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Dollhouse: A Fast Paced, Horror-Thriller Mystery
Eleven unbreakable windows. One locked door. No way out…
Single mother Darla awakens to the ultimate nightmare… She’s trapped in a house in the woods, with no memory of how she got there. She’s surrounded by strangers. And worst of all, she doesn’t know where her children are. The six strangers with her have no clue to what is going on. Tensions grow, as they struggle to figure out who locked them in this hellhole, and how they can escape. All hope seems lost, until the clock strikes 9:00 PM, and the house’s only door finally unlocks. But as they venture out into the woods, something lurks in the darkness. Something hungry… And when it finally attacks, Darla and the others realize their mysterious prison may be their only hope for safety. But a sinister poem soon reveals that shelter comes with a price. And sacrifices must be made. And the clock is ticking… With limited food, no water, and certain death waiting outside, Darla must solve this life or death riddle before it’s too late. Who put them in this house? Who are these people, and why are they there? And most importantly… Who will survive?"A fiendishly clever horror mystery. McManaman weaves a diabolical web with his debut novel, full of intrigue, suspense, and violent murder."David Sodergren, author of The Forgotten Island
"I had a blast with this one and it’ll be exciting to see what Andrew comes up with next."Steve Stred, author of Mastodon
Single mother Darla awakens to the ultimate nightmare… She’s trapped in a house in the woods, with no memory of how she got there. She’s surrounded by strangers. And worst of all, she doesn’t know where her children are. The six strangers with her have no clue to what is going on. Tensions grow, as they struggle to figure out who locked them in this hellhole, and how they can escape. All hope seems lost, until the clock strikes 9:00 PM, and the house’s only door finally unlocks. But as they venture out into the woods, something lurks in the darkness. Something hungry… And when it finally attacks, Darla and the others realize their mysterious prison may be their only hope for safety. But a sinister poem soon reveals that shelter comes with a price. And sacrifices must be made. And the clock is ticking… With limited food, no water, and certain death waiting outside, Darla must solve this life or death riddle before it’s too late. Who put them in this house? Who are these people, and why are they there? And most importantly… Who will survive?"A fiendishly clever horror mystery. McManaman weaves a diabolical web with his debut novel, full of intrigue, suspense, and violent murder."David Sodergren, author of The Forgotten Island
"I had a blast with this one and it’ll be exciting to see what Andrew comes up with next."Steve Stred, author of Mastodon
- GenresHorror
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2021
22 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Andrew McManaman
1 book14 followersAndrew McManaman was born in Ottawa and raised in the small rural community of Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. Being an avid reader and film buff, Andrew fell in love with storytelling right from a young age. Introduced to many badass classics growing up, he took a shine to the horror and thriller genre. At ten years old, Andrew wrote his first short story and fell in love with the act of writing and has kept writing ever since. Still to this day, a huge movie and book geek, many of the films he grew up watching are his true inspiration for his work. With Popcorn Paperbacks, his goal is to meld the genres he loved to watch growing up and his passion for writing together.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 5, 2022
I’m not sure what it is, but there’s a certain extra kick to connecting with fellow Canadian authors. Maybe it’s the perceived “northern isolation,” or that growing up the majority of Bestselling Dark Fiction writers were from the US or the UK, but us Canadian’s love to band together and root for each other. This isn’t just in writing. It’s in sports and film and industry. It’s why, when you watch a hockey game the announcers will typically wax poetically about how the young Canuck began his hockey career skating on the frozen pond that his dad had cleaned off. It’s that “hey, look where I came from and now I’m here” stubbornness. And I’m all for it.
Not long after the novel ‘The Navajo Nightmare’ came out, that David Sodergren and I co-authored, Andrew McManaman reached out on IG to say he really enjoyed the book and it was great to connect with another Canadian author. And – as we all appreciate and respect – he didn’t immediately advertise his book to me. No, instead, we chatted over the course of a few months, and then one day he asked if I’d ever be interested in checking out ‘Dollhouse.’
And here we are!
What I liked: Waaaay back in 1997 (not even that long ago, but it feels forever at the same time, doesn’t it?) an Independent Science-Fiction movie came out. Made in Canada (and proudly Canadian made), ‘Cube’ was a modest hit when it was released, it grew to have a cult following and several sequels followed.
Why is this of importance? Much like ‘Cube,’ ‘Dollhouse’ follows a similar premise. A group of strangers wakes up in a house with no idea how they got there. The house is unleavable. The door locked, windows sealed, no way out. Soon, distrust, anger and violence breaks out among the group as they try to figure out how to survive and how to get out.
McManaman does a great job of keeping the tension high and the anxiety growing. We don’t get much description of the house itself, but it works well to keep things claustrophobic.
We learn the backstories of the characters, which allows us to see why they react like they do and as we get something from outside of the house entering the story, we can see the survival instincts kick in.
The ending was good, and interesting, as it had a finality to it while also being slightly ambiguous which I think elevated it from a reveal some may see coming.
What I didn’t like: There wasn’t really a single character I connected with or rooted for as things progress and escalate. Some of their attributes come off slightly stereotypic which made for a few annoying moments between them. Saying that – it also works for the reader so that you dislike them all equally and enjoy when certain folks are killed off.
Why you should buy this: This is a fast-paced read, the chapters are short and snappy, which moves us along really well and for the lack of set pieces, the intrigue of what is happening will pull you along really well.
I had a blast with this one and it’ll be exciting to see what Andrew comes up with next.
Not long after the novel ‘The Navajo Nightmare’ came out, that David Sodergren and I co-authored, Andrew McManaman reached out on IG to say he really enjoyed the book and it was great to connect with another Canadian author. And – as we all appreciate and respect – he didn’t immediately advertise his book to me. No, instead, we chatted over the course of a few months, and then one day he asked if I’d ever be interested in checking out ‘Dollhouse.’
And here we are!
What I liked: Waaaay back in 1997 (not even that long ago, but it feels forever at the same time, doesn’t it?) an Independent Science-Fiction movie came out. Made in Canada (and proudly Canadian made), ‘Cube’ was a modest hit when it was released, it grew to have a cult following and several sequels followed.
Why is this of importance? Much like ‘Cube,’ ‘Dollhouse’ follows a similar premise. A group of strangers wakes up in a house with no idea how they got there. The house is unleavable. The door locked, windows sealed, no way out. Soon, distrust, anger and violence breaks out among the group as they try to figure out how to survive and how to get out.
McManaman does a great job of keeping the tension high and the anxiety growing. We don’t get much description of the house itself, but it works well to keep things claustrophobic.
We learn the backstories of the characters, which allows us to see why they react like they do and as we get something from outside of the house entering the story, we can see the survival instincts kick in.
The ending was good, and interesting, as it had a finality to it while also being slightly ambiguous which I think elevated it from a reveal some may see coming.
What I didn’t like: There wasn’t really a single character I connected with or rooted for as things progress and escalate. Some of their attributes come off slightly stereotypic which made for a few annoying moments between them. Saying that – it also works for the reader so that you dislike them all equally and enjoy when certain folks are killed off.
Why you should buy this: This is a fast-paced read, the chapters are short and snappy, which moves us along really well and for the lack of set pieces, the intrigue of what is happening will pull you along really well.
I had a blast with this one and it’ll be exciting to see what Andrew comes up with next.
March 30, 2022
A fiendishly clever horror mystery. McManaman weaves a diabolical web with his debut novel, full of intrigue, suspense, and violent murder.
December 5, 2023
3.5 rounded up to 4. Gotta support Canadian authors!
Want to read
July 30, 2024Love the cover!
March 27, 2022
This was a really twisted, intense read! There were some very unlikeable characters and sometimes you even had to question the likable ones. Lots of mystery, lots of violence, and finally lots of mind-blowing answers. I really enjoyed this book and flew through it. 4/5 skulls 💀
February 12, 2023
This author was new to me but came highly recommended in a horror book group. It has all the tropes I love, a bunch of strangers wake up in a strange place, unsure how they got there and have to face off against all kinds of horrors. The story asks the question; what what you do to survive? Is there more to these strangers than meets the eye. This was a fun, quick to read horror chiller. I am keen to see what else this author has written.
March 31, 2022
At first I had gotten this book because I had read an article about a local author so figured I'd give it a go..support someone that came from the community.
Let's just say, I do not regret my choices. This books is such a page turner. The details that went into everything and the characters have made this thriller/horror such a "can't put it down" book. It was so well written, I love how the backstories of each characters aren't given to you all at once. You find out bit by bit what they have all done which I find made the book that much more interesting. I did have to pick up my jaw a few times as I was reading some of those backstories.
Then you find out the reason they are all in the house! 😱
Such a great twist.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written book that will keep your mind thinking and gasp for what comes next.
Let's just say, I do not regret my choices. This books is such a page turner. The details that went into everything and the characters have made this thriller/horror such a "can't put it down" book. It was so well written, I love how the backstories of each characters aren't given to you all at once. You find out bit by bit what they have all done which I find made the book that much more interesting. I did have to pick up my jaw a few times as I was reading some of those backstories.
Then you find out the reason they are all in the house! 😱
Such a great twist.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written book that will keep your mind thinking and gasp for what comes next.
October 1, 2023
This was sufficiently terrifying 😳
December 2, 2021
Dollhouse is an amazing page turning read that will make you miss your dinner, and read late into the night! This book was a wild ride, and just when you thought you knew all the answers there is another twist to get you second-guessing yourself again. I love a quick paced thriller and I especially love one with a strong female character - Darla would have to be to deal with the group of men that she has been thrown in a house with! The writing is smart and cinematic and there was never a section that I was bored or wanted to skip through. A really incredible first novel and I can’t wait to read more from this author.
December 14, 2021
Could not stop reading!!
I'm not a book worm by any stretch and usually don't managed to finish books, but I read this in 2 days. I couldn't put it down and had to know what happens next. Really unique story line and kept me on my toes. Couldn't recommend this book more to people who love thrillers!!
I'm not a book worm by any stretch and usually don't managed to finish books, but I read this in 2 days. I couldn't put it down and had to know what happens next. Really unique story line and kept me on my toes. Couldn't recommend this book more to people who love thrillers!!
June 23, 2022
A hidden horror gem!
August 11, 2022
ⓇⒺⓋⒾⒺⓌ
Andrew McManaman - Dollhouse
A mysterious house, filled with strangers. They don’t know how or why they got there or who, or what put them there.
There is no way out, but at 9pm the door unlocks - but would you leave after seeing the supernatural figures that seem to stalk outside?
Dollhouse is a real page turner of a horror mystery, and one that I found incredibly difficult to put down.
I’m not sure whether the author intended it, but the book read very much like a movie, it gave me SAW type vibes - not in the extreme sense but the whole strangers in house not knowing why trying to escape thing.
We have a whole gang of characters in Andrew’s debut but unfortunately none of which I particularly liked. Each cast member has their own backstory I just didn’t connect to them.
The descriptions of the house were minimal, but I felt it helped build the mystery.
I’m on the fence with the ending, but there is a finality to it which I think was essential to the storyline.
I personally was overall impressed with Andrew’s debut, and would recommend it to any fan of the horror/thriller genre.
3.5 rounded up to 4
Andrew McManaman - Dollhouse
A mysterious house, filled with strangers. They don’t know how or why they got there or who, or what put them there.
There is no way out, but at 9pm the door unlocks - but would you leave after seeing the supernatural figures that seem to stalk outside?
Dollhouse is a real page turner of a horror mystery, and one that I found incredibly difficult to put down.
I’m not sure whether the author intended it, but the book read very much like a movie, it gave me SAW type vibes - not in the extreme sense but the whole strangers in house not knowing why trying to escape thing.
We have a whole gang of characters in Andrew’s debut but unfortunately none of which I particularly liked. Each cast member has their own backstory I just didn’t connect to them.
The descriptions of the house were minimal, but I felt it helped build the mystery.
I’m on the fence with the ending, but there is a finality to it which I think was essential to the storyline.
I personally was overall impressed with Andrew’s debut, and would recommend it to any fan of the horror/thriller genre.
3.5 rounded up to 4
January 2, 2024
Found this little gem at value village a few weeks ago, and of course I had to take a look.
The cover was creepy and enticing, it was in the horror section and upon further inspection I see that the author is from Ontario Canada like me.
The value village price tag sticker was covering where in Ontario, but regardless I was already buying it. I love to collect Canadian authors of all genres.
Tonight I needed a break from social media and decided to start this book. I’d been meaning to any way. I peeled the sticker off and saw he was from Kemptville, not too far from me. Neat.
So I started this book……… and then I FINISHED this book in about 3 hours. With lots of notes taken along the way.
I’m no author, (wish I could) but for a debut novel, I’d say this is pretty fantastic.
I look forward to more of his work.
The cover was creepy and enticing, it was in the horror section and upon further inspection I see that the author is from Ontario Canada like me.
The value village price tag sticker was covering where in Ontario, but regardless I was already buying it. I love to collect Canadian authors of all genres.
Tonight I needed a break from social media and decided to start this book. I’d been meaning to any way. I peeled the sticker off and saw he was from Kemptville, not too far from me. Neat.
So I started this book……… and then I FINISHED this book in about 3 hours. With lots of notes taken along the way.
I’m no author, (wish I could) but for a debut novel, I’d say this is pretty fantastic.
I look forward to more of his work.
September 10, 2024
Read in one sitting!!
Dollhouse was so engaging, and with just the right level of creepiness and gore - not excessive gore, but enough to help you visualize it and really experience it as a horror/thriller novel. The characters were well-developed, and the psychological turmoil among them all was just so good and well-written.
It was also a great read for me while I was also recovering from knee surgery on the couch, and helped distract me from the pain and pain meds and all that. I was thoroughly entertained and appreciated getting into a great thriller.
I hope you write more chills and thrills, Andrew!
Dollhouse was so engaging, and with just the right level of creepiness and gore - not excessive gore, but enough to help you visualize it and really experience it as a horror/thriller novel. The characters were well-developed, and the psychological turmoil among them all was just so good and well-written.
It was also a great read for me while I was also recovering from knee surgery on the couch, and helped distract me from the pain and pain meds and all that. I was thoroughly entertained and appreciated getting into a great thriller.
I hope you write more chills and thrills, Andrew!
April 7, 2022
A good attempt at an interesting but not necessarily an all too original premise. The first half of the book i really enjoyed and read through just in a few hours but then after that half my pacing slowed as the story became boggled with annoying and cliched type characters (like Robert being the asshole that is doing too much and being very unlikeable in these movies/books where a group is trapped together; most people i would imagine would be a bit more rational). Not a horrible book but the characters became annoying and whiny to where i just skimmed through until i finished.
April 22, 2022
I wasn't really sure where Dollhouse was headed, and I was fairly certain there couldn't be a logical explanation for what was happening. Boy, was I wrong. The author does a fantastic job of leading the reader in one direction and then giving a surprising, but mostly plausible, scenario to explain events. While the premise does seem farfetched, I don't think its too far removed from something that could actually happen, and that is scary in and of itself. Dollhouse is full of disgusting, despicable characters, but if you can tolerate them, you are in for a deliciously, twisted treat.
October 7, 2023
Definitely a dark horror genre and one with suspense and thriller twists and turns. I had keep reading to the end to satisfy my hunger for how Doll House was going to resolve to its thrilling conclusion. Not a read for the faint hearted, but for those who love a captivating imaginative horror thriller of the ‘nightmare, calibre, this is for you! It definitely delivered for me.
October 8, 2023
This first book by Andrew McManaman is a fast paced heart pounding full on horror. An edge of your seat thriller and mystery .Well written and very hard to put down and keeps you hooked all the way through until the surprise ending which really makes the book special. If you like the horror genre, this book is for you. Can't wait for his next one which is soon to be published
November 13, 2025
A fast, chilling and impressive debue from an indie Canadian/Australian author. Dollhouse features a surprisingly deep mystery with threads that kept me guessing right up until the last chapter. McManaman has a keen sense of pacing and sticks a satisfying landing after a story full of twists and turns. I'm eager (and somewhat terrified!) to see what stomach-dropping horror he dreams up next!
December 3, 2021
Dollhouse is an incredible page turner. I don’t typically read thrillers but I could genuinely not put this book down. It has a cinematic feeling and has an amazing story line. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a captivating read!
January 3, 2022
Fun horror story with lots of quirky (and somewhat insane) characters. Easy to read, almost like a movie script playing in your head. Kept you guessing the entire way through and you were never sure who you wanted to survive. Loved that ending!
October 7, 2023
GREAT BOOK! Absolute page turner I could not put it down, I’m not usually a fan of fiction but I gave this one a go and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend reading this book! INFACT I’m going to go and read it again right now!
October 8, 2023
Very intriguing book with lots of different characters being brought together in very mysterious and frightening way. Very suspenseful as the book unwinds with more horror waiting outside the dollhouse. Turn the lights off and get ready for a great scare.
October 18, 2023
Not much of a book person myself but was recommended this book and wow, it’s really changed my mind on books.
Such a clever twisted story, and the ending really caught me off guard! I was engaged throughout and could see this book as a tv series easily.
Such a clever twisted story, and the ending really caught me off guard! I was engaged throughout and could see this book as a tv series easily.
October 20, 2023
Oh my goodness! I can’t remember the last time I was so engrossed in a book that I actually finished it within only two sittings! Dollhouse was a fantastic read with a great plot twist I really didn’t see coming! Cannot wait to read what Andrew releases next!
December 9, 2021
Loved the book .Could not put it down.Lots of interesting twists.Hope to read more from Andrew good luck and never put that pen down
January 23, 2022
Wow!
This was my first thriller/horror novel I've ever read and did I ever enjoy it! Borderline impossible to put down and the storyline had me on my toes the entire time! Highly recommend!
This was my first thriller/horror novel I've ever read and did I ever enjoy it! Borderline impossible to put down and the storyline had me on my toes the entire time! Highly recommend!
April 8, 2022
Wasn't what I thought it would be. Has a weird reading vibe to it. Just couldn't get into it. I read over half the book and still was not impressed.
January 9, 2023
Ooohh this was right up my alley. It was suspenseful and gruesome and that twist! I loved every single second of it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews