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The Dollhouse Murders
Dolls can't move by themselves. . . . Or can they?
Special anniversary edition of the hair-raising mystery that's kept readers up at night for thirty-five years. Foreword by Goosebumps creator R.L. STINE and new glow-in-the-dark jacket.
Amy is terrified. She hears scratching and scurrying noises coming from the dollhouse in the attic, and the dolls she was playing with are not where she left them. Dolls can't move by themselves, she tells herself. But every night when Amy goes up to check on the dollhouse, it's filled with an eerie light and the dolls have moved again! Are the dolls trying to tell her something? Could this all be connected to the murders of her great-grandparents?
Sinister secrets unravel as Amy gets closer to revealing the mystery of the dolls in this haunting novel that combines complicated family relationships with a bone-chilling mystery. Readers will want to keep the lights on after finishing!
Special anniversary edition of the hair-raising mystery that's kept readers up at night for thirty-five years. Foreword by Goosebumps creator R.L. STINE and new glow-in-the-dark jacket.
Amy is terrified. She hears scratching and scurrying noises coming from the dollhouse in the attic, and the dolls she was playing with are not where she left them. Dolls can't move by themselves, she tells herself. But every night when Amy goes up to check on the dollhouse, it's filled with an eerie light and the dolls have moved again! Are the dolls trying to tell her something? Could this all be connected to the murders of her great-grandparents?
Sinister secrets unravel as Amy gets closer to revealing the mystery of the dolls in this haunting novel that combines complicated family relationships with a bone-chilling mystery. Readers will want to keep the lights on after finishing!
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1983
230 people are currently reading
5317 people want to read
About the author
Betty Ren Wright
96 books293 followersBetty Ren Wright was an award-winning author of children's fiction including The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,059 reviews
August 27, 2011
Ah, 1987 was a good year. A little Johanna received this book as the summer commenced and she read, oh she read. She read the crap out of this book and then eyed the dollhouse looming in the corner of her shared bedroom with distrust and concern. She decided that she did not wish to get murdered by the inhabitants first, so she pushed it against the wall nearer to her sister's bed. "Poor Becky," she thought, "she is going to have to meet her maker someday, hopefully sooner than later (as Becky was seriously starting to cramp her Lisa Frank sticker collecting, and unicorn drawing at this point)." It really was too bad...Becky should have learned to read faster and then she would know what the dolls were capable off, and then they could have worked together to move the dollhouse into their brother's room. In the end, the book was finished and the sister lived...but Johanna could never shake the uneasy feeling she felt every time she encountered a dollhouse.
September 27, 2023
Once upon a time, a very sweet young version of me with a tiny streak of darkness decided to read The Dollhouse Murders. I fell in love with this book! I’ve thought about it from time to time and recently bought the 35th anniversary edition. It is definitely a classic children’s book.
Amy Treloar is frustrated with her life. She wants to hang out with friends and do young teenage things like hang at the mall. However, she is often left in charge of her sister who has a mental disability. She resents having to be a sister-sitter every day; she feels she deserves a life of her own and doesn’t want to be inextricably tied to her sister forever. After a particularly bad argument with her mom, Amy chooses to stay with her Aunt Claire in the old family home, in order to have some time and space. While learning more about her aunt and how Aunt Claire and Amy’s father grew up, Amy finds a dollhouse that is the exact replica of her great-grandparents’ house. It’s perfect…and haunted. Can Amy decipher the clues of the dollhouse to solve the murders of her great-grandparents and help heal her Aunt Claire’s grief and guilt?
Betty Ren Wright is fantastic! She handled a tough subject matter for young readers so well. Murder is a scary topic but the mystery is very interesting and the haunting of the dollhouse makes it feel creepy without going over the edge. The relationships between Amy, Aunt Claire and Louann are the focus and make the story so much better. I would have loved more time with the dollhouse and the mystery itself. It’s a kid’s book so it isn’t very long and the mystery is solved relatively quickly, which is perfect for the target audience. The resolution is a bit abrupt for an adult reader. Honestly, I still love this book. I have such good memories of it from my childhood. The Dollhouse Murders is such a wonderful little murder mystery, ghost story!
Amy Treloar is frustrated with her life. She wants to hang out with friends and do young teenage things like hang at the mall. However, she is often left in charge of her sister who has a mental disability. She resents having to be a sister-sitter every day; she feels she deserves a life of her own and doesn’t want to be inextricably tied to her sister forever. After a particularly bad argument with her mom, Amy chooses to stay with her Aunt Claire in the old family home, in order to have some time and space. While learning more about her aunt and how Aunt Claire and Amy’s father grew up, Amy finds a dollhouse that is the exact replica of her great-grandparents’ house. It’s perfect…and haunted. Can Amy decipher the clues of the dollhouse to solve the murders of her great-grandparents and help heal her Aunt Claire’s grief and guilt?
Betty Ren Wright is fantastic! She handled a tough subject matter for young readers so well. Murder is a scary topic but the mystery is very interesting and the haunting of the dollhouse makes it feel creepy without going over the edge. The relationships between Amy, Aunt Claire and Louann are the focus and make the story so much better. I would have loved more time with the dollhouse and the mystery itself. It’s a kid’s book so it isn’t very long and the mystery is solved relatively quickly, which is perfect for the target audience. The resolution is a bit abrupt for an adult reader. Honestly, I still love this book. I have such good memories of it from my childhood. The Dollhouse Murders is such a wonderful little murder mystery, ghost story!
July 4, 2016
Like R.L. Stine and Mary Downing Hahn, the late Betty Ren Wright weaves a tale sure to terrify any tween. But more than just delicious chills imbues The Dollhouse Murders.
Amy Treloar, nearly 13 years old, can’t help resent her 11-year-old brain-damaged sister Louann. Louann’s inappropriate behavior leaves Amy with few friends but lots of anger just under the surface until she finally explodes and runs off to her Aunt Claire, newly relocated from Chicago to the isolated family homestead outside of town.
Aunt Claire intervenes and gets Amy a few days of respite from demands too great for a 12-year-old. In the old house, Amy spies the long-forgotten dollhouse Claire had as a child, an exact replica of the old family home and a gift to Claire from her grandparents, Amy’s great-grandparents. [The orphaned 14-year-old Claire and her 5-year-old brother, Paul (Amy’s father), had gone to live with their grandparents when their parents died.] Aunt Claire had little use for such a gift when she got it as a 15th birthday present and doesn’t appreciate the dollhouse any better as an adult.
Soon Amy notices that the dolls in the dollhouse — replicas of the Treloar family of Claire’s teens, grandparents, Claire and young Paul — move when they’re alone and seem to be trying to send Amy a message. When Aunt Claire refuses to intercede, Amy begins sleuthing her family’s history. With the help of Louann, Amy discovers both the secret and an appreciation for a sister she’d seen as nothing but a burden until now.
The Dollhouse Murders, a slim mystery novel aimed at tweens, proves scarier than I would have thought, with an ending I never saw coming — and more touching. As the mother of two daughters with autism, I’m always cheered by literature that celebrates the dignity and capabilities of all.
Special thanks to Rachel Miller for recommending this excellent book to me.
Amy Treloar, nearly 13 years old, can’t help resent her 11-year-old brain-damaged sister Louann. Louann’s inappropriate behavior leaves Amy with few friends but lots of anger just under the surface until she finally explodes and runs off to her Aunt Claire, newly relocated from Chicago to the isolated family homestead outside of town.
Aunt Claire intervenes and gets Amy a few days of respite from demands too great for a 12-year-old. In the old house, Amy spies the long-forgotten dollhouse Claire had as a child, an exact replica of the old family home and a gift to Claire from her grandparents, Amy’s great-grandparents. [The orphaned 14-year-old Claire and her 5-year-old brother, Paul (Amy’s father), had gone to live with their grandparents when their parents died.] Aunt Claire had little use for such a gift when she got it as a 15th birthday present and doesn’t appreciate the dollhouse any better as an adult.
Soon Amy notices that the dolls in the dollhouse — replicas of the Treloar family of Claire’s teens, grandparents, Claire and young Paul — move when they’re alone and seem to be trying to send Amy a message. When Aunt Claire refuses to intercede, Amy begins sleuthing her family’s history. With the help of Louann, Amy discovers both the secret and an appreciation for a sister she’d seen as nothing but a burden until now.
The Dollhouse Murders, a slim mystery novel aimed at tweens, proves scarier than I would have thought, with an ending I never saw coming — and more touching. As the mother of two daughters with autism, I’m always cheered by literature that celebrates the dignity and capabilities of all.
Special thanks to Rachel Miller for recommending this excellent book to me.
January 4, 2010
I first picked up The Dollhouse Murders a little around five years ago, when I was a kid. I read it, it chilled me, I moved to another city, and slowly I forgot the title. Somedays the idea of the book came rushing back, and I was frustrated that I could not remember the title to reread it, at least, until I found the title in my brother's book order.
The Dollhouse Murders is about a girl named Amy who moves in with her aunt to try and escape some stress at home. One day she discovers a dollhouse in the attic. Little does she know that the dollhouse represents a terrible event in the past, and may also hold the answers that are needed in solving it.
Even still, five years later, when I reread The Dollhouse Muders it chilled me. As I classify it into the 'children's' genre, I found that it was simple and flowed easily, but also had the capacity to pack a punch, to say the least.
This is a book that has been--and still will be--one of my chilhood favorites.
Rating:
100/100
The Dollhouse Murders is about a girl named Amy who moves in with her aunt to try and escape some stress at home. One day she discovers a dollhouse in the attic. Little does she know that the dollhouse represents a terrible event in the past, and may also hold the answers that are needed in solving it.
Even still, five years later, when I reread The Dollhouse Muders it chilled me. As I classify it into the 'children's' genre, I found that it was simple and flowed easily, but also had the capacity to pack a punch, to say the least.
This is a book that has been--and still will be--one of my chilhood favorites.
Rating:
100/100
July 3, 2025
I wish I could have read this one when I was younger because it would have been RIGHT up my alley. I LOVED books like this when I was in school.
Reading it for the first time as an adult leaves a bit to be desired, but I can still appreciate it being intended for the target audience.
Some of the characters annoyed me, which contributed to losing the star. Again, this was age-specific, and I hesitate to rate it based on my enjoyment when I understand why the author wrote the characters that way.
Excellent paranormal series for teens; some horror may not be appropriate for younger kids in the middle-grade age group. There is also a lot of selfish behavior and meanness towards a disabled sister, which was harder to read as an adult.
Solid 3 Star for me
Reading it for the first time as an adult leaves a bit to be desired, but I can still appreciate it being intended for the target audience.
Some of the characters annoyed me, which contributed to losing the star. Again, this was age-specific, and I hesitate to rate it based on my enjoyment when I understand why the author wrote the characters that way.
Excellent paranormal series for teens; some horror may not be appropriate for younger kids in the middle-grade age group. There is also a lot of selfish behavior and meanness towards a disabled sister, which was harder to read as an adult.
Solid 3 Star for me
January 14, 2023
I am surprised a ghost adventure lover like me, did not know Betty Ren Wright in childhood, when her books were new. ‘Paranormal mysteries’ are still a blast in our 40s. This classic was absent from my collection. Imagine my elation, when a September 2022 sale yielded two copies! Dollhouses are always poignant figures: treasured keepsakes, antiques, or miniature haunted houses. Betty’s was unique. Her dollhouse mimed a warning!
‘Non crime mysteries’ are missing from adult literature. Kids’ stories deliver it, with a slog through baggage to get to it. I contemplated four stars, until it was clear no side story or detail was in superfluity. This novel became exceptional.
Aunt Clare has avoided their parents’ home; which Paul, Amy Trealor’s Dad, asked her to assess. The story couldn’t be without Louann, an underdeveloped sister Amy tired of carting along with her friends. Readers can even understand the prickliness of their Mom. Amy deserved teenaged freedom and their Mom felt they owed Luann catering to erratic emotions. I am most impressed now that I think of it, that for a change, the moral was not for the child. It was a wake-up call for this Mom to respect Amy’s reasonable needs! And it was a message for Mothers, to not blame their bodies for mentally deficient offspring.
Around these realistically strained dynamics, arises a spooky, unexpectedly disturbing story. Although I find family secrets hard to believe, since my Mom spilled out all the tea readily; Amy is flabbergasted to discover a family crime, involving her Dad as a toddler!
When family replicas become animated, Amy is too freaked out to stay in the room. Luann, however, does not know a fear of moving dolls. She observes something compelling. Instead of a classic, I call “The Dollhouse Murders”, 1983, a masterpiece.
‘Non crime mysteries’ are missing from adult literature. Kids’ stories deliver it, with a slog through baggage to get to it. I contemplated four stars, until it was clear no side story or detail was in superfluity. This novel became exceptional.
Aunt Clare has avoided their parents’ home; which Paul, Amy Trealor’s Dad, asked her to assess. The story couldn’t be without Louann, an underdeveloped sister Amy tired of carting along with her friends. Readers can even understand the prickliness of their Mom. Amy deserved teenaged freedom and their Mom felt they owed Luann catering to erratic emotions. I am most impressed now that I think of it, that for a change, the moral was not for the child. It was a wake-up call for this Mom to respect Amy’s reasonable needs! And it was a message for Mothers, to not blame their bodies for mentally deficient offspring.
Around these realistically strained dynamics, arises a spooky, unexpectedly disturbing story. Although I find family secrets hard to believe, since my Mom spilled out all the tea readily; Amy is flabbergasted to discover a family crime, involving her Dad as a toddler!
When family replicas become animated, Amy is too freaked out to stay in the room. Luann, however, does not know a fear of moving dolls. She observes something compelling. Instead of a classic, I call “The Dollhouse Murders”, 1983, a masterpiece.
December 7, 2018
When you work at a library, it's not uncommon for discussion to center around books. So imagine, one day, my colleagues and I are discussing the juvenile classics of the 80s. (By the way, this conversation was birthed while browsing the pages of Paperback Crush by Gabrielle Moss.) From this conversation came a call to read The Dollhouse Murders. I said, sure, why not. Immediately I regretted this. I had far too many books already on my to-read pile. It was Man Booker season, and I really didn't have time for a juvenile mystery about a dollhouse. But I checked out the book anyway.
Fortunately, the copy my library had was the original 1983 hardback. Why was this a good thing? Because it transported me to a very different time. How different? Let's take a look at the novel's description from the flap:
That was the 1980s for you. Amy's sister didn't even have a name. (Fortunately, Betty Ren Wright was much more sensitive to Amy's sister than whomever wrote that copy at her publisher's. Amy's sister is named Louann by the way.) I cringed as I cracked the cover.
I admit my expectations were low. I can be a little bit of a book snob, and The Dollhouse Murders clearly wasn't going to be “my thing.” What more can I say? I was sucked right in. Taking into consideration the intended juvenile audience, The Dollhouse Murders presents an interesting cast of characters, as well as a story that is chilling and riveting. Sure, it's an absurd plot about dolls reenacting a murder, but it's well-written and compelling. It's a mildly scary mystery, not all that different from your average Stephen King story. Sure, for every part King there's one part Judy Blume, but I consider that an asset. For one thing, Blume is far better at creating believable, multi-dimensional characters than King ever was. No different here. Though The Dollhouse Murders was certainly little more than juvenile escapist lit, it was a very entertaining read.
Also a plus, the original author photo:
BAM! Check that out. Make no mistake about that cat's expression: he or she is the real writer here.
Fortunately, the copy my library had was the original 1983 hardback. Why was this a good thing? Because it transported me to a very different time. How different? Let's take a look at the novel's description from the flap:
Each time Amy goes up to the attic in the middle of the night, the dollhouse is filled with a ghostly light and the dolls have moved from where she last left them. Even though Amy's terrified, she knows the dolls are trying to tell her something. But what? Could their movements be connected to the grisly murders that took place years before?
Amy becomes increasingly alarmed when her aunt Clare, who owns the dollhouse, grows angry at her questions.
In a spine-chilling climax, Amy and her retarded sister unravel the mystery and liberate their aunt from a terrible burden of guilt. [emphasis mine]
That was the 1980s for you. Amy's sister didn't even have a name. (Fortunately, Betty Ren Wright was much more sensitive to Amy's sister than whomever wrote that copy at her publisher's. Amy's sister is named Louann by the way.) I cringed as I cracked the cover.
I admit my expectations were low. I can be a little bit of a book snob, and The Dollhouse Murders clearly wasn't going to be “my thing.” What more can I say? I was sucked right in. Taking into consideration the intended juvenile audience, The Dollhouse Murders presents an interesting cast of characters, as well as a story that is chilling and riveting. Sure, it's an absurd plot about dolls reenacting a murder, but it's well-written and compelling. It's a mildly scary mystery, not all that different from your average Stephen King story. Sure, for every part King there's one part Judy Blume, but I consider that an asset. For one thing, Blume is far better at creating believable, multi-dimensional characters than King ever was. No different here. Though The Dollhouse Murders was certainly little more than juvenile escapist lit, it was a very entertaining read.
Also a plus, the original author photo:
BAM! Check that out. Make no mistake about that cat's expression: he or she is the real writer here.
September 8, 2025
I read this book when I was a kid. It scared the crap out of me and I recall not sleeping for about a week because the thought of ghosts in an old dollhouse creeped me out. Also, in my mind, it was similar to the dollhouse we get in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and I had already had several nightmares about, one two, Freddy coming for you that terrified me right before sleep. FYI, my mom almost divorced my dad over letting us watch that and the Friday the 13th movies when she wasn't around. Back to the book. As an adult, this wasn't scary, and of course I saw too many plot holes, but this was honestly perfect for me as a kid and though it is a way outdated, I think kids today would still enjoy this one. The version I bought comes with a foreword by R.L. Stine that I thought was just perfect by the way.
"The Dollhouse Murders" follows pre-teen Amy. Amy is frustrated with not being able to separate from her sister Louann. Amy wants to have a best friend she's worried that Louann will mess things up. With Amy's mother insistence she include Louann in everything, they have a huge fight with Amy going to her Aunt Claire. Aunt Claire has come back from Chicago and is in charge of getting Amy's great grandparents home ready to sell. Aunt Claire sees that Amy needs some alone time from her mom and Louann and suggest Amy stay with her for at least a week. Amy's parents reluctantly agree and Amy is initially happy until she starts to wonder about noises at night, and a dollhouse her aunt shows her that is a replica of the house they are living in. Something appears to be moving the dolls.
Amy is perfectly depicted in this one. We all remember being mad at our mom's and their insistence our little brothers/sisters be included. What adds a wrinkle to this one is that Louann has brain damage and we are shown scenes with her getting upset, unable to be left alone, and Amy's mother's insistence she watch her at all times. I get why Amy wanted to leave and honestly applauded the character of Aunt Claire for calling her out on her crap (the mom).
The biggest thing though for me is that the kids are developed well, and even Aunt Claire. But the parents are really not. I kept forgetting Amy had a dad at one point though the character is shown having a spine here and there against his wife.
The flow of the book was up and down though since we would get to a scene, the chapter would end, and then the next chapter continued that same scene. It would make zero sense to me how BRW was breaking up the story.
The setting of the house/country, and the dollhouse were very creepy though. It didn't bother me as an adult, but as a kid, the scenes we got with the dolls kept making me freak out.
The ending/reveal though felt a little bit let down. And only because it felt like there should have been more there.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, "Horrid Houses."
"The Dollhouse Murders" follows pre-teen Amy. Amy is frustrated with not being able to separate from her sister Louann. Amy wants to have a best friend she's worried that Louann will mess things up. With Amy's mother insistence she include Louann in everything, they have a huge fight with Amy going to her Aunt Claire. Aunt Claire has come back from Chicago and is in charge of getting Amy's great grandparents home ready to sell. Aunt Claire sees that Amy needs some alone time from her mom and Louann and suggest Amy stay with her for at least a week. Amy's parents reluctantly agree and Amy is initially happy until she starts to wonder about noises at night, and a dollhouse her aunt shows her that is a replica of the house they are living in. Something appears to be moving the dolls.
Amy is perfectly depicted in this one. We all remember being mad at our mom's and their insistence our little brothers/sisters be included. What adds a wrinkle to this one is that Louann has brain damage and we are shown scenes with her getting upset, unable to be left alone, and Amy's mother's insistence she watch her at all times. I get why Amy wanted to leave and honestly applauded the character of Aunt Claire for calling her out on her crap (the mom).
The biggest thing though for me is that the kids are developed well, and even Aunt Claire. But the parents are really not. I kept forgetting Amy had a dad at one point though the character is shown having a spine here and there against his wife.
The flow of the book was up and down though since we would get to a scene, the chapter would end, and then the next chapter continued that same scene. It would make zero sense to me how BRW was breaking up the story.
The setting of the house/country, and the dollhouse were very creepy though. It didn't bother me as an adult, but as a kid, the scenes we got with the dolls kept making me freak out.
The ending/reveal though felt a little bit let down. And only because it felt like there should have been more there.
I read this for Halloween Bingo 2025, "Horrid Houses."
November 24, 2021
I think I would have found this spooky when I was a kid: a dollhouse whose dolls replicate the scene of the double murders of the main character's grandparents years earlier.
Amy wants to know why no one in her family talks about her grandparents, and when she finds that it's because the pair were murdered and the case never solved, she understands a little why her father and aunt are so secretive about this. When the dolls in her aunt's fantastically detailed dollhouse begin repositioning themselves to recreate the murder scene, Amy is terrified and her aunt is furious, erroneously thinking Amy is deliberately doing this.
The characters are believable, and I particularly liked Amy's intellectually disabled sister and Amy's love and frustration with her sister. I thought the author didn't play fair regarding the solution to the mystery, but, she wasn't Dame Agatha.
Amy wants to know why no one in her family talks about her grandparents, and when she finds that it's because the pair were murdered and the case never solved, she understands a little why her father and aunt are so secretive about this. When the dolls in her aunt's fantastically detailed dollhouse begin repositioning themselves to recreate the murder scene, Amy is terrified and her aunt is furious, erroneously thinking Amy is deliberately doing this.
The characters are believable, and I particularly liked Amy's intellectually disabled sister and Amy's love and frustration with her sister. I thought the author didn't play fair regarding the solution to the mystery, but, she wasn't Dame Agatha.
April 4, 2008
I don't care what anyone says. Scholastic is BRILLIANT for keeping this amazingly bad cover. No revision could be as terrifying and wasn't that the whole point? This was the sort of cover I would have taped paper over when I was little just like I always did when I read THE WITCHES and any Bruce Coville where an adult was taking off their human face to reveal an alien one beneath.
Yeah, book covers were so much better in the 80's.
All and all not a bad story and certainly freaked the begeebees out of this 28-year-old at one point. I would even commend it for a rather decent portrayal of a girl coming to terms with her relationship with a mentally handicapped sibling, but DUDE the ending! THE ENDING! I like cheese and even this was too much for me. I don't care how good a murder mystery is. Without a good ending what's the point?
Yeah, book covers were so much better in the 80's.
All and all not a bad story and certainly freaked the begeebees out of this 28-year-old at one point. I would even commend it for a rather decent portrayal of a girl coming to terms with her relationship with a mentally handicapped sibling, but DUDE the ending! THE ENDING! I like cheese and even this was too much for me. I don't care how good a murder mystery is. Without a good ending what's the point?
February 5, 2021
Another great middle school read. Perfect for summer!
March 6, 2022
When I was around eight years old, I stayed over at the house of a gay couple -- John and Gary (RIP both of you) my family knew, one of whom (John) is still one of the funniest and craziest people I've ever met. In fact, I'd spent the whole day with them, going swimming at Center Parcs (where I almost drowned but nevermind about that) and eating a bog-standard restaurant meal before heading home. They liked to watch movies in the evening and, true to form, picked out a movie to watch with me that night. Now, I've already said John was a bit crazy, and his choice bears that out. In his infinite wisdom, he decided the appropriate choice would be "Full Metal Jacket", Stanley Kubrick's brutal Vietnam War movie. Needless to say, the psychotic breakdown of Private Leonard "Gomer Pyle" Lawrence has been burned into my memory ever since.
Now that I've told you my little story, you'd probably be forgiven for thinking that "Full Metal Jacket" had in it my most frightening childhood experience of film, but you'd be dead wrong. No, what shook me up more than anything else was the scene of a crying doll, moving about a dollhouse in the night, that I briefly glimpsed on the TV one night when I went into the living room to say goodnight to my parents. The closest rival to this scene in terms of the frightening effect it had on my childhood self would be the various scenes of human/alien interaction in Dean Alioto's "Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County." I never did watch the full movie featuring that terrifying doll scene as a kid and actually spent years trying to find out the name of it when I'd already watched hundreds of horror movies and was now made of sterner stuff. Eventually I managed to find someone with enough encyclopedic knowledge of B-cinema to understand what the hell I was talking about when I described the scene. So it was that I rediscovered "The Dollhouse Murders" (or "Secrets in the Attic").
It turns out that the movie, a made-for-TV affair released in 1992, is pure cheese with a side of family drama, helped out immeasurably by the surprisingly decent performances of a cast of unknowns (the only cast member to have a picture on their IMDb profile is Christina Moses, who plays the inspiring role of 'Girl at Party'). If you told me the movie was bad, I wouldn't argue back with much passion, but I like the movie for what it is.
What the TV movie is, of course, is a slightly watered-down version of Betty Ren Wright's young adult mystery The Dollhouse Murders, an engaging little book that an adult can read in a day. For its younger target audience, the book will be a slightly longer experience but one that imparts valuable lessons about accepting other people's differences and appreciating their own privileges and good fortune to not be disabled or victimised. The theme of grief also crops up, being a valuable concept for young teens to read and learn about. An overarching element of spookiness imparted by the book's central decades-old murder mystery and the apparent sentience of the occupants of an old dollhouse discovered in the attic of our young protagonist's aunt prevents the book from becoming too maudlin.
Needless to say there's nothing too frightening about The Dollhouse Murders and there's nothing in it that will blow anyone's mind with its brilliance. But it has a sentimental value to me personally -- as a book that inspired a film scene that, in retrospect, shouldn't have scared me anywhere near as much as it did -- that lets me look past its flaws. If YA mysteries are your bag and you've already had your fill of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Betty Ren Wright's book is a worthy diversion.
Now that I've told you my little story, you'd probably be forgiven for thinking that "Full Metal Jacket" had in it my most frightening childhood experience of film, but you'd be dead wrong. No, what shook me up more than anything else was the scene of a crying doll, moving about a dollhouse in the night, that I briefly glimpsed on the TV one night when I went into the living room to say goodnight to my parents. The closest rival to this scene in terms of the frightening effect it had on my childhood self would be the various scenes of human/alien interaction in Dean Alioto's "Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County." I never did watch the full movie featuring that terrifying doll scene as a kid and actually spent years trying to find out the name of it when I'd already watched hundreds of horror movies and was now made of sterner stuff. Eventually I managed to find someone with enough encyclopedic knowledge of B-cinema to understand what the hell I was talking about when I described the scene. So it was that I rediscovered "The Dollhouse Murders" (or "Secrets in the Attic").
It turns out that the movie, a made-for-TV affair released in 1992, is pure cheese with a side of family drama, helped out immeasurably by the surprisingly decent performances of a cast of unknowns (the only cast member to have a picture on their IMDb profile is Christina Moses, who plays the inspiring role of 'Girl at Party'). If you told me the movie was bad, I wouldn't argue back with much passion, but I like the movie for what it is.
What the TV movie is, of course, is a slightly watered-down version of Betty Ren Wright's young adult mystery The Dollhouse Murders, an engaging little book that an adult can read in a day. For its younger target audience, the book will be a slightly longer experience but one that imparts valuable lessons about accepting other people's differences and appreciating their own privileges and good fortune to not be disabled or victimised. The theme of grief also crops up, being a valuable concept for young teens to read and learn about. An overarching element of spookiness imparted by the book's central decades-old murder mystery and the apparent sentience of the occupants of an old dollhouse discovered in the attic of our young protagonist's aunt prevents the book from becoming too maudlin.
Needless to say there's nothing too frightening about The Dollhouse Murders and there's nothing in it that will blow anyone's mind with its brilliance. But it has a sentimental value to me personally -- as a book that inspired a film scene that, in retrospect, shouldn't have scared me anywhere near as much as it did -- that lets me look past its flaws. If YA mysteries are your bag and you've already had your fill of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Betty Ren Wright's book is a worthy diversion.
July 14, 2018
This was definitely a welcomed trip own memory lane!! Reading this book took me right back to middle school where every creak and scratch in an empty house made me jump!! The story of Amy really stood out to me, especially regarding the complicated relationship she had with her sister, Louann. I remember feeling that same guilt Amy did as a child regarding my own special needs sister and trying to navigate my own identity while also trying to spare the feelings of someone who is a bit different. I loved how the author was able to tie these sentiments into an early adolescent murder mystery for preteens. It wasn’t gory or explicit but still just creepy enough!! This is like a cozy mystery starter kit for kids!
March 31, 2024
I wish I’d read this as a child! I would have LOVED it to death! I’m so glad I read it now. So creepy and so comforting at the same time.
September 28, 2023
this book is considered for me as a mystery book not horror book, The story also has a lot of drama, and this is the focus of the original story as well, in addition to the mysterious aspect, The characters developments are really believable and I loved them, and you can feel the main character in many of the situations she went through, whether dramatic moments or moments of terror.
The story and the atmosphere are filled with suspense, eerie, and well written. It was so easy to get drawn into it and keep the pages turning just to see what was going to happen next.
What was missing from the story was the final plot, which wasn't bad at all, but I expected a little better with a longer explanation but it is what it is.
in conclusion, The book centers around family and friends and what it means to be a friend and the importance of family. The eerie dollhouse and years unsolved mystery makes this a very intriguing story.
VERDICT:(8/10)
The story and the atmosphere are filled with suspense, eerie, and well written. It was so easy to get drawn into it and keep the pages turning just to see what was going to happen next.
What was missing from the story was the final plot, which wasn't bad at all, but I expected a little better with a longer explanation but it is what it is.
in conclusion, The book centers around family and friends and what it means to be a friend and the importance of family. The eerie dollhouse and years unsolved mystery makes this a very intriguing story.
VERDICT:(8/10)
December 6, 2019
7 out of 10
Okay. Now I want to check other books by Betty Ren Wright. It wasn't that creepy, but it was very believable. Characters acted, thought, felt, and talked just like IRL as if it's not fiction and there actually is a family with dark past, and two sisters have a controversial relationship, but love each other no matter what. The mystery is the weakest part, you can't figure it yourself, 'cause you don't know all the details until it's all revealed. Anyway, nice and fast read.
October 1, 2022
A really good read, for any age. Great mystery.
December 7, 2009
Wow, how books have changed in the past 20 years. No one would publish a 120 page book for 9-12 year olds like this anymore. Murder, hauntings, guilt, uptight parents, crazy mood swings - I read this kind of stuff when I was younger and didn't become a serial killer so why are some parents today so worried about letting kids read this kind of thing?
September 11, 2021
First mystery I read as a kid and started a life long addiction to murder mysteries and supernatural things. Read it again for the first time in a long time today. Still good
October 20, 2021
Claire was such an interesting character, and I loved the creepy dollhouse scenes!
November 18, 2011
Amy is 12 years old, about to be 13 and she is tired of taking care of her sister. Amy's sister, Louanna, is mentally challenged. One day at the mall, when Amy was supposed to spend the day with her friend Ellen and she was made to bring Louanna, everything goes wrong. Amy has had enough and tells her mother so.
But all her mother tells her is that she is selfish, that she is cruel and she is a girl that has everything. Amy becomes so upset that she runs to her Aunt Clare, who is currently staying in Amy's great-grandparents house.
Aunt Clare can tell something upset Amy and when Amy tells her what's wrong, Aunt Clare gets the idea of letting Amy staying with her for awhile. She works it out with her Amy's parents and for a few weeks Amy will be staying with her Aunt Clare, and Louanna won't be there.
Amy is happy to b there and even more happy when she finds a beautiful dollhouse in the attic. It looks exactly like the house she is staying in. It turns out the dollhouse is her Aunt Clare's. It was given to her by Amy's great-grandparents.
Amy is fasintated by the dollhouse and loves to look it. But then, strange things start happening. The dolls in the dollhouse are moving! Doors are opening and closing, and the dollhouse lights up all by itself. Amy can't explain the things that are going on and she is beginning to get scared.
I decided to read this after reading another book by Betty Ren Wright and liking it very much. The Dollhouse Murders hooked me right away and I couldn't put it down. The first chapter is intense, Amy having a fight with her mom and you can feel the frustration she feels with her mom for not being understanding.
And when we get to the dollhouse, the description of it sounds lovely and it makes you wish that you could see it. You can also feel Amy's happiness when Aunt Clare invites her to stay for awhile.
As I read more and more, I got wrapped up in the mystery of the dollhouse, the mystery of what happened to Amy's great-grandparents. What is happening with the dollhouse? What is it trying to tell Amy? I didn't know the answers to these questions so I had to keep reading to find out.
Overall, The Dollhouse Murders is a page turner, a wonderful intense and sometimes creepy mystery.
But all her mother tells her is that she is selfish, that she is cruel and she is a girl that has everything. Amy becomes so upset that she runs to her Aunt Clare, who is currently staying in Amy's great-grandparents house.
Aunt Clare can tell something upset Amy and when Amy tells her what's wrong, Aunt Clare gets the idea of letting Amy staying with her for awhile. She works it out with her Amy's parents and for a few weeks Amy will be staying with her Aunt Clare, and Louanna won't be there.
Amy is happy to b there and even more happy when she finds a beautiful dollhouse in the attic. It looks exactly like the house she is staying in. It turns out the dollhouse is her Aunt Clare's. It was given to her by Amy's great-grandparents.
Amy is fasintated by the dollhouse and loves to look it. But then, strange things start happening. The dolls in the dollhouse are moving! Doors are opening and closing, and the dollhouse lights up all by itself. Amy can't explain the things that are going on and she is beginning to get scared.
I decided to read this after reading another book by Betty Ren Wright and liking it very much. The Dollhouse Murders hooked me right away and I couldn't put it down. The first chapter is intense, Amy having a fight with her mom and you can feel the frustration she feels with her mom for not being understanding.
And when we get to the dollhouse, the description of it sounds lovely and it makes you wish that you could see it. You can also feel Amy's happiness when Aunt Clare invites her to stay for awhile.
As I read more and more, I got wrapped up in the mystery of the dollhouse, the mystery of what happened to Amy's great-grandparents. What is happening with the dollhouse? What is it trying to tell Amy? I didn't know the answers to these questions so I had to keep reading to find out.
Overall, The Dollhouse Murders is a page turner, a wonderful intense and sometimes creepy mystery.
November 12, 2014
Found this at a thrift store to add to my juvenile literature collection. I love books about miniature people, and don't have any in my own collection.
A teen girl who's feeling overwhelmed from taking care of her brain-damaged sister after school decides to spend a few weeks with her aunt, who is staying in her deceased parents' house and planning to clean it out so she can sell it and return to her life in Chicago. The girl finds a doll house in the attic (natch), and it comes with four dolls: her aunt, her aunt's brother (the girl's dad), and their parents. After getting accused by her aunt of continuing to place the dolls in certain positions within the dollhouse that brings back bad memories for her, it is revealed to her that the mother and father were murdered while her aunt was out on a date, and the young boy was spared because he hid in a woodbox. The dolls keep trying to tell her who the murderer is by dropping hints and clues. As is true with all miniature fiction stories, the people don't go insane when they learn that dolls move and talk!
This books is about as basic and predictable as you can imagine, but it's not a bad, quick read.
A teen girl who's feeling overwhelmed from taking care of her brain-damaged sister after school decides to spend a few weeks with her aunt, who is staying in her deceased parents' house and planning to clean it out so she can sell it and return to her life in Chicago. The girl finds a doll house in the attic (natch), and it comes with four dolls: her aunt, her aunt's brother (the girl's dad), and their parents. After getting accused by her aunt of continuing to place the dolls in certain positions within the dollhouse that brings back bad memories for her, it is revealed to her that the mother and father were murdered while her aunt was out on a date, and the young boy was spared because he hid in a woodbox. The dolls keep trying to tell her who the murderer is by dropping hints and clues. As is true with all miniature fiction stories, the people don't go insane when they learn that dolls move and talk!
This books is about as basic and predictable as you can imagine, but it's not a bad, quick read.
September 26, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this story. If in the course of my review I spell names wrong, I do give it my best guess. Wright did an excellent job of describing 12 (turning 13) year old Amy's feelings about always being "stuck" with her brain-damaged younger sister Louann. Help for Amy comes in the form of Aunt Claire who understands Amy's frustration as well as Louann's desire to go everywhere with and do everything that Amy does.
When Amy goes to Aunt Claire to escape from the burden of constant responsibility for Louann, she finds a haven. Aunt Claire even suggests Amy keep her company as Claire cleans out and prepares the old family home for sale. In the attic, Claire shows her the doll house, a replica of the big family home, complete with dolls representing Claire's grandparents, Claire and her little brother Paul, Amy's father. Thus is set the stage for a doll house that lights on it's own and dolls that move. It takes both Amy and LouAnn to solve the case of the doll house murders and bring peace to an old house.
When Amy goes to Aunt Claire to escape from the burden of constant responsibility for Louann, she finds a haven. Aunt Claire even suggests Amy keep her company as Claire cleans out and prepares the old family home for sale. In the attic, Claire shows her the doll house, a replica of the big family home, complete with dolls representing Claire's grandparents, Claire and her little brother Paul, Amy's father. Thus is set the stage for a doll house that lights on it's own and dolls that move. It takes both Amy and LouAnn to solve the case of the doll house murders and bring peace to an old house.
July 18, 2009
oh man, i loved this book as a kid. i remember buying it from one of the annual book fairs at school. a dollhouse that comes to life and tries to help amy solve the murders that happened years ago.
interestingly, when i was teaching in the south bronx, this was the first book that one of my boys picked up and LOVED. he's now a reader - at least, to some degree (the covers have to agree with him) but man. i was so darn happy. i wouldn't like a little self-identified thug would pick up a book about a dollhouse, but hey! go betty wren wright for writing such a great story!
interestingly, when i was teaching in the south bronx, this was the first book that one of my boys picked up and LOVED. he's now a reader - at least, to some degree (the covers have to agree with him) but man. i was so darn happy. i wouldn't like a little self-identified thug would pick up a book about a dollhouse, but hey! go betty wren wright for writing such a great story!
April 8, 2008
I LOVED this book, but somehow had forgotten all about it until I saw someone's review on here. I remember that I had an intense reaction to the conclusion of the story, feeling like I had been punched in the stomach. I don't even really remember what happened, just that the dolls moved around and revealed who the real killer was. Perfect way to creep oneself out before bed!
October 27, 2016
An entertaining mystery for the YA/Middle Grade reader. Somehow I missed this one when I was growing up.
It's better than most novels written for young people. The ghost stuff is well done and it has the added element of a young girl becoming a teenager and resenting all the babysitting she has to do for her disabled sister.
Highly recommended.
It's better than most novels written for young people. The ghost stuff is well done and it has the added element of a young girl becoming a teenager and resenting all the babysitting she has to do for her disabled sister.
Highly recommended.
August 14, 2024
My family wanted a mysterious read aloud and this one fit the bill. Loved it. Ages 8-21.
January 21, 2018
I received this book from a friend who thought I would enjoy it due to my belief in ghosts and the supernatural. She was spot on!
This is a YA genre novel about Amy who is 12-years old and her family, especially her mentally challenged sister, Louann. Amy loves her sister, but is tired of having to deal with her. Amy has to take care of her after school while her parents are still at work and takes her wherever she goes. Amy resents it because she feels she is losing friends or is having a hard time making friends. Louann makes them feel uncomfortable.
After an incident at a mall involving Louann, Amy has a blowout with her mother and runs away to her Aunt Clare who is living on the outside of town in the house where Clare and Paul (Amy's dad) grandparents were murdered years ago. Aunt Clare actually lives in Chicago, has lost her job, and is back at the house to go through things to get it ready to be sold.
Clare is more than willing to take in Amy. She needed the help cleaning the place and getting things ready to go. They are working in the attic when Amy discovers a dollhouse. It is huge with stunning likenesses to the actual house they are getting ready to sell. The miniature furniture is incredibly accurate to the furniture in the house, right down to the needlework on the cushions of the chairs.
Amy is enthralled and can't understand why Aunt Clare gets so hostile when it comes to the dollhouse. Therein lies just part of the mystery.
The story is filled with suspense, is eerie, and well written. It was so easy to get drawn into it and keep the pages turning just to see what was going to happen next. The characters were believable and likeable, even though I became annoyed with Amy's mom on more than one occasion.
Ultimately, the story is about forgiveness and redemption. Fantastic!
This is a YA genre novel about Amy who is 12-years old and her family, especially her mentally challenged sister, Louann. Amy loves her sister, but is tired of having to deal with her. Amy has to take care of her after school while her parents are still at work and takes her wherever she goes. Amy resents it because she feels she is losing friends or is having a hard time making friends. Louann makes them feel uncomfortable.
After an incident at a mall involving Louann, Amy has a blowout with her mother and runs away to her Aunt Clare who is living on the outside of town in the house where Clare and Paul (Amy's dad) grandparents were murdered years ago. Aunt Clare actually lives in Chicago, has lost her job, and is back at the house to go through things to get it ready to be sold.
Clare is more than willing to take in Amy. She needed the help cleaning the place and getting things ready to go. They are working in the attic when Amy discovers a dollhouse. It is huge with stunning likenesses to the actual house they are getting ready to sell. The miniature furniture is incredibly accurate to the furniture in the house, right down to the needlework on the cushions of the chairs.
Amy is enthralled and can't understand why Aunt Clare gets so hostile when it comes to the dollhouse. Therein lies just part of the mystery.
The story is filled with suspense, is eerie, and well written. It was so easy to get drawn into it and keep the pages turning just to see what was going to happen next. The characters were believable and likeable, even though I became annoyed with Amy's mom on more than one occasion.
Ultimately, the story is about forgiveness and redemption. Fantastic!
June 28, 2025
Una gran novel·la per a llegir a partir de 12 anys (pertany a la sèrie Roja de la col·lecció "El Vaixell de Vapor"). Assassinats, fantasmes, bona trama, i més d'un ensurt.
La traducció d'en Lluís Roura hauria pogut ser extraordinària. Les combinacions pronominals són les més correctes. La riquesa de lèxic no té punt de comparació (només hi ha un mot que el traductor no va trobar, o no va buscar: quan parla d'unes petites ulleres sense muntura sobre el nas, el mot que necessitava era pinçanàs).
La traducció hauria pogut ser extraordinària, si no fos... Ai, sempre el "si no fos"! En aquest cas, a part d'alguns errors gramaticals típics, com la confusió entre llençar i llançar, l'ús del futur i el condicional per a fer suposicions, o algun pronom feble sobrer, i algun error de traducció, com l'ús massa sovintejat de l'exclamació oh!, tan comuna en anglès i tan estranya en català, o la traducció massa literal va moure el cap amunt i avall afirmativament (va afirmar amb el cap o va fer que sí amb el cap), en Roura cau en la plaga del sisplau.
Hauria pogut ser una traducció extraordinària. Era tan fàcil...
La traducció d'en Lluís Roura hauria pogut ser extraordinària. Les combinacions pronominals són les més correctes. La riquesa de lèxic no té punt de comparació (només hi ha un mot que el traductor no va trobar, o no va buscar: quan parla d'unes petites ulleres sense muntura sobre el nas, el mot que necessitava era pinçanàs).
La traducció hauria pogut ser extraordinària, si no fos... Ai, sempre el "si no fos"! En aquest cas, a part d'alguns errors gramaticals típics, com la confusió entre llençar i llançar, l'ús del futur i el condicional per a fer suposicions, o algun pronom feble sobrer, i algun error de traducció, com l'ús massa sovintejat de l'exclamació oh!, tan comuna en anglès i tan estranya en català, o la traducció massa literal va moure el cap amunt i avall afirmativament (va afirmar amb el cap o va fer que sí amb el cap), en Roura cau en la plaga del sisplau.
Hauria pogut ser una traducció extraordinària. Era tan fàcil...
July 24, 2025
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright is a ghostly murder mystery written for eight to twelve-year-olds, but adults will enjoy this book as well.
Amy and her sister Louann aren’t getting along as well as they could. When they find themselves faced with a murder and a haunted dollhouse, they pull together and solve the mystery with help from Aunt Clare and Amy’s friend Ellen.
The Dollhouse Murders is an intriguing read that builds with suspense as the ghost becomes desperate to have its message understood. The chapters are brief, which sets a fast pace. Characters are engaging. Themes of friendship, family, and teamwork are explored through the mystery of the dollhouse.
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright is a recommended read for fans of mystery and paranormal fiction.
Amy and her sister Louann aren’t getting along as well as they could. When they find themselves faced with a murder and a haunted dollhouse, they pull together and solve the mystery with help from Aunt Clare and Amy’s friend Ellen.
The Dollhouse Murders is an intriguing read that builds with suspense as the ghost becomes desperate to have its message understood. The chapters are brief, which sets a fast pace. Characters are engaging. Themes of friendship, family, and teamwork are explored through the mystery of the dollhouse.
The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright is a recommended read for fans of mystery and paranormal fiction.
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