Death Dolls: Art to die for...

by Simon Farrant

Will your skin become a handbag after you die?

Benjamin sees himself as a great guy who employs various misfits at his remote family farm, but when his mother dies during a house fire, grief takes its toll on his mind. Strapped for cash, Benjamin starts a new, gruesomely profitable leather business with Tilly, an expert craft worker.  The only hitch - where will they get the bodies from? Can they find people willing to sell their dead relatives' skin or will they need to take matters into their own hands?

If you like fantastic, gritty, dark crime that's not for the faint of heart then you will love Death Dolls. It is the third book in the hard boiled crime series, Newdon Killers, by Simon Farrant.

'Absolutely fabulous story, Simon Farrant is an excellent author who keeps you pinned to the edge of your seat.' - 5* Amazon Review.

Pick up Death Dolls to discover this exciting new book today!

Genres: Crime

159 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 22, 2018

Reviews

[Liis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death Dolls… I don’t know where to start.. I haven’t ever read anything quite so sinister. Truly… psychopathic.. Psychopathic in large volume… just, wow! Death Dolls is definitely crime, definitely noir and for a majority of people it would simply read as horror. The most creepy type of horror. Reading this book reminded me of a day off work, a few years ago, where I binged on all SAW movies one after the other and ended up rocking back and forth, wrapped in a blanket, by the end of the movie marathon… I’d say I was quite close to breaking my brain that day. Death Dolls definitely pushed those mental boundaries again…

The story takes place in England, a quiet countryside where Benjamin has purchased the use of some farmland and units to open up his tattoo shop. Benjamin, who loves his mother and sister very, very much is an extremely ambitious man- he wants to be successful and rich. He wants to be rich so bad, that when it comes to the time to make moral decisions, he cares naught for what is right or wrong as long as there’s a profit to be made. As his merry band of psychopaths gets added to by way of employees, each with their ideas on how to make that profit grow, the plot gives ‘dysfunctional’ a whole new meaning…

You can probably guess who’s behind the idea of the Death Dolls brand of tattoos… think stereotypes when it comes to baddies… It’s always the Eastern Europeans and Russians who end up doing the bloodiest work… Ah well… 😀 But to make it quite clear, we’re not dealing with some sort of magical powers or a curse that get injected through a tattoo gun into skin that then makes the tattooed lose their mind and go off on a murder-spree. Oh, no! You can’t even imagine what the Death Doll tattoo in someone’s skin will mean… Or how valuable a tattooed skin ends up being… *shudders remembering*

In addition to the tattoo shop, Benjamin starts a number of other businesses with staff (one creepier than the other, but all of them with very little- zero- conscience) who live on site. For the sake of some mystery, I will withhold the information about these other businesses that opened up the hair-rising, blood curdling possibilities in this story…If I told you, you might put 2 and 2 together, you see, and I’ll leave this particular easter egg for you to discover.

Death Dolls doesn’t have that one element I most love in books- character development. But this is not that kind of book anyway… At times, the writing lost a bit of smoothness by ‘he said/she did’ but what the story does have in spades is the idea behind it all which is something I couldn’t conjure up in my wildest nightmares! I am but one opinion and when I put aside my very subjective preference, I cannot deny that the point of this book isn’t a case study to dissect the minds of nutjobs, the psyhcological questions and answers to fit into a complete mental picture (and lordy, believe you me, the characters all have crawled out of their holes in Hell to come together in this sordid tale). Death Dolls is not a book to investigate where the breaking point of morality happens. There is no ‘but why’ or ‘but how’… The breaking point has been passed, the line that separates the madmen from humanity has been over-stepped and what you’ll witness is a nest of crazy people who will bat zero eyelids in the name of money. It gets truly bloody and unbelievable and more sinister by the page. People die… dun-dun-duuuun…

At 182 pages, there isn’t much by the way of complex character development but you’ll get a story to remember for weeks to come. It is that effective. Whilst the leisurely pace at the start of the story comes across good-natured, it kicks off suddenly and whoaaa, the madness is pouring off the page like blood from a carotid artery.

Death Dolls offers a solid plot wrapped in butchery and your worst nightmares- all heading towards an ending that is wonderfully ironic… That is, if you got the cojones to pick this title up… Forget about food for a few hours, crack open something a bit stronger (if you’re old enough, of course!) and receive your Halloween shock treatment, my friends!

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this long novella (it took me about two hours to read) for free from the author, via a posting on the UK Crime Book Club Facebook site, in exchange for a voluntary honest review. It’s a highly original but deeply disturbing story, that blends suspense, police procedural and horror. It would be best not to know too much about the plot going in.

Benjamin McGuinness is a successful businessman, who runs an highly unusual set of companies, with intersecting supply sources, from a remote rural location. The workplace is staffed by a bunch of psychopathic misfits who all live in, are essentially each other’s family, and abandon all morality, in favour of profit, but how far are they willing to go?

This was pretty gruesome, be warned, and requires rather prolonged suspension of disbelief, but is an entertaining fast read with some unique characters. It turns out to be Book 3 in a series about the fictional town of Newdon, but was easily read as a stand-alone. Death Dolls is available now.

[M.A. Comley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, yet another thrilling story in this series.

Absolutely fabulous story, Simon Farrant is an excellent author who keeps you pinned to the edge of your seat. Not for the faint-hearted his stories are an absolute pleasure to read.

If you love gruesome tales be sure to check out this author's work, you won't be disappointed.

[Mark Tilbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benjamin agrees to a unique business idea because all he can see are pound signs. Even when he sees things happening that he doesn’t agree with, he still forges on with the plan that gets more macabre with each passing page.
As with the previous Newdon books, once the characters are introduced, the pace of the story picks up and you’re thrown into a situation that you’ll be glad is fictional! It’s dark, it’s disturbing, but still entertaining. If you don't mind a little 'gruesome' in your fiction, then you'll enjoy this.

[Neats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recently read The Crucifix by Simon Farrant I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of his latest book Death Dolls and I was thrilled to find that it was just as macabre as I was expecting it to be. Yes I know, I'm a sick hippo! 😏

The protagonist, Benjamin McGuinness, is an all round nice guy who is always looking out for new business opportunities and prides himself on treating his employees like family despite the fact that they are all a little unconventional to say the least.

Benjamin is doing well financially but when one of his psychopaths - erm - I mean employees, comes up with a stomach churning business proposition he's quick to see the possible potential and things take a gut wrenching turn.

Death Dolls starts off slowly but once the pace picks up it literally took my breath away. Who were this bunch of depraved reprobates, how long would they be able to get away with what they were doing and would they go on to do even more nefarious things, were just a few of the questions that were spinning around in my head as I was reading. Imagine a cross between Dexter and The Twilight Zone and that should give you an idea of what to expect. I would have liked a little more character background but that's just my personal preference and it certainly doesn't detract from either the story or my enjoyment of it. If you've got a strtong stomach and you enjoy a grisly thriller or horror novel then this could be just what you're looking for.

Simon Farrant is fast becoming one of those authors that when you know he's got a new book coming out, you don't need to read the blurb - you just need to read the book!

[F.D. Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humerously grotesque! A romp into a realm of taboo unlike anything you’ve read before. Surprisingly fresh and current. Simon Farrants ability to mix comedy with bloody horror is an absolute treat to read. Having read his previous work, Famously Ordinary, Death Dolls brings his lighting fast-paced story telling back to the forefront of must read novellas. Following the strange life of Benjamin McGuiness, the tattoo artist, his ability in entrepanuership is trumped by his inexhaustible need to do more and better. His one stop shop, Dr. Tattoo, quickly grows into something dark and sinister while still maintaining a false sense of civility. Hiring a band of talented, yet crooked individuals to help him with his ventures, his life of fortune quickly turns crime, and the local enforcement is onto him.

Death Dolls is truly a unique story all into its own, set within the fictional town of Newdon. Some of my favorite characters to note were the Russian brothers who turned out to be a huge asset to Benjamin’s strange empire. It’s hard to imagine a story like this, it’s absurdity, yet you sometimes have to wonder just how real this could be. The dynamic of the story served it well, with its ups and downs of character development and seemingly everyday life of a serial killer.

Simon does crime fiction quite well. Pick this story up. You won’t be disappointed. 5 out of 5 stars.
F. D. Gross

[Patrice Gotting - #prdgreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

ACTUAL RATING 3.5 STARS!

short read that definitely packs a punch.

I’m not sure enjoyed Is the right word given what happens in this book :’) but it’s one that I’m certainly glad I picked up.

The first few chapters were slow going whist they introduced the characters and the story line but once it got into the action it didn’t stop.

I did feel at times things were “too easy” because the main character never questioned the new ideas, he just went along with them no matter how crazy!

I definitely got Dexter vibes from this, so if you enjoy that kind of thing it is definitely worth a read.

Thank you for the opportunity Simon.

[Craig Gillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly original and sometimes gruesome story, it’s brilliant

[lucy Pooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has an excellent storyline.... Its not the usual style of writing I enjoy but I really liked reading it, I didn't expect the dark plotline at all but it worked well. I read it in 2 days as I wanted to know what happened next........

[Will Templeton · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a gentle start this one turns very grim. If you can accept that the story exists in an alternative universe, where morality is an alien concept, then you'll get on fine with this book 🙂 The story itself flies along at quite a pace, once the action gets going, and it verges on the boundaries of a horror story, with the extreme events that transpire. I would criticise the lack of character development, and an element of inconsistency in the characters as given, but overall, just give yourself over to the flow of the gory narrative, and enjoy.

[Nikki Ayling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Another superbly written story that is fast paced, amazingly descriptive yet brilliant book. I thoroughly enjoyed this very much. Keep writing Simon please I am need of another Newdon Killers fix.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual set of protagonists in a tattooist and his unconventional colleagues and a genuinely interesting plot make for an interesting read, at times the story went a little flat but in general the pace was good and I would read more from the author. I found the concept of the business intriguing in this but would have liked the characters of the police officers to be a little more developed. This is probably not a read for the faint hearted as their are some gruesome scenes. A solid 4* read for me

[Cassandra MADEUP BookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly not what I was expecting!

Not a long read but certainly powerful! The initial few chapters were slow feeling, purely because I was not expecting the way the tale went, however once I got a bit further In it became very clear why they were necessary.

I loved how Unique a tale this was, written from the perspective of the perpetrators from before they even meet one another.

Less than 200 pages, the story is fast paced after the first few chapters, with a lot happening in a short amount of time, but I did not feel this took anything away from the Tale at all.

The story was unnerving at times, and made me cringe in some, but in a way that was perfect for the Genre.

I enjoyed every page, glued to them in a way I would expect from a shorter book. The characters were very different, each dissimilar to the others around them, and each bizarre in their own way.

The Main Character was pitiable and detestable in equal measure, his decisions eerily understandable based on his self interest and selfish nature. His decisions stem from self preservation and maintaining his business above all else, which is creepily alt for the current social climate.

Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys graphic horror / thriller type stories and wants a quick, powerful read!

[Noelle Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read book 1 in the Newdon Killers series earlier in the year, so I was looking forward to seeing what was in store for the town in book 2. This town seems to attract the murderous. Death Dolls is original and injects horror into ordinary life.

This new business drags Lisa, his sister, into the deadly web of deception.


Best Read
When you want an original and chilling journey to the town of Newdon, where murder makes its’ home.

Having read Simon’s first book The Crucifix: Newdon Killers Book One, I knew that he would have a solid and original premise. The storyline is chilling and tense.

Benjamin gave me the creeps from the beginning of the book, his character is portrayed very well. He starts recruiting his band of misfits, all hiding their own dark secrets and desires. I don’t want to ruin the story but Benjamin and his band of psychopaths start a very unsavoury business that left me squirming.

Simon has produced another solid and chilling story of murder in the fictional town of Newdon.

[Sandra Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, so graphic. I read true crime, and that does not gross me out, this book did.

[Terri Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cocky and rather self obsessed criminal. I enjoyed the plot and the (just the right amount) gore. A very easy book to read, with characters you'll love to hate.

[Jade Minion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After asking for recommendations for some scary books, Simon offered his own and I read within that day! Great characters, I had no issue with picturing what they all looked like after Simon's descriptions, also picturing the scene, what's happening with ease. There's some points that make you sit and shudder with an 'urgh' but also a few laugh out loud moments! I think the story itself came round to a nice finish, which wasn't what I was expecting to happen but closed the book nicely. Loved it!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange story with strange characters. I expected a stranger ending.