A fun and creepy short story from suspense writer Lisa Unger.

I tend to like zinger’s short fiction better than her novels, and this excellent little piece is no exception. I found myself wishing it were longer, as one always does when reading a terrific novella or short story.

This does a good job of building both plot and atmosphere despite its length, and it’s one of the rare cases when something like a smart house truly feels creepy rather than annoying in that tech nerd faux horror kind of way. A lot of this is because the house here feels like an extension of the villain who inhabits it.

And while it’s not exactly a surprise what the villain is up to, that doesn’t lessen the suspense as the plot unfolds.

Scout makes a far better protagonist than her mother, who mostly seems like an idiot with horrible taste in men, but it works well to get both of their POVs in this story.

In all, definitely a fun read, and a spooky one if dolls sometimes give you the creeps.

Widowed, Jules, moves herself and daughter in with her boyfriend, a successful dollmaker. Her daughter finds a doll that he made for his sister, who is said to of disappeared, but is that really the case?

Thank you Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A fun and spooky short story that is perfect for the Fall season. A widowed mother falls for a famous dollmaker and moves her teen daughter into his mansion. Once they are there, mysterious happenings begin to occur.

A quick read that is a must for when you are decorating for Halloween. Fun setting. Spooky dolls. A mystery. What more could you want?

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jules moves her teenaged daughter into her new love's, Kirin's house only for some kind of force to quickly creep up on them.

This was a really good short story! I loved the characters. Jules and Scout were a great mother/daughter duo. I felt their grief and their desire to move forward. Kirin's house was super creepy. This one definitely has a good Halloween vibe to it! The narration was really good. Kept me intrigued the entire time!

This was a really good, and creepy, short story thriller! Perfect for this time of year.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the gifted copy!

A spooky short story told by Lisa Unger that has parts realistic and parts supernatural. A quick and easy audiobook for a short car trip if you like mysteries or paranormal reads.

I’m a sucker for a good horror story, especially when dolls are involved. So The Doll’s House by Lisa Unger immediately captured my attention. This short story follows Jules, recently widowed, and her teenage daughter, Scout. Both are still grieving, but Jules is already with a new man, Kirin, and they’re moving into his house. But there’s an unsettling mystery surrounding this puppet-maker and his long-missing sister. Are Jules and Scout really safe with him?

Tropes & Narrative Devices:
- Dual first-person POVs (Jules and Scout)

What I Liked:
- Puppets and dolls. I think most of us can agree that dolls and puppets are creepy… at least when they appear in horror stories. Here, widowed mother Jules is now dating a man named Kirin; he’s famous for the puppets he makes. Kirin crafts each puppet based on real people, aiming to capture their very essence. It’s pretty cool, but also a little spooky.
- High-tech house. Kirin’s house is super advanced, with a security system that works like an old-fashioned butler. Jules and Scout each have “all property access” at first, but their right to get through certain doors may not last.
- Mother-daughter relationship. I appreciate that Jules and Scout still have a close relationship, even after the loss of Scout’s dad and with Jules now dating a new man. Scout is a normal teen girl who does well in school, and while she’s not happy about Kirin, she’s still close with her mom. This short story explores their relationship, how they’ve each been impacted by the loss of Scout’s dad, and how they can move on together.
- Mystery around Kirin’s missing sister. Years ago, Kirin’s sister went missing, and though a body was never found, she’s been presumed dead. What really happened to her? How does Jules keep seeing her, and what does her appearance mean? This was one of the spookiest elements that made the story intriguing from the beginning.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
- As with so many short stories, this would work really well as a full-length novel. I wanted more time to absorb the story, get to know the characters, and puzzle over what was going on.

Audiobook
Mia Barron and Kimberly Woods do a wonderful job of narrating as Jules and Scout. Both infuse their characters with personality and distinctive from each other. I also enjoyed the music at the beginning and end of the production.

Final Thoughts
The Doll’s House is a the kind of classic horror story that I love (new home, weird dolls, dark past) made new with its elements of technology. It’s a quick read that’s perfect for this time of year. This is my first time reading Lisa Unger, and I fully plan to read more!

Audiobook Review

The Doll’s House by Lisa Unger

My rating:
4/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lisa Unger is the queen of short stories. Honestly, I wish it were longer! This one was creepy, fast paced and while it may be a little predictable, it was so good! This and her other short story; Christmas Presents, are my new favorites of hers.

I would highly recommend this one if you like to be scared; perfect for spooky season!

Lisa Unger is an auto request author for me and I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you Brilliance Publishing for the ARC! You can read or listen when it is published on September 12, 2024.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 9/12
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The Doll’s House is an Amazon Short Story about a widowed mother giving love a second chance, when things start to get creepy.
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This is a fast paced story that will hook you right from the start. I enjoyed both Jules and Scout’s POV as the story alternates. I felt like it gave the story a deeper perspective, having both characters POV.
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This wasn’t overly scary but I love the creepy atmosphere that was created in such a short story and I loved the ending, it gave the perfect amount of shock to keep the reader wanting more. I flew through this one very very quickly.
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I listened to this one via audiobook while simultaneously reading along with my eARC. Mia Barron and Kimberly Woods were great. I loved this audio, their voices are easily distinguished between the two main characters. I highly recommend the audiobook.
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This is going to be a huge hit during spooky season! Making sure my horror / thriller friends pic this one up! You dont want to miss this short story! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Amazon Original Stories for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Absolutely five stars.

When I requested this, I did not realize that it was a short story. so when things started to take a turn pretty quickly I was like wow we are just diving right in (lol). I really enjoyed the build up of suspense and mystery in this book. It is always so impressive when an author can tell a complete and captivating story within a short story.

I really felt the fear and confusion that Jules and Scout did. I held my breath and gasped at the same points they did. It was so easy to immerse myself in the story. This gave me all the haunted vibes that I was looking for without leaning into horror. This was my first Lisa Unger book and I will definitely be on the lookout for others because I truly enjoyed this!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for this audiobook arc!

Thank you to Brilliancce Publishing, Amazon Original Stories, and Netgalley for the gifted audiobook copy of THE DOLL'S HOUSE by Lisa Unger!

THE DOLL'S HOUSE follows Jules and her daughter. Jules is still recovering from the death of her husband when she meets Kirin. It is a whirlwind romance that finds Jules packing up her life and her daughter Scout's life to move into Kirin's old family home. This isn't some old decrepit mansion, however. It is outfitted with smart house technology and seems like just what they need to start a new life.

Scout is less than pleased with the move away from everyone and everything she's ever known, but when she finds a handmade doll in the house, it draws her attention and begins to lift her mood, especially once she leans that it has ties to a loss in Kirin's life as well. Still, Scout and her mother begin to sense there is some darkness at play in their new home.

This is a new Amazon Original short story and the audiobook comes in just under three hours. It had a lot of buzz words for me that drew my attention with the somewhat gothic atmosphere combined with AI and the smart house concept. Plus dolls have a big potential for creepiness for me!

I think this book was taking on quite a few elements for such a quick read. I did really like Jules and Scout and thought that the back and forth with alternating POVs was well done to keep up the book's pacing. In the end, I found this an entertaining listen, but it didn't quite deliver the creepiness I was hoping for!

With the spooky season around the corner I have been looking for some good short stories to read to get into the mood and Lisa Unger came to the rescue with The Doll's House, a new Amazon Original short story.

When Jules first meets the handsome artist Kirin, she’s still mourning her husband’s death, but a fairytale romance soon sweeps her off her feet. Now she and her daughter Scout are moving out of the city and into Kirin’s once-lonely mansion. He’s thoughtfully updated and adapted the home to match their personalities. But Scout is determined to keep her father’s memory alive by rejecting the new life her mother and Kirin have spun for her.

Scout’s sullenness begins to fade, though, when she finds a beautiful handmade doll in one of the many empty rooms in the house. Kirin says that the doll belonged to his late sister and he’d like Scout to have it. Scout’s hopeful for a connection over their shared grief, but as she grows more curious about Kirin’s sister, she can’t escape the feeling that a danger lurks in the house…and its gaze is fixed on her mother.

Lisa Unger tells a great tale of a widowed mother and her teenage daughter moving into their fiancé's old family home with plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to keep you guessing from beginning to end. Unger effortlessly combines traditional ghost story elements with a more contemporary feel, making The Doll's House a truly unique story. This tale is a perfect easy read for the spooky season.

I was captivated with The Doll's House from the get-go with its intricate plot and complex characters. Unger's writing style is both thrilling and easy to read, keeping me engaged wondering just how this story would end. The suspense builds steadily throughout the story leaving me eager to find the truth behind the mysterious events unfolding in the old family home. Unger does craft an atmospheric setting with a limited number of pages to give us an overall sense of unease and tension. The author blends supernatural elements with modern technology in an amazing way.

While I was a fan of this short story packed with depth and emotion in such a small package, The Doll's House left me wanting more. I found myself wishing the story unfolded a bit slower over the span of a full-length novel to let the story linger a bit before the chilling end. Although my hopes for a longer novel have no bearing on this short story, Unger does tell a wonderfully crafted spooky story.

I was lucky enough to listen to this tale in audiobook format which only added to the over reading experience. Narrators Mia Barron and Kimberly Woods do a fantastic job. The narrators speak clearly and with emotion allowing me to get immersed into this story and binge the audio in only a few sittings. The atmosphere of The Doll's House is even more palpable in audio format.

The Doll's House by Lisa Unger is a great short story just in time for the horror season. The tale has thrilling plot twists, wonderful characters, and a haunting atmosphere that will leave you in awe. Although I wish it was fleshed out into a full-length novel, The Doll's House is just right for a quick read while autumn rolls in.

The writing was a little choppy and all over the place, but I guess that’s pretty understandable as it’s a short story. I found the dolls and the house to be creepy, and I enjoyed Scout’s character.

For a short story, this book had a lot of depth. We were introduced to multiple different characters and plot lines. I think this could have definitely been a full length story. There is something creepy about old toys and I’m a sucker for stories that include them. There was an extra layer of creepy with the inclusion in f a smart house that talked.

If you enjoy creepy short stories and have liked other books from Lisa Unger, then I recommend checking this one out!

This was a great short story/novella! It was full of twists, had great character development, and kept me on my toes the entire time, which is difficult for a novella to do. This one could definitely be expanded into a full novel, but I didn't feel I was missing out with it being so short.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the complementary audiobook. My review is honest and voluntary.

Fun novella perfect for spooky season. Creepy dolls, AI. The setting was sell set and had that eerie feeing. It was good but nothing exceptional for me. I still enjoyed.

This is the perfect short read for spooky season. Creepy dolls, AI and some supernatural happenings. Also, check out that stunning book cover - beautiful

After Jules husband dies, she meets and falls for renowned dollmaker Kirin. A year later, Jules and teen daughter Scout move into Kirin’s luxurious modern, smart house

It doesn’t take long for Jules and Scout to notice the red flags - Kirin’s missing sister, the mysterious teenage girl in the secret garden oh and all the freaky dolls and puppets!

As this is a short story, there’s not much time for a slow pace or repetition - love it! The story begins immediately and we quickly learn who Jules and Scout are. Less so Kirin, which I think would have added some depth as I don’t feel I knew him as well as I’d have liked

There’s a hard focus on grief; how we cope as a wife or daughter and the things we do to get through each day. Considering this was only 98 pages, I think it was so effective and relatable

The end was a little disappointing, the reveal was predictable. Personally, I don’t enjoy supernatural elements, so heads up for that…

What I did like was the AI factor and how it helped Scout with her grief. That was pretty thought provoking

The audiobook was superbly narrated, adding depth to the characters. Overall, this was a pacy, well written spooky short

Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

This audio short story skillfully merges paranormal and mystery elements, creating a captivating experience for listeners. The narration effectively conveys the eerie atmosphere, with the dolls playing a key role in enhancing the story's unsettling mood.

The plot unfolds with a compelling blend of suspense and supernatural intrigue. The narrator's performance brings the chilling events and mysterious twists to life, immersing listeners in the story’s tense and atmospheric setting.

Despite its brief length, the story delivers a powerful impact, thanks to its tight, well-paced narrative and engaging voice acting. The audio format amplifies the sense of dread, making it a memorable listen for fans of creepy, mysterious tales.

This was a fun novella about some creepy goings on.

There was a lot of info packed into this short book.

It was a good quick read. Definitely worth checking out and a perfect read as we approach spooky season.