It's the 1920s, and Dawn wants to be a healer with her own clinic. But she's forced to work for Dr. Miller as no one wants a woman to perform surgeries. When a serial killer comes to town and her friend goes missing, she finds herself forced to make unlikely allies as she attempts to find her friend.

I’m going to be honest, there was basically nothing in this book that worked for me. The characters weren't written well and needed more development to feel like real people. It was almost like they were each given one thing that turned into their whole character and that was the extent of their development (one character had two things - being lecherous and licking his lips constantly - in fact the lip-licking happened so often I should have turned it into a drinking game). This made them all feel like caricatures, especially the men. It didn't help that the whole book consisted of things happening to the protagonist rather than her having any agency.

There were insistencies throughout the book that majorly detracted from it. The author described the protagonist wearing a dress that exposed her neck and had a maid help her get dressed soon after she'd been choked to the point where she could barely speak - there would have been bruising and evidence of this, but neither the maid nor anyone at the party notices anything. There were gaps like this throughout the work that took away from the immersion and cohesion of the book. They were also in a race against time to find a friend who was kidnapped, but that urgency didn't come through in their actions. It also got quite repetitive; any time she did something, it would immediately be followed by "But how could she think that when her friend was missing?" but then they kept on just doing their things. Similarly, we were always told how characters were feeling but it was never depicted in a realistic way.

The setting and sense of place was not strong. It was difficult to remember what period this was set in, and there was no incorporation of meaningful descriptions to create any connection to the setting. Part of this was also due to the writing style - there were turns of phrases used that felt distinctly modern.

I'm not going to get into the mystery aspect of the work other than that Dawn should stick to herbs and not jumping to ridiculous conclusions based on obvious red herrings.

This work honestly read more like a draft than a finished book. It does have some high ratings, though, so if the premise sounds interesting to you check those out. But as it is, I can't recommend this book to anyone. It's also certainly not a thriller or horror read, so don't be fooled by the genre tags. My thanks to NetGalley and CamCat Publishing for allowing me to read this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I firstly want to thank Morgan Shamy, Net Galley and CamCat Publishing for sending me an E-audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A really engaging book! Set in the 1920's a mystery unfolds where ballerina are kidnapped and mutilated.

I really liked how the story kept me engaged and had me guessing and guessing! The characters are very likeable and I just found myself wanting to know how it ended! I don't read enough murder mysteries even though I love the genre! I also like how there was a little romance peppered into this book too.

This was my first book by Morgan Shamy and it won't be my last. I'll definitely be buying a copy of the physical book at some point too.

"The Dollmaker" by Morgan Shamy is a novel that takes place in the 1920s, a time when the world was still recovering from the scars of war. The story revolves around a serial killer who has been given the moniker "The Dollmaker". He kidnaps ballerinas and mutilates them. The plot thickens when Rose, a ballerina and the best friend of Dawn Hildegard, goes missing. Dawn is a doctor who takes the responsibility of investigating Rose's disappearance and teams up with Gideon Hemsworth, who is also keen on catching the killer. The duo sets out on a dangerous journey to uncover the identity of the killer and bring him to justice.

It took me a long while to get into this audiobook. I picked it up and put it down a number of times. But I finally finished it this morning, and I am so glad that I did! I did not see the reveal coming at all!

This was good!! Definitely did not expect the twist of who it was, easy to listen to.
Would definitely be better with a male narrating the male parts though, wasn’t a fan of the woman changing her voice 🫣

I had zero expectations for this book. I took the chance on this audiobook and I'm so glad I did. I don't usually consume audiobooks because I tend to go in and out of the story but this was a delight.

The narrator was perfectly matched to the prose, imo. I was invested and intrigued with all the characters. I'm not a mystery/crime reader so maybe it was obvious to some readers, but I really wasn't sure whodunnit until it was too late.

An excellent introduction to Morgan's work, I cannot wait to read Stricken.

Thank you to Morgan Shamy, Netgalley and Camcat Publishing for the opportunity. I've received this audiobook as an ARC and am leaving my review honestly and voluntarily.

JACK THE RIPPER GOES TO THE BALLET!!

Set in 1920. There is a serial killer on the loose abducting ballerinas, dubbed "The Dollmaker" due to the nature of his work. After the disappearance of her ballerina best friend Rose, aspiring female doctor, Dawn Hildegard, teams up with the dashing Gideon Hemsworth and brother Sebastian to find the identity of The Dollmaker.

I finished this book in one day. If you enjoy a good whodunit with a splash of implied love triangle, with a touch of gore, this is the book for you.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars !

Have been wanting to read this one for a while and finally got to it , wish I had read it sooner cause it was great !

This book literally contained everything I love in a story so I knew it would be a hit for me , if you love these similar things definitely give this one a shot !

- Historical Fiction - 1920s
- Horror
- Serial killers - this one makes dolls out of real people 🫣
- Mystery - who could it be?!
- Historical medicine
- A little bit of romance
- Bomb ass female characters 💣
- Very satisfying endings / reveals

My one complaint, and don’t judge me for this lol , but I wanted to see a bit more from the perspective of the doll maker themselves , I wanted the gritty gory details of the doll making and instead we mostly just got the perspective of the people trying to figure out who the doll maker is . What can I say , I like my books super dark 🙃

Thank you NetGalley and CamCat Books for this ALC!

This was such an interesting blend of historical fiction and horror. The characterization was amazing, and I loved the nods to feminism throughout. Dawn is a quintessential heroine, whose struggle against patriarch frames this entire plot.

The true villian, is one I did not see coming, but that was so left field. It was a bit ridicuouls, but nevertheless shocking.

Let me start out with, this isn’t normally a genre I read BUT OH MY GOSH! You guys this book was AMAZING! Dawn was such a strong and relatable character. I found myself rooting for her from page 1! I stayed captivated throughout the whole audiobook! The narrator was PHENOMENAL!
The setting is 1920’s and the FMC Dawn is a healer in a time where women were considered less than men. Dawn tries to find a serial killer known as The Dollmaker
Everytime I thought I knew who the killer was, WRONG! Just absolutely amazing! I was in complete shock by the end. I hope this becomes a series because I could not put this down! Just amazing!

Thanks to netgally for approving me this audiobook.

It wasn’t my favorite book in this genre as I feel like it was more focused on the FMC being surrounded by nasty abusive men. Storyline was interesting though, but it didn’t really keep me hooked

The Dollmaker is being marketed as horror/thriller, as such I was expecting gruesome scenes that would give me the heebie jeebies and have me jumping at every sound. Oh, but it wasn’t so. This novel has the feel of a gothic romance with a small subplot of gruesome acts occurring in the background. The burgeoning romance felt forced and incredibly awkward. Unfortunately, I was not a fan. I did finish the novel and the twist was sufficient enough to rate a 3.

This book is more of a YA thriller with enemies to lover romance interwoven than it is horror. I would recommend this to anyone who liked "Anatomy: A Love Story" but Dana Schwartz.

I listened to the audio book, and while the voice actress did a great job, I thought the story was just okay.
It was a little bit Jack the Ripper-ish, but with a twist in the end that really just came out of left field.

I want to start off by saying that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. When I requested this audiobook. I knew that I wanted to support author that I have seen online. And the cover alone is beautiful.
I will be adding more of this author’s books to my tbr. I feel in love with the story and the characters. The narrator does amazing job. There was never boring moment in this audiobook. I didnt want this audiobook to end. I felt like every time I read this book I was transported in this book. Looking lout for the dollmaker.
Now there were times I was like I knew who the doll maker is. But ending proved me wrong.
I loved how strong and brave Dawn is in this story. No matter what she didn’t give up on friends and her dream to become a doctor. Now let’s talk about them brothers in this story OMG. I really didn’t want one of them being the dollmaker. Okay even if one of them might have been maybe they can marry me. lol This book is full of twists and turns.I will have to end up buying my own copy of this book. Definitely a future reread. I highly recommend this book. To anyone who is into horror mystery audiobook.
About Book:
Book is set in 1920’s in USA Dawn it’s strong young woman determined to become a doctor. Onne day become respected by her peers for being a woman doctor during those times. When a murderer is on the loose killing young women. Dawn not sure how these murders are connected.Dawn also dealing with her parents. Who are only out to get Dawn to married for their own personal gain.
Dawn does meet two menu whom she doesn’t know are connected.
Thank you netgalley and the author for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.
My review will be posted Amazon, goodreads, Bookbub

Thank you NetGallery and CamCat Publishing for the ARC!

I listened to the audiobook version of The Dollmaker and liked the narrator most of the time. There were a few points where the tone felt a bit odd.

I enjoyed the book overall though! It is a murder mystery set in the 1920s, and that added an interesting aspect to the story. The way women were treated was uncomfortable at times, but that was the point.

I LOVED who the Dollmaker ended up being, I thought the author did an amazing job of sprinkling breadcrumbs while also not making it obvious. What a fantastic twist.

The Dollmaker is a fun murder mystery set in 1920's. The story deals a lot with the struggle of women is that time period. There is some light romance as well
The Dollmaker is a murderer preying on young women across the country. Dawn is a young Doctor fresh out of school and dealing with people's gendered expectations for her life. Her parents try to force her into a marriage with gross old man and blame her for her brothers death. This brings her into conflict and friendship with the Hemsworth Brothers. When her best friend goes missing the clock is racing for her to find her friend before she becomes another victim of the Dollmaker.
I enjoyed the relationships that develop with both Sebastian and Gideon. I also like how Dawn deals with the problems she's presented with through out the novel. This book is moody in the best way and fit the rainy weather.
The narrator and production were good and
really put me in the scene. I absolutely loved this audio book. Thanks to netgalley for this arc. All views expressed are my own.

Read as an audiobook performed by Kate Rudd.

This was an eerie and gloomy story, with as many odds stacked against the main character as imaginable. My expectations as a reader were subverted several times, making the characters stand out compared to those in similar titles, and I grew quite attached to them. The narrator of the audiobook did an overall good job, though some of the line delivery came across as a bit played up for dramatics.

I liked the mystery aspect of this book more than the romance, but I appreciated that the romance directly tied into the main character’s growth. The main twist of the story was decent, though a bit out of left field. Still, this book was a page-turner with a tense atmosphere that I enjoyed throughout, and is perfect for fans of gothic fiction and unnerving mysteries with a romantic twist.

4/5 A creepy mystery with a determined and spirited main character.

I was really excited for this book when I saw it available. I have read another book titled The Doll Maker in the past, and absolutely loved it (slightly different premise, but similar. Killer arraigning bodies), so when I saw this marketed as horror, I thought maybe we'd get a little more "Saw" in the mix. Something a little gruesome.

But this was honestly really not for horror fans. I think maybe it should stay in the Historical Fiction category alone. The FMC is very annoying and shallow. I don't know how many times she mentions "I'm a doctor/healer" "we can't be alone together" "oh no my future will suffer" in the first 30%

The dialogue was very clunky and with very little variety. There was a lot of telling, and hand holding. "This happens, then this happens, then this happens." It was as if there was a lot of basic details given yet zero points made.

I could not connect with Dawn at all, and every other character has zero personality so you can't even feel for them at all.

Narration was nice however, I can't really recommend this to horror fans.

This was a tough listen. The narration was not great and it’s difficult to decide whether it was the narrator that damaged the story or the story itself.

The story of this historical novel is set in the 1920’s, but there is a definite feeling that this is set in a much earlier time period like the late 1800s.

The idea of a female doctor struggling with societal constraints of this period is interesting as a theme, but I found myself constantly groaning at the clumsy unrealistic implementation of it. This is written from the view of how a modern woman with modern sensibilities would act toward the misogyny of the day, where the lead character is a sassy outspoken adversary to her male counterparts. The problem is, the way the character talks would (unfortunately) never be so overtly antagonistic. These pioneering women would be shrewd and calculated in their manner in order to progress in their field.

Unfortunately, the entire plot revolves around this theme, and without it being a historically accurate characterisation of the time period it’s just poorly researched fan-fiction.

The fact that the term ‘serial killer’ is used goes to prove that little research has been done. That term was not used until the 1970s, or perhaps the 1940 in a German case where ‘serial murderer’ could arguably translated as such. It certainly wasn’t prevalent in the 1920s. It’s just bad research.

Unfortunately, all this in addition to the poor narration made it a tough one to get through.

A serial killer rnning loose in the 1920s. Lots of suspense. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook