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Book Review: The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge

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The Doll's House by M.J.Arlidge (first published in 2015 by Penguin Books UK)

Detective Inspector Helen Grace has a nose for solving serial crimes in the novel The Doll’s House by M.J. Arlidge. A celebrity cop in her precinct with an outstanding record, DI Grace is the unofficial poster child for law enforcement in Southampton.

When she is called to the discovery of a young girl’s body on the beach that was buried years ago, DI Grace cannot help but think that this killer may also have other victims – another serial killer.

At the same time, her department must work to find a young lady reported missing. However, the victim has a history of rash decisions, and the department must decide if the disappearance is, in fact, a crime.

While she fights office politics and desperately tries to prove herself to a new team and increasingly unpleasant boss, DI Grace must not only prove her hunch, but find the killer.

All the while, DI Grace is following up on her own leads in a personal investigation, much closer to home. While trying to make sense of the two cases, and all the while avoiding the stigma of being a beautiful, capable woman in a male-dominated environment, DI Grace stays true to her gut, and begins the daunting task of finding the perpetrator.

The Doll’s House is the third book in a series by Arlidge, and yet it reads perfectly as a stand-alone novel. Short chapters build the tension of the story, and the suspense mounts to a thoroughly gripping conclusion, during which the reader alternatively holds their breath or cheers for DI Grace.

As captivating as a television show or movie, Arlidge presents an excellent whodunit, encapsulating drama, horror and suspense in an easy, engrossing read. The protagonist is well-written and presents an unconventional view of detective stories, in which macho, gun-slinging men are the norm.

The Doll’s House reads so easily that it entices the reader to commence the entire series of DI Grace thrillers.

See review in CultNoise Magazine.

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