The Silent Dolls: An absolutely gripping mystery thriller

· Bookouture
4.6
30 reviews
Ebook
350
Pages
Eligible
100% price drop on Mar 26

About this ebook

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 startAmazing!!” 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, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

4.6
30 reviews
Cindy O
July 17, 2020
What a crazy ride the reader is taken on through the Appalachian Trail in search for a missing girl taken by a serial killer who been killing young girls for 25 years. I was riveted to the story from page one through to the shocking ending. Which was an ending for somethings, but an opened Pandora's box for others. I hope there isn't to long a wait for the next book. Fascinating cast of characters.. Detective Ellie Reeve who is tough as nails in her professional life but suffers from nightmares from a childhood incident that may or may not be tied to her current case.. FBI Agent Derrick Fox whose sister went missing 25 years ago and he thinks was the first victim in a long line of girls taken in the 25 years since. He has been relentless in his pursuit and this current case is as close as he as ever gotten to the killer. Ranger Cord McClain is dark and broody but has helped in many missing person cases in the Appalachian trail. His scars hint at a traumatic childhood but he keeps his secrets close to the vest. To say much more would be giving spoilers so I will just highly recommend reading this book and patiently wait for the next one.
3 people found this review helpful
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Patricia White
July 17, 2020
Disturbing, Gritty and Powerful start to a new series. Action packed edged of your seat page turner. Detective Ellie Reeves is called to the scene to investigate a missing girl. What she finds is so much more than one missing child. A serial killer has been praying on little girls for years. When the truth comes out it changes everything. Ms. Herron grabs you from the first page and leaves you wanting more at the shocking ending. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
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Linda Strong
July 20, 2020
Detective Ellis Reeves is called to investigate a missing person ... 6-year-old Penny Matthews. The Appalachian Mountains can hide many things ... especially a lost child ... if they are lost. There are many 'shadow people' living off the grid in this area ... the forest is dark and the river is deep. FBI Special Agent Derrick Fox wants to join the hunt, even though he hasn't been asked to help. His sister disappeared in the same area 20 years ago and has never been found. He's done a lot of research over the years and has come up with a list of other missing girls. He is certain that a serial killer has been hunting along the trails for at least 25 years. Ellie refuses to believe that their tight-knit mountain community could be home to a deadly criminal, but even she can’t deny the similarities in the cases. And when they discover the remains of a small body buried with a carved wooden doll, it’s clear they’re up against a deadly serial killer preying on innocent little girls. With a major snowstorm moving in, it's imperative that the child is found ...and soon. The plot is intricately woven around substantial characters. It's action packed from start to finish. The characters are all wounded in some way. Ellie, as a child, got lost in the forest which has left her fearful of the dark. She doesn't remember much, but she did have her imaginary friend for company. Her parents sent her to therapists for years. Cole is a ranger, a good friend to Ellie. But he has secrets. Where do all his scars come from? He never talks about his past ... he has no family that he talks about. And then there's Derrick ...still carrying the guilt of not watching his sister when she disappeared. Who is the "Watcher" ... a man who spends his time looking for human bones? And what are Ellie's parents keeping from her. As the Sheriff, he should have known about the missing girls. Is he a suspect? Is Cole .. he fits the FBI profile of the killer. The conclusion is totally unexpected. What is it that Ellie can't remember? There is a slight cliff hangar which will merge into book 2 .... I hope it becomes available soon. Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
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