There is nothing like a good serial killer book… and The Doll Collector is nothing like a good serial killer book.

I was originally very excited to read this twisted thriller about a killer who collects dolls to represent her victims but, unfortunately, I was incredibly disappointed.

The first chapter or two are actually done quite well and I found myself really looking forward to seeing where the author was going to take the story but the whole thing just fell apart for me. There really didn’t seem to be an actual plot other than Gloria and Maurice’s home life which, if I’m being perfectly honest here, is just plain sad and boring.

Gloria is a terrible person. I mean, she might just be the worst person I have ever had the displeasure of reading about but I have to wonder if she doesn’t have some form of mental illness that wasn’t addressed in the book? Her obvious OCD and narcissistic personality make it clear that something is going on there that we aren’t being let in on. I know that these are some pretty common traits of serial killers but I think in her case it goes a bit deeper. Serial killers are functionally obsessive whereas Gloria has completely jumped off the deep end…in all respects. She also doesn’t have that psychological profile that you would expect from someone who has a few murders under their belt. There is usually a reason behind the killings; mommy didn’t love me enough, she looks like an old girlfriend who cheated on me, my uncle touched me in a bad place and now I have to kill every man that looks like him. Gloria? Well she is just a spoiled toddler on the playground with a flamethrower. If you don’t want to play with her, she is going to throw a fit and set your ass on fire. No method….only madness.

Maurice? If an old, used dish rag could become a person, it would be Maurice. I can’t even call him a door mat because those at least serve a purpose. I had much higher hopes for him becoming more of his own man as the book went on, but again I was grossly disappointed. I understand that he has been dealt a horrible deal in life and his choice to take Gloria in was probably the worst decision he has ever made but I just wanted him to man the hell up! I had a whole rant worked out on how he could have changed his life and gotten rid of Gloria, but at the end of the day he was a battered man and I’m not going to sit here and judge the actions of an abused character; man or woman. That being said….Maurice was a dish rag before he met Gloria so I’m holding to that judgement call on his character.

As much as Gloria and Maurice made me want to throw my book across the room and jump on it, I at least remembered them. I honestly could not tell you the name of a single supporting character mentioned in this book. Not one.

I think what bothered me the most about The Doll Collector was the lack of mention of the dolls. The entire reason I wanted to read this book was because the idea of a killer who immortalizes her victims into the form of dolls was so intriguing. I wanted to know…why does she buy a doll each time she kills? What is that significance? Is there some dark and disturbing story behind that form of trophy? I wanted more. Hell, I would have settled for a little something at the very least besides the very short mentions now and then just to show that they are there.

Obviously, I did not enjoy this book. There was so much that I felt could have been done that wasn’t and it didn’t hold my interest at all. The characters, the lack of plot…don’t even get me started on the ending….just did not do it for me. I don’t expect I would read this author again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for providing me with a copy of this book to read and provide my honest opinion.

Watch out Sweetpea (CJ Skuse), I think you’ve met your match! Gloria is as messed up and awful a character as you are!

How often do you come across people you dislike; people who you feel have done you wrong and who you’d like to get your revenge over on? And how often do you sit and plot what you’d like to do to them? How often do you actually do it? Not very often, right? Probably never! In fact, if you’re like most of us (relatively normal) humans, you probably only think of that clever retort, hours after an argument, don’t you?

Well meet Gloria … if you even look at her sideways, you might end up dead! She’s a master manipulator, an evil, twisted sociopath, and yes … a murderer. And every time she kills someone, she treats herself to a doll that bears a resemblance to her victim.

She wheedles her way into the life of poor, naive Maurice whose mother has died and who’s being bullied by his horrible landlord, Ian. To be honest, Maurice does need a bit of a woman’s touch – but not really a woman like Gloria. He really has no clue what’s about to hit him.

This book has the potential to be a lot more thrilling than it actually is … but what is it about dolls that just gives us the chills? There’s just something about them and the people that buy them that is just that little bit unnerving. While I expected more of an explanation and focus on the dolls, there isn’t as much as much as I’d have liked. The author also seems to lose focus at times and when I was expecting more tension, it wasn’t there.

However, Gloria herself is a well developed, complex and thoroughly intricately explored character. She’s also utterly unlikeable. But I’ve said before – these are the characters that are often the most intriguing, and the ones that I want to delve into and find out the most about! So from that respect, I wasn’t at all disappointed. I give this one 3.5 stars.

Wow, Gloria is quite possibly one of the most repugnant characters I've read for quite some time and it was fabulous.  I tore through The Doll Collector in just a couple of sittings as I really found that I wanted to discover all about the murders and of course the accident.

As we learn about Gloria's horrible past, both inflicted on her and by her, we also uncover the history of Maurice, the unfortunate man who has offered Gloria a home.  There are plenty of vile characters in his life too.  Men who want nothing but money and power at don't care for anyone who stops them doing it.

I will admit that for a short while around the middle I was unsure where the story would go next but as I eagerly read on I was brilliantly surprised and thrilled, and I thought the ending was suitably fabulous.

What a fantastic blurb! It drew me in, but it gave me no idea of just how creepy The Doll Collector would be. If you like your psychological thrillers fast paced and full of action, it is probably not for you, but if you want a novel that will creep up on you and get under your skin, this will be your thing. Gloria is a wonderfully crafted character. She made me very uncomfortable; her attempts to look like Princess Diana made me cringe and the way she treated Felicity and Odette was plain spiteful, so she wasn't likeable and I felt desperately sorry for anyone who crossed her path. However, her schemes were very compelling and I couldn't help but read on in horror.
In addition to Gloria's  story, we also meet Norman and his son, Ian - Maurice's landlords who have hidden a secret for several years. It is not immediately obvious how the two plots are connected, but this plot is equally interesting. As The Doll Collector is set in 1991, we meet these characters in the midst of a recession and I was keen to see how it affected business people and the lengths Norman and Ian would go to to keep up appearances and ensure their business stayed afloat.
The Doll Collector gathers pace relatively slowly, but as the plot builds, Stephen-Ward reveals a fantastic twist that I did not see coming at all! Although the ending was not what I expected, it is one I will remember for a long time, and I look forward to seeing what the author will do next!

Interesting story. When I started the book I was intrigued by the storyline. However through the middle of the story it got a bit boring and I was going to give up however I carried on and was quite surprised by the end which seemed to happen so quickly. I have found this with a lot of books this year. In saying that I did like the book just wished the author had been a bit less boring in the middle

Twisted, dark, and sociopathic. Three words to describe Gloria, the main character in the book.

She clearly has issues that she needs to get addressed…. Like, yesterday! She kills people when she feels they have wronged her in some way or another, when they simply find her boring, call her names like fat or ugly, or simply just because she feels like it. And then, once she kills them, she purchases a doll and gives the doll the name of the person she has killed, and then keeps the dolls as part of a collection similar to how one would collect a “trophy” of sorts, to commemorate how she murdered that person. Creepy right?

Gloria was a very unlikable character who is disturbed. You never know what she is going to do next or even when or if she will turn on someone. She was a bitter, mean person but it was interesting to read about the way she thinks. She was truly despicable. But that made the story all that more interesting to read.

I enjoyed the book and its dark and twisty turns throughout. You never knew when Gloria would turn on the next person, or what crazy thing she would do next.

If you enjoy thrillers and characters with a dark side to them, definitely add this book to your list of books to read.

Thank you for reading my review and for checking out my stop on this blog blitz. I hope you enjoy the book!

The Doll Collector, Joanna Stephen-Wards third novel to date, had so much potential, but unfortunately, this was far from realised. Central character and serial killer Gloria was the one thing that kept me reading. She was very intriguing, despicable and an utterly hateful person, and had the story focused on her for the duration instead of going off on a tangent and descending into a rambling mess, I would've enjoyed it more. Gloria is a well-developed character who really gets under your skin, I just wish it had carried on exploring her crimes and mindset instead of moving on to other characters. I found that the title and synopsis were rather misleading/false advertising given that there were only fleeting mentions of the dolls she kept as trophies of her kills. With the potential of dolls to come across as rather creepy linking them into Gloria's brutal murders could've been exploited and explored a lot more.

The writing was also an issue for me as I found it overly simplistic and difficult to fully engage with throughout the book. This is certainly more of a character study than a thriller as there really weren't any surprises or twists that would warrant it being labelled as a thriller. However, I did enjoy the nostalgia of the 90s setting which took me back to my youth, but the predictability and slow pace left a lot to be desired, and the story required a hefty suspension of disbelief. The dark, biting humour was also an aspect I appreciated and was one of the redeeming features of the novel. The ending really did stretch credulity to the limit, although everyone getting what they ultimately deserved was a satisfying way to conclude.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC.

THE DOLL COLLECTOR by Joanna Stephen-Ward is a psychological thriller that is twisted and not exactly what I was expecting. You start by following a despicable and vile serial killer, but then the story twists.

Gloria is a jealous, amoral, and sadistic serial killer. If she believes you have more than her, criticize her or just don’t agree with her, you could end up dead and a doll purchased in your honor to add to her collection. She has been evil since she was a child.

Maurice takes Gloria in as a boarder to help with his rent. Maurice does not realize who he has let into his home and Gloria’s delusions have her believing she has finally found a man to love her. But Maurice has secrets of his own and he finds himself becoming more desperate as each situation escalates.

This book started out as I was expecting from reading the blurb, but it quickly turned into more of a psychological thriller with an intertwined second plot-line with more despicable characters that are the cause of Maurice’s secrets and problems. Maurice was pathetic and not in any way heroic. Gloria was emotionally twisted and evil. There are times when I had to put the book down because Gloria and some of her actions disturbed me that much and yet there were also few times when the writing was darkly humorous.

I had a difficult time rating this book. Gloria is a killer to remember and her demise has a twisted justice to it, but then Maurice’s story goes on for a second plot-line resolution. Another ending is added where the second plot-line characters come out ahead or are served justice, but the two endings feel disjointed. I also had a problem with the doll collection. It was a great idea, but I felt it was not utilized enough times by Gloria during the book.

This is a book that I liked, but it had flaws for me. I do believe there will be a lot of discussion/opinions revolving around this book and characters.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books and Net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC.

1991

Gloria is sneaking into the allotments under the cover of darkness. Heading to a shed owned by Garry, she unlocks it, grabs some tools, and then begins to systematically destroy his plants. Gloria has been a lodger in Garry’s place and is hurt when she overhears him calling her mean names to someone on the phone. She had though he liked her. That’s why she’s getting revenge on him. Since Garry is an accountant, her next plan is to set him to to look like he has stolen money from the cricket club for which he keeps the books. Now, Garry has been suspended from his job, and his allotment has been destroyed. But she doesn’t stop there. That’ll teach him to insult Gloria.

Now, Gloria has decided to rent a room from Maurice. His home is cluttered and not very clean since his mother died. Gloria does not like dirt so she takes it upon herself to clean his home thoroughly and cook meals for Maurice. Soon, she has taken over the place and runs Maurice’s life. Still grieving his mother’s death, Maurice doesn’t complain, but as she assumes they are a couple, he realizes he has made a huge mistake.

In her own room, Gloria has a nice mantle where she displays her doll collection. She has a doll for each person she has killed.

Ian is a school friend of Maurice. He and his father own an estate sale company and both of them are cold, heartless cheats. Ian hates Maurice as he is jealous of how much smarter Maurice is than he could ever hope to be. Maurice was to have been left a flat in the building where he lives by Ian’s grandmother because Maurice and his mother had taken care of the woman for a long time before she passed away. But, Ian and his father refuse to accept this and cheat Maurice. Poor man, Maurice, is cheated by people he thought were friends and he also has Gloria who dominates his entire life. Is there no end to his misery? Oh yes! Come and find out how it all pans out.

This truly is a strange story. I thought we would follow Gloria thoroughout her murderous life, but after reading what she did do in this book, I found I wouldn’t have wanted to read more. For her attitude toward cats, I could certainly do her in myself!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I thought this was an intriguing cover and blurb so I couldn’t resist reading it.

It’s rare I find a character I really dislike and this month I’ve had two books with unlikeable characters. Gloria is an awful character. To be honest I didn’t like many of the characters.

I would have loved more about the dolls. I can see the story taking on a different course if the dolls had more in the story...that’s my warped mind lol

This was a kinda weird book to read but as my kids call me weird I did actually like it. As a blogger who reads quite a bit I crave unique storylines and this author certainly gave me that. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

The Doll Collector has one of those blurbs that immediately caught my attention. The idea of somebody buying a doll every time they kill someone and keeping them all together like a little family is chilling indeed. And the tagline is that this is "A chilling serial killer thriller".

However, this book is not all that it seems. Yes, it's about a serial killer but I didn't find it particularly chilling. The killer is Gloria, a woman who feels like she is hard done to, who literally dislikes everyone, especially those she thinks have more than her. It's when she takes a room as a lodger at Maurice's house that we witness Gloria's wickedness at its best.

This book was not what I imagined at all....in the best way. I loved every second I spent reading it. Gloria is mad, bad and very dangerous to know and I thought she was a fantastic creation. Poor Maurice got lumbered with her and he was such a nice character that I was hoping and praying he didn't end up as the next doll on her mantelpiece.

When I say it's not chilling, I suppose I mean it's not scary, but it is most definitely sinister. Gloria is like a tiger getting its prey in its clutches and not letting go until it's well and truly dead. Being able to look on whilst she did her worst made for a gripping and enthralling read.

This book also made me chuckle at times, particularly during Gloria's exchanges with other characters, who simply can't wait to get rid of her. And the ending was just brilliant and everything I could have hoped for. I think the author has a fantastic imagination.

The Doll Collector exceeded all my expectations. It's different, it has some dry humour in it and I couldn't put it down. I read about 85% of it in one sitting. I loved it.

Maurice lives in a flat that should be his but he has been cheated out of ownership and has to pay rent. He finds Gloria to share the flat with him but she is overbearing. She is rude to the neighbors and spies on them in their flats. Ian demands rent from Maurice and is overpowering. Ever character has some sort of challenge.
This book was very suspenseful and kept me up of night reading.

I had high hopes of this described as "a chilling thrilling serial killer" and the book sounded extremely promising. Sadly I was a little disappointed. The story starts with the totally loathsome Gloria who despatches the people in her life she doesn't like, making it look like an accident and buying a lookalike doll as a reminder of each of them. She meets the spineless Maurice and moves in on him, finding more people to hate along the way. Meanwhile estate agents Ian and his father find their business is struggling after years of living the high life. They unscrupulously defrauded Maurice and his late mother of the flat left to them by Ian's grandmother after years of nursing by Maurice's mother, and now need to sell the whole house to keep themselves solvent. This means finding a way of removing Maurice. Along side which, Gloria is plotting to do away with folks herself.
Gloria really is hateful (although some treatment she has received in her childhood has added to her nasty character) and it impossible to take her side in anything. Maurice has been very hard done by in his life and shows all the signs of the worm that is going to turn. In fact very few of the characters in this story are remotely likeable which makes it hard for the reader to care about what happens to them. The book ends nicely with a sense that most characters got what was due to them, if only by accident. Entertaining, even if the dolls hardly get a mention.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, but didn't like that it didn't stay on topic. Gloria is a fairly fascinating character and I liked that she had a doll for each murder committed. The book also discusses her unwilling housemate, yet I lost interest as it expanded into the landlord and his dealings. I would have liked to know about each murder as a flashback and how it tied into what was happening currently.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

Once again, this is a love it or hate it book and, once again, I find myself saying that I was strangely entertained ... maybe that says more about me - should I be worried?!?

The main character in this book, Gloria, is a thoroughly despicable person. I can't even begin to tell you how much I disliked her BUT she is perfect for the story ... not only is she a thoroughly loathsome and abhorrent person, she is as mad as a box of frogs let me tell you; I am so pleased that I don't need a lodger or have her living next door to me!

The other characters are a bit "meh" to be honest; very few redeeming qualities amongst any of them, they are a little wooden and one-dimensional which was a little disappointing.

The story is quite unique; it was a refreshing change to have the female as the dominating character over the male and the writing flowed well and at a good pace. The dolls only feature a few times which was odd given the title of the book and although we did get a glimpse as to how and why Gloria started her collection, I don't think this was fleshed out enough.

Overall, although it's not perfect and everything wraps up rather too simplistically, this book is oddly enjoyable and that ending ... I didn't see that coming!

Thank you to the publisher, Bloodhound Books, via NetGalley for my advanced e-copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

What a weird, weird book. Gloria is not your typical serial killer. She's a lodger, living with a man and his father. She's jealous, mean, racist, petty and just...a hateful person. She kills because she's jealous. She kills because she's mean.

There's no psychological or sociological reason why she kills. The author seems to make the reader think that Gloria kills because she's fat and mean.

Ugh.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I would give this book 3 and a half stars, I read it quite quickly. The premise of the story is good, although I would have liked the dolls to feature more in the story, for me that was the selling point of the blurb.
Overall I enjoyed The Doll Collector and would be interested to read more of the authors work.

A very strange read but somehow also very riveting, Gloria is the main character in this novel and I could not help but feel more of her background should have been revealed so we understood more as to why she felt the need to murder those who she felt crossed her. The ending was a real twist and I did not see it coming

I would recommend this as an alternative read to blood, gore and in depth crime

THE DOLL COLLECTOR by Joanna Stephen-Ward - Emma 21st Nov netgalley
OMG.A crime book with a difference. The synopsis reads as a crime/thriller with rather more, and boy this is so much more. Maurice lives in a flat. Years beforehand his mother nursed the owner who left the flat to Maurice and his mother so that they would not have any financial worries. Enter Ian and his father- the son and grandson of the original owner. They are estate agents and actually having to work for a living- something they never did when times were good. They have flash cars, several properties and are now having to tighten their belts. They contrive against Maurice and find an old copy of the will so that Maurice still rents the flat rather than own it- and they want him out before he causes any issues. Maurice himself isn’t the best of workers and has an aversion to cleaning- both himself and the flat. One day when strapped for the rent he decides to rent out his spare room. Enter Gloria and her doll collection. Gloria lives in a world of her own and cleans and cleans and cleans. She is critical of almost everyone. She decides that she and Maurice should move into the same room and get engaged- all without Maurice having a say in all of this. Gloria has a past and this is where the dolls come in to it. Gloria is rather a scary character to say the least. I felt for Maurice as he really was naive and innocent in what he did. Oh boy! A clever plot. I won’t spoil anything other than to say “revenge is a dish best served cold” Loved this!
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