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Doll House
Following the death of his best friend, author Ben Haversham is crippled by a terminal case of writer’s block. The isolation of his agent’s remote cottage, nestled in an out-of-the-way village, seems like the ideal location for him to rekindle his creativity. Except, Sandalwood village, with its curious museum the ‘Doll House’, is not as idyllic as it first appears. There is a history to Sandalwood. There are nefarious plots and dark secrets held by the sinister souls who reside in Sandalwood. And there are dark and dangerous characters determined to keep those secrets. Even if his ghosts hadn’t followed him to Sandalwood, Ben discovers that he would still have been haunted by the many malevolent spirits that reside in the village beneath the shadow of the Doll House.
From the
The doll stared at Tina.
From the moment she awoke in the morning, until she finally managed to creep out of the bedroom and escape its insistent glare, the doll fixed Tina with its sightless open-eyed gaze.
The doll stared at her whenever she revisited the bedroom in the day, either to find a change of clothes for a dinner engagement, or simply to collect a thicker jumper to stave any early evening chill that gripped the cottage. The doll stared at her when she returned to the bedside cabinet to retrieve whichever book she’d fallen asleep reading the previous night. The doll stared at her as she drifted uneasily to sleep on the lumpy comfort of the sagging mattress.
One eye was a muddy brown. The other, the one that always drew her attention, was impossibly blue. On a human child it would have been described as the blue eye of a cherubic angel. Poets would have called it the blue of an unpolluted ocean or the blue of an idyllic summer sky. Tina had started to think of the eye as satanic-blue. She had started to think of it as satanic-evil-blue with a slight hint of psychotic malevolence. Compared to the acrylics she was currently using, Tina thought the closest colour on her palette was manganese-blue, although that seemed less disquieting than the shade she saw in the doll’s eye. She would have agreed it was impossibly blue, but she would never have said it was a blue that could be associated with something pleasant like an ocean or a summer sky.
She awoke just after three in the morning to find the doll glaring at her. The satanic-blue eye was sharpened by a red glow. Tina told herself that the additional colour was nothing more than the reflection from the LED on her bedside clock. The doll’s eyes were glassy and round and she figured the orbs were likely to collect and reflect any light in the room.
It was a conversation she had often had since moving into the cottage. She told herself there was nothing creepy or supernatural about the way the doll glared at her. She told herself the doll wasn’t really glaring. It was only a doll, and dolls didn’t have the ability to glare. That was a humanising talent she had bestowed on the thing with her own hyperactive imagination. Her agent, John, had said as much when she told him about the way the doll glared.
“Are you doing too many pills?” he’d asked. “Or not enough?”
“It’s creepy,” Tina insisted. “It glares at me.”
“It doesn’t glare at you,” John said. “It’s a doll. It’s inanimate. It can’t glare.”
But John had said those words in daylight. He had said those words downstairs at the kitchen table, away from the doll, where it was easy to believe such plausible truths. Now, it was the middle of the night and she was alone with the thing. The darkness in the bedroom was broken only by a sliver of errant moonlight and the red glow from the bedside clock with its figures showing 3:10AM. Despite everything John had said to her, Tina knew the doll was glaring.
“If it disturbs you so much, why don’t you get rid of it?” John had asked.
“It was a gift. I can’t get rid of a gift.”
From the
The doll stared at Tina.
From the moment she awoke in the morning, until she finally managed to creep out of the bedroom and escape its insistent glare, the doll fixed Tina with its sightless open-eyed gaze.
The doll stared at her whenever she revisited the bedroom in the day, either to find a change of clothes for a dinner engagement, or simply to collect a thicker jumper to stave any early evening chill that gripped the cottage. The doll stared at her when she returned to the bedside cabinet to retrieve whichever book she’d fallen asleep reading the previous night. The doll stared at her as she drifted uneasily to sleep on the lumpy comfort of the sagging mattress.
One eye was a muddy brown. The other, the one that always drew her attention, was impossibly blue. On a human child it would have been described as the blue eye of a cherubic angel. Poets would have called it the blue of an unpolluted ocean or the blue of an idyllic summer sky. Tina had started to think of the eye as satanic-blue. She had started to think of it as satanic-evil-blue with a slight hint of psychotic malevolence. Compared to the acrylics she was currently using, Tina thought the closest colour on her palette was manganese-blue, although that seemed less disquieting than the shade she saw in the doll’s eye. She would have agreed it was impossibly blue, but she would never have said it was a blue that could be associated with something pleasant like an ocean or a summer sky.
She awoke just after three in the morning to find the doll glaring at her. The satanic-blue eye was sharpened by a red glow. Tina told herself that the additional colour was nothing more than the reflection from the LED on her bedside clock. The doll’s eyes were glassy and round and she figured the orbs were likely to collect and reflect any light in the room.
It was a conversation she had often had since moving into the cottage. She told herself there was nothing creepy or supernatural about the way the doll glared at her. She told herself the doll wasn’t really glaring. It was only a doll, and dolls didn’t have the ability to glare. That was a humanising talent she had bestowed on the thing with her own hyperactive imagination. Her agent, John, had said as much when she told him about the way the doll glared.
“Are you doing too many pills?” he’d asked. “Or not enough?”
“It’s creepy,” Tina insisted. “It glares at me.”
“It doesn’t glare at you,” John said. “It’s a doll. It’s inanimate. It can’t glare.”
But John had said those words in daylight. He had said those words downstairs at the kitchen table, away from the doll, where it was easy to believe such plausible truths. Now, it was the middle of the night and she was alone with the thing. The darkness in the bedroom was broken only by a sliver of errant moonlight and the red glow from the bedside clock with its figures showing 3:10AM. Despite everything John had said to her, Tina knew the doll was glaring.
“If it disturbs you so much, why don’t you get rid of it?” John had asked.
“It was a gift. I can’t get rid of a gift.”
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2018
2 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Lister
61 books43 followersThis author is also published under the pen name Ashley R. Lister.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 12, 2018
Ben Haversham is having a case of writer's block following a tragedy that happened a year ago. Since then, he has been unable to write the third book in a trilogy series that should have already been completed. Ben’s agent, John is determined to get that manuscript, so he forces Ben to stay at one of his country cottages in the village of Sandalwood for the next three months. Ben will have the solitude and isolation necessary to complete his novel. Only Sandalwood is not as it seems and something is definitely not right in this village. Is it already too late for Ben to escape or will the secrets he learns seal his fate for good?
When I first started reading this story, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. I will admit the first three or four chapters I was a bit confused with the introduction of new characters, but once I got passed the first few chapters I realized it was soon to come. This is when the story started to shine for me and boy did it turn quite disturbing! There are two things that creep me out the most and they are dolls and clowns. Needless to say Ashley Lister has a wicked sense of humor including two of the top things most people are probably afraid of.
Needless to say, I probably should NOT have started reading this story at night. Yes, I am a scaredy cat. You are probably wondering why I like horror stories right about now, too. What can I say? I am a glutton for punishment.
Doll House just gets weirder and weirder as you move along with the chapters and I couldn't help myself from liking it to the TV Show American Horror Story. It’s not necessarily scary, but the freak out factor is on point. Lister blends just the right amount of tension and fear throughout the story. The lure of the village really draws you right in and I needed to know what comes next although, I was slightly perturbed knowing that I was actually enjoying it given the fact that I am scared of dolls and clowns.
I really loved the characterization of Ben. He is going through a tough time after his tragedy and he has really let himself go with drinking and recreational activities, but you can see how he blames himself for what happened a year ago. Is he a likable character? Yes and no. I could see how much he cared about certain things and people, but sometimes he could be a jerk. Also, he was kinda wimpy for a man, but under the circumstances and in a creepy village like this, I could understand why.
Doll House by Ashley Lister is a darkly written, twisted tale which delves deep into the creep zone with a side of eerie that will have you questioning your sanity when you reach the last page. If you are a fan of all things weird and horror, then you will definitely enjoy reading this story. I will certainly be looking for more from Ashley Lister in the future.
When I first started reading this story, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. I will admit the first three or four chapters I was a bit confused with the introduction of new characters, but once I got passed the first few chapters I realized it was soon to come. This is when the story started to shine for me and boy did it turn quite disturbing! There are two things that creep me out the most and they are dolls and clowns. Needless to say Ashley Lister has a wicked sense of humor including two of the top things most people are probably afraid of.
Needless to say, I probably should NOT have started reading this story at night. Yes, I am a scaredy cat. You are probably wondering why I like horror stories right about now, too. What can I say? I am a glutton for punishment.
Doll House just gets weirder and weirder as you move along with the chapters and I couldn't help myself from liking it to the TV Show American Horror Story. It’s not necessarily scary, but the freak out factor is on point. Lister blends just the right amount of tension and fear throughout the story. The lure of the village really draws you right in and I needed to know what comes next although, I was slightly perturbed knowing that I was actually enjoying it given the fact that I am scared of dolls and clowns.
I really loved the characterization of Ben. He is going through a tough time after his tragedy and he has really let himself go with drinking and recreational activities, but you can see how he blames himself for what happened a year ago. Is he a likable character? Yes and no. I could see how much he cared about certain things and people, but sometimes he could be a jerk. Also, he was kinda wimpy for a man, but under the circumstances and in a creepy village like this, I could understand why.
Doll House by Ashley Lister is a darkly written, twisted tale which delves deep into the creep zone with a side of eerie that will have you questioning your sanity when you reach the last page. If you are a fan of all things weird and horror, then you will definitely enjoy reading this story. I will certainly be looking for more from Ashley Lister in the future.
September 16, 2018
Author Ben Haversham is blaming himself for the death of his best friend Etta and is suffering from writer's block, so his agent John, insists on a period of isolation in his remote cottage. Sandalwood is in an isolated village and they both hope it will help rekindle his creativity, but Ben soon begins to realise that something is not quite right.
Situated next door to his cottage is the "Doll House" a museum dedicated to Dolls, run by the predatory Marion Papusa and almost immediately it appears she has some sort of hold over the people of the village.
As well as Ben, we follow Tom, a religious psychopath who also wants to avenge the death of Etta and provides plenty of violence and grisly deaths to keep the "yuck" factor strong!
The Doll House is a horror that is certainly creepy and for the strong stomached! As well as multiple references to dolls (which a lot of people find creepy in themselves) there are also clowns thrown into the mix. Poor Ben has to sleep in a room with lots of lifelike dolls looking down on him from a shelf!
I think this would make a great movie - the strange goings on and gore from the violence would make it the sort of film you have to watch from between fingers. Overall my rating is 3.5 - I thought the horror aspects were effective and it gave me bad dreams, but I was a little disappointed in the ending.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Caffeine Nights Publishing for sending a copy my way.
Situated next door to his cottage is the "Doll House" a museum dedicated to Dolls, run by the predatory Marion Papusa and almost immediately it appears she has some sort of hold over the people of the village.
As well as Ben, we follow Tom, a religious psychopath who also wants to avenge the death of Etta and provides plenty of violence and grisly deaths to keep the "yuck" factor strong!
The Doll House is a horror that is certainly creepy and for the strong stomached! As well as multiple references to dolls (which a lot of people find creepy in themselves) there are also clowns thrown into the mix. Poor Ben has to sleep in a room with lots of lifelike dolls looking down on him from a shelf!
I think this would make a great movie - the strange goings on and gore from the violence would make it the sort of film you have to watch from between fingers. Overall my rating is 3.5 - I thought the horror aspects were effective and it gave me bad dreams, but I was a little disappointed in the ending.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Caffeine Nights Publishing for sending a copy my way.
November 9, 2021
When you begin to read this novel it seems as if the author is spinning a web and you are caught in the middle. She spins that web and you have a front row seat to see those characters develop and mature. You watch their lives and it is if you are right there able to talk to them but no they do not hear you, you are the audience to the lives they live. This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
June 30, 2024
In this book, we meet Ben, who is suffering from a case of writers block, this is following the death of his close friend. His agent has a suggestion to go to a retreat a cottage in Sandalwood, which is his own home.
Sandalwood has its own dark secrets held by the people who live there. It's creepy, has horrifying scenes that it ended up holding my attention. The Doll House therein holds its own malevolent spirits. O.M.G. ..... I didn't know there were going to be creepy clowns, that was bad enough to scare me arghhh 😳😳😳.
I haven't ever read any book by this author, and it won't be the last. I absolutely loved this read. Do what I did by trying a new author. I loved it !!!!!
Sandalwood has its own dark secrets held by the people who live there. It's creepy, has horrifying scenes that it ended up holding my attention. The Doll House therein holds its own malevolent spirits. O.M.G. ..... I didn't know there were going to be creepy clowns, that was bad enough to scare me arghhh 😳😳😳.
I haven't ever read any book by this author, and it won't be the last. I absolutely loved this read. Do what I did by trying a new author. I loved it !!!!!
September 30, 2018
Here’s a fun, highly atmospheric horror/mystery thriller that will keep fans happily engaged, eagerly turning pages and jonesing to find out what happens next from beginning to end. In 'Doll House', UK author Ashley Lister sets up a dark, creepy tale with the macabrely-sophisticated psychology of Shirley Jackson’s 'The Haunting of Hill House', and the terror-tinged eroticism of François Ozon’s 'Swimming Pool', all with a decidedly British sensibility.
Lister’s less-than-perfect protagonist is Ben Haversham, a best-selling author of fictionalized memoir, though what little life or imagination he seems to have hardly suggest that the books were very thick. For a writer, Haversham seems chronically incurious, content to know what he knows, bugger-all the rest; getting by on fading charm and the cachet of his flagging literary reputation, his guttering creative spark now fueled mostly by drugs and alcohol. Desperate for a third best-seller, Haversham’s agent proposes something of a radical intervention, depositing his dissolute client in a small, isolated village somewhere in northern England, leaving him a virtual prisoner in a cottage-retreat with no distractions and nothing other to do than “write the damn book!” (Don’t we all wish we had so thoughtful an agent!)
Of course, weird and uncanny things start happening right away. There is something deeply unsettling about the village and its inhabitants, especially the mysterious Marian Papusa, owner of the Doll House, a creepy “Addam’s Family” mansion-cum-museum/factory just across the street from Ben’s cottage. Weirder still is the little army of dolls that populate the cottage, giving anyone who stays there a serious case of the heebie-jeebies, not to mention the grotesque oil paintings of evil clowns almost everywhere one looks. Throughout the novel, Lister draws on the macabre ambivalence many people feel toward dolls and clowns; seemingly innocent figures of childhood fun and amusement, they can also appear as dark avatars of the subconscious’ most disturbing tendencies, the stuff of very grown-up nightmares. Enter a vindictive religious fanatic from Haversham’s past, household staff who are just a little bit too accomodating, and a grisly backstory that drives everything towards a horrifyingly inevitable denouement, and the stage is well set indeed.
I do have a couple small complaints to register. First, whether because the book was written in a great hurry or indifferently edited afterwards, there are far too many instances of repetition, the same information—usually part of a character’s inner monologue—restated, sometimes two or three times, in almost precisely the same way within the space of a few lines. This occurs repeatedly throughout the text, lending the distinct sense of an early draft: one begins to feel as if some heavy from a Guy Ritchie gangster epic were standing alongside them, shouting at the top of their lungs, “if you didn’t get the obvious point I was trying to make in the previous sentence, I will now make the same point again, but this time I will hit you in the head with a lead pipe so the point will be even more obvious…” Second: there are a few glaring continuity errors that ought to have been caught in the editing process: the names of the two local pubs are mixed up at a couple points later in the story, and the character of a helpful local barmaid is confused with a denizen of the Doll House towards the end.
Small complaints, and mostly irrelevant once one begins to go with the flow. It’s easy—almost inevitable—to find oneself invested in the engaging story Lister so skillfully unfolds here; a good, fast, entertaining read, definitely worth a look! Recommended.
Lister’s less-than-perfect protagonist is Ben Haversham, a best-selling author of fictionalized memoir, though what little life or imagination he seems to have hardly suggest that the books were very thick. For a writer, Haversham seems chronically incurious, content to know what he knows, bugger-all the rest; getting by on fading charm and the cachet of his flagging literary reputation, his guttering creative spark now fueled mostly by drugs and alcohol. Desperate for a third best-seller, Haversham’s agent proposes something of a radical intervention, depositing his dissolute client in a small, isolated village somewhere in northern England, leaving him a virtual prisoner in a cottage-retreat with no distractions and nothing other to do than “write the damn book!” (Don’t we all wish we had so thoughtful an agent!)
Of course, weird and uncanny things start happening right away. There is something deeply unsettling about the village and its inhabitants, especially the mysterious Marian Papusa, owner of the Doll House, a creepy “Addam’s Family” mansion-cum-museum/factory just across the street from Ben’s cottage. Weirder still is the little army of dolls that populate the cottage, giving anyone who stays there a serious case of the heebie-jeebies, not to mention the grotesque oil paintings of evil clowns almost everywhere one looks. Throughout the novel, Lister draws on the macabre ambivalence many people feel toward dolls and clowns; seemingly innocent figures of childhood fun and amusement, they can also appear as dark avatars of the subconscious’ most disturbing tendencies, the stuff of very grown-up nightmares. Enter a vindictive religious fanatic from Haversham’s past, household staff who are just a little bit too accomodating, and a grisly backstory that drives everything towards a horrifyingly inevitable denouement, and the stage is well set indeed.
I do have a couple small complaints to register. First, whether because the book was written in a great hurry or indifferently edited afterwards, there are far too many instances of repetition, the same information—usually part of a character’s inner monologue—restated, sometimes two or three times, in almost precisely the same way within the space of a few lines. This occurs repeatedly throughout the text, lending the distinct sense of an early draft: one begins to feel as if some heavy from a Guy Ritchie gangster epic were standing alongside them, shouting at the top of their lungs, “if you didn’t get the obvious point I was trying to make in the previous sentence, I will now make the same point again, but this time I will hit you in the head with a lead pipe so the point will be even more obvious…” Second: there are a few glaring continuity errors that ought to have been caught in the editing process: the names of the two local pubs are mixed up at a couple points later in the story, and the character of a helpful local barmaid is confused with a denizen of the Doll House towards the end.
Small complaints, and mostly irrelevant once one begins to go with the flow. It’s easy—almost inevitable—to find oneself invested in the engaging story Lister so skillfully unfolds here; a good, fast, entertaining read, definitely worth a look! Recommended.
September 15, 2018
First of all, a huge thank you to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and to Caffeine Nights Publishing for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review. I'm a huge fan of all things horror (raised as a child on Point Horror then graduating to James Herbert, Dean Koontz and Stephen King) but I've read surprisingly little of it in recent years. I'm not sure why, I seem to have difficulties finding anything that stands out in the genre, or wins both the popularity contest and legions of fans which usually attracts my attention on social media. Well, I'm so glad that this was brought to my attention because as soon as I read that synopsis, I knew it was time to dip my toes into the genre again and find out whether I still had the strength of stomach to deal with it.
Do you need a strong stomach for Doll House? Absolutely. It's incredibly graphic in points both in horrific descriptions of violence and in one case, sexually graphic so if you're prone to a bit of queasiness, just warning you now. However, I was delighted that my stomach seemed to be as steady as I remembered and I found this a fascinating, disturbing and incredibly memorable novel in the way that parts of it will be demonstrably difficult to forget.
I don't want to delve too deeply into the synopsis as the blurb above does a brilliant job of that all by itself. All I will say is that it involves a cottage where an author is working on his next novel, some terrifying goings-on with dolls, clowns, the supernatural and some very shady, untrustworthy and terrifying characters that may have ulterior motives and not necessarily our main character, Ben Haversham's best interests at heart. The sense of isolation and unpleasant nature of the narrative is only heightened by the fact that Ben finds himself completely trapped, unable to advance beyond a certain point or indeed, exit the village at all. Additionally, how is it that Ben's novel appears to be writing itself whilst he is sleeping and has no recollection of writing at all? Even more shockingly, what is the real purpose behind Ben's habitation in the cottage? Is it to write his next book or is there something much more forbidding going on in Sandalwood?
Wow. This was a ride I really wasn't expecting. Having had no prior experience with the author's work I'm always curious about what to expect, particularly in the horror genre. I like to think of myself as being quite difficult to scare although I must confess, as I get older I do feel slightly more vulnerable to any "bumps in the night," within a narrative! There were moments in this novel that I was genuinely petrified and was glad to have been reading it in the daylight hours and not alone in bed, particularly when our main character is so isolated and cut off from "normal" society himself. It's a fairly short novel at 229 pages in the paperback edition and although it's easy to consume in one or two sittings, at the same time it feels the perfect length for what the author was attempting to achieve. It's definitely a novel that has made me more keen to branch out in the horror genre and see what I can find and of course, to read another book by Ashley Lister.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Do you need a strong stomach for Doll House? Absolutely. It's incredibly graphic in points both in horrific descriptions of violence and in one case, sexually graphic so if you're prone to a bit of queasiness, just warning you now. However, I was delighted that my stomach seemed to be as steady as I remembered and I found this a fascinating, disturbing and incredibly memorable novel in the way that parts of it will be demonstrably difficult to forget.
I don't want to delve too deeply into the synopsis as the blurb above does a brilliant job of that all by itself. All I will say is that it involves a cottage where an author is working on his next novel, some terrifying goings-on with dolls, clowns, the supernatural and some very shady, untrustworthy and terrifying characters that may have ulterior motives and not necessarily our main character, Ben Haversham's best interests at heart. The sense of isolation and unpleasant nature of the narrative is only heightened by the fact that Ben finds himself completely trapped, unable to advance beyond a certain point or indeed, exit the village at all. Additionally, how is it that Ben's novel appears to be writing itself whilst he is sleeping and has no recollection of writing at all? Even more shockingly, what is the real purpose behind Ben's habitation in the cottage? Is it to write his next book or is there something much more forbidding going on in Sandalwood?
Wow. This was a ride I really wasn't expecting. Having had no prior experience with the author's work I'm always curious about what to expect, particularly in the horror genre. I like to think of myself as being quite difficult to scare although I must confess, as I get older I do feel slightly more vulnerable to any "bumps in the night," within a narrative! There were moments in this novel that I was genuinely petrified and was glad to have been reading it in the daylight hours and not alone in bed, particularly when our main character is so isolated and cut off from "normal" society himself. It's a fairly short novel at 229 pages in the paperback edition and although it's easy to consume in one or two sittings, at the same time it feels the perfect length for what the author was attempting to achieve. It's definitely a novel that has made me more keen to branch out in the horror genre and see what I can find and of course, to read another book by Ashley Lister.
For my full review and many more, please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
July 2, 2025
My 2nd Ashley Lister and his attention to detail the most disturbing, graphic scenes I enjoyed previous is ever present here and more. So we have our author writing about Ben the Author writing about Bill...A story going on within a story almost inception like. Look its got clowns and dolls so there is enough of an audience that will find either of those on top of their scary list. For me Tom steals the show, what an absolute nutter serving baby Jesus so devoted and so violently. This is like Midsomer Murders that has lost all control. 5 stars before, 5 stars again
September 20, 2023
Doll House
Very disturbing yet very good. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. Ashley Lister has written a highly immersive story one that sets the reader asking “Where did the get their ideas?” and feeling that it would be extremely disconcerting to live inside their head.
Very disturbing yet very good. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. Ashley Lister has written a highly immersive story one that sets the reader asking “Where did the get their ideas?” and feeling that it would be extremely disconcerting to live inside their head.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews