3 stars

Some people are real creeps, and Dawn is out to find the one the community has taken to calling "The Dollmaker." This is just as gross as it sounds, and the right reader will enjoy - appropriately - these creative descriptions.

The concept is good, the mindful feminism is a nice surprise, and this is a solidly narrated audiobook. Despite the gruesome nature, I'm not sure this one will stand out as particularly memorable for the writing, plotting, or general creativity. That noted, it's an engaging enough listen, and I'd give this author future chances, too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and CamCat Publishing for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Kate Rudd, who does a good job!

Dawn and Rose are close friends who have reached the age of 19. Dawn has the ambitious goal of opening her own medical clinic. Rose is a ballerina who wants to keep dancing despite injuries and an engagement to keep her and her uncle financially afloat. Things go sideways when Rose is abducted by a serial killer, the Dollmaker. Gideon Hemsworth enlists Dawn’s assistance in tracking down the Dollmaker, but is not certain she can trust Gideon and his brother, especially when the Dollmaker begins to target her.

This historical fiction piece is set in the 1920s when opportunities for women were just starting to happen. However, in this story, there was an intense focus on societal norms and social standing. I do not believe that women had the opportunity to own a clinic let alone work once married. There were a few of these types of inconsistencies in the story that bothered me. The drama of the characters seemed to be hyped up all the time as well.

If it had been set in the late 1800s and flowed better, I would have enjoyed this more.

First of all, thank you to the author/publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Second of all, WHAT A SURPRISE!

This was fun!

Someone is killing women. And when Dawn's best friend gets snatched right in front of her, she teams up with Gideon Hemsworth to solve the murders.

But can she trust him?

Dawn is unusual. She wants to be a doctor, but no one takes her seriously. Her parents blame her for her brother's death, and they are desperate to marry her off so they can make some money off of her (lovely!).

Gideon's fiancée was murdered by the Dollmaker and now he's on a mission to solve the case.

If you think these two are the romance in this, you are wrong. In fact there's BARELY a romance in this, and I actually really liked it.

This book gave some Jekyll/Hyde vibes, it gave some Phantom of the Opera vibes. And the whole time I wasn't sure who the actual killer was and when that was revealed, I was surprised! I didn't see it coming, which I'm usually pretty good at, but I also didn't feel like it was too insane for that person to be the Dollmaker.

All in all a very fun quick read, which I also loved. This audiobook clocks in around 8 hours, which is PERFECT.

Women are disappearing and their body parts are being stitched together like a doll and left for pedestrians to find. When aspiring doctor Dawn's best friend is taken as the Dollmaker's newest victim, she enters the hunt to find the killer before it is too late. As she investigates the murders she is joined by two mysterious brothers. Will they be able to find the murderer before it is too late for Rose, or before Dawn herself becomes their next victim?

The Dollmaker is an atmospheric, twisty thriller by a new to me author, Morgan Shamy. For such a creepy premise there was amazing character development and subplot. The way that you get inside of Dawn's head and story is a true feat of excellency. If you love a thriller with great characters, a love story, a bit of feminism and some well-done sleuthing then this is the book for you!

I really enjoyed how there were so many twists within the story and how you get to experience the entire thing from Dawn's perspective. I was able to listen to the audio for this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley, and the narrator pulls you into the story and atmosphere. Between the narration and plot this was a read in one sitting type of book!

This is not a super gory or creepy thriller and it is not overly psychological, so if those are things that you are looking for in your book then this might not be for you. There is a strong romance aspect to it, which I adored, but it was unexpected. As always, check any trigger warnings before reading.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this thriller and think it is a great addition to the genre! I will be on the lookout for more by this author as I loved the creative plot and writing style - it was so fluid and made the story flow effortlessly. I will definitely be recommending this one to all my murder mystery-loving friends!

I received an ARC for this book in an exchange for my honest review.. thank you NETGALLEY.

JACK THE RIPPER RETELLING.

With being a mood reader and usually stick to dark romance or fantasy I wanted to try something different, this book popped up as interesting and as I got into the book I realised is was indeed a Jack the Ripper retelling 🙀
I loved every minute of this book, lots of twist and turns, and the ending..😱 I had no idea and could never have guessed if I tried, Amazingly written 👏👌

I feel bad. This is not good. The writing is reminiscent of bad self publishing. I can’t even finish it.

The Dollmaker sounds like an interesting book, but as of right now, I sadly cannot read and review this title due to the NetGalley Shelf app keeps saying there is an error and that this format is not supported when I go to listen to this book. When this problem is solved, then I will definitely review this book.

This reminded me a lot of Kerri Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper but make it adult and amp up the gore and horror.

I loved Dawn's character and her refusal to adhere to the societal expectations of women in the 1920s. Dawn has a fierce dedication to opening her own medical practice on her terms all while racing against time to rescue her best friend who has been kidnapped by a notorious serial killer who slaughters and dismembers women to create the "perfect doll". I truly love female characters like this who have a IDGAF attitude and pushes back against the patriarchy.

As far as the murder mystery aspect goes, I enjoyed how this one unraveled. Lots of twists and turns with some red herrings along the way. The final reveal definitely got me.

This one is narrated by Kate Rudd, and she definitely brings both Dawn and this story to life.