Seven years after the abduction of their daughter, Ruby, Claire Doucett and
Dave Creasy are understandably still affected by the fall-out of their grief.
Unable to move forward from the loss of their daughter and their own failed
marriage, Claire is going through a second divorce and Dave is licking his
wounds from his failed career as a police officer.
When Claire spots a doll which is the exact replica of Ruby in a shop window,
she is certain the doll has something to do with the disappearance of her
long missing daughter. Darting across the road to get a closer look at the
doll, Claire is hit by a car and lands up in the hospital. When she goes back
to see the doll the next day, not only has it vanished from the shop, but
so has the shop owner. Claire faces the doubts and disbelief of her family
when she tells them about the doll looking exactly like Ruby. After all, she’d
seen Ruby around every corner for seven years. Why should the doll be any
different?
With nowhere else to turn, Claire turns to Dave, now a freelance private investigator.
She is certain that the doll will lead them to clues about what happened to
Ruby. At first Dave refuses, but eventually he finally agrees. His search
forces him to face his own demons and bad decisions, and makes him a target
for those who want buried secrets to remain hidden. As Claire and Dave work
together, each clue leads them deeper into a labyrinth of police corruption,
murder, and the twisted game of one of the nastiest psychopaths recently brought
to life on the page.
Amanda Stephens has written a dark and chilling novel, which kept this reader
turning the pages. She leads us through New Orleans and surrounding areas
with rich and gorgeous sensory descriptions, making us feel as if we are in
the story. A combination of masterful plotting and wonderful, realistic characterization, “The
Dollmaker” fills the reader with dread for Claire and Dave. Tension
builds steadily to a nail-biting finale, leaving the reader breathless and
giddy.
Thriller fans will love this eerie, hair-raising story. This reader looks
forward to Stephen’s next novel, coming in March 2008, “The
Devil’s
Footprints”.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Tracy Sharp is the author of Repo Chick Blues. She
recently joined our editor staff and you can learn more about Tracy
by visiting her
website www.tracysharp.com. Her new book Finding Chloe is now available.
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2007 SPINETINGLER Magazine - All rights reserved
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