Creepy and chilling 5th installment in the excellent Icelandic Children's House series, featuring Detective Holdar and child psychologist Freyja.

The Doll is another twisty and multifaceted thriller, beginning with an innocent fishing trip which leads to the seemingly innocuous discovery of a sinister doll from the depths of a lake.

A number of seemingly unrelated investigations turn out to have links to a missing teenage girl, who's parents both died in separate incidents several years apart. The girl, who is now in care, is convinced that the doll is the reason behind their deaths.

When two severed legs from different bodies are washed up close to where the doll was found, the girl is said to believe that this is also linked to the doll and the deaths of her parents.

Meanwhile, the police are already trying to find the girl in connection with a carer who is under investigation for sexually abusing his charges.

Gripping and unnerving read, brilliantly pulled together.

Love this author! She has produced another fantastic story! Always keeps me on the edge of my seat and writes so descriptively too! Brilliant!

Thank you to NetGalley and H&S for this are.

Loved the concept but wasn’t well executed. Was hoping for a little bit for suspense

I love this series, but this book I struggled so much to get through. I didn't want to give up since all the previous books have been so interesting, and I love the main characters so much. But this one was a challenge. So many times in this book, it felt like nothing happened, and the story never really lifted. I'm glad that I kept on reading and finished it, but I sure hope that the next book in this series is better.

"The Doll" by Yrsa Sigurdardottir is a riveting addition to the acclaimed Children's House series, delivering a masterfully crafted mystery that intertwines the lives of its characters in unexpected and chilling ways. The book begins with what appears to be a simple family fishing trip, but quickly spirals into a haunting tale of consequences and interconnected fates.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

If there is one thing that drives me spare on Netgalley, it is the publishers who NEVER tell us if the book is part of a series. I wouldn't have requested this title had I known it was number 5 in a series. Anyway, I read it. I sort of understood it, but I won't be coming back for more or reading the first 4 to catch up.

This took me a while to read and get involved in the book as it was a slow burn - I normally dont read horror but wanted to give this a try. It didnt feel 'horrorish' but I was intrigued and glad I read it. I am going to try other books by this author.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I didn’t realise this book was part of a series before I started reading it. It was a creepy, atmospheric read, but I think reading the previous books in the series first would have been better.

This book was so wonderfully atmospheric - Like a nordic noir mixed with a horror film.

One of my favourite parts of the story was that I was left never sure if it was a crime or a horror story - I was on the edge of my seat. The opening was excellent to set the scene and although I found some parts of the pacing to be a bit slow I really enjoyed the story overall and I will definitely check out other books by the author in the future.

I loved the concept of this book but sadly, I just couldn't get into it. I thought it was a horror novel however it was more of a crime novel instead with a slight horror element. I gave it a fair shot, but had to DNF. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book is creepy and will have you thinking that a weird doll has all the answers, but does it???
Good character building and ends with a great twist that i was not expecting.....Good read!

Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s gripping thriller The Doll keeps the reader entranced with a mysterious story about a mother and daughter fishing trip gone wrong. As Huldar and Freyja dig deeper into a series of related cases, the book twists and turns in unexpected ways. It cleverly intertwines the daughter's quest for a broken doll in the net, with a missing witness from years ago and present day cases of murder and abuse.

The Doll is a nail-biting suspense thriller that is both gripping and deeply human. Sigurdardottir draws the reader into a thrilling ride filled with an eclectic cast of characters. As they fight against the clock to save a young girl and the unravelling of their cases, The Doll leaves you on the edge of your seat with an intense, unexpected climax.

This was creepy and chilling and full of intensity and drama, a fast paced thriller with a difference!

Unfortunately I didn’t realise this book was part of a series before I started reading it. It was good, but I feel like I should have read the rest of the series first.

Thank you for approved me for this book.

Such a good read so I don’t understand why this isn’t talked about more! I have really enjoyed it and will recommend to friends

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

This was a very detailed story about several murders and missing children Gradually the police and childrens' services work their way through evidence past and present., searching for clues and links. Perseverance pays and the jigsaw starts to come together. I loved the final sentence!

The Doll is the fifth in the Children’s House series - and possibly the best. It would be worth reading for the next chapter in the relationship between Freyja and Huldar alone, but there is a memorable story here too.

The doll that gives the story its title is rescued from a fishing trip and it triggers the plot. It leads Huldar into rough waters (literally) and where Huldar goes, Freyja always somehow manages to follow.

The structure of the novel is a masterpiece. Freyja and Huldar appear to be involved in separate cases that are drawn together as the novel develops. The skill of the storyteller is in weaving together seemingly unrelated elements so credibly.

Yrsa Sigurdardottir is one of the few writers to successfully combine a comedic relationship with a compelling crime story. The cast of characters is familiar to readers of the series but this book can easily be read as a standalone. There is something of the supernatural in this one, which isn’t typical of the series, but may draw in readers who enjoy that genre.

What will draw readers back to the Children’s House series is the black humour, which balances some unpalatable content beautifully. Readers who are especially sensitive about content will need to be aware that Freyja’s job necessarily brings her into contact with child abuse. The writer manages to keep this most serious of subjects in perspective alongside other lighter elements of the novel, though.

The Doll is a worthy addition to the series. Readers who love this series might also like to try the Thora Gudmundsdottir series, where the relationship between Thora and Matthew is a similarly good example of Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s particular strength in creating a compelling relationship that might not be romantic in the traditional sense but certainly has plenty of chemistry.

I did not realise this book was part of a series when I picked it up. As soon as I finished it and realised I we to get the pervious books as I had to read them. I loved the plot, the characters, and the mood. I really enjoyed the opening chapters and how they were paced. The book introduced some interesting characters. I dont think I can make a full review as I think I need to read the other books to get a better understanding of the characters. Looking forward to reading the series,