This story is set in Appalachia and starts out with the disappearance of a little girl. Penny. For the lead investigator the case stirs up disturbing memories from her own childhood. The SA involved in the case has baggage of his own and thinks Penny's disappearance is linked to a host of others with similar MO in the Appalachias. The story culminates with several loose ends and unanswered questions. Entertaining and intriguing read. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me access to this book for review.

The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron
Wow what a rollercoater read! You are straight into the story and the tension is well maintained right through to the gripping end.
I loved Ellie, and look forward to more books in this series. She is a great female lead, and I enjoyed her detective work.
A good solid read and 5 stars from me.

The Silent Dolls the first book in a new series from Rita Herron, featuring Detective Ellie Reeves.

Ellie Reeves is a Detective in Crooked Creek, Georgia, near the Appalachian mountains trail. Her father is the Sheriff and, as he’s retiring soon, Ellie Reeves intends to succeed him. Those plans gets derailed in the very first pages, but Detective Reeves won’t have time to dwell much on it, as news of the disappearance of a little girl on the trail scramble a coordinated response team. With a winter storm approaching, fears are high that the lost kid could die of hypothermia. Soon, however, foul play is suspected. And, when FBI Special Agent Derrick Fox, from Decatur, links the disappearance with multiple others over a course of twenty years, including the one of his very own sister, there is no doubt left.

The characters in this novel are quite disconcerting at first. With a troubled past awakened by the case, afraid of the black and claustrophobic, Ellie Reeves is reckless. As if she had to prove something to herself or others, she barges into a meth lab (and fires rounds in it) without backup, rushes into a house without clearing it first, and asks her poor captain for warrants and subpoenas by phone without providing cause (maybe judges are more lax over there). A FEMA SAR Agent, the taciturn Cord McClain, man of the mountains and ranger, also has a troubled past and troubling habits. Special Agent Derrick Fox’ obsessions lead him to some lack in judgment, reminiscent of another, cherished, FBI agent named Fox.

The Appalachian mountains, woods and trail, the animals and humans inhabiting them, give a nice and unusual atmosphere. Not only as a background but as an integral part of the story. I don’t remember having read a thriller set in rural Georgia before.

The writing is solid, and reading this novel comes easy. This is a quick entertaining read, quite thrilling too, as long as you’re capable of some suspension of disbelief (It’ll really be tested in the final chapters). In spite of this, there is no regret at having picked up this book, and I’ll keep my eyes open for the next entry in the series.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron that I read and reviewed.
This this the first book in a new series by Rita Herron and if this book is any indication of what we as readers have what to look forward too with this series I can’t wait for more. I loved this first book from the first page to the last page and I am waiting for the next book to come out to see what happens with Ellie and what she found out at the end of this book. Rita Herron has a great series started with The Silent Dolls!
I was in love with this book and the story from the start and it only got better as it went on. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen and I could never get it just right and that is what I look for in a great suspense book. Then the end what can I say about that except for WOW! I can not wait until for the next book to see who Ellie turns to for help and what she ends up doing with everything. This book was one of the best books I have read so far this summer.
The Silent Dolls gets five out of five stars!

What a way to start a new series, this is a fantastic read which had me gripped till the last page.
I am looking forward to reading more in this series

I'm a big fan of Rita Herron and I have to say she knocked it out of the park with this one! This gripping read is full of intensity. Complex characters, a compelling mystery, and a hint of romance make for a book I couldn't put down. Ellie is the type of female detective I love to read. She's determined, sometimes reckless, and flawed. As for Derrick and Cord, they are both intriguing characters and not necessarily likable but you want to know more about them. The beginning draws you in and the twists keep you guessing. The last half of the story was one shock after another and the end left me with my mouth hanging open. I can't wait for the next one.

Here is my 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟review for
The Silent Dolls by Rita Heron

Oh my word!
This is my first book written by Rita Heron and her first with Bookouture and have to say that based on this one book I know I’ll be a follower of all her addition books that she will publish!

What a great storyteller Rita Heron is! From the fabulous plot which quite frankly had me on the edge of my seat throughout to the amazing character development I am overwhelmed by this book! It was so good!

The Georgia mountains where the book was set was brought alive with Heron’s storytelling, the dangers of the Appalachian Trail and the interwoven lives of its residents makes a great setting for a close knit community where more stories can be moulded into masterpieces! I can’t wait to find out who else lived there!

I won’t go further into the plot and what happens as the blurb gives you enough insight into the storyline but oh my goodness! The twists! They kept coming! The final two though were shockers!

I did guess part of the plot and when I finished, knowing I was correct made this story come to life for me. The characters have all been set up for a long series, I can sense that each one will have a great story to tell in future books and I can’t wait to see how their lives and personalities progress and develop.

This book is an astoundingly well written novel and I hope many readers pick it up based on my review as it is an absolutely exceptional read!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick easy read with lots of twists. It really kept
me on the edge of my seat.

Ellie Reeves is a detective investigating the kidnapping of 7 year old Penny.
Along the way Ellie meets Derrick an FBI agent who’s sister along with other girls have gone missing throughout the years.
These kidnapping all connect and you will never believe the motive behind these kidnappings!

The Silent Dolls is a fast paced mystery thriller. This is the first in a series about Detective Ellie Reeves by Rita Herron. This was a quick read with lots of surprising twists. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the next book in this series. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Silent Dolls Rita Herron

Rita Herron is a new author to me, but she shot straight to the top of my list of must read authors after reading this book.

But it was so nearly a different story. The first chapter in this book sets a scene that makes it seem like this book is going to be like a rural Lethal Weapon with the main character being a female Riggs. How wrong was I.

Thank god I went past that chapter because this turned out to be the best US crime book I’ve read for a very long time.

If you like CJ Box and his Joe Pickett books for their settings you’ll love this book, set in the woods and mountains of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia

The main character, Detective Ellie Reeves, is scared f the dark. Why? Because she got lost in the woods on the Appalachian Trail when she was very young.

Now she’s a detective in Bluff County, the home of the starting point for the trail. So when a little girl goes missing it’s up to Ellie to look for her. What she uncovers during the investigation will send ripples all along the trail, and will have consequences close to home.

The girls that goes missing is not the first, but because the perpetrator has been moving along the trail nobody has put together the spasmodic disappearance of young girls in different jurisdictions, and it takes FBI agent Derrick Fox to highlight the link to Ellie.

The problem is Fox thinks two people close to Ellie, her father and a close friend, might be prime suspects.

This is a great story, set in rural, small town, America. It has everything to combine a great crime thriller with an great psychological thriller. A hunt for a missing child in the wild landscape is made harder by the approach of an in coming winter storm, a brilliant use of the occasional local radio weather report really adds to the tension.

Ellie is a great character, amongst a cast of equally good bit part players, who hopefully will make appearances in future books.

Will there be future books, I hope so. This is billed as the first in a series, and it does end on a hell of a cliff hanger.

Pages: 366
Publishers: Bookouture
Publishing date U.K. 17th July 2020

The Silent Dollsis the first book in the Detective Ellie Reeves series. The action begins straightaway as seven year old Penny Matthews goes missing in the Appalachian Mountains. Ellie knows the mountains well so she heads straight to the scene to try and locate Penny. I found this book to be enjoyable, well paced and with some good twists and turns. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

Loved it,can't wait for the next one. A fast paced story with some surprising twists.Eve as a great deal to come to terms with,she is a great character.

I would like to thank Bookouture for asking me to read and review this book and be apart of the blog tour.
The Silent Dolls is the first mystery thriller book I have read in a while and I was so glad of the change. This book is described as gripping, and it really is! Right from the first chapter I was hooked and I needed to keep turning the pages to solve the mystery.
The characters are well developed and as a reader you really need to like your hero or heroine and I loved Ellie. The horrific scenes are well described and build up the suspense more. There were times during the book that I felt I was on edge and my heart was bumping. You know a story is good when you start getting physical reactions.
I would recommend this book. The Silent Dolls is a truly brilliant gripping read.

This review will be published on the below-mentioned blog and other social media on July 10.

Book Title: The Silent Dolls

Author: Rita Herron

Genre: Thriller

Publishing Date: 17 July 2020

Line Summary:

(From Goodreads)When Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called straight to the scene.  Racing against the rapidly setting sun and a brutal winter storm on the horizon, she searches desperately for Penny. Special Agent Derrick Fox is determined to join the hunt. Can Ellie and Derrick defy the odds and find out the truth about all the stolen girls?

My Review :

True to the blurb it’s an absolutely gripping mystery thriller! A real page-turner with twists and turns which made me keep on guessing and change my ideas with every twist! The story hooked us from the beginning and the narration engaged us! I like the way all the characters were portrayed ! Especially our hero Ellie Reeves. The story setting is perfect! The horror of the forbidden forest trails and the monstrous weather were captured wonderfully! The book is definitely a non-putdownable and it makes our heart race with its twists! It captures the emotions of all the characters well. I love to read a female detective story and really admired the way her character portrayed on this! But I hate to read she need rescue at one point from other male detectives/friends, but other than that I enjoyed this book and looking forward it’s sequel ! Overall if you want to read some heartbeat raising, creepy, unguessable mystery thriller you would enjoy this page-turner!




Thoughts While Reading :

Feel frustrated to read still women needs to prove themselves in each and every profession! Though they have a passion and chose to fight to attain it! The initial turmoil about county sheriff election and the way one of the parents asked to replace her with a more eligible person made my blood boil! Thanks for bringing these issues up! This way at least I hope people would change their views or help to break the stereotypes!

The missing girls, the nightmares, and the ghost stories were creepy to read ! Especially about the women who heard voices from the lost kids? I felt her character is unnecessary and confusing.

The Appalachian trail and it’s horridness was captured wonderfully and the narration made us transport over there!

But couldn’t avoid the question of with the worst weather condition how the girls survived without proper dressing and comfort?

And I couldn’t believe the way the reeves family acted through all this? How is it possible for a sheriff to behave like that? It’s not so natural or practical but I think it’s negligible consider story's upbeat narration!

The final twists and the climax were mind-blowing! Still need answers to some question which we will have in the following book I guess.

A great mystery thriller and Definitely an addictive series to looking for!




Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher #bookouture for this ARC. This review is straight from my heart, not biased in any way.

Had me hooked! I found myself rooting for the amazing characters you can see them so clear in your mind one or two i was not sure off otherwise like straight the way and wondering where the author’s next twist would take me. I love how this book kept me guessing all the way through. It soon became a page turner I was pulled in to the plot A brilliant suspense with a little romance thrown in too which i enjoyed

When a young girl goes missing from a family pick-nick somewhere along the Appalachian Trail, detective Ellie Reeves remembers a night when she herself was lost in the woods as a child and will do everything to find the child. Ranger Cord McClain is the best tracker around and organises the Search and Rescue teams. With a big storm brewing up and freezing temperatures, there’s no time to lose. As part of normal protocol, both parents are interrogated and all their little and big secrets are exposed. But then, FBI-agent Derrick Fox turns up with the theory that there’s a serial killer hunting the trail for the last 25 years, his own sister being the first victim. It’s not only her own past demons that make life difficult for Ellie. She just found out that her dad, the local sheriff, chooses his deputy Bryce above her to be his successor. Bryce seems more interested in making a good impression on the press and public can obstruct their investigation. She doesn’t know who to trust anymore and negative sentiments are only the start of a deteriorating relationship between the rescuers.

The way the suspense in this story is kept up throughout the whole book is fantastic. The suspicion slides back and forth between several people, including those involved in the search. I had my own ideas as to whom the killer was with lots of hints from the author that send me in this or that direction, but all were wrong. The final explanation and reveal were still different from what I assumed.
My main problem with this book is the lack of realism when it comes down to police procedures, protocols, or investigation techniques. Ellie just does what she wants without any knowledge or consent from her superiors and teammates. She ignores her boss’ phone calls for days on end without any repercussions, doesn’t tell anyone where she goes or what she does. She seems to work completely alone most of the time. During the initial stage of the investigation, she has some colleagues helping with inquiries but when Derrick turns up, it’s just them 2 doing everything. It's as if the rest of the team vanished in thin air. Also, the time frame for the last 2 days is completely impossible (in my opinion) given the difficulty of the terrain in combination with the weather. Usually, I don’t mind a bit of creative imaginative writing but here it stretches rather far.
But if you’re prepared to overlook those imperfections, it’s a real good and entertaining thriller. There’s a twist in the tail with a serious sting and this opens the door for 1 or more sequels. If they come my way, I’ll read them.
I’m in limbo over the rating; 3,5 would be my vote, a 3 doesn’t give it enough credit but I’m not completely happy with a 4.
I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for their free ARC; this is my honest and unbiased review of it.

Thanks for Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this book.

I absolutely loved it and couldn’t put it down. The book gripped me from the start and was fast paced with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing right until the end.

I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I love Rita Herrons work, and read all her suspense books. I loved this one too. In this story, Bree was abducted as a child, but was rescued. Now young girls are disappearing in her small town again. FBI agent Derrick's sister disappeared when he was young and supposed to be watching her, he is now driven by guilt to find her and put her to rest. He blows into town, and joins up with Bree to find the girls. This story is creepy and eerie with lots of unexpected twists and turns. It will keep you turning the pages.

53442412. sy475
Title: The Silent Dolls

Series:Detective Ellie Reeves #1

Author: Rita Herron

Genre: mystery thriller

Pub July 17,2020

Rating: 5

Silent tears trickle down her cheeks as she curls inside the tiny cave-like space. She lies on her side, darkness all around her, rubbing her fingers over the little wooden doll he’d carved. He told her to be quiet, not to cry or scream. Not to be a baby. Her throat was raw, her eyes swollen shut. She wanted her mommy and daddy. She wanted to go home.

When Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl with blonde curls and a gap-toothed smile, goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called straight to the scene. According to Penny’s parents, their daughter vanished after a picnic by the creek. All that’s left behind is a pink friendship bracelet etched with “Penny”.

Ellie knows all too well that the mountains’ endless miles of dark forest and winding rivers are the perfect place for a criminal to hide. Racing against the rapidly setting sun and a brutal winter storm on the horizon, she searches desperately for Penny.

Special Agent Derrick Fox is determined to join the hunt. His younger sister, Kim, disappeared in the same area twenty-five years ago––on the day he was meant to be watching her. He’s certain the cases are linked and that over a dozen girls have vanished in the last decade. Ellie refuses to believe that their tight-knit mountain community could be home to a deadly criminal, but even she can’t deny the similarities in the cases. And when they discover the remains of a small body buried with a carved wooden doll, it’s clear they’re up against a deadly serial killer preying on innocent little girls.

As the temperature plunges, Penny’s life hangs in the balance. Most people who get lost in the woods never make it out alive. Can Ellie and Derrick defy the odds and find out the truth about all the stolen girls? Or will the mountain, and its twisted killer, claim another victim?



My thoughts:

Would I recommend it? Yes

Would I read more of the series? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes



This book had me hooked right from the start when it starts off with the prologue and after reading that i knew I had to keep reading it, I didn't want to stop. It was everything I was hopping t would be dark and twisted in some was , fast pace but not to fast that it would lose you the read and the characters was well written to the point that they came alive on the page, and I loved how every time you think you had something figured out , then comes a long a twist that just throws you for a loop, and the more you read the more you seen to find out that there are secrets been kept from everyone and not just from the main character herself. As for the characters there was some I loved and are my favorites and some i was like what in the world is she is on, But over all my favorite ones kept win hands down. All I can say is that this is amazing start to a new series that I want to read, now I just have to wait for the second book. With that said I want to thank NetGalley as well as as Bookouture for letting me read and review it and helping me find a new series to start.

First I want to says thanks to NetGalley for this complimentary arc! I really appreciate it.
Y'all this book was amazing!
The plot & ending was simply brilliant!

Ellie Reeves is a Detective in a small town of the Appalachian mountains in Geroiga!

Penny Matthews, a seven-year-old girl goes missing in the mountains while having a picnic with her mom and dad!

Ellie is called to the scene and she knows all too well that the mountains’ endless miles of dark forest and winding rivers are the perfect place for a criminal to hide. Racing against the sub-zero temps.... she has got to find this little girl!

When they discover the remains of a small body buried with a carved wooden doll, it’s clear they’re up against a deadly serial killer preying on innocent little girls.

As the weather turns worse can they can Penny & uncover the truth that lurks in thoes mountains?

This book is filled with twists, turns, the unexpected!
Had me hooked.... to where I could not put it down till I finished and seen what happened next!
I honestly dont think I've read a book this year with so much twist to it! But this one here packed the punches!

Now I'm going to gonna have to be on the lookout for the second book of Eliie Reeve!

Every bit of 5 STARS!!!

Pub Date- July 17th 2020