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Rhona MacLeod #7
The Reborn
he clown suddenly appeared beside a group of kids at the candy floss van, bringing Kira to an abrupt halt. Then it began. The rapid heartbeat, the burst of perspiration, the gasping breath. The baby lurched inside her, as though sharing her panic.
When the body of a pregnant teenager is found in a Hall of Mirrors with the full-term foetus surgically removed, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is called in to assist the police. Suspicion falls on Jeff Coulter, a psychotic inmate at a nearby hospital whose hobby is making Reborns - chillingly realistic baby dolls intended for bereaved parents or those unable to conceive. But how could he have orchestrated the murder from a secure mental facility?
The investigation leads to a group of teenage girls who seem to have all got pregnant at the same time. Then a Reborn doll is discovered near the crime scene and a second girl from the group is found dead. Creepy, compelling and heart-stoppingly tense, THE REBORN is Lin Anderson's most powerful novel yet.
When the body of a pregnant teenager is found in a Hall of Mirrors with the full-term foetus surgically removed, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is called in to assist the police. Suspicion falls on Jeff Coulter, a psychotic inmate at a nearby hospital whose hobby is making Reborns - chillingly realistic baby dolls intended for bereaved parents or those unable to conceive. But how could he have orchestrated the murder from a secure mental facility?
The investigation leads to a group of teenage girls who seem to have all got pregnant at the same time. Then a Reborn doll is discovered near the crime scene and a second girl from the group is found dead. Creepy, compelling and heart-stoppingly tense, THE REBORN is Lin Anderson's most powerful novel yet.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
91 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Lin Anderson
72 books378 followersLin Anderson was born in Greenock of Scottish and Irish parents. A graduate of both Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, she has lived in many different parts of Scotland and also spent five years working in the African bush. A teacher of Mathematics and Computing, she began her writing career four years ago. Her first film, Small Love, which was broadcast on STV, was nominated for TAPS writer of the year award 2001. Her African short stories have been published in the 10th Anniversary Macallan collection and broadcast on BBC Radio Four.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 18, 2022
This intriguing book is the 7th volume of the wonderful "Rhona MacLeod" thriller series.
Storytelling is excellent, most characters are lifelike and believable, one certainly in my view is not, the dark atmosphere and lethal occurrences in Glasgow are very well pictured, and all these factors combined make this thriller a superb read, apart from one fact which I will explain later on.
The main part of this thriller is completely well structured, with a great storyline, ending with a superbly executed plot and that will bring a very satisfying result in the end.
The side part of this thriller is in my view a total let-down, because in my opinion after a final goodbye to DS Michael McNab in the last book, he's brought back as if nothing has happened as a kind of a resurrected Lazarus, risen from the dead after having been buried, and thus making a mockery of grief and bereavement for a very loved one and respected colleague.
To come back to the main story, it's starts off with the murder of the pregnant Kira and her baby cut from her in the mirror maze at a Glasgow funfair, and with later on a discovery, close to her parents' house a lookalike doll of Kira's baby girl, a Reborn, and Kira's mobile.
Soon after Kira's death, two more deaths will follow, that of Melanie and David Murdoch, and especially the girls' deaths are connected with a man called, Jeff Coulter, a lifetime psychopath prisoner at the State Hospital, and this inmate still able of pulling the strings.
What is to follow is a great thriller in which the reinstated DI Bill Wilson, Forensic Scientist, Rhona MacLeod and her assistant, Chrissy, Psychologist Magnus Pirie, and the new DS, Janice Clark, will have to do their utmost and dig deep to find the proof and uncover the truth behind these murders, and after some twists and turns followed with a superbly constructed plot, the very surprising culprit will be revealed and brought to justice for these murders.
Very much recommended, and although I myself found the part with the resurrected Michael McNab an absolute let-down and because of that fact I've deducted one star, but the rest of this thriller was a real joy to read and that's why I would still like to call this book: "A Captivating Reborn"!
Storytelling is excellent, most characters are lifelike and believable, one certainly in my view is not, the dark atmosphere and lethal occurrences in Glasgow are very well pictured, and all these factors combined make this thriller a superb read, apart from one fact which I will explain later on.
The main part of this thriller is completely well structured, with a great storyline, ending with a superbly executed plot and that will bring a very satisfying result in the end.
The side part of this thriller is in my view a total let-down, because in my opinion after a final goodbye to DS Michael McNab in the last book, he's brought back as if nothing has happened as a kind of a resurrected Lazarus, risen from the dead after having been buried, and thus making a mockery of grief and bereavement for a very loved one and respected colleague.
To come back to the main story, it's starts off with the murder of the pregnant Kira and her baby cut from her in the mirror maze at a Glasgow funfair, and with later on a discovery, close to her parents' house a lookalike doll of Kira's baby girl, a Reborn, and Kira's mobile.
Soon after Kira's death, two more deaths will follow, that of Melanie and David Murdoch, and especially the girls' deaths are connected with a man called, Jeff Coulter, a lifetime psychopath prisoner at the State Hospital, and this inmate still able of pulling the strings.
What is to follow is a great thriller in which the reinstated DI Bill Wilson, Forensic Scientist, Rhona MacLeod and her assistant, Chrissy, Psychologist Magnus Pirie, and the new DS, Janice Clark, will have to do their utmost and dig deep to find the proof and uncover the truth behind these murders, and after some twists and turns followed with a superbly constructed plot, the very surprising culprit will be revealed and brought to justice for these murders.
Very much recommended, and although I myself found the part with the resurrected Michael McNab an absolute let-down and because of that fact I've deducted one star, but the rest of this thriller was a real joy to read and that's why I would still like to call this book: "A Captivating Reborn"!
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May 4, 2011This was a good read but I found the topic a bit too disturbing. I didn't know that such a thing as a Reborn doll even existed and the story involved some gruesome murders. It was well written and I did identify with the main charters. If I saw another Lin Anderson book. I would definitely pick it up.
April 21, 2021
The latest in the series. A decent read, but a warning to prospective readers - you really need to have read the books before this in order to understand a lot of the subplots that continue into this one. The stand alone story at the centre of the book is decent though. However, there is an unforgivable storyline where the detective killed at the end of the previous book is miraculously revealed to be still alive. It feels like a bit of a betrayal for the reader, and a bit of a cop-out rather than dealing with grief and death. You have to be a really good writer to pull off something like that - I'm talking Conan Doyle-Sherlock Holmes good - and get away with it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2025
A great read, just like all the other books in the series!
April 14, 2024
So so clever Thank-you I won’t give anything away but couldn’t put this one down Ready for No 8 to see what the next plot brings for Rhona and the gang
May 31, 2025
4.5 stars rounded down.
I liked this one! After not really enjoying the theme of the last two books of this series, I really enjoyed this one. A young girl is found dead at a fun fair, not too unusual given the genre of these books but what made it different was the foetal abduction angle and the investigation taking place at a posh school where the girls appear to operate differently to others their age. I thought the whole .
Having .
I liked this one! After not really enjoying the theme of the last two books of this series, I really enjoyed this one. A young girl is found dead at a fun fair, not too unusual given the genre of these books but what made it different was the foetal abduction angle and the investigation taking place at a posh school where the girls appear to operate differently to others their age. I thought the whole .
Having .
July 24, 2023
An excellent thriller.
October 18, 2017
I hadn't read any of this Rhoda Macleod series (I think this is the third) but it didn't matter (although the references to previous events & characters did seem very familiar somehow!).
A good thriller that kept me entertained throughout....but there's a but...
....early on I found a discrepancy which for some reason really irritated me so I was back & forth checking whether I'd misread something or not -then to my annoyance I found another.
On page 28 Jeff Coulter has been ruled criminally insane after killing his six-week-old daughter but on page 33 Coulter is asked what he felt about the death of his baby son! Page 66 is back to daughter again...
...another glaring error for me was on page 132 which states ALL 4 girls have had terminations - what about Melanie? Ooops...okay, so there's nothing that ruins the book but it just REALLY bugged me!
A good thriller that kept me entertained throughout....but there's a but...
....early on I found a discrepancy which for some reason really irritated me so I was back & forth checking whether I'd misread something or not -then to my annoyance I found another.
On page 28 Jeff Coulter has been ruled criminally insane after killing his six-week-old daughter but on page 33 Coulter is asked what he felt about the death of his baby son! Page 66 is back to daughter again...
...another glaring error for me was on page 132 which states ALL 4 girls have had terminations - what about Melanie? Ooops...okay, so there's nothing that ruins the book but it just REALLY bugged me!
July 28, 2022
The clown suddenly appeared beside a group of kids at the candy floss van, bringing Kira to an abrupt halt. Then it began. The rapid heartbeat, the burst of perspiration, the gasping breath. The baby lurched inside her, as though sharing her panic. When the body of a pregnant teenager is found in a Hall of Mirrors with the full-term foetus surgically removed, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is called in to assist the police. Suspicion falls on Jeff Coulter, a psychotic inmate at a nearby hospital whose hobby is making Reborns ' chillingly realistic baby dolls intended for bereaved parents or those unable to conceive. But how could he have orchestrated the murder from a secure mental facility? The investigation leads to a group of teenage girls who seem to have all got pregnant at the same time. Then a Reborn doll is discovered near the crime scene and a second girl from the group is found dead.. Creepy, compelling and heart-stoppingly tense, The Reborn is Lin Anderson's most powerful novel yet.
This was a good book but a disturbing read. Reborn babies being hand made and babies taken from the womb of women. We found out the truth about McNab which is a nice replacement for Sean. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
This was a good book but a disturbing read. Reborn babies being hand made and babies taken from the womb of women. We found out the truth about McNab which is a nice replacement for Sean. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 28, 2021
I thought that this plot was different. It seemed to have elements that I hadn't come across exactly like this, which is always a plus when you read a lot of the genre. The back story can get a bit tedious, as I haven't read these books in order, so am trying to piece it together in my head.
I can see that others found the subject matter disturbing, but the thing that I found the most disturbing and downright dangerous, was the handling of child abuse.
(Spoiler alert)
The victim is found to have been groomed by her step father from the age of 12. A figure who might have chosen her mother for that reason, as evidence in real life has found, but the victim, who is only 17 at time of killing, is accused of being manipulative and fond of getting her own way. Was this an attempt to let the 40+ man off the hook?! This is all handled in such a casual way that I cannot imagine how someone would not have pointed out to the writer, that the days of blaming the victim for their abuse should be long gone. Especially when a child is involved.
Very disappointed as I generally like this writer..
I can see that others found the subject matter disturbing, but the thing that I found the most disturbing and downright dangerous, was the handling of child abuse.
(Spoiler alert)
The victim is found to have been groomed by her step father from the age of 12. A figure who might have chosen her mother for that reason, as evidence in real life has found, but the victim, who is only 17 at time of killing, is accused of being manipulative and fond of getting her own way. Was this an attempt to let the 40+ man off the hook?! This is all handled in such a casual way that I cannot imagine how someone would not have pointed out to the writer, that the days of blaming the victim for their abuse should be long gone. Especially when a child is involved.
Very disappointed as I generally like this writer..
February 11, 2023
As they say, every day is a schoolday. I had no idea what a 'reborn' was and I have to say I find the whole scenario rather creepy. More so, when the creator is in prison for killing his girlfriend's baby.
Magnus is called to the secure prison to ,eet the prisoner who creates the reborns.
He brags of having several children by several different women and sees this as a sign of his greatness.
A young influental girl at a private school is pregnant, but is killed at a funfair and her baby removed.
Jealous friends, psychotic prisoners and ex girlfriends, abusive adoptive fathers and teachers all play a part in this story]
I got the ending I wanted.
Magnus is called to the secure prison to ,eet the prisoner who creates the reborns.
He brags of having several children by several different women and sees this as a sign of his greatness.
A young influental girl at a private school is pregnant, but is killed at a funfair and her baby removed.
Jealous friends, psychotic prisoners and ex girlfriends, abusive adoptive fathers and teachers all play a part in this story]
I got the ending I wanted.
April 2, 2024
Another brilliant Rhona McLeod novel from Lin Anderson. What an imagination this woman has! This book centres around the killing of a number of young pregnant women, a private girls’ school, a psychopathic killer who may or may not be pulling the strings from a secure hospital and a group of detectives still mourning the loss of one of their own in a recent case. It all adds up to compulsive crime fiction and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series - if I can find it at my local library.
May 19, 2017
Despite my initial squeamishness about the idea of a 'Reborn' (and there was plenty more in this to horrify) this was totally enthralling. Being a fan of crime series, I much appreciate the continuation of and references to previous novels and the hints that there'll be more to come in the next - it's something I always yearned for as a child - and the central story was strong enough to stand alone.
March 14, 2025
I thought I would try Lin Anderson's novel after reading her very interesting short story in Bloody Scotland. This was well written with quite a bit of forensic references since that is Rhona Macleod's specialty for anyone wanting to study forensics. The reborn doll plotline was an interesting twist but I felt it could have been developed more. Definite Tartan Noir elements here with Jekyll/Hyde Calvinist characteristics. I will read more of her.
May 10, 2020
Excellent
The characters are likeable and quirky. The plots are mostly believable. The only irritating aspect are the typos, which I would have thought a writer of this experience would have sorted out.
The characters are likeable and quirky. The plots are mostly believable. The only irritating aspect are the typos, which I would have thought a writer of this experience would have sorted out.
November 23, 2023
A pregnant girl is murdered at fair and her baby removed...just the beginning of this twisty story. Thank goodness Magnus is back and Bill is good. Rhona gets involbed with a journalist on a personal case. And is there a group of girls with a pregnancy pact?
August 28, 2024
All the ingredients of a horrifying thriller, psychopath, murders etc but as always in this series an undercurrent mystery involving the private lives of the main characters, excellent if chilling, will never view a baby doll the same again .
March 14, 2025
It helps to read more than one of this series, otherwise there are so many POVs that you never know what's going on unless you know who all these people are. I was left feeling that not everything had been satisfactorily explained or reasoned.
August 28, 2017
Rhona attends the scene of a dreadful killing; a pregnant young woman killed and the foetus abducted. More terrible events follow in the hunt for the killer.
June 26, 2019
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the previous books in the series.
June 1, 2020
Excellent
Excellently written , don't want to put it down. Would recommend to family , friends and anyone into crime novels
Excellently written , don't want to put it down. Would recommend to family , friends and anyone into crime novels
January 7, 2021
The Rhona MacLeod series just keeps getting better, a disturbing read full of twist and turns, can't wait to start book 8.
March 8, 2021
Well worth waiting for the audiobook. Very well done.
I love this series. There are some grisly scenes but not too horrid. The team is great.
I love this series. There are some grisly scenes but not too horrid. The team is great.
March 17, 2021
Just finished The Reborn and it has so many twists and turns you cannot let your concentration waver. This has been the best Lin Anderson book I’ve read. Can’t wait for the next one.
June 23, 2021
Very clever plot! Kept me guessing and I was impressed by the way it came together at the end
June 29, 2021
My first book by this author will be seeking the others out. Could not put it down
October 20, 2022
Typical circuitous plot. Excellent.
Lives up to LA's excellent crime writing. Very enjoyable. Yet another triumph for her. Well done and look forward to reading next book.
Lives up to LA's excellent crime writing. Very enjoyable. Yet another triumph for her. Well done and look forward to reading next book.
November 4, 2022
4+ stars
July 30, 2023
Enjoyed this novel. A superb novelist.
August 1, 2023
Another twister from Lin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews