Ever since her debut The Dollhouse, Sara Ennis has been a thriller writer to watch.

Little Doves is a standalone thriller set in the same creative universe, there are some recurring characters, and past events are mentioned briefly. It reads perfectly as a standalone, but if you haven't read the Duality trilogy beginning with The Dollhouse you are missing out on some thrilling books.

Little Doves follows the disappearance of a young girl called Elspeth, which has echoes of a hideous crime from twenty years ago. The perpetrator died in jail. The search for Elspeth is one strand.

There's also a dangerous viligante on the loose, who targets allegedly corrupt individuals, surgically mutilates them and shares the videos of the torture all over the internet.

It's a dark and disturbing book, with a long list of trigger warnings, but it's written in a deeply sensitive manner, giving voices to the victims and their families, delving into their loss, grief and fears. It is never gratuitous and the lasting impact of crime on the survivors is at the forefront.

The plot is involved and complex, there's a lot going on. It's told from multiple viewpoints but it is very smoothly handled. It never gets confusing and all the questions get answered.

This is a very mature, sensitive and expertly written thriller.

Sure to delight Sara Ennis's fans, readers of Karen Slaughter or Gregg Olsen will love it.


Thanks to Netgalley and Good Girl Charlie LLC

Twenty years ago, Stasia King’s sister was abducted, tortured and killed. Oddly enough another girl has gone missing and from the same location. They were both at The Madalena, an exclusive golf and country club on the outskirts of Washington, DC. The killer strikes again? No, it can’t be, because the murderer has been dead nearly twenty years? Maybe a copycat killer, but why after so many years?

Stranger still, at the same time, someone calling themselves The Surgeon is maiming seemingly innocent men in very specific ways. The Surgeon is quite bold as he records his attacks and posts them on social media, with an invitation to watch. The assaults become more violent, and more final. They’re sending a message and demanding justice with a cryptic hashtag: #stopsabine

This is a rough book to read, it’s brutal. It dives into the darkest parts of kidnappings and the realistically horrendous acts on human beings. This author took horror to another level.

Still, this is a well written, page turning, stay up late at night, novel.
This one will burrow into your mind for a long, long time.
Highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and Good Girl Charlie LLC.

Book Title: Little Doves
Author: Sara Ennis
Publisher: Good Girl Charlie LLC
Genre: Thriller
Pub Date: January 10, 2023
My Rating: 2 Stars

Natasha King was abducted from an exclusive Golf Club near DC and killed twenty years ago; her family especially her sister Anastasia (Stasia) has never gotten over it.
Now same Golf Club Madelena is the scene of another girl - Madelyn going missing.

In another case a maniac called ‘The Surgeon’ is attacking men; the attacks are shown on social media with the hint that more violent attacks are on the way.

Story is told in multiple POVs so at times it was difficult to keep everyone clear in my mind plus I have to admit it was a struggle for me. Certainly not an enjoyable read ~ graphic, and disturbing.
Sometimes a story needs to be said at the right time ~ a few days before Christmas was not the right time for me
I am sure it will find the right audience

Want to thank NetGalley and Good Girl Charlie LLC for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 10, 2023

4.5-4.75⭐️

Gore score 4/5

This is a standalone vigilante thriller.

Stasia an ER doctor is marking the 20th anniversary of her sister Natasha’s murder following her abduction. When she FaceTimes her mom she learns that a young girl, the daughter of her mom’s friend has gone missing. A girl from the same place, same age, on the anniversary and known to the mother of the original girl, too many similarities for a coincidence surely.

There are multiple points of view Stasia, Ava,Xander, the surgeon, Nick( from The Dollhouse) I really like that there a slight cross over with some of the characters from previous books, it gives a sense of comfort and familiarity.

This is a dark gritty gory book in places, it’s not for the squeamish.
It kept my interest throughout, with so much going on. It’s got a good pace.
My favourite character is Xander, I have a soft spot for Nick too, although they all have good depth to their characters.
Stasis’s mom is a special woman, and I admire her tremendously.

I highly recommend this if you like to hang out on the grittier side of the gore score. If you like cosy murder mysteries, this one isn’t for you.

Little Doves
by Sara Ennis
I did indeed love the cover. The story was good. But, in reality, there is real ugliness and yes it was very brutal, and shocking. I felt it was one that truly grabs you, like watching a 50-car pile-up of cars and not looking away. I finished the book, and I am sure the book will be inside my head for a long time. The evilness and such pain should be cheering the ones to end it made me cheer for them. But, like a trigger, I know this evil and insanity do happen.

If you're looking for a dark thriller with a satisfying ending, Sara Ennis never disappoints! *chef's kiss*

This is a standalone novel, although there are some characters and some mentions of characters from the Duality/Dollhouse trilogy. (If it was a TV series I would say it's a "spin-off" from the original trilogy, but I'm not sure how that translates into books.)

I'm not in love with the cover, and for awhile I couldn't decide why - I think it's the hand. If the hand wasn't there I think it would be better. Also I was left with one tiny unanswered question, but in the spirit of being vague to avoid spoilers, the only thing I'll say is "Where did they all go afterwards?"

A huge thank you to Sara Ennis, NetGalley, and Good Girl Charlie LLC for the e-ARC of this awesome book, being released January 10, 2023!

This is a sometimes disturbing book about sexual abuse/murder, a case from 20 yrs ago resembles a current missing girl case. It tells the story of the sister of the first girl, the son of the man falsely accused of the crime, a PI looking into it and a couple who are part of an organization, that offers girls education in exchange for hosting men and a Surgeon who is trying to get justice in their own way. . At first, it was confusing keeping all the stories straight, but I assumed they would all be connected in the end.. I guessed some of it. It is pretty graphic at some points but given the storyline it had to be. It was a fast read. I didn't feel as involved with any of the characters as I wanted to be, which made it less effective for me. 3.5

This is one of the most brutal books I have ever read. It delves into the darkest parts of kidnappings and the realistically horrendous acts that ensue. Beware because this was a tough one to get through that dares to go places that many authors won't. It's an eye opener that burrows into you. That aside, this was such a well written, unputdownable novel. That is the first and only time I will use that word but I honestly can't think of any other way to put it. Certain characters you will despise, others you will be rooting for until your head hurts. Either way, this is one will stay with you for a long, long time.Five Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Good Girl Charlie LLC for this disturbing but amazing ARC.