EXCERPT: Shivering, she hugged her knees to her chest. The sound of water dripping pinged in the silence. Then nothing. Where was he now? Was he coming back?

He'd told her not to cry, but she couldn't help it. She'd heard some grownups talking about a man taking another little girl. They said they hadn't found her.

Someone said she might be dead.

She gulped to keep from crying, but she began to sob into her hands anyway. The dumb doll wouldn't bend or do anything, just lay there stiff and cold in her hand. She didn't want to play with it.

She didn't want to be dead like the other little girls either.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: When Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl with blonde curls and a gap-toothed smile, goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called straight to the scene. According to Penny’s parents, their daughter vanished after a picnic by the creek. All that’s left behind is a pink friendship bracelet etched with “Penny”.

Ellie knows all too well that the mountains’ endless miles of dark forest and winding rivers are the perfect place for a criminal to hide. Racing against the rapidly setting sun and a brutal winter storm on the horizon, she searches desperately for Penny.

Special Agent Derrick Fox is determined to join the hunt. His younger sister, Kim, disappeared in the same area twenty-five years ago––on the day he was meant to be watching her. He’s certain the cases are linked and that over a dozen girls have vanished in the last decade. Ellie refuses to believe that their tight-knit mountain community could be home to a deadly criminal, but even she can’t deny the similarities in the cases. And when they discover the remains of a small body buried with a carved wooden doll, it’s clear they’re up against a deadly serial killer preying on innocent little girls.

As the temperature plunges, Penny’s life hangs in the balance. Most people who get lost in the woods never make it out alive. Can Ellie and Derrick defy the odds and find out the truth about all the stolen girls? Or will the mountain, and its twisted killer, claim another victim?

MY THOUGHTS: Initially I enjoyed this read. The plot has plenty of potential, and was fast moving. But then, as the book progressed, several things began to irritate me.

When I read a book, I like to become immersed in it, to feel like I am there, experiencing whatever is going on along with the characters. I don't get that with The Silent Dolls. I am being 'told' what is happening, not 'feeling' it.

There is no great depth to the characters, in fact there's no great depth to anything including, I fear, the amount of research that went into this book.

The setting is magnificent - the North Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail. It's winter, and the area is in the grip of a storm. And still Ellie goes off on her own..... Then, one of the times she has a bad concussion - and there is more than one, often in quick succession - one moment she is almost unable to stand, and the next she is striding out into the storm.

I would imagine that phone reception on the mountain would be patchy at best. Indeed, at times the characters have had to use hand held radios to communicate. But after hiking into the mountains for some time, they call an ambulance? I could go on about timelines, police procedures, repetition, and various inconsistencies, but I won't. I will say, though, that there was an obligatory sex scene inserted that just didn't work. It could have, but it just didn't. It was clumsy and felt forced.

After I finished The Silent Dolls, I discovered that back in 2017 I had read another book by this author, and my feelings about it were pretty much the same as for this one.

I think that this author's writing style and I are just not a good fit, and that I am very much in the minority with my feelings about this book. So, if you like the premise of this book and have enjoyed my extract, I do urge you to check out some of the many other very positive reviews about The Silent Dolls.

Although I didn't particularly enjoy this read, at no point did I consider abandoning it. And I do believe that The Silent Dolls would make a great action thriller movie. It is a quick, easy read.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️.5

THE AUTHOR: USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

#TheSilentDolls #NetGalley Wow!! I raced through this book in virtually one sitting! The first in the Detective Ellie Reeves series, this book had a gripping and thrilling plot relating to a serial killer who snatched young girls from the Appalachian Trail. As well as having a thoroughly tense and exciting story line there was also lots of teasing and smattering of information about the main characters to make you want to get to know them better in future books in the series especially Ellie, Cord, Derrick and Bryce. Well written with plenty of action and lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. A cracking opener to the series and I cant wait to read the next in the series!

The Silent Dolls was a great start to a new series with an intriguing plot and a great cast of characters.

Detective Ellie Reeves knows how dangerous the Appalachian mountains can be, so when seven-year-old Penny Matthews goes missing, Ellie is immediately on the case. With a winter storm on the way, Ellie is in a race to save the girl before it’s too late. But Special Agent Derrick Fox believes there is more to this case than a little girl wandering off. He believes a killer has been hunting in these mountains for over twenty-five years and has taken over a dozen girls including his younger sister. Ellie has a hard time believing a killer could have lived in her community for so long, but the similarities in the cases are too strong to ignore. With Penny’s life on the line, Ellie and Derrick must work together to stop a killer before he strikes again.

The plot of this book was amazing, with the right mix of creepy and suspenseful. The concept of a serial abductor/killer that focuses on little girls and has been active for over twenty-five years is a terrifying one. It was interesting to me that no one had previously connected the cases as when Derrick lays everything out, it seems clear the cases are connected. The setting of the Appalachian mountains is fantastically done with the forest presenting as a huge, nearly impossible place to search leading to a sense of urgency for Penny to be found. The storm looming on the horizon only adds to the foreboding atmosphere as you know there’s little chance a seven-year-old girl could survive long in the elements. The book had a few surprises along the way and I didn’t expect the ending at all. Overall, the plot was fast-paced, suspenseful, and had just the right amount of action to keep things interesting.

Ellie is an excellent main character as she’s smart, dedicated to her work, and doesn’t let anyone tell her what to do. Her relationship with her parents was interesting and her father being the current sheriff adds to the tension in their relationship. Derrick’s presence definitely affects Ellie’s relationship with her father as her father was the one who investigated Derrick’s sister’s disappearance and he clearly left relevant information out of the files. I liked the dynamics in Ellie and Derrick’s working relationship, but I will say there’s a bit of a romance thrown in that ultimately doesn’t make sense in the story. As to the other characters, Ranger Cord was the most intriguing as the information on his background is very limited. I’m definitely curious to learn more about him and I hope he shows up in future books in the series.

Overall The Silent Dolls was a great read and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Wildflower Graves, when it releases later this year. I highly recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a good mystery thriller.

The first book of a new series by Rita Heron. And what a magnificent way to start!
Young, little girl's are disappearing. The race is on to find them. But then an out of town FBI agent hears about the case. His own little sister disappeared years ago along with several other little girls over the years. Is there a link??
An unputdownable, not to be missed book. I absolutely cannot wait for the next one!!

There’s a new detective in town, and Ellie Reeves is a force to be reckoned with as she navigates a missing child case that brings up dark memories. I liked how the author jumped right into the story and didn’t waste a lot of time with slogging setups. Something happened to Ellie when she was a child, and her parents think it could still affect her. This is a problem because her dad is the Sheriff, and she wants to replace him when he retires. Questions unravel against the backdrop of a little girl who has gone missing in the forest. There’s a big winter storm barreling down, so time is of the essence. I don’t give away plot points, and with this mystery that would be easy to do. You’ll have to read it for yourself. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

Ellie's beat covers some of the Appalachian mountains and she, and the local community, are horrified when a young girl goes missing while on a family day out on part of the Appalachian Trail. Ellie knows the mountains like the back of her hand, and she also knows how terrifying they can be. Especially in winter. In the dark. Derrick Fox believes there is a serial killer operating along the Trail and he's been searching for answers for twenty-five years. He and Ellie must work together to find answers.

I raced through this book - kept me gripped all the way through. Full of action and tension. The mountain forest setting was by turn beautiful and threatening, imposing. It was frightening to imagine someone lost or alone in those woods. And that winter storm - I shivered with the cold!

I loved Ellie. She's determined, capable and fierce, not afraid to fight for what she believes whether personal or professional. And here the two sometimes meet. But she struggles with some things, damaged by a traumatic incident when she was young, which we learn more about as the story progresses. I wanted to shake her by the shoulders occasionally though because I thought she could be irresponsibly stubborn and headstrong! Derrick was more of an enigma - he struck me as a pent up ball of anger, angst and anguish. I don't know if there are more books planned featuring him, but I would love to get to know him better.

We see things from the perpetrator's point of view and it's a chilling picture that Herron has painted, but a sad one too. And the first chapter from Penny's point of view is utterly heart wrenching, so well written.

The story line itself is dark and more than a little twisted, and heartbreaking. This is a tense read throughout but things really damp up at the end. Looking back at the notes I wrote when I was reading, I've written 'Last 25% - woah!' and that pretty much sums it up! I'd also written 'One big shock' but crossed it out because actually there is shock after shock. I tell you, it's pretty intense - I was exhausted! And there were a couple of people that I wanted to slap (at the very least) by the end!

There were a few moments early on in the book where I felt information was repeated, in a slightly different way, unnecessarily. But overall I found this to be a tense, exciting and gripping read which I just whizzed through.

Detective Ellie Reeves is called to uncover the mistero around a little girl disappearance, but she doesn’t know that this is only one of the many kidnappings happening on the trail. Will she be able to find the monster behind this crime?
This book had me on a constant suspense rush, even when I wasn’t reading it I was wondering about what would have been happening next..
I loved the main character, Ellie, as she is the emblema of the strong leading character that doesn’t give up when an obstacle occurs, but she fights back and tries to act in a selfless and caring way.
The chapters were all short and switching between different narrators, like Ellie, Derrick, Cord, the lost girls and even the kidnapper; this made the book even more interesting to read and easy to follow and get into the characters mindset.
I definitely can’t wait for a sequel!

Review posted on goodreads, Amazon and Instagram!

Rita Herron has created a wonderfully human and intelligent character in Detective Ellie Reeves. In this first book, Ellie must find a girl who disappeared in the Appalachian mountains while on a picnic with her parents. The race against time leads her and her companions to the discovery of other missing young girls' graves, as it becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose. Then, another young girl goes missing, and the hunt intensifies. With memories of her own near-abduction as a child Ellie is determined to bring both girls home. This is an exciting mystery with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. I look forward to the next installment.

The premise and plot of the book made for an excellent start to a new series. The main character is a detective who is called to investigate a missing six-year-old in the Appalachian Mountains. The detective is joined by a detective who also has a link to the same mountains, her sister disappeared twenty years ago. Another plot twist is the impending snowstorm headed for the hills.

I did find some details I felt were not well researched, in particular when discussing things regarding medical topics. The author described the bone a character had broken as being in the wrong part of the body. I feel like she should have researched better, or at the very least had someone knowledgeable in the medical field read through the book.

Overall, I thought it was a great read and I read it all in one night. I am looking forward to reading more books in the series.

When a little girls goes missing on the Appalachian Trials Ellie takes on the case. The weather and terrain makes it difficult to search for the little girl. Special Agent Derrick Fox hears about the disappearance and it reminds him of the day he lost sight of his little sister. He offers Ellie help solving the case.
This is just what I expect and want in a book written by Rita Herron. Suspense, twists and turns and romance. I couldn't stop reading, had to know what happened to the girls and also to Ellie. Then there is a twist ans just when I thought I had it figured out....another twist. And now I can't wait for the next book to come out! Highly recommended!

When 7 year old Penny Matthews goes missing the Appalachian mountains during a family picnic, there are many suspects. Detective Ellie Reeves is put on the job.

Soon Special Agent Derrick Fox arrives on the scene, because he has a special interest in this case, believing it is connect to the disappearance of his sister in the same area and in a similar way 25 years ago.



Ellie and Derrick work together with Ellie’s father, Randall and Cord – both of who have an expert knowledge of the dangerous terrain.

In a desperate race against time, given the falling temperatures, they discover the remains of a small child. Then another. And each time there’s a silent doll with the remains. They realize that this is the work of a serial killer!

Then another little girl goes missing! And all hell breaks loose, as this becomes very personal for Ellie.

The story is told from various perspectives – of the detectives, the kidnapped girls, even the killer himself/herself (I can’t give the gender away, can I? 🙂 )



Both Ellie and Derrick’s characters are strong – with each of them having faced childhood trauma. This case is really close to home for both of them and how they push past their fears and vulnerabilities to uncover the killer makes a fascinating, dark and heartbreaking story.

I would certainly recommend Silent Dolls and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me through NetGalley. This book was just absolutely wonderful. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just couldn’t put it down. I just lost myself within this amazing story. I most definitely will read more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the copy of The silent dolls by Rita Herron, who is a new author for me. The book was a thrill ride from the start to the shocking and abrupt end so I hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next installment of the series! Seven year old Penny Matthews goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called out to search for her. Special Agent Derrick Fox soon realizes this case is too similar to the case of his younger sister who went missing in the same area 25 years ago and is linked to other little girls and is determined to join the search. As it gets colder, and the search continues, another girl goes missing. Is the killer closer to Ellie then she thinks? Can Ellie and Derrick find out the truth before times rounds out for Penny? I
enjoyed the characters in the book: Detective Ellie Reeve, reminded me of other characters I have enjoyed reading in the past, tough, a great detective, but suffers from childhood nightmares. I love reading books with strong female leads!
I was given a copy of this publication for a honest review.

How have I missed Rita Herron? Her goodreads profile says she has NINETY BOOKS to her credit, and I'm glad because I'm going to going on a Rita Herron binge! A great book!

Fantastic new start of a new series! I was hooked in from the first page. Kept me guessing until the very end. Look forward to finding out more of Detective Ellie’s newly discovered mysterious past. Thanks to NetGalley and Rita Herron for the ARC ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When seven year old, Penny Matthews, goes missing on the Appalachian Trail, Detective Ellie Reeves is put on the case. Is the little girl lost or did her parents have something to do with her disappearance? When Special Agent Derrick Fox hears the broadcast on the news for Penny, the disappearance suddenly takes a turn. Derrick’s sister went missing on the trail twenty five years ago and since that time more and more girls have gone missing. Is there a serial killer on the loose targeting young children? Teaming up together, Ellie and Derrick are in a race against time to find Penny before a brutal storm hits the East Coast.

The opening chapter of The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron just captured my attention immediately and gave me the chills. I am definitely not a fan of cold dark places and I kind of got creeped out. The further you go along in the story it never really loses its intensity either, so I was pretty much hooked right from the jump. There are secrets to be revealed, and plenty of suspects, I went back and forth on wondering if one of them was indeed our evil culprit.

Ellie is such an interesting character. She is fierce, loyal, determined, great at her job and yet she is also sensitive, has fears, family problems and a host of other things that make her stand out as a real person. She knows just how dangerous the Appalachian Trail is as she had her own nightmare on the trail when she was just a child herself. But, she tries to not let her fears get in the way of finding Penny.

The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron is the first book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. It is a riveting, powerful story that is expertly crafted and hair raising. I had chills in multiple parts of this story and definitely could not put this book down. This is a well deserved Five Star read and I am definitely looking forward to the second book in the series.

This is my first book by this author and I’d like to read others. It seemed to take me longer to get through then usual. I found it a little dull and just didn’t really suck me in and have me on the edge of my seat. It was a little unbelievable if I’m honest with many unanswered questions. I found its pace extremely slow and then all of a sudden got going but the outcome was something different. It was just ok in my opinion.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Bookouture for the chance to read this ARC and review that was published on the 17th of July...

# The Silent Dolls #

It’s started out really good and I was hooked big time.. although I was reading into the night. I had the impression that Ellie knew who the perpetrator was, I know it’s only a book but nevertheless I would have thought she would have moved kicker to stop him acting on his whims again. So for that reason I am going to knock a star Off. Overall a pretty damnd good read.

i so enjoyed this book gripping from the 1st page .detective Ellie Reeves has always wanted to be Sheriff with her fathers backing but he chooses Bryce . and she is very hurt a child goes missing and Ellie is on the case special agent Derrick fox sees on the news about the young child missing his sister went missing there many years ago .he tells Ellie about all the other children that have gone missing as well over the years . wont say no more but its a must read i cried at the end

The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron is a tense and chilling thriller that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Detective Ellie Reeves and Special Agent Derrick Fox are investigating the mysterious disappearance of seven year old Penny Matthews, who has gone missing in the Appalachian mountains after a family picnic by the creek. All that’s left behind is a pink friendship bracelet etched with the word ‘Penny’.

What follows is a gripping race against time as the desperate hunt for Penny gets underway. As the temperature drops and Penny’s life hangs in the balance, Ellie and Derrick know they must do everything they can to unearth the truth before it’s too late. And when the remains of a small child buried with a carved doll are discovered, it becomes clear that Penny’s disappearance is not just an isolated case and that they have a serial killer on their hands.

Can Ellie and Derrick find Penny before time runs out? Or is the mountain and it’s twisted killer about to claim another victim?

Oh my goodness, what a fabulous and gripping read this was! I love sinking my teeth into a brand new series and this one did not disappoint. Detective Ellie Reeves is a wonderful character who I can’t wait to learn more about as the series progresses. Her partnership with Special Agent Derrick Fox in The Silent Dolls is a fascinating one, especially as he believes his sister’s disappearance 25 years ago is connected to the case of the missing little girl.

With twists and turns that will keep you on your toes throughout, this is a chilling mystery that once started you will not want to put down until the final thrilling page has been turned.

The Silent Dolls is a dark and atmospheric read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.