ARC Review: The Dolls House (A Detective Helen Grace Thriller ) by MJ Arlidge

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Publisher: NAL

Format: Ebook

Pages: 288 pages

Genre: Mystery

Buy: Kindle | Paperback |
Audio (Audible)



Synopsis:


Ruby wakes up in a strange room. Her captor calmly explains that no one is looking for her. No one wants her. Except him.

When the body of a woman is found buried on a secluded beach, Detective Helen Grace is called to the scene. She knows right away that the killer is no amateur. The woman has been dead for years, and no one has even reported her missing. But why would they? She's still sending text messages to her family.

Helen is convinced that a criminal mastermind is at work: someone very smart, very careful, and worst of all, very patient. But as she struggles to piece together the killer's motive, time is running out for a victim who is still alive...

Review:

While it always surprises me how many serial killers can live in such close proximity I love these type of books and this series has me hooked.  I wasn't super thrilled with the first one but this one and the last one (Pop Goes the Weasel) were very well done and the serial killers are creepy and just a tad too real.

The interplay between the female characters in power is unfortunately very true to life. Why so many women in power feel they need to push down the other women around them instead of trying to lift each other up is beyond me but is very common.  I also appreciate how the author delves into the personal lives of these characters making them much more realistic than if we just saw them at work, not really understanding some of their motivations.

DI Grace is a complex woman with many secrets that still haven't been fully revealed.  She is also desperate to find her nephew whose life she feels she ruined when it was discovered his biological mother was Helen's serial killer sister.  In this book we find her looking for her nephew, attempting to find a missing girl who may be the next victim of a serial killer and defending herself from a power hungry boss who doesn't like sharing the spotlight with Helen.

While Helen gets a lot of the credit for finding and apprehending these criminals there is a team of loyal staff that helps back her up and protects her from the powers that try to pull her down.  It is a really well developed set of characters and a very interesting series.  The 4th book in this series is due out mid 2016, and I'm glad I won't have to wait too long to reunite with these characters.



Disclaimer: This title was received from the publisher through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review

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