Having read the first book in the series, Anglesey Blue, I was very much looking forward to Doll Face, the latest in the series featuring DI Tudor Manx, and I was not disappointed. The combination of crime fiction and the island of Anglesey works very well and Dylan Jones paints a vivid picture of the wild terrain. Manx is a fascinating character with an interesting back story, and this novel is fast-paced and intriguing, dealing with a serial killer with a religious connection. But for the surfeit of errors and omissions I would award the book five stars.

Doll Face is the second book in the DI Tudor Manx series. I actually felt it read quite easily as a stand alone so definitely not essential to have read Anglesey Blue (the first book) before reading this one.

As with Manx and the rest of the team, it wasn’t long before I was totally flummoxed as to who on earth was behind the murders. The murders are brutal and probably not one for the faint hearted but it had me well and truly hooked and I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough.

There is a certain amount of camaraderie through out the book which I thought worked really well giving some light relief at times from what is mainly a dark and compelling read. Manx is one of those characters that grows on you the more you read about him.

The story is set at a steady pace with relatively short chapters that keep you turning those pages. As with a lot of crime books, as they start to close in on the killer you can feel the tension mounting whilst the pace picks up dramatically. The outcome was extremely satisfactory with some surprises and literally had me on the edge of my seat.

Doll Face is a great addition to the DI Tudor Manx series. With plenty to thrill and excite the reader, this is a book that crime lovers will certainly struggle to put down.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bloodhound Books for an advance copy of Doll Face, the second novel to feature Anglesey based DI Tudor Manx.

Manx as he prefers to be called and his team are called in to the murder of Sian Conway who has been stabbed and mutilated. The ritualistic nature of her murder has the words serial killer hovering on their lips and it is confirmed as the bodies stack up. While all the victims have links to local millionaire Kimble McLain the motive is far from clear.

I enjoyed Doll Face which is quite an exciting hunt for a twisted serial killer. The novel is told from two points of view, Manx and the investigation and the initially unidentified killer who shares his thoughts, motivation and history. I'm not a big fan of this approach, preferring a straightforward hunt narrative, and I didn't particularly warm to the same old story of abuse and religious mania although I can admire its skilful unfolding piece by piece over the course of the novel. I also liked the pacing of the investigation as Manx starts to put things together although I never feel it's as enthralling a read when the reader is waiting for the detective to catch up with their knowledge.

I haven't read Anglesey Blue so I don't know exactly what brought Manx back to Anglesey after 30 years with the Met but he doesn't like being back to where he grew up. Is that why he drinks so much and has no significant social relationships, even with his family. He's a hard man to figure out.

Doll Face is a good read which I can recommend.

Wow what a great read. This book had me captivated from page one and didn't let me go until I had finished. The story line and characters were interesting and there was plenty of twists in the plot to keep me guessing. There was everything in this book, darkness, anger, despair the punches just kept coming. I really enjoyed this book, my first by this author. I will certainly be reading more.