I have previously read novels by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir; however, I haven’t read any her ‘Childrens Series’ and The Doll is book 5 in the series. Jumping in on book 5 didn’t present any problems as sufficient background information was provided. I thought the book was heading in a supernatural direction when the doll appeared to smile but I’m pleased to say this is traditional Nordic noir, a police procedural novel, carefully plotted and good characterisation.
So getting on to the plot: five years ago Dísa and her daughter, Rósa, go on a family fishing trip and net an old barnacled doll. Dísa wants to throw it back into the sea but Rósa insists on taking the doll home. In the morning Rósa discovers her mother dead in the bathroom and the doll is missing.
The story moves to the present day with Detective Hulder investigating a possible murder when bones are found in the sea and drawing on psychologist Freyja's experience to help him investigate a suspected case of child abuse at a foster care home. The novel reaches a satisfying conclusion to connect all the separate strands in this story. There are a number of coincidences that connect the characters but, I guess, Iceland is a small place.
A great bit of storytelling with a final twist that I wasn’t expecting.

A brilliantly written thriller that will give you chills and thrills its well written and well plotted that makes this a unique thriller to read.

We cover a lot of Icelandic crime fiction on this site, so to have had nothing until now from the famous Yrsa Sigarðardóttir has been a serious omission. But I approached The Doll with some trepidation: it’s had so-so reviews and somehow I had got the idea this would be a supernatural adventure, which isn’t my sort of thing. ‘It’s too complicated,’ said too many reviewers, but an outstanding review from the always excellent Jen Lucas reassured me. So let’s start by saying: this book is not supernatural - it’s a police procedural. And to use ‘procedural’ language, there are about four moving parts, or as we usually call them, sub-plots, involving addiction, alleged abuse, blackmail and going on holiday by mistake. Sigarðardóttir does her best to mix them all up. So there is a great deal going on. But this is not a difficult book to follow. Sigarðardóttir avoids undue red herrings. It would have been good to have been familiar with the characters: Huldar, Erla and Freyja all have previous and there’s plenty of to and fro as they bicker and flirt. But, again, it isn’t too hard to work it all out. And Victoria Cribb has done a good translation. So don’t be scared.
I was about half way through the book when I listened to Rafael Behr’s Politics on the Couch podcast. Behr and his guest Lee de-Wit discussed moral psychology and, in particular, the idea that fairness means different things to the left (the reduction of oppression) and the right (chaos is unfair, order is not). It isn’t an original thought to apply this tension to the best of the crime genre, but I was more aware of it as I raced through the second half of the book. The Doll weaves together so many different notions of fairness and justice and, for a police procedural, is relatively relaxed about what we might now call the ‘order’ question. The end of the novel will have you aware of both the neatness of the plot but also the random unfairness and messiness of that plot’s effect on the main characters and in particular Rósa whose burden is appalling to witness. But then there’s an epilogue, and a final twist. Without the twist, this is a crime novel worth reading, but the epilogue takes it all to the next level: it’s about redemption and second chances. And this is where Behr and de-Wit come back in. Sigarðardóttir uses the force of the twists and turns to ask us where we stand on the fairness continuum. As the West Wing fictional character Robert Ritchie would say: ‘Crime. Boy, I don’t know.’ Huldar and Erla and Freyja will carry on dealing with it. Sigarðardóttir will carry on writing about it. And on the one hand crime fiction of this quality is something to applaud. But, as another fictional character once said, doesn’t that bother you?

I loved this book. It's not really a horror story so don't get hooked on that. I love all of Yrsa's books and this one is no exception.

I'm also a fan of Detective Huldar and Freyja and even Erla so it was like running into old friends again and seeing what they have been up to. Quite a bit it seems.

The whole storyline was like fishing. Cast a big net and see what comes up. Lots of little stories but you don't really know that till the end where it all gets wrapped up in a big red bow.

Can't wait to catch up with Huldar, Freya, and even Erla in the next book.

P.S. I will never wear pajama pants in the bathroom again.

The Doll is Book 5 in the Children’s House series featuring Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja Styrmisdóttir. I was already a fan of the series, but when I saw the especially creepy cover for The Doll I knew that I was going to love this instalment!

Dísa is found dead the day after she brings home a mysterious doll which she and her daughter Rosa discover on a fishing trip. Several years later, the skeletal remains of two unidentified people are discovered out at sea, while at the same time, a teenage boy accuses a man of abusing him in the care home where he had been staying periodically. At first I wasn't sure where the book was going - three completely unique stories were introduced that didn't seem to have any connection to each other. However, as the police investigations developed, all of the little details became clear and bits of each of the three cases slowly began to link together. This did make the story quite complex and intricate but it was brilliantly written and plotted. There wasn't a single element of the case left unexplained, and this was in addition to developing the ongoing relationship between the lead characters, Freyja and Huldar.

As with many Icelandic Thrillers, and certainly with other books by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, this story was dark and intense at times. The Doll is not an easy read which is obvious when the story covers drug addiction, child abuse and murder. Overall I would say it was a haunting story rather than a supernatural one, even though this was hinted at with the horror style cover design and at certain moments in the narrative.

The story took a different direction than I was expecting based on the cover and synopsis, but was nonetheless another atmospheric and unsettling story from the author. I would highly recommend The Doll to anyone who enjoys a dark and meticulous police procedural.

I was slightly put off by the description of this book having a supernatural element and relieved that that wasn’t really the case. I enjoyed the story but felt that it was a little slow and drawn out. Still, a good read and tied up nicely at the end.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Doll’ by Yrsa Sigurdardottir in exchange for an honest review. It was originally published in Iceland as Brúðan in 2018. It was translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb. As it had been published when I started reading, I bought its unabridged audiobook edition and did a combined read/listen.

I wasn’t aware until I started reading that this is Book 5 in her Children’s House series of police procedurals featuring Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja Styrmisdóttir. Some background was provided so I didn’t feel totally lost. However, it was obvious that there is history between Freyja and Huldar that has developed over the previous four books.

As for the plot: five years ago Dísa and her daughter, Rósa, go on a family fishing trip and catch something that will change the course of their lives - a broken, barnacled doll. It is a terrifying sight and while Dísa wants to throw it back, Rósa pleads with her to keep it. Dísa agrees and that evening she posts a picture of the doll on social media. By the morning, she is dead and the doll has disappeared.

In the present day Detective Huldar is on a boat in rough waters, searching for possible human remains. Yet identifying these proves harder than initially thought, and Huldar must draw on psychologist Freyja's experience to help him. Alongside this mystery Huldar is also drawn into an investigation of a homeless drug addict's murder, and Freyja investigates a suspected case of child abuse at a foster care home. Busy times!

I found ‘The Doll’ a dark and gripping police procedural. Given the Icelandic names, I was pleased to have its audiobook edition though Yrsa Sigurdardottir does provide a pronunciation guide for the character names at the start of the novel.

It was a great example of Nordic Noir and I am planning to read the Children’s House series from Book 1.

A complex mystery that was impossible to decipher or even piece any of the parts together. The first chapter introduces a couple , unrelated, with a young child out fishing. Disappointingly, their only catch is a damaged doll that the child insists on taking home. That night the mother dies, the doll disappears and the story moves forward five years. Readers are then thrown into a series of unrelated incidents where bodies emerge with no apparent reason, motive, or connection. Coincidentally, at the same time, child protection are assisting in the allegations of abuse by a young teenager brought up in care,. Then police, involved in the same case link up a series of events that suddenly have bizarre connections that appear beyond the possibility of coincidence. Two thirds of the story relate to an ongoing investigation by the police, working in the dark and unable to discover any information to shed light on a serious of fatalities that are causing them huge embarrassment. Cleverly and with recourse to intrinsic detail, the sum parts of this mystifying storyline are joined together to form a satisfying conclusion. To some degree the descriptions and in-depth characterisation of those investigating the crimes come at the expense of those criminals responsible for the crimes . The denouement and ultimate relaying of each perpetrators role gives an incredibly clever ending and tying up of loose ends yet somehow lacks the power and passion of an explosive finale. Well crafted and plotted storyline with three dimensional characters. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Very much enjoyed this one, a creepy nordic thriller set in the harsh atmospheric surroundings of Norway.

A doll is caught up in the fishing line and given to a child. She's always wanted a doll and so is thrilled to have this creepy, barnacled, broken doll that apparently no one wanted and just through to the elements. Fast forward 5 years and some bones are dredged up in the same area. Are the two events linked? How do they connect, and is it anything to do with the doll's origins?

There are murders a plenty, child abuse and haunted themes running throughout. The horror element was there, but not overly strong, I definitely wasn't hiding behind any pillows for this one. But it definitely had thill and suspense. Although a slow burn, when the pivotal moments came, they were exciting and well worth the wait.

I love the Children's house series and catching up with Huldar and Freyja. Another hit with me :)

Recommended for fans of police procedurals, fans of slightly supernatural horrors - but not necessarily unrealistically so.

Having read Yrsa’s four previous instalments, I was delighted to get an advanced copy of number five in this brilliant series. Once more set in the stunning scenery of Iceland, the setting is another character in the series. It is a delight to meet up again with Police Investigator Huldar and Child Psychologist Freyja.

The doll of the title is caught up in a net of a fishing boat. It isn’t in a great condition after spending a long time on the sea bed. Nevertheless, a woman on board wants the doll to take home to her daughter Rosa, aged eleven, who has wanted a doll for years. The rescue of the doll from the sea bed seems to set in motion a series of events that lead to skeletonised remains being found in the same place five years later. The remains belong to two people but their identification is difficult. Iceland is so small, it is difficult not to be able to identify any remains found. While trying to identify the remains, Huldar is also busy with a homeless drug addict’s murder. He also gets caught up with a case of suspected child abuse at a care home, in which Freyja is also involved.

There is one witness who is linked with all the cases. The girl, Rosa, who received the doll as a present five years earlier. The cases seem to echo with each other as the same people are involved in each case. That isn’t unusual in such a small country, as investigators start to unravel these dark and disturbing cases. This is a slow burn thriller as the multiple plot threads slowly come together. The dynamic between Huldar and Freya is great to read. They make an excellent team, even though they don’t work for the same service. They work together naturally and it is lovely to watch their relationship develop.

I was totally absorbed in this case and looked forward to reading it. The narrative was easy to read and follow despite the intricacy of the cases. Once again, Yrsa’s plotting is flawless and the reader is never concerned that all will not work out in the end. This was a brilliant police procedural that contained many layers. I am now looking forward to the next book in the series as I am fully invested in their life choices. A great book, not a horror as the front cover may suggest, but an easy paced thriller in a beautiful setting that lends itself as a main character in this brilliant series.

I have read several previous books from Yrsa Sigurdardottir and as a fan I was very excited to read the new release "The Doll". Unfortunately I was slightly underwhelmed with the delivery and it did not meet my expectations. This is still a fair thriller with a few unnerving plot elements, outcomes that are predictable and some that are not, but there were some areas that felt disconnected and where the pace dropped.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I hadn’t realised this was part of a series but not knowing the background didn’t take anything away from the story here. Everything fitted together really well at the end in a way I hadn’t seen coming.

I read this book during my vacation and I found myself sneaking off to read until I finished it, it held my attention that much. I will admit I requested this book because of the author, whom I recognized. The title and the cover were a bit meh for me. This book merits a better title and cover I feel. It is not a horror novel but rather a multi faceted crime story.

Disa and Rosa are out fishing when a filthy doll is pulled up in the net. Rosa insists on taking the doll home which sets off a series of events that lead to murder, sexual abuse allegations, and drug trafficking.

I thought the story was well written and atmospheric. There are twists and turns all the way to the very end. I was starting to rush to finish And I realized I had to slow down and pay attention. I will be reading more of this author’s work for sure. Side note, I was worried when I saw the 1 star review. In hindsight I had nothing to worry about. This novel was definitely my cup of tea. I am addicted to these Nordic crime novels.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for my review.

The Doll - Yrsa Siguroardottir

It's so long and drawn out, I was determined to finish it though. It could have been a good book but somethings just didn't fit.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I was so excited to read this book and was initially drawn in by the creepy cover! However, this was a decent story but a bit slow. I was a bit disappointed and didn't find myself dying to read more.
Thank you to Yrsa Sigurdardottir, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This didn’t exactly go in the direction I thought it would, but I loved it. I also didn’t realise it was part of a series, which I will be looking into as soon as possible, but it can easily be read as a standalone.

There was a lot going on, but it all started coming together at the end in a brilliant reveal. I was trying to figure out the cases and how they could be linked but I definitely did not see it coming. Especially the doll – that was a brilliant twist. The characters were great too, such individual personalities and I felt their emotions along with them.

My only negative was keeping track of the names, but that’s only because it’s been translated from Icelandic to English and as such the names aren’t common to me.

Overall, I just couldn’t put this book down, it was thoroughly gripping and it even gave me goosebumps at times. Happy publication day!

I had a hard time deciding on my rating for THE DOLL. There are elements to this novel I adored and there are plenty of things I did not enjoy so much. It's a hard book to recommend to others, that's for sure.

The story is about a mother and daughter who find a destroyed doll in the ocean. The child wants to take the doll home even though it's an unsightly thing. The mother reluctantly agrees. Not soon after the mother dies.

Years later a boy contacts the authorities about the fact that he was abused by a guardian from the state. This gets immediate attention. Huldar, a police office and Freyja, a child psychologist have to work together to interview all the kids that the accused was a guardian for. In the trail they find out that the little girl who spoke out as a witness in the case, is the same girl who found the doll on the bottom of the ocean. Could this be related?

It's a slow-burning thriller. I don't think this book is over 400 pages, but it felt much longer. That having been said, Yrsa's writing style really works for me. The way she describes scenes and thoughts of characters are so incredibly realistic I really enjoyed myself. I can tell she's an incredibly adept writer. I liked how things, like the snake in Freyja's apartment, made a comeback in the most interesting ways.

I did actually expect a bit of a more horrific thriller. The start is pretty rough and the ending is as well, everything in between is a bit more like a police procedural where witnesses are interviewed and wit is sharpened. I wish it would've been more terrifying.

The way the author ties everything together in the end once again shows her superior writing skills. I don't know if I really liked the ending though, but I think that's a matter of taste.

All-in-all, I liked the way the novel was written. I even liked the qualities of the characters, they felt real. I liked the plot, up until the ending. It was just a bit too slow in my opinion, and not horrific and terrifying enough. I will look for future and past releases of this author though.

I have been a far longer-term reader of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, than I have been a book blogger, so let me tell you first that I have thoroughly enjoyed many of her titles again whether part of a series or standalone. Her writing can be truly captivating with cleverly devised plots that can tie in many different emotive subjects. The Doll is book 5 in the Frejya and Huldar series. One great quality in Yrsa’s work is that her novels can be appreciated in any order as each book features a separate theme and storyline. A case in point, I enjoyed this book despite not yet reading the previous title Gallows Rock.

The cover of The Doll did hint at a different approach to earlier volumes of the series with a graphic image of a doll on the cover and the phrase “it brings death to all who find it...” This perhaps suggested that the author was returning to the theme of horror writing, which was revealed most effectively in I Remember You, published in the UK in 2012.

In truth while there are some creepy moments in The Doll, long term readers can be assured that in the whole the style of the book follows the meticulous and intricately crafted police and psychologist procedural characteristics of the earlier books in the series. The Doll is a mesmerising story that will grip you for each of its 450 pages.

A sense of an impending bad omen permeates as the novel commences five years ago as 11 year old Rosa is taking a trip on a fishing boat with her mother Disa and the joint owner of the boat Frikki. They hope to catch some fish however the only thing that enters their fishing net is a long-submerged child’s doll which is covered in barnacles. It is missing much of its hair and one eye yet Rosa convinces DIsa to keep the doll. Tragedy strikes that very night in one of those creepy sections I referred to. The tension continues to build further in the next chapter.

Next the book introduces a British couple who are on a camping trip to Iceland. They appear very much as novices to the camping experience and very unfamiliar with the country. Again something sinister appears to to occur then and the episode leaves the reader to wonder how they came to be there – and what exactly has happened? Sigurðardóttir has paid out twice on our initial foreboding instincts before we have even met her principal characters.

In a scene set several months later, we encounter detective Huldar and his boss Erla onboard another boat in a seabed search for body parts. Both battling sicknesses, they are briefly elated to discover what appears to be a matching specimen to the one that led to the search, before the realisation that actually they might have twice as much work as they first expected.
Meanwhile child psychologist Frejya has been assigned a case attending police interviews of children under 18 from a children’s home following allegations of child abuse from one further resident named Tristan. Her dual purpose is to support the children but also to assess any mistakes made by the Child Protection Agency. Before long, this role sees her working alongside Huldur and his colleague Gudlaugur who are involved with interviewing the witnesses. When their examination of other witnesses from the children’s home initially fail to substantiate Tristan's claims, their efforts focus on finding more witnesses from that time. They are particularly keen to speak to Tristan's friend, 16 year old Rosa. As subsequent events unfold including a gruesome discovery made on night patrol of the Reykjavík docks, it seems that Rosa may have also witnessed some other cases that have been assuming priority for the Reykjavik police force.

The hallmarks of Sigurðardóttir’s work shine throughout The Doll. As with The Legacy and The Absolution her critical reflections on how many adolescents can fall through the net in Iceland with often unsympathetic social services is a key feature. Her descriptions of human reactions and interaction are always so realistically portrayed whether between police colleagues, witnesses and suspects; and her depictions of the investigative elements, including forensic details are always convincing. Dead ends often provide fragments of insight which are later drawn together in revelatory scenes that inch the investigation forward. This is an author who is not afraid to challenge convention, or step aside from outcomes that might be more settling for the reader in order to provide story lines with even greater impact. With Victoria Cribb’s crisp and fluid translation, it is possible to really feel empathy for Rosa whose backstory we hear about from others. We are also investing in the reoccurring characters who are often tiptoeing around each other to avoid the risk of conflict.
The conclusions to the book occur gradually and do take time to unravel. This convoluted approach is very rewarding as each step of the way further insight on a web of deceit is provided. While the mysteries of the doll's origins and the events concerning the children's home are revealed, there are personal issues for Frejya, Huldar and Erla which will continue. These may conclude in The Silence which is the sixth instalment of the series, due in May next year.

Inspired by a photograph of a genuine doll found on the Icelandic seabed, The Doll reaffirms Yrsa Sigurðardóttir position as one of the finest crime writers of her generation and is a must read for anyone who enjoys the darker side of crime fiction and the related social issues that are often intertwined with it. Highly recommended.

The Doll is the fifth instalment in the Freyja and Huldar series set in the remote Icelandic landscape and a superb addition to the Nordic Noir subgenre by the masterful Yrsa Sigurdardottir featuring police investigator Huldar and child psychologist Freyja. An old weathered doll is found caught in the net of a fishing boat. A doll ravaged by the wear and tear of the sea for several years and appears covered in barnacles and worms from its previously watery grave. A woman onboard still decides to take it home for her young daughter, 11-year-old Rosa, who has desperately wanted a doll for many years. This simple act of kindness sets into motion a series of fateful events, and five years later, skeletonized remains emerge from the ocean’s depths. Identifying the skeleton proves harder than initially thought: In a country where everyone knows their neighbour, an unknown missing person is an impossibility. As the mystery of the unidentified body deepens, Huldar dives into an investigation of a homeless drug addict’s murder, and Freyja investigates a suspected case of child abuse at a foster care home.

The cases are linked through a single, missing witness: the girl who requested and received the doll as a gift years ago. This is a riveting, enigmatic and compulsively readable work of Scandinavian Noir and a haunting tale that echoes down the years. There are ample murders and the mystery is a dark and unsettling one that gets under your skin. As always, Yrsa’s complex and impeccable plotting is on show throughout adding another alluring and nerve-wracking chapter to the series about the tenacious Huldar and Freyja. There is a subtlety and nuance that did not appear in the previous instalments and the multiple plot threads are woven together beautifully in a well thought out fashion. It is much more of a slow-burn type thriller that demands to be drunk in, with the frigid atmosphere and scenic landscape described in a way that is difficult to resist. The dynamic between Huldar and Freyja is that of a strong team, and I found myself absorbed and fully immersed in the wickedly twisty-turny narrative. An unsettling, multilayered and intricately plotted police procedural. Highly recommended.

I liked the premise of The Doll but I just couldn’t engage with it, the doll which the book is named after was like a character from a horror movie, often mentioned but rarely seen, which as I was reading it I found quite distracting because all I kept thinking was “well where is the doll” and the plot was full of holes and coincidences so although I made it to the end I have to say sadly this one wasn’t for me.