Cover Image: The Doll House

The Doll House

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Member Reviews

I devoured this book, every free minute I was glued to my kindle, ready to unravel the next part of this superb psychological thriller. If you need a book that keeps suprising you, then read this book. NOW!
The story revolves around two sisters: Corinne and Ashley, who lost their father recently. Corinne and her partner Dominic are trying for a baby through IVF, whereas Ashley and her husband have threr kids and a comfortable lifestyle. Both sisters have strange happenings occuring in their lives, from prank phone calls to parts of their childhokd dolls house turning up strangely. There is someone watching them, playing with their minds and making them crazy.
The storyline flicks from a young unknown female character to the main characters present day lives, until the end when everything you thought you knew turns out to be compleyely wrong!
This book is brilliantly written, with so many great twists!! I was highly and emotionally involved in the book and it is one I will continue to recommend!
If you enjoyed The Sister by Louise Jenson then this is the book for you!!
I can not think of anything terribly bad about the book or the way it was written apart from the sister's mother could have possibly played a bigger part of the book (but that is just technicality)

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This book was fine. It was a relatively enjoyable British mystery/psychological thriller in the vein of Mark Edwards, but less bonkers. It was fairly compelling, but also dragged on pretty slowly plot-wise. I felt like every time something would happen to the main character, she'd then rehash it to her boyfriend and to her sister and in her own head, so the reader went through the same plot point four times without any advancement. The mystery isn't all that difficult to figure out, but it does get there better than a lot of the hack "psychological thrillers" that tried to poorly emulate Gone Girl.

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The Doll House is the debut novel by Phoebe Morgan, this book is mystery crime thriller.

The book follows Corinne, her boyfriend Dominic and Corinne sister Ashley. Corinne is struggling her latest attempt of IVF has failed, and now she is on the last attempt. When she starts to find piece of her old Doll's house in her flat, taken this a sign from her deceased father that everything will be ok.  This signs start to take a sinister turn, is someone watching her and getting into her flat? She tries to tell her boyfriend Dominic but he thinks it just stress of trying for a baby. She tells her sister Ashley but Ashley brushes it off as she has her own problems, her husband is working all hours, her oldest daughter is keeping secrets and her youngest daughter wont sleep through the night.

The book is a slow build but that builds to the suspense of the book and helps its creepy undertone. The book is told in 4 perspective, with one of the perspective as an unknown character. Having the unknown character story builds up the suspense as you start to realise how their story connects to Corinne family, and a deadly secret that neither Corinne and Ashley knew about until it was too late.

I felt sorry for Corinne in the story as she wasn't really listened too, her family explained her behaviour on her anxiety and stress of trying for a baby.

The way the book ended I am left wondering if we could be seeing Corinne in another book.

If you want to read about that make you wonder if your been watched then give this book a read.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ digital for a copy of this book to review.

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For a debut novel I am really quite impressed. At one point fairly early on I thought I had it all figured out, then later realised I was wrong but it was a great red herring!

I found it a little repetitive and overly descriptive in places and was a bit disappointed with the ending as I found it quite abrupt with potential for another couple of chapters to complete it.

A great example of why you should trust your instincts, be super careful online and be honest with those you love.

Thanks to HQ Digital for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a novel that I lost a LOT of sleep over - because I couldn't put it down! I thought several times that I had it all figured out, but I was wrong every single time. This is a story about a couple trying to have a baby. Corinne is a mess constantly. Then random pieces of her childhood doll house start to appear out of nowhere. Corinne's father died fairly recently and her and her sister, Ashley, visit their mother for a weekend trip with their families. But something is off in their mother's house too. This has a hidden point of view as well - we don't know this person, but we know their perspective. Lastly - THAT. ENDING. Whoa. Great read, 4.5 stars

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I couldn't put this book down! And I thought I had it all figured out, but NOPE. I got it all wrong.

The story is about Corinne and Dominic who are trying to have a baby. Corinne is a nervous wreck all of the time. Then pieces of her and Ashley's (her sister) old dollhouse start to appear in different places for her to find. That's not creepy or anything.

Ashley is married to James and they have three kids, Lucy, Benji, and Holly. Ashley works one day a week at a cafe just so she can have some peace for a little bit. James has been working a lot more lately. They don't need the money, but it's what it is. Ashley has a lady watch Holly on the days she is at work.

The girls father died not that long ago and they go visit their mother for a little weekend holiday with the family and kids. There is something strange going on in their mothers house as well. What is going on with everyone?

The book switches back and forth between the characters and there is a character that we don't know, also telling their story. Duh, duh, duh!

The story gets crazier and crazier as this person seems to be involved in everyone's lives.

I thought it was great, although, I kept feeling I have read this same book before and I can't put my finger on it.

That ending though!

Mel ♥

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.*

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A definite page turner of a book, this had me hooked from page one. Corinne and Ashley are sisters, each struggling in their own way, Corrine, dealing with fertility issues is pinning her hopes on one last bout of IVF funded by Ashley, and Ashley beginning to have doubts about her husband, who seems to be spending many late nights at the office since the birth of their third child. Both women are also dealing with the loss of their father, and when pieces of the doll house he built for them begin turning up at Corinne's house it's the beginning of a campaign of hate and vengeance that will have them doubting their sanity and fearing for their lives.
I find it hard to believe that this impressive thriller is a debut work, Phoebe Morgan assuredly guides the reader through a chilling tale, full of twists and turns. Part of the fun of reading any thriller is trying to guess the outcome, and about mid way through I had definite ideas about what I thought ws going on...some were realised in the thrilling and dramatic finale of the book, but there were also revelations that genuinely shocked me, and you can't ask for more than that. The only reason why this was not a five star read for me was it felt a little jumbled at the beginning and took a little time to really come together and get going, but once it did, it never stopped.

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25/08/17

I have just finished this book and i am really really impressed with how the book played out.
It is a massively over used statement but! You really should read this book!
If you are fans of Chelsea Cain, Karin Slaughter or M. J. Arlidge, you will love this.
It is an amazing debut novel and Phoebe Morgan is going to be an author to look out for, she will definitely be on mine.
When i wrote the initial review i was only 28% the way through and if my ME wasn't playing up i would have completed the book much much faster.
It continued all the way through with twists and turns, some plot twists you might see coming but there are many more you won't!
It's nice to be surprised by a book these days and not to have it worked out how it will end completely without having to read the end!
I will be recommending this book to anyone that ill listen and i wouldn't hesitate buying this book for a present for friends and family ;-)
Congratulations Phoebe on a brilliant debut, i hope the wait until your next release isn't going to be too long!!


I have been a bit slack on the book reviews thanks to my M.E but I am still trying!

My ME has decided to flare up so I have either been asleep or topped up on morphine

I honestly wouldn’t wish this on anyone, just when I thought I had a handle on it, thought I was on the up with it it decides to remind me it still has control over my life!!

I am currently reading The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan and I’m 28% the way into now.
So far it’s a really good book. Very atmospheric and as things are picking up in the book it’s starting to get more suspenseful with plot twists added in.
I can’t wait to unravel the plot, I just need to stay awake long enough and have the brain fog to clear so I can keep up with the new twists and turns!

The story so far is about 2 sisters and their partners and the grief of losing there dad who was a world renowned architect. He hand made a big dolls house to a replica of their own house for the girls which they treasured all through childhood.

Now grown up and having moved the sisters haven’t seen or thought about that dolls house for years, that is until a piece of the house turns up on 1 of the sisters doorstep.

Who is leaving parts of the house? Where is the dolls house and who has it?

That has yet to be discovered and I can’t wait, it has defiantly got me intrigued!

I fell asleep on the sofa reading earlier and Birdie has had a bit of a chew on the corner of my new kindle Only cosmetic damage that god! Some how she managed to take all my earrings and nose ring out without waking me up!! Maybe she has a bit of Magpie in her DNA!

If money gets tight I will have to take her into some jewlery shops lol.

The kitten wladimir ( named after Wladimir Klitschko! ) is getting a bit to brave, as you can see he ended up shutting himself in Birdies cage!
I was worried about the dog with the kitten but other than following him everywhere we’ve had no problems of that front yet! My dog is a huge Alaskan Malamute so compared to a 10 week old kitten he looks like a giant!! It is a mad house here!!

I am sure the animals know when I am suffering and not feeling great, all 3 cars plus the kitten are in bed with me tonight! Thank god I have a superking size bed or there would be no room for me!

That statement instantly let’s you know I am single!!! I’m heading into the crazy cat lady category if I’m not there already!

I will do a full book review on The Doll House when I finish it and going on what I’ve read so far it’s just getting better and better!

Thanks for bearing with me.

You can pre order this book from amazon now
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doll-House-gripping-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B072TVPN1N/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1503259636&sr=1-1&keywords=the+doll+house

Have a good weekend from me and Birdie and now Jack the dog and wladimir xx

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I have not read a thriller in some time so this was a delight. I will break this review down in sections:

What I liked:
- No one is really what they seem, everyone is hiding a secret, a worry or a fear.
- There were many gasping, hand over my mouth moments
- Getting up close and personal with each of the main characters and the alternating POV's
- The ''Then' sections and trying to decipher that mystery
- ThaT ending. Wow. I thought I had figured out who the culprit was but boy was I wrong. What a great twist.

What I didn't like:
- Short chapters were a bit confusing, especially when the POV remained the same in the next one
- I would have liked a little more back story on their father, more about his other business dealings
- Could have been longer, again I would liked a little development of the rest of the family

Bottom Line: Excellent thriller, with a pulse pounding ending that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

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Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the Doll House.
A young woman, Corrinne, loves her partner and they are trying to have a baby. It has been a rough go of it, but they try various methods to have a child. Her sister, Ashley, has her own issues. A cheating partner and overall stressful life. Their father passed away a year ago and both of them still mourn his passing.
As both women struggle with their lives, strange things start to happen.
Suddenly, small furniture starts to appear on the doorstep. It is from Corrinne and Ashley's childhood. Doll furniture similar to what their father had made for them when they were kids. Who is doing this and why? What dark secrets are hidden and why is someone doing this now.
The novel goes back and forth in time and this helps the reader understand the characters, their childhood, and why they grieve for their father.
Good debut.

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I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Phoebe Morgan, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

THE DOLL HOUSE by Phoebe Morgan is a fantastic thriller novel. The story follows the relationship between two sisters: Corinne and Ashley. Corrine and her boyfriend, Dominic, have been trying to get pregnant, even using IVF, without success. Her sister, Ashley, is marred with three kids. One day, pieces of a doll house begin to appear on Corrine's porch, revealing that someone has been inside her house, watching her, her family, and their struggles.

Like many thrillers, this book is told in dual POV, split evenly between Corrine, Ashley, Dominic, and a mystery character. Unlike many thrillers, this one kept me guessing until the very end, and I have to give major props to Morgan for that. Her writing was also quite captivating; I could really see what was going on and feel the stress, paranoia, and panic these characters were feeling. Kudos, Morgan! Overall, this was a great thriller that I highly recommend!

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Corinne has been struggling to have a baby for quite some time and attempt after attempt at IVF have not brought her any closer to her dream of becoming a mother. As she begins yet another try Corinne finds a piece of an old doll house that she and her sister had as children and believes that this may be a sign that it’s her turn to become a mother.

Ashley is Corinne’s sister and from the outside she has the perfect life that Corinne wishes to have someday. But Ashley’s life is far from perfect, her husband is always away at work, her teen is testing the limits and getting into more and more trouble and even her baby has begun to have night terrors. Ashley however wasn’t too concerned over the dollhouse when Corinne brings it up but as more pieces arrive Corinne begins to worry just where they are coming from.

The Doll House by Phoebe Morgan is a psychological thriller that is told form different points of view during the story. I personally found this one to be a very slow paced read as it reminded me a lot of another romantic suspense story that I read recently that featured the main character finding things in their home and that one had a lot more action and moved a lot quicker than this one.

However, even with the slow pace and build up of the story within these pages I couldn’t help but be curious as to where the author was taking the story so it still had the pages turning with the intrigue. I had a few guesses along the way and sort of hit one but with a few little twists here and there I think the story worked itself out rather well in the end. Would recommend checking this one out to the fans of psychological thrillers.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Creepy and intriguing but there was way too much description - I felt like about 50% of sentences were just repeating things that had already been said.

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Oh my, Oh my, what a fantastic read The Doll House turned out to be, I loved every page of this dark and intense psychological thriller. Steeped in malice with a constant nagging sense of unease I literally couldn't put this book down, and read it in just under twenty four hours. I must mention this is Phoebe Morgan’s debut novel, which I was really surprised at, I'm convinced The Doll House will be a book everyone will be talking about, and I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more about this very talented author. The Doll House is a story of family secrets, lies and revenge, and one that makes for a thrilling read.

Corinne and Ashley are two sisters, grieving the death of their beloved father, but they are also battling problems in their home life's. Ashley is a mother of three children and fraught with worry that her increasingly distant husband James is having an affair. Corinne is in a long term relationship with Dominic and desperate to start a family by undergoing another round of IVF. Strange things keep happening to the two sisters anonymous phone calls, objects left in their homes from the dolls house, built for them by their father. Someone is watching the sisters the whys? and who? are expertly revealed layer by layer making for a riveting read.


There is so much I could say about this book, but it's definitely one the “less you know about it the better”. Phoebe Morgan has created some fabulous characters, each one well is well depicted and I found myself sympathetic to Corrine and Ashley plight. From the start The Doll House you get a sense of foreboding which grows as the story progresses. Told from the sisters view POV you sense their fear, the author manages to alternate between chapters seamlessly which is always a plus. There are also chapters from an unknown person and it was these chapters that sent shivers down my spine, and made this book all the more intriguing.

The Doll House is definitely going on my top reads of 2017 it's dark, atmospheric and made for a gripping read. I think what I liked about this book so much was the author's ability to keep the reader guessing right up until the end, at one point I applauded myself as I thought I had worked it all out, but I was so Wrong I'm pleased to say, as for the ending sheer brilliance! Would I recommend this book? It's a HUGE “Yes” I can't recommend this book highly enough, and me? I can't wait to read the author's next book.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

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What an amazing read. This book had me guessing right from the start who the flashbacks were about, and I didn't guess right even at the end. A gripping read where each chapter had the different characters telling there part of the story, each with there own issues and mysteries to solve. Really gripping read!

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This is an OH. MY. GOD. jaw-dropper of a book, with a tantalisingly slow burn which turns into a pretty explosive finale.
Gushing as that may sound (because it is) I loved this book from the moment i started reading - perhaps for no other reason that when I was a little girl my most favourite toys of all - the one's I would spend hours and hours playing with - were my dolls' houses. They weren't fancy handmade ones, as in this book - one was a Caroline's Home and the other a Sindy House - but they were my most prized possessions.
So the premise of little items from these most beloved of toys showing up, rather menacingly, in a grown woman's life had me sold from the start.
But there is so much more to this book - as it follows the lives of sisters Corinne (she who receives the dolls house pieces) and her older sister Ashley - in the run up to the first anniversary of their father's death.
There is domestic stress, fertility issues, financial worries - and that's not to mention the very raw grief the girls are experiencing - it would be enough to drive anyone mad.
Which is exactly what Corinne's nearest and dearest (her beloved boyfriend Dominic) fears is happening to his fragile girlfriend.
But of course it is more complicated than that - someone is playing a game behind the scenes - meticulously watching the sisters (as she has done for years) and biding her time until she can reveal the secrets of her own and claim what is rightfully hers.
With a lot of psych thrillers it's a difficult balance reviewing a book and it's strengths without revealing some of the twists and turns. What I can say is that is that this book doesn't just twist and turn - it leads the reader to a point where they simply don't know who to trust in the book - and even to question whether or not, perhaps. Corinne is reacting to too much stress in her life as she undergoes her fourth round of IVF in the hope of conceiving a much wanted baby.
But more than that twists and turns - this book is beautifully written - it creates such a sense of place, such a claustrophobic feeling in its pages that I found I had to keep reading and reading and do nothing else until I found out exactly what was going on.
When I turned the last page, I wanted more - while acknowledging the book finishes in the most perfect way.

This is one for book club discussions and I have no hesitation at all in recommending it as one of the strongest thrillers I have read this year. It is simply brilliant.

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Wow this was such an engaging psychological thriller that is easily going on my favorites list for the year! Corinne and her boyfriend Dominic have been struggling to have a baby (this part just hit close to home). She begins getting pieces of a doll house that she and her older sister Ashley has when they were younger. At first Corinne believes this a sign she will be pregnant soon, but then as the pieces become more similar to the one they had, she starts feeling paranoid.

Ashley's life also looks picture perfect from the outside, a loving husband, three kids, and all that jazz, but like her sister, she has secrets. Her husband is often working late, her teenage daughter is becoming a teen terror, and even her baby is suffering from nightmares.

This is an AMAZING debut that weaves family secrets into two sisters daily lives. I was so tense during certain chapters because you had no clue what was going to happen. I had a hunch about who was behind it all, and even though I was right, this was still a page turner! I can't wait to read more from this author!

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Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

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Thank you Phoebe Morgan and Netgalley for a copy of this book.
After I read some very positive 5 star reviews on this book I was so excited to receive a copy. I sat down expecting a day of furious page turning, finding myself deep inside a dark thriller full of revenge and unexpected twists. That did not happen to me with this book. So okay!?! I did get some of that for the last maybe 100 pages of the book, but the first three quarters of it I was bored beyond belief. The first 200 pages I must say went so slowly I nearly did not finish this book. I think that there was just too much that was unnecessary or the characters spent too much time ruminating on something that happened.
I love a good thriller that really races up to you and punches you in the guts (so to speak), this book was like watching a 98 year old dottering up the street and patting you on the cheek
Okay for a debut author.

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The dolls house, was an interesting read, and it's a good story, which built up the suspense slowly, it follows the story of Corinne, a young lady who has a seemingly idyllic life but beneath the surface she is mourning the death of her father and her failure to get pregnant, and then she starts finding little gifts of items from a dolls house her dad made her and her sister when they were little, so who,is leaving them for her ? A story of entwining stories which all call comes together at the end.

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