Paper Dolls by Emma Pullar; Published by Bloodhound Books
Page Count (e-book) – 236
The Blurb:
When a killer is on the loose, is anyone safe?
When a bizarre set of murders take place in London, three flatmates become embroiled in the terrifying mystery.
Mike, Beatrice and Kerri all share a flat and a passion to move their careers forward. When Mike, a frustrated mime in Trafalgar Square, lays eyes on performance artist Princess, his world begins to unravel. Meanwhile, Kerri is struggling to hold onto her job as a journalist, when she stumbles across a body, which turns out to be the third victim of the Paper Doll Killer. Beatrice, who was once a bestselling author, looks to the series of murders for inspiration but finds a lot more than she bargained for.
As the three flatmates discover they each have links to the killer they start to turn on one another. Who might be next? Why does the killer paint the victim’s cheeks and lips with blood? What purpose do the paper dolls serve?
As the deranged Paper Doll Killer continues to stalk the streets of London there’s only one question that needs to be answered … is anyone safe?
My Review:
SLAP! BASH! WALLOP!
That is what the opening chapter of this book does to you! It slaps you around the face, bashes you over the head and wallops you right between the eyes! The first chapter is entitled ‘Killer’ and it is exactly that – a killer of a chapter. It’s hard, gritty and it pulls no punches. The subject matter is as darkly evil as they come and Ms Pullar does not sugar-coat it in any way.
This is a book which hooks you from the start. It moves at a generous pace and it is all too easy to read long into the night as you tell yourself, ‘Just one more chapter.’
Like any good thriller, the clues are subtly laid out along the way and you may think you have cracked it before the end reveal. I would say, however, do not pat yourself on the back too early for there are many twists and turns before you reach those two little words which read ‘The End’ for I can guarantee you will question your deduction more than once, and rightly so, for what you think you see is not quite what you get.
Ms Pullar has done an excellent job in creating a book that injects the right amount of horror, at the right time but doesn’t overdo it to the point where it becomes gratuitous. Her four main characters are all, in their own way, very likeable and it is their individual flaws and weaknesses which makes them both believable and identifiable. Both are essential elements for making a good story a great story.
If dark and disturbing reading matter is what does it for you, then I highly recommend this book for you will not be disappointed.
About the Author:
Emma Pullar is a bestselling and award-winning writer of dark fiction and children’s books. She also dabbles in screenwriting. Emma can be found on the below social links but, if she’s not there, she’ll be lurking in the shadows, spying on people in the name of inspiration and creativity.
Emma’s Links are:
EmmaPullar.com