The Silent Dolls: An absolutely gripping mystery thriller

Rita Herron

juil. 2020 · Bookouture

À propos de cet e-book

Silent tears trickle down her cheeks as she curls inside the tiny cave-like space. She lies on her side, darkness all around her, rubbing her fingers over the little wooden doll he’d carved. He told her to be quiet, not to cry or scream. Not to be a baby. Her throat was raw, her eyes swollen shut. She wanted her mommy and daddy. She wanted to go home.

When Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl with blonde curls and a gap-toothed smile, goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called straight to the scene. All that’s left behind is a pink friendship bracelet etched with “Penny”.

Thanks to her own childhood––which keeps her up at night, tossing and turning––Ellie knows all too well that the endless miles of dark forest and winding rivers are the perfect place for a criminal to hide, and a little girl doesn’t stand a chance. Racing against a brutal winter storm on the horizon, she searches desperately for Penny. 

But when she discovers the remains of a small body, hidden by fallen leaves and wildflowers, the breath is knocked out of her. The old bones, and the carved wooden doll they’re buried with, have clearly been there for years. Ellie fears she’s up against a serial killer who has been stalking the mountains for decades, preying on children.

When Ellie spots tiny footprints near the unearthed grave, she’s certain they belong to Penny. As she begins to untangle the truth, she realizes the monster they’re looking for is connected to her own dark past. To save the little girl she needs to confront her own demons. Can she face her greatest fear before the twisted killer claims another helpless victim?

A totally gripping and utterly addictive new crime-thriller series for readers who love Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. Prepare to stay up way past your bedtime––but be warned: you’ll be scared to turn the lights off after you’ve raced through the pages. 

Readers absolutely love The Silent Dolls: 

“Oh my freaking gawd!! The Silent Dolls was bloody brilliant… Rita Herron sure knew how to raise my hackles and increase the creep factor with each turn of the page… An UNPUTDOWNABLE book which gripped me.” Book Reviews by Shalini, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow!… I literally haven't been able to put this book down! This has completely gripped me and been utterly impossible to put down… A superb start to the series, I am gutted I need to wait for the next instalment.” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Oh my word!… What a great storyteller Rita Herron is! From the fabulous plot which quite frankly had me on the edge of my seat throughout to the amazing character development, I am overwhelmed by this book! It was so good!… Oh my goodness! The twists! They kept coming! The final two though were shockers!… This book is an astoundingly well-written novel and I hope many readers pick it up based on my review as it is an absolutely exceptional read!” NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Loved this book! Action packed and with so many twists, had me hooked from start to the end!! The ending was amazing!! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!!!!!!” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Wow, what a brilliant book… Rollercoaster of emotions… I found it very jumpy in places as I was so engrossed. Don’t read when on your own!” NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This book was so damn good! I just couldn't put it down until I finished it!… Had me hooked on right from the start… Amazing!!” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Truly brilliant… Right from the first chapter I was hooked and I needed to keep turning the pages… There were times during the book that I felt I was on edge and my heart was bumping. You know a story is good when you start getting physical reactions.” Chells and Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Y'all this book was amazing!… The plot & ending was simply brilliant!… Filled with twists, turns, the unexpected! Had me hooked, to where I could not put it down till I finished and saw what happened next! I honestly don’t think I've read a book this year with so many twists to it! But this one here packed the punches!… Every bit of 5 STARS!!!” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Loved it!!!!… A real page turner which I devoured in one sitting. Atmospheric, chilling, creepy and terrifying. A plot full of twists and turns which kept me guessing and constantly changing my mind.” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Breathtaking! This book was a wild ride from the first word to the very last. Just when you think you've read the last secret… Boom! Another jaw dropping revelation!” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Amazing… Such a gripping and thrilling book… Had me hooked from start to finish and I read it within a few hours!” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Notes et avis

The Silent Dolls the first book in a new series from Rita Herron, featuring Detective Ellie Reeves. Ellie Reeves is a Detective in Crooked Creek, Georgia, near the Appalachian mountains trail. Her father is the Sheriff and, as he’s retiring soon, Ellie Reeves intends to succeed him. Those plans gets derailed in the very first pages, but Detective Reeves won’t have time to dwell much on it, as news of the disappearance of a little girl on the trail scramble a coordinated response team. With a winter storm approaching, fears are high that the lost kid could die of hypothermia. Soon, however, foul play is suspected. And, when FBI Special Agent Derrick Fox, from Decatur, links the disappearance with multiple others over a course of twenty years, including the one of his very own sister, there is no doubt left. The characters in this novel are quite disconcerting at first. With a troubled past awakened by the case, afraid of the black and claustrophobic, Ellie Reeves is reckless. As if she had to prove something to herself or others, she barges into a meth lab (and fires rounds in it) without backup, rushes into a house without clearing it first, and asks her poor captain for warrants and subpoenas by phone without providing cause (maybe judges are more lax over there). A FEMA SAR Agent, the taciturn Cord McClain, man of the mountains and ranger, also has a troubled past and troubling habits. Special Agent Derrick Fox’ obsessions lead him to some lack in judgment, reminiscent of another, cherished, FBI agent named Fox. The Appalachian mountains, woods and trail, the animals and humans inhabiting them, give a nice and unusual atmosphere. Not only as a background but as an integral part of the story. I don’t remember having read a thriller set in rural Georgia before. The writing is solid, and reading this novel comes easy. This is a quick entertaining read, quite thrilling too, as long as you’re capable of some suspension of disbelief (It’ll really be tested in the final chapters). In spite of this, there is no regret at having picked up this book, and I’ll keep my eyes open for the next entry in the series. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.