Perfect Little Dolls: A totally gripping and fast-paced crime thriller

Name: Perfect Little Dolls: A totally gripping and fast-paced crime thriller
Rating: 4.800000190734863 (5 reviews)

Karen Long

Jan 2021 · Detective Eleanor Raven Book 2 · Bookouture

4.8

5 reviews

Ebook

350

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

The little boy played with his toy trains in the bedroom, keeping quiet so as not to wake his mother. He stayed silent as he watched his window creaking open and heard the whisper from outside. A minute later, Tommy and the trains were gone.

An unrelenting heatwave sweeps the country and starts a fire which uncovers the charred remains of a young woman. But when DI Eleanor Raven attends the post-mortem it reveals some disturbing details—the girl was dead long before the fire, her body had been lovingly preserved before being dressed up, her hair perfectly arranged, and a lime-green scarf knotted around her neck.

With little evidence surviving the fire, Eleanor and her team have no solid leads. But back on duty after six months’ enforced leave, Eleanor is determined to prove herself fit for service, and she won’t accept that this case could prove impossible.

Following a tenuous link to an old missing-persons case, Eleanor discovers the poor woman’s identity: Giselle Baker was a young dancer at a local bar before she disappeared two years ago, leaving behind a worried roommate and, concealed amongst her things, a curious wooden carving of a snake. Before Eleanor can uncover the significance of the toy though, another woman goes missing, and then, a little boy… It seems that someone is collecting a family for themselves.

As Eleanor battles her own demons, she pushes herself to the limit to find the killer. But her fight to save his last innocent victim may become a battle to save herself…

A totally gripping, fast-paced mystery thriller that will leave your jaw on the floor. The next rollercoaster read for fans of Lisa Regan, Angela Marsons and Robert Dugoni.

Perfect Little Dolls was previously published as The Vault.

Readers love Perfect Little Dolls:

“Stopped me sleeping for a number of days.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“The suspense and action just keeps coming. The plot never lags or lacks, it will keep you interested from the first chapter to the last.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“My favourite female lead… Eleanor Raven is complex which makes for a brilliant plot that keeps the reader guessing. Totally original crime – a cracking read.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Just do yourself a favour and pick up this book to experience one of the most unsettling killers I have read in a long time! Top stuff!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“I loved this book!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Stupendous, the thrilling sensation this book gives off is absolutely phenomenal… It seemed as if I never wanted to stop reading, no one could pry the book away from my hands.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Really gripping book. Couldn’t put it down.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Entertaining, memorable and creepy… I didn’t want it to end.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Absolutely gripping story. Really felt involved in the story. I could not put it down as was desperate to get to the end. Looking forward to the next one.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“I cannot recommend this highly enough.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“The plot was gripping and I finished this book in a day.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Couldn’t put it down!” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Eleanor Raven is such an amazing character with so much depth that these books hold you in a headlock and won’t let you go.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

“Gripping, disturbing and extremely enjoyable thriller.” Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

Ratings and reviews

4.8

5 reviews

Misty's Corner Reviews

January 23, 2021

Gripping, dark, and dangerously twisted, Karen Long has given birth to a horrifically fascinating tale! // Detective Eleanor Raven is definitely a favorite when it comes to roguish crime series leads! I just could not get enough of this leading lady! She has a defined love/hate personality; there's zero in between. I loved her myself; she has a wild temperament, but she means well and somehow usually always ends up being right! Her work with Dr. Seb and her internal, mental explorations was fascinating and showed growth within her character. I wasn't too fond of her partner, though; hopefully Whitefoot will grow on me in book three - now that he's (hopefully) started to actually understand and appreciate Eleanor. I did enjoy her ex-partner, turned advisor’s bits, and her boss’ support - it's nice to see this in a crime series. Additionally, the banter between characters Timms and Wadesky worked out brilliantly; their interactions helped break up the case(s) tension and generally just made me chuckle! I love a good set of characters! // I won't rehash the entire book blurb, but I will say this.. while told mainly from DI Raven's point of view, I enjoyed the author's creativity when it came to the killer's perspective. As the reader, the question was never who was responsible, but rather what, why, when, where, and how. I found this quite exciting, as many detective novels put the majority interest on who, but with this book, we get that pretty much right from the start when the narratives switch. // Perfect Little Dolls went farther than I'd imagined it would; I'll be having messed up nightmares for days! I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I’m interested in finding out if Eleanor continues with her BDSM escapades, how her partnership with Whitefoot develops, and just what twisted tale Long comes up with next! // This is yet another Bookouture book that I'd be thrilled to recommend. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author Karen Long, and the publishers at Bookouture for my advanced copy of this ebook. I have honestly and voluntarily reviewed this title.

Bob Colley

January 18, 2021

FABULOUS police procedural crime thriller with interesting main characters (including Monster, the German Sheppard, adding some humor to the book) investigating murders involving the darker side of human nature. I have read #1 in this series & RECOMMEND both highly. Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC in return for my honest review. Sue Colley

Marnie Harrison

January 20, 2021

Disappearance, murder, mystery and intrigue, Detective Inspector Eleanor Raven seems to have the odds stacked against her as she returns to her job and tries to prove to everybody, maybe especially herself, that she has everything under control. Perfect Little Dolls (previously published as The Vault), is the second instalment in the Detective Eleanor Raven series and had me immediately invested and caught up in its drama. Another book not for the faint hearted, Karen Long certainly ups the creepy factor in spades! In my review for book one, Cry for Mercy (The Safe Word), I stated that I struggled to connect with Eleanor but, she grew on me this time around. Complex, damaged, broken and flawed, she is actually quite unique. All up Perfect Little Dolls is a dark and compelling tale that will get under your skin. Well written, great characterisation and with twists and turns aplenty, makes this such a very thrilling read and I will be looking forward to the next instalment.

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