I fell in love with the first book in this series and couldn't wait for the next book to see what the author gave us next.

I have found a real likeness towards all the characters in this series. Raven is the kind of strong female lead you want, who has no qualms about following the gut instinct that most women would follow. Especially to the extent that the men on her team just dont understand it. But this is what makes her such a great character, also her flaws. Because we know as readers that no one is ever perfect.

The case that the team are handed this time round is a very unnerving one that I found tough to stomach at time if im honest. But for me, this make a great police book. The cases you never think of are always the most intriguing.

I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment and to see how the team copes with whats thrown at them next

This was gripping thriller. It was fast paced and exciting. Totally unexpected ending.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

4.5 stars
Just like the first book, this one goes on the darker, sinister side of thrillers. So many twists and unexpected turns, so many dark moments that kept me invested in the story from the beginning to the last page.

I remember watching a CSI episode with a psychopath killer that lived in the past and transformed his victims into dolls , from the makeup to the clothes and even the 70s outfit and air altogether. Just like in that tv play, this story keeps the fast pace throughout the book and will leave some readers shocked at some moments.

Gripping, compelling and a must read novel for the dark thrillers lovers.

This was a really dark and twisted psychological thriller. Many colorful characters that each stood out in their own way. I think the character personalities were my favorite part of this book. Author excelled in the descriptive layers of the story.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Perfect Little Dolls, the second novel set in a big Canadian city to feature DI Eleanor Raven.

A body is discovered after a fire at the local waste disposal site, but she didn’t die in the fire and appears to have been embalmed. DI Eleanor Raven has just returned from six months sick leave after her last case and is determined to prove herself fit for duty with this case. The body is identified as Giselle Baker who disappeared three years ago, but no sooner is she identified than another woman goes missing, then a young boy.

I enjoyed Perfect Little Dolls which is a well plotted novel with some interesting twists, but it’s more character driven than I usually like. The novel basically splits the narrative between Eleanor Raven and the perpetrator, exploring both damaged psyches and their ensuing actions. It’s interesting but, at times, the investigation and victims get lost in this exploration. I think the rating level will depend on where the reader’s interest lies.

The plot is well constructed as the investigative team slowly builds their knowledge and sharpens their focus. Several quirky details add a little spice to the standard investigation. For me half the fun in a procedural lies in guessing but this taken away with the early reveal of the perpetrator and motive.

Eleanor Raven is a troubled individual with more baggage than is good for her in her job. She attends therapy sessions throughout the novel which offer an insight into her past and it’s influence on her present. I must admit to being uncomfortable with her sexual masochism that I take to be an extreme form of self harm. I’m not even going to discuss the perpetrator, another deluded fantasist, twisted enough to act on them.

The main thing that saves this novel from being another run of the mill serial killer novel is the prose. It is clear, incisive and enticing. It gives the reader a concise understanding of events and encourages them to read on and for that I can recommend Perfect Little Dolls as a good read.

This was one of the most disturbingly gruesome books I have ever read...(shuddering).

Detective Eleanor Raven is back to work after suffering an attack on her life. In this new case, the burnt body of a transgender woman which was originally thought to be a mannequin, is found at a landfill. Raven and her team soon realise that their killer is a different breed of crazy.

Despite being a life-long mystery and psychological thriller lover, I had to take several breaks while reading this book. The extent of detail the author has gone into in explaining the killing process, while commendable, was way out of my comfort zone. Sheer will and morbid curiosity was what got me through.

I believe this book was released previously under a different name. Perfect Little Dolls is a brilliant read albeit slow paced; definitely not for the faint-hearted.

A big thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Karen Long is a new author for me and although I hadn’t read the first DI Eleanor Raven book, I felt I could still enjoy the second instalment. We are immersed straight into the action from the first chapter as the charred remains of a young woman are found at a waste disposal site. Following the post mortem, it becomes apparent the woman has been dead for some time and her body was perfectly preserved prior to the fire. With little to go on, a tenuous link leads back to an old unsolved case and her identity is established. However with more bodies turning up and a missing young boy, Eleanor and her team need to act fast to solve the case.

This book is well written and I found it held my attention throughout. It has whetted my appetite to seek out the first book in the series and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review. I would rate this 3.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

This psychological serial murder story is not for the feint hearted. The killer and the detective are both troubled souls and it makes for an interesting sometimes gruesome read. This is a fast paced well written crime story where even the reader sometimes has a hard time keeping up!. 5 stars

Such a good read! I read this in one sitting, I just could not put it down. So many twists and turns, it was really a thrilling read.

Gruesome! Not for the faint hearted but brilliant, well written

Loved it, loved racing towards the end watching all the pieces slot perfectly together in the most natural way! Spectacular writing. Perfect Little Dolls is a fantastic, intelligent book and you have to read it! Even the last line is perfection. 5/5

I loved the first in this series, ‘Cry for Mercy’ so when I saw this book was available on NetGalley I had to request it.

It was just as good as the first and along the same lines, with a sadistic serial killer, it entrapped me into another complex storyline that I couldn’t stop thinking about and stayed up late to finish it last night.

The head detective Ellie Reeves is a really well formed character. She has a ‘rule unto her own’ characteristics and a sixth sense when it comes to her cases.

I’m also loving the dynamics with her new partner and can see their professional relationship will blossom in fortune books.

A fantastic book that will keep me wondering how book three in the series will top it! If you live Chris Carter books you’ll love this series!

Why is a doll perfect? Well, that’s quite simple to explain. They do everything you say and stay forever young and beautiful.
Who does not like perfection? I think a lot of people do (the staying young and beautiful part at least 😉) and why not as long as it’s something you decide about. Once other people make the decision, it’s not done.
I have read quite some thrillers the last few years and I thought I almost met all the psychopaths, but oh no. Boy, was I wrong in thinking that. There is one thing though they all seem to have in common: something tragic happening in their youth that traumatized them to the core. I know it’s wrong what they are doing and they often disgust me, but honestly my heart bleeds for them too. It’s heart breaking how such innocent little creatures can be turned into such disturbed adults.
Detective Raven is a hard nut to crack. I have not read the first book in this series, but it’s crystal clear that she has been put through the mill. She is still fighting those demons, but that does not stop her from saving other people’s lives.
I know I have an inkling about what happened in part 1, but I am determined to read it as soon as possible too. I just have to find out what went on exactly.
Can the book be read as a stand alone? Yes, in my opinion it can, but if you want to follow the main characters’ lives, the best thing to do is to start at the beginning. (I know I should have taken my own advice, lol, but I don’t mind starting in the middle and going back 😉, but not everybody enjoys that)
In a nutshell, a great book. 5 stars

Thank you, Karen Long and Bookouture

Eleanor Raven is recovering both physically and mentally from being in a serial killer's hands. A fire at a waste site exposes a body in a peculiar way. Eleanor and her partner must figure out a way to work together as other bodies begin to be exposed. I didn't read the first novel, but Ms. Long did a great job filling in the blanks.

A great second book in this series. Eleanor Raven is a deeply troubled detective with a whole lot of emotional baggage. While fighting her own demons and working through traumas she has faced in the past, she is a strong lead detective intent on solving the crime.

This story, like in book one, is not for the faint of heart or those easily offended. I could not put this down! Definitely for fans of dark thrillers. I would recommend reading in order. Looking forward to the next in the series. Note: This is a rerelease of a series published previously by a different publishing group.
“Does contain some BDSM scenes”

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for the eARC.

This book is full of suspense, the plot was fast paced had so many twists.
It didn't lack anything at all
Would be a great recommendation to others who love this genre

Gritty, gloomy, and straight forward. No punches are held back in this book. There is tension and disapproval between the main detective partners, which is growing too much to handle for both of them. Raven is still heavily scarred from their last case, yet she is back to her old tricks.

Charred remains of a body is found after a fire. The person was dead way before the fire. The old misper case leads to a new murder, and several other weird things are going on. This has turned into a nasty case. Even though this book is set in Toronto, I got a London kind of vibe from this book. Could be the grayness and gloominess.

I am not the biggest fan of knowing who the culprit is way before the detectives do, but this time it worked quite well. The main character is definitely different from the general DI, which is also nice. It's great to read about someone with such character.

This is the second bok which I have not read yet! I felt not reading the first one didn't take away from anything.
This was a fast paced. Non stop. Action mystery that had me hooked. I loved the characters.
The way this book was written is just amazing. Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed the previous book and was pleased to see that thus was just as good. I love the characters and find them intriguing and realistic. Kept me hooked from start to finish.

This was the second book in the DI Eleanor Raven series.

While I found the first book more gripping, I still enjoyed this one and will look out for the next instalment!

When a woman’s body is found in the aftermath of a fire, her death would have been assumed to be a tragic accident, but an autopsy shows the woman was dead before the fire started. As a matter of fact she has been dead for quite some time, her body painstakingly preserved. DI Eleanor Raven is back on the job after a 6 month mandatory leave and she’s not going to let a little thing like no concrete leads stop her from proving she can solve this case. With meticulous digging, she discovers the young woman was a dancer who had disappeared two years earlier. But just then another woman disappears, and then a little boy. What connection do these new disappearances have to do with the dancer? Eleanor Raven is a complex, believable character whose personal demons are almost as formidable as the case she’s trying to solve. A great read