Kate, as if she wasn't busy enough, is trying to help an anorexic girl in her practice who suffers from memory gaps. This added another dimension to the puzzle of the motive and perpetrator of the murders as I willed Clodagh to remember what had really happened all those years before. Themes of memories and the effects childhood trauma run throughout the book as Clodagh fights to find out what is being kept from her along with the reasons for the truth being withheld.
In conclusion an absorbing read although I found it a little off-putting that Clodagh appeared to believe that the dolls knew the answers despite realising that this was the device used to uncover those shadowy events of childhood.
October 22, 2013
A fairly standard but well-crafted mystery/thriller. While I sometimes felt that the constraints of the genre led to some clunky writing, Louise Phillips does suspense remarkably well. Not only was I reluctant to put the book down - and occasionally found myself trying to read quicker than my brain could process, haha - but so many moments were subtly disturbing in the most delightful way. I read this book first because it deals with memory and hypnotic regression, but as soon as I have the time, I want to read Red Ribbons, as well.
March 3, 2018
Looooooong tooooo looooong. Good story but way too much switching back and forth, way too many needless details. I also found the mention of lab and other unimportant people by name confusing rather than just saying the title of the person. Had the killer figured out half way thru and was almost right why he was killing. There is absolutely no one in this book that does not need antidepressants!
March 15, 2017
While I enjoyed the storyline very much, the characters repeating each other's names every time they spoke, was very annoying. I do hope that the rest of the series doesn't have this problem.
July 19, 2013
The second novel from Phillips is every bit as good as her debut, Red Ribbons, this time with much more of a slant towards a psychological thriller which if you're a fan of Sophie Hannah or SJ Watson you will devour.
D.I. O’Connor and criminal psychologist, Dr Kate Pearson are back together again, when within days of each other and with no apparent links, the bodies of two victims are discovered in a Dublin canal. The chase is on before the killer strikes again.
We are introduced to a host of characters who, beneath their shiny facades, have less than idyllic lives, but without doubt, it was Clodagh Hamilton who, for me, stole the show. Like Hamilton, we question the motives of those close to her as she struggles in her quest to make sense of her few shattered memories. Her tentative hold on reality and her race to find out what really happened ensures the reader keeps turning the pages, ever faster and faster, until the shocking truth unfolds.
The pace of The Doll’s House builds up slowly and skilfully to a mind-blowing crescendo. It feeds the reader with ample plots and sub-plots so that just when you think you know where it’s going, there’s another twist or turn.
I’m not going to spoil your enjoyment by telling you more, apart from sharing the fact that while reading the final pages of The Doll’s House I reached my bus stop. My heart was hammering, the tension almost palpable; I remained at the bus stop and pretended I was waiting for another bus so that I could read to the end! Only then could I return to the real world. I’m already looking forward to the next journey . . .
D.I. O’Connor and criminal psychologist, Dr Kate Pearson are back together again, when within days of each other and with no apparent links, the bodies of two victims are discovered in a Dublin canal. The chase is on before the killer strikes again.
We are introduced to a host of characters who, beneath their shiny facades, have less than idyllic lives, but without doubt, it was Clodagh Hamilton who, for me, stole the show. Like Hamilton, we question the motives of those close to her as she struggles in her quest to make sense of her few shattered memories. Her tentative hold on reality and her race to find out what really happened ensures the reader keeps turning the pages, ever faster and faster, until the shocking truth unfolds.
The pace of The Doll’s House builds up slowly and skilfully to a mind-blowing crescendo. It feeds the reader with ample plots and sub-plots so that just when you think you know where it’s going, there’s another twist or turn.
I’m not going to spoil your enjoyment by telling you more, apart from sharing the fact that while reading the final pages of The Doll’s House I reached my bus stop. My heart was hammering, the tension almost palpable; I remained at the bus stop and pretended I was waiting for another bus so that I could read to the end! Only then could I return to the real world. I’m already looking forward to the next journey . . .
September 29, 2013
A powerful read with some arresting characters. Phillips use of multiple points of view keeps the story reeling along at a cracking pace. Love the way she integrates the past and present using regression and missing memories. Off to buy a copy of her first book, Red Ribbons...
December 28, 2013
I was given this as a present and really got into it. A great choice for the daily commute, takes your head miles away!
October 31, 2017
In this second book forensic psychologist, Dr Kate Pearson, is again called upon to assist the police with a high profile case. A TV personality has been drowned in one of Dublin's canals. There are contradictory elements to the crime that have Kate intrigued. Soon, another body is fished out of the canal, this time a homeless man. What is going on?
Meanwhile Clodagh McKay is apparently having a breakdown and decides to try regression hypnosis to recover some missing childhood memories. She thinks they will be the key to resolving her creeping unease.
Kate and DCI O'Connor soon discover that the two drowned men knew each other many years ago. When they dig deeper they find links to Clodagh's family. And so the past and the present inexorably start to collide. The closer Clodagh gets to her repressed memories the more danger she is in.
This was a lovely, tautly plotted mystery that draws you in and doesn't let go until the final page. It doesn't rely on shock value, just good old fashioned good writing. The characters are superbly drawn and we are starting to really get to know and like Dr Kate Pearson. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Meanwhile Clodagh McKay is apparently having a breakdown and decides to try regression hypnosis to recover some missing childhood memories. She thinks they will be the key to resolving her creeping unease.
Kate and DCI O'Connor soon discover that the two drowned men knew each other many years ago. When they dig deeper they find links to Clodagh's family. And so the past and the present inexorably start to collide. The closer Clodagh gets to her repressed memories the more danger she is in.
This was a lovely, tautly plotted mystery that draws you in and doesn't let go until the final page. It doesn't rely on shock value, just good old fashioned good writing. The characters are superbly drawn and we are starting to really get to know and like Dr Kate Pearson. I'm looking forward to the next book.
August 31, 2013
A killer of a thriller
The Doll’s House by Louise Phillips
The last twenty pages of The Doll’s House by Louise Phillips are a killer. The conflict between longing to prolong this excellent novel, and the desperation of finding out what was to happen and why, is agonising. The characters became a part of my life for days and I know that I will carry their stories around with me for a long time to come.
In the opening line, Phillips prepares us for the strangeness of an ordinary life which is to become extraordinary. Our introduction to Clodagh brings the reader up close and personal with her. We admire her and want to admonish her in the same breath but the overall feeling is a wish to protect her. The first meeting with the murderer immediately brings us into his mixed up head. Phillips words are sparse and effective. Nothing is wasted.
Making the spine tingling journey through The Doll’s House with criminal psychologist Dr. Kate Pearson and DI O’Connor, brought me back to their explosive contribution to this author’s first book Red Ribbons.
I said that Phillip’s debut novel was thrilling; promising a long line of bestselling crime writing ahead. I didn’t lie. This delivers.
The Doll’s House by Louise Phillips
The last twenty pages of The Doll’s House by Louise Phillips are a killer. The conflict between longing to prolong this excellent novel, and the desperation of finding out what was to happen and why, is agonising. The characters became a part of my life for days and I know that I will carry their stories around with me for a long time to come.
In the opening line, Phillips prepares us for the strangeness of an ordinary life which is to become extraordinary. Our introduction to Clodagh brings the reader up close and personal with her. We admire her and want to admonish her in the same breath but the overall feeling is a wish to protect her. The first meeting with the murderer immediately brings us into his mixed up head. Phillips words are sparse and effective. Nothing is wasted.
Making the spine tingling journey through The Doll’s House with criminal psychologist Dr. Kate Pearson and DI O’Connor, brought me back to their explosive contribution to this author’s first book Red Ribbons.
I said that Phillip’s debut novel was thrilling; promising a long line of bestselling crime writing ahead. I didn’t lie. This delivers.
March 7, 2016
I really loved this book. The protagonist, Dr. Kate Pearson, is a strong, intelligent woman who works as a criminal profiler with the police. She's also dealing with her own personal issues, including her estrangement from her husband.
This book has a complex and compelling plot. In it, what looks to be a serial killer is on a killing spree. His choice of victims and the method of killing them makes the case difficult to solve.
I had my own theories about who-dunnit, and the ending still came as a bit of shocker.
On top that, the book explores the continuing growth in the relationship between Kate and her child, Charlie, as well as the one between herself and O'Connor, the homicide detective she works with in this series.
This highly suspenseful book kept me reading late at night. I highly recommend it.
This book has a complex and compelling plot. In it, what looks to be a serial killer is on a killing spree. His choice of victims and the method of killing them makes the case difficult to solve.
I had my own theories about who-dunnit, and the ending still came as a bit of shocker.
On top that, the book explores the continuing growth in the relationship between Kate and her child, Charlie, as well as the one between herself and O'Connor, the homicide detective she works with in this series.
This highly suspenseful book kept me reading late at night. I highly recommend it.
July 6, 2015
I have received my copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
When I started this book I was genuinely curious, as this is not my usual genre to read. But I have to say I really enjoyed it! It was interesting and had me hooked all the way almost till the end. Unfortunately I could tell who the villain is when I was approximately at page 300, but despite this it was still mysterious and made me doubt myself a few times.
My favorite parts were Clodagh's regressions. Thew were always interesting and unnoticeably realistic.
So, overall it was a great read, although a little predictable.
When I started this book I was genuinely curious, as this is not my usual genre to read. But I have to say I really enjoyed it! It was interesting and had me hooked all the way almost till the end. Unfortunately I could tell who the villain is when I was approximately at page 300, but despite this it was still mysterious and made me doubt myself a few times.
My favorite parts were Clodagh's regressions. Thew were always interesting and unnoticeably realistic.
So, overall it was a great read, although a little predictable.
October 11, 2013
This is one of those books that I couldn't write a review of straight away.
I had to take some time to process the resolution of the story come back from the 'edge of the seat' mentality that Louise Phillips had compelled me to.
I felt like I'd watched a marathon session of Criminal Minds and The Fall.
Can't wait for the next one!
I had to take some time to process the resolution of the story come back from the 'edge of the seat' mentality that Louise Phillips had compelled me to.
I felt like I'd watched a marathon session of Criminal Minds and The Fall.
Can't wait for the next one!
November 22, 2014
This is Phillips second book and it has been sitting on my shelf for a few months now - I see her third book has come out fairly recently. This one continues to follow Dr. Kate Pearson, a psychologist working with the police in Dublin to solve some murders. As with the first book it is a good solid thriller. I like the characters and it is well paced. definitely worth a read.
July 25, 2015
This is the second novel by this Irish author and she is a force to be reckoned with in international crime writing.....
Read my full review below:
http://bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie...
Read my full review below:
http://bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie...
November 11, 2014
After reading Red Ribbons, I couldn't wait to read this book and it didn't disappoint!
This book just kept me guessing from the very first page until the very end. It really kept me interested. Absolutely unputdownable. Can't recommend it enough!
This book just kept me guessing from the very first page until the very end. It really kept me interested. Absolutely unputdownable. Can't recommend it enough!
August 16, 2013
This is a startling crime thriller at its sinister best. Great use of character development and I loved the psychologist. It's a dark story with a gripping bunch of characters. Most enjoyable.
September 11, 2014
A great easy-to-read Irish crime thriller, the second in the Kate Pearson series by Louise Phillips. Looking forward to reading Last Kiss!
April 8, 2014
A great read that bowls along at breakneck speed. Can't wait for Louise's next novel.
June 7, 2014
Absolutely brilliant and the plot and pacing was excellent! Would have given it 5 stars, but the excessive use of names really bothered me, so 4 stars it is.
February 14, 2015
great read. The story flowed. Everything coming together in the end
April 8, 2015
Louise's second novel is as good as her debut, Red Ribbons. A psychological thriller one can not put down and it ends with a twist. another brilliant read
September 2, 2015
Louise Phillips definitely knows how to surprise. I don’t know where does she gets her ideas for the books but I hope there’re enough of them for hundredth and thousandth books more.=)
August 10, 2015
very good book
February 27, 2017
A great read really got me into crime fiction
August 26, 2019
DNF could just not get into this book at all
August 21, 2013
THE DOLL’S HOUSE
LOUISE PHILLIPS
HACHETTE BOOKS 405 pages
I read a lot of thrillers and crime novels. This one is a pleasure. It’s the second novel by Louise Phillips and will, I think, establish her firmly as a significant player among Irish crime writers. Last year her debut novel, Red Ribbons, was shortlisted for the Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year. The Doll’s House, in my view, is much better and should certainly feature again.
The setting again is Dublin. The Doll’s House reintroduces us to criminal psychologist and profiler Dr Kate Pearson and Garda Detective Inspector O’Connor. Kate is married but it’s a marriage with “issues” with an absent husband , while the unattached O’ Connor continues to drink heavily to combat some inner demons. Their “will they – won’t they” pavane continues but takes a surprising twist en marge of the hunt for a double killer.
Cue the plot and characters. A T.V. personality is murdered, the body found in Dublin’s Grand Canal near Leeson Street Bridge. The victim – an Irish Jeremy-Kyle-style presenter – is soon revealed to have his own seamy side. He was stabbed , then drowned in the canal. Several days later another victim is found in the same canal several bridges away. Both are approximately the same age, but the second was a homeless man. Copycat killer or the work of the same man? Gradually the story unfolds and links emerge to another mysterious death by drowning three decades earlier.
Much of the novel is narrated in the first person by Clodagh, daughter of the drowning victim, a woman seeking to come to terms with a past which puzzles and haunts her. Another portion is narrated from the point of view of the killer, who explains his mission, but not the reasons for it.
The other main characters include Clodagh’s husband, Martin, a singularly unpleasant creature, and Clodagh’s brother, Dominic, seemingly overprotective of his sister. Throw in a nasty low-life acquaintance and a strange, shadowy and manipulative businessman/politician and the scene is set for an interesting and intriguing novel, with Kate and O’Connor striving to find the killer before he strikes again. The past must be revisited for the clues vital to a solution.
The past IS revisited throughout in a series of fascinating and riveting episodes in which Clodagh consults a hypnotherapist and is led back, step by step, to the events surrounding her father’s death and that of her baby sister all those years ago. These passages are easily the most impressive in the book, though the sub-plot, of the evolving relationship between Kate and O’Connor, is also handled skilfully, with the reader being in little doubt that the next book will carry the saga forward. As the secrets of the past are revealed, the book builds toward its breathless climax.
To say any more might spoil the enjoyment of readers. But one final comment. The characters around which the plot develops are, with the exception of a low life chancer, middleclass and relatively affluent by Irish standards – a large house on the front in Sandymount , another on the Estuary in Malahide, denote money. Indeed one of the other characters in the novel remarks bitterly “ Not everyone grows up with a view of the sea, do they?” And, for all their money, these comfortable lives are dogged and eventually ruined by tragic events of the past. There are echoes here of the world explored by Ross MacDonald. Louise is finding her voice, and it’s a good one.
LOUISE PHILLIPS
HACHETTE BOOKS 405 pages
I read a lot of thrillers and crime novels. This one is a pleasure. It’s the second novel by Louise Phillips and will, I think, establish her firmly as a significant player among Irish crime writers. Last year her debut novel, Red Ribbons, was shortlisted for the Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year. The Doll’s House, in my view, is much better and should certainly feature again.
The setting again is Dublin. The Doll’s House reintroduces us to criminal psychologist and profiler Dr Kate Pearson and Garda Detective Inspector O’Connor. Kate is married but it’s a marriage with “issues” with an absent husband , while the unattached O’ Connor continues to drink heavily to combat some inner demons. Their “will they – won’t they” pavane continues but takes a surprising twist en marge of the hunt for a double killer.
Cue the plot and characters. A T.V. personality is murdered, the body found in Dublin’s Grand Canal near Leeson Street Bridge. The victim – an Irish Jeremy-Kyle-style presenter – is soon revealed to have his own seamy side. He was stabbed , then drowned in the canal. Several days later another victim is found in the same canal several bridges away. Both are approximately the same age, but the second was a homeless man. Copycat killer or the work of the same man? Gradually the story unfolds and links emerge to another mysterious death by drowning three decades earlier.
Much of the novel is narrated in the first person by Clodagh, daughter of the drowning victim, a woman seeking to come to terms with a past which puzzles and haunts her. Another portion is narrated from the point of view of the killer, who explains his mission, but not the reasons for it.
The other main characters include Clodagh’s husband, Martin, a singularly unpleasant creature, and Clodagh’s brother, Dominic, seemingly overprotective of his sister. Throw in a nasty low-life acquaintance and a strange, shadowy and manipulative businessman/politician and the scene is set for an interesting and intriguing novel, with Kate and O’Connor striving to find the killer before he strikes again. The past must be revisited for the clues vital to a solution.
The past IS revisited throughout in a series of fascinating and riveting episodes in which Clodagh consults a hypnotherapist and is led back, step by step, to the events surrounding her father’s death and that of her baby sister all those years ago. These passages are easily the most impressive in the book, though the sub-plot, of the evolving relationship between Kate and O’Connor, is also handled skilfully, with the reader being in little doubt that the next book will carry the saga forward. As the secrets of the past are revealed, the book builds toward its breathless climax.
To say any more might spoil the enjoyment of readers. But one final comment. The characters around which the plot develops are, with the exception of a low life chancer, middleclass and relatively affluent by Irish standards – a large house on the front in Sandymount , another on the Estuary in Malahide, denote money. Indeed one of the other characters in the novel remarks bitterly “ Not everyone grows up with a view of the sea, do they?” And, for all their money, these comfortable lives are dogged and eventually ruined by tragic events of the past. There are echoes here of the world explored by Ross MacDonald. Louise is finding her voice, and it’s a good one.
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