It's always exciting to discover new authors, those whose works we've never read before, and this week I did exactly that. D.E. White has been writing books for quite a while but took a turn in style and genres with their latest book, Glass Dolls. From the very first page until the shocking conclusion, I was hooked!

Detective Dove Milson is no stranger to horror. Four years ago her niece was abducted and believed to be killed by the infamous Glass Doll Killer. Dove was held captive and gravely injured in the pursuit. Now she has transferred to a new unit, the Major Crimes Team, where her first case appears to be a copycat of the glass doll murders. As crimes begin mounting, they all point toward Dove and her family. Dove knows that she has to solve the crimes before her family all lies dead or goes missing.

When I read the synopsis for the book my first thought was this was going to be so "over the top." I mean, seriously, her first case is a replica of the one that she just left behind? Her family is the target of every single crime that crops up? But nooooo, I was wrong. White's deft and creative writing skills anchor the story line solidly in reality and the plot itself is absolutely believable. The characters are very real; their thoughts throughout the book often mirrored my own. The plot twist is touted as being "shocking" and it absolutely is but, as you know, I despise twists that are ridiculous. This one was not. There were signs throughout the book that hinted at this twist if the reader pays attention - which apparently I did not!! I definitely was surprised by this one. Bottom line - this is a terrific piece of crime fiction and a great thriller as well.

Glass Dolls by D. E. White is a mystery thriller novel based in the UK. The plot is rich in twists and turns, and kept the reader in me on the edge of my seat ever since I began. The family angle and fragile relationships between the sisters is a beautiful addition to the theatrical plot. That last twist was totally unexpected - a welcome move.

The story is addictive, and moves at a steady pace. And even though it involves a limited number of characters, it ever gets boring.

This is now my first five star read of 2020. It is the kind of book I wish to read whenever I am going through a reading slump. I am definitely picking up more books written by Daisy.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: Highly recommended.

DC Dove Milson is making a fresh start when her past comes back to haunt her with a copycat killer. She is led along a path which makes her face her demons and confront them in ways she never imagined.
Overall a fast paced story, good characterisation and a decent twist although the ending felt a little rushed.

In 2014 a serial killer by the name of Peter Hayworth was convicted of killing four girls and encasing them in glass display coffins. He was nicknamed The Glass Doll Murderer. He took two more girls but they were not good enough for him, not "perfect" and "pristine" as he put it. He admitted to murdering them but they were never found. One of those girls was Eden, the daughter of DC Dove Milson's sister Ren. Hayworth died two years later, still in prison. So when, four year later, a new victim is found in a copse near the Devon coast once again sealed in glass, the detectives, including her partner DS Steve Parker, naturally believe they are looking for a copycat. Or might Hayworth have had an accomplice? And if it is a copycat will they also be aiming for a series of kills? Dove has recently moved to the Major Crimes Team after suffering life changing injuries during her last posting handling confidential informants but is allowed to stay on the team by DI Jon Blackman and DCI Kevin Franklin despite the discovery that the victim worked in her other sister Gaia's strip club. Hopes are high as they find cctv of the victims movements the night she disappeared and learn more about how she spent her last few weeks on earth. The new case is deeply upsetting for Ren, husband Alex and other daughter Delta, so when Delta suddenly goes missing Dove prays that it is just a case of everything getting too much for her and she has thoughtlessly run off for some time out. A second glass shrouded victim is found shortly afterwards, although thankfully for Dove it is not her niece. Strangely though, this young woman also worked at Gaia's club and even stranger, she was found on the shoreline by the club's new manager. Could it really be coincidence, after all, the club is where you'd expect to find the perfectly pretty girls. Or could it be something connected to Dove's family or even Gaia's shady past? With two murders and a missing teenager, the pace becomes relentless as the detectives strive to prevent any further disappearances and deaths. The characters are well drawn and easy to get to know, and with a clever storyline the whole book is very hard to put down once started. The ending was shocking, including a surprise I really didn't see coming. Definitely recommended! 5*

Whew, this book was a wild ride! I think I actually scared my husband a couple of times gasping out loud at the twists and turns! The characters were interesting, the protagonist was compelling, and the plot was complex and well fleshed out. There were a couple of points where the dialogue felt a little stilted or clunky (usually when trying to get some background information to the reader), but it was easily forgiven thanks to the quick pace of the story. I’ll definitely be looking up more from this author!

Who doesn't love a good mystery and who doesn't like to be completely wrong at the end? If you want to be surprised, then Glass Dolls is a good choice. A police procedural/mystery set in present day UK, DC Dove Milson is still recovering from the trauma of her last case. Moving to a different bureau, and closer to her sisters, is helping but she and her family still mourn the loss of Dove's niece, Eden. Kidnapped and murdered by a notorious serial killer who encases his victims in glass to watch them suffocate, her body was never found. Even after the killer is caught, and before he dies, he never tells the parents where to find Eden's body.

Then Dove is called to the scene of a murder in her new precinct: a young woman encased in glass. Dove is stunned; the Glass Doll killer died years ago. Who is this copycat? Is it possible the original killer had an accomplice? Why now? And why in the town where Dove lives?

I'm giving this a 3.5 stars for the twists, otherwise I might have put this aside for a later finish. It would meander and jump from plot to subplot to anonymous narrative and back again, but not in a clear way. The author had some great mystery points and the last half kept me reading, but the writing is not the strongest draw. The beginning kind of takes it's sweet time getting the reader into the mood, but once it hits the gas, it keeps going.

3.5 for surprising me.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for giving me an ARC of Glass Dolls. All opinions are my own.

A fast paced novel that had me racing from page to page!!! At first I thought it was an ok story and was going to have an expected ending! I was very wrong!!!!! The last 25% had me completely on my toes and I never expected any of the events that happened towards the end. Well done

I really enjoyed this one! It was fast paced and exciting! The writing was superb and kept me wanting to read more. I think I will definitely be checking out more by this author

Glass Dolls is an extremely creepy thriller set on the Devon Coast. Detective Dove Milson moves from the city to the small town of Lymington-On-Sea after sustaining horrific injuries while on duty. After only two months working with her new team she is thrown in to a chilling investigation. Teenage girls are disappearing and turning up dead in remote places. The girls are displayed in glass coffins just like in a previous crime Dove investigated back in the city. Soon Dove's whole family are drawn into the horror. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my digital copy.

I could see where the author was trying to go with this, but I found it very disjointed.

The switch in point of view between some chapters confused me, and there was plot, plot, sub plot and subplot and some of it seemed so implausible - I mean, I know that you have to have suspension of disbelief in some things but this was just way too out there for me. The pace was good, but there was just too much going on.

I struggled with the main character - Dove just didn't do it for me and there are a few inconsistencies there - she has a photographic memory yet can't remember names written on a rock.

I didn't particularly feel anything for any of the other characters so was never really invested in what happened to them, and it all just seemed a bit contrived to be honest.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy of this.

Glass Dolls by D.E White, is a corker of a crime thriller, published by Joffe Books and the first in a brand new series too!
Detective Dove Milson is called in to investigate a murdered teenage girl who has been discovered encased in glass, this brings back terrifying memories for Dove as it is not the first "Glass Doll" murder, this is a copycat. The original "Glass Doll" killer died in prison in 2016. The original cases of the "Glass Doll" murders included Dove's niece so this is the worst possible scenario for her!As her investigations deepen , so do the connections to Dove's own family. The worst moment comes when her surviving niece goes missing! Now there is no time to lose, Dove has to find her before she becomes the next "Glass Doll".
Well what a thrilling and engrossing read! I loved it! Definitely needed to know what happened after I started this book, couldn't stop at the usual 'one more page'.I was on the edge of my seat at some parts very definitely, It is a compulsive read with a great twist!! Thanks to Netgalley, Joffe Books and D.E White for allowing me to read this ARC.

I love reading British mysteries/thrillers. I think it started when I first read Agatha Christie and I have loved a well written British mystery/thriller ever sense. Glass Dolls is definitely a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. There’s lots of twists and turns and just when you think you figured everything out another twist is added in. This was a fun read that left me very satisfied at the end. The story is woven through perfectly and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for great thriller.

Wow, this was such a wild ride! I loved this ! I thought I had it all figured at because I was doing my own investigation while reading the book, taking notes and highlighting facts in the book but boys was I not ready for this. This is exactly what I want in a thriller. I was a bit scared at first because there were a lot of police lingo I wasn't familiar with but there's a glossary at the end so I wasn't so lost when I discovered it. I loved Dove, the main character and I really liked to see her relationship with her familly develop and grow. I will definitely be checking D.E.White other work after that.

Finally a book that is worthy of the tag line an addictive crime thriller. This is truly a book you just cannot put down. Unlike some books of late you do not see the ending coming at all, and it really does finish the book off perfectly. At the start I was put in mind of another book whereby girls are made into objects of art however that is where the similarity ends and the twists and turns all relating to a crime from a few years ago all interlinks wonderfully with this updated storyline. This is my first book by this author but I will be looking for more in the future

A great story line a killer from the past, now deceased whose very strange MO in disposing of his victims bodies turns up sometime later. A gripping storyline which keeps the reader fully engrossed right through to the very surprising end.

I just couldn't put it down! Glass Dolls by D.E. White was fantastic and the twist at the end...took me by surprise!

When a teenage girl is found dead and encased in glass, Detective Dove Milson is called to investigate. The scene is a replica of the 'Glass Doll' murders by serial killer Peter Hayworth... who is now dead. Dove's niece was one of his victims, and her investigations in modern times find further ties to her family. When Dove's surviving niece vanishes, it is a race against time to find her before she becomes the next Glass Doll. A thrilling story with a great twist that I never saw coming - I really recommend this book. Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the advance copy.

DC Dove Milson is working on a new murder that has similarities to a previous case where the victims were bodies were put into glass cases. Ut the person responsible for the previous killings, Peter Hayworth died in prison. Dove's niece went missing while the killings were taking place. Her body has never been found. DI Jon Blackman is in charge of this case and along with Dove, they have to work fast to prevent other girls from going missing.

There is quite a ,ot going on in this story involving Dove and her family. Dove is also having boyfriend issues. Her family were greatly involved in the previous case. The pace is fast and the case is complex. The ending was a surprise I never saw coming.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author D.E. White for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not a great fan of this one. A crime/ mystery novel which felt a bit disjointed for me. Lots of slang and no referral to the glossary until I saw it at the end. Also way too many characters. Never got the story about Dove’s scars. Not sure if it was something to come in another book. All in all didn’t love it.

I don't know what to say about this book.

The idea behind it was SO PROMISING. The killer takes young girls, kills them and encases them in glass boxes, leaving them to be found in public. It immediately caught my attention, because that sounds like such a great thriller!

However, I couldn't get around the writing in this novel. The author wrote in such a juvenile way, with sentence structure being quite far below what I am used to reading. She also tended to use a lot of slang for the police, and with it constantly changing it became very annoying. There was also a backstory going on throughout, and even thought the POV was meant to be hidden, it switched between characters and it was really hard to figure out without any names or dates being given.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story line, and the premise of the thriller was the only thing that kept me going. I wanted to find out how the whole story was going to end, who was going to be the backstory narrator, and who the perpetrator was behind all these gruesome killings. But I couldn't connect with the main character, I couldn't get passed the writing, and I only finished because I found the story interesting.

I don't think I'll be checking out more of D.E. White's writing, and wouldn't recommend this to friends.

2.5