This is exactly how a true crime book should be written. The depth of the character study is unmatched and I certainly hit a point where I understood through the authors work why things were turning out the way they did and why things couldn’t be any different. I’ve never had a lot of tolerance for being rich - but I have a new outlook now.
The whole story was told with just enough depth and not enough weeds. As I had questions the author answered them and my favourite was that pieces of information that seemed not to fit were then packaged to explain their significance - something I’ve rarely seen well done. Each time we got a “two mistakes were made, one… and two…” I just smiled from ear to ear.
Okay. Gotta go see there’s a backlist to catch up on or wait for the next book cause this author absolutely nailed this.

Thank you Netgalley & Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an eARC ❤️

There’s something particularly unsettling about crimes that unravel in wealthy, manicured suburbs—places where life is supposed to be safe, orderly, and privileged. The disappearance of Jennifer Dulos isn’t just a true crime story; it’s a grim dissection of how money, status, and resentment can curdle into something monstrous. 💔

What strikes me most is the sheer *normalcy* of it all before the horror began. Jennifer was a mother dropping her kids at school, a woman navigating a divorce—something countless people do every day. Yet beneath that ordinary surface was a marriage so toxic it may have ended in annihilation. The details of Fotis Dulos’s alleged manipulation—controlling finances, isolating Jennifer, the slow suffocation of her independence—paint a picture of coercive control that feels terrifyingly mundane. How many other women are trapped in similar shadows, their suffering invisible until it’s too late? 😟

Then there’s the haunting absence of Jennifer’s body. Without it, there’s no closure, only a void where answers should be. It’s a cruel twist—Fotis’s suicide ensured he would never face full accountability, leaving Jennifer’s family and the public with a story half-told. Michelle Troconis’s conviction provides some justice, but the central mystery lingers like a ghost.

What chills me most, though, is the way this case exposes the illusions of privilege. The Duloses had everything: Ivy League pedigrees, wealth, a sprawling Connecticut home. Yet none of it prevented the ugliness beneath. If anything, the pressure to maintain appearances may have exacerbated the rot. Divorce battles among the wealthy aren’t just emotional—they’re wars of reputation, assets, and power. And in this case, the stakes turned lethal.

Jennifer’s story isn’t just about a crime; it’s a warning. It forces us to question how well we truly know the people around us, the marriages behind closed doors, the quiet desperation masked by Instagram-perfect lives. In the end, no amount of money or status can shield someone from a partner who decides they’d rather erase them than let them go.
The tragedy leaves me with a gnawing thought: How many other "perfect" families are hiding similar secrets? And what will it take for the next Jennifer to be seen before it’s too late?😔

Jennifer Dulos was a wealthy, suburban wife who was in the midst of a contentious divorce when she vanished in May 2019 after taking her children to school. She and her husband had met at Brown University, went their separate ways and then reconnected and married in 2004. While it seemed their life appeared perfect from the outside, it was anything but. After finding out about her husband’s affair, Jennifer moved out with her 5 children and filed for divorce in 2017, setting the stage for the tragic events that followed.

In this book, the author takes a deep dive into the lives of Jennifer and Fotis Dulos. Cohen meticulously reports on their upbringing, family lives and the events that lead up to this tragic disappearance. I was not very familiar with this case and felt this book presented in this case in an informative way. I felt the only drawback was the lack of information on the actual police investigation. Despite that, this story held my interest throughout and I would recommend this book to other true crime readers.

I have read other books by Rich Cohen and also really enjoyed this one. It is about the murder of Jennifer Dulos by her husband, and was front page news for awhile. I followed this tragic story throughout and really appreciated how Rich Cohen approached the narrative. I learned new things in reading this and especially learned more about the major players in this book. The author is able to effectively capture NYC life in the early 1990's among writers and creatives as both he and Jennifer were writers. They attended some of the same parties and knew some of the same people (although they were not friends). I could not put this book down -- I was so absorbed in her story and the mystery of what happened to her. I highly recommend this book for true crime lovers and fans of great writing!

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

thank you rich cohen and netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
i highly!!!! recommend this true crime! it was my first true crime read (but definitely not my first true crime anything) and i can say wholeheartedly that it will not end here!
rich cohen’s work is well researched and interesting. he paints an amazing picture and setting for the reader to really appreciate the setting and mystery at hand. it feels weird to “rate” a true crime/non fiction about a person’s death so i say the rating attach is because netgalley requires a star rating, BUT i will absolutely not forget this story and the impact it had on women in the community around jennifer dulos and her family.

I have been reading True Crime for years and it is my favorite genre. I was excited to get a copy of this book since I had seen several programs regarding this case on television. When I started the book, I was excited to get background information on Jennifer and her husband Fotis Dulos. However, I was soon very disappointed in this book as it seemed to give minutiae of everyone they had ever known and everything they had every done. It turned into an informational tutorial on the rich and famous, where they go to school, to party and who knows who. I was hoping for more of a police procedural and I was very disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I enjoy true crime stories that give a lot of background on the victim, so we can know them better as a person, but this book had excessive amounts of information about everyone that the victim knew in her life, to the point that it felt pointless to have it in the book.

Rich Cohen did an amazing job telling Jennifer Dulos’ story. A wealthy suburban mother goes missing after dropping her children off at school. She is in the middle of a horrible divorce, but sadly, her body is never found. Her husband and girlfriend are arrested for the murder, but he ends his life before he can be convicted. Such a tragic and sad story, I feel awful for the children. This book was written very well and I learned so much about this case.

I am so fascinated by true crime and so I was so excited to read this book and intrigued as it is a case I haven't heard of before and it didn't disappoint. I felt like I got the full picture which was written in a very honest and real way. I would definitely read more by the author

True crime books are difficult to talk about. First, the crime and details are interesting. Second, isn't it kind of effed up to want to know all the details?

Murder in the Dollhouse does an excellent job of writing about Jennifer Dulos, of her life BEFORE her marriage, during and what MAY have led to her assumed death. Could I just have read the wiki? 100%. I think Rich Cohen may have gotten too in the weeds with details and maybe starting to assume various outcomes.

It's hard, because I can see his point, but we don't know. But that's kind of the point with a lot of true crime, we don't know exactly what happened unless someone survived. We don't know what happened to Jennifer, and we can pray for her peace, but it doesn't make it any easier to read the details.

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

Despite the title, this, for the most part, feels more like a biography than a crime book. The focus is less on the crime itself and more on the life of Jennifer Dulos before her disappearance. In some ways, this is refreshing — true crime is often at its best when it brings victims to life as real, complex people rather than simply recounting the tragedy. But in this case, the balance feels off. Most of the book is spent walking through Jennifer’s personal history in exhaustive detail, and after a while, it starts to drag. The chapters are long and often repetitive, with Cohen driving the same points home again and again.

While the research that went into this book is obvious, the end result feels more like a biography than a crime narrative. Readers hoping for a close examination of the investigation or the courtroom drama may find themselves disappointed. Murder in the Dollhouse has its strengths, particularly in its compassionate portrayal of Jennifer, but it struggles to keep a tight grip on the story’s central tension.

This was extensively researched book that excelled at painting a picture of Jennifer's life before her disappearance. As the title and description promise, Cohen focuses on Jennifer, her relationships, and celebrating her life while highlighting Fotis' concerning behaviors and possible motives. I wasn't necessarily the most engaged throughout, likely due to pacing. I started off engrossed but, after a while, became bogged down with the story because, while Cohen does a great job of hammering the details in, the crime part is really only the last quarter of the book. If what you love about true crimes are the details of the police/criminal investigation or court hearings, this may not be the book for you. Ultimately, Cohen does Jenn justice and effectively brings crucial attention to the coercive control and abusive behaviors that were tragically overlooked in her case.
Sincere thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, Giroux for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

I want to start of saying I was following this case and I couldn't wait for a book to come out. I was happy when I got approved
for an arc to review.

Jennifer Dulos drops her children off at school and is never seen again. She was in the middle of a nasty divorce.

This case makes me so sick and Folis thinks he is innocent. He is the true definition of a narcissist.

What is even more sad is it could have been prevented and those poor kids.


Thanks to Rich Cohen, the publisher and NetGalley for an arc to review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Murder in the Dollhouse by Rich Cohen.

Truly a tragedy, the couple that has it all, torn apart by greed, infidelity, and perhaps psychopathy. This, somewhat detail heavy story systematically plays out every piece of the Jennifer Dulos murder, starting with her parents, down to the sentencing. It's maddening and tragic, but well told. If you are interested in high society true crime, this might be the ticket for a long plane ride.

Murder in the Dollhouse is the tragic story of the life and end of Jennifer Dulos. Though no body was ever found, Jennifer was presumed dead at the hands of her husband and her husband’s girlfriend. It’s difficult for one’s heart not to break at the way Jennifer’s life was depicted in the book and what her children suffered through. From an early age, it seems she was always striving for something bigger and better. Her parents enabled this process with her father constantly pushing her to be better and expect better - especially from the partners she chose. She had this picture of what her life should be like - most of which was ingrained in her every breath by her father. To many it may have seemed like she had the perfect life, but to those that truly knew her, that wasn’t the case. The books draws attention to the shady side of the law and how truly ugly, destructive, and desperate some parties can get. It also draws attention to the ways in which the legal system are lacking in the protection of those that need it most. This book is a very intricate and detailed account of Jennifer’s life and demise that shares information that would not be readily available to the average person. This is a definite must read for those interested in true crime.

I normally love true crime books, I also really enjoy non-fiction, but this one was not for me. I did DNF it at 25%. The actual writing really took me out of this.

I've heard the Jennifer Dulos story before, maybe a Dateline or 20/20 about it, and it was an interesting story. Seeing this and getting approved for the galley of it, I was ready to dive in to it. But a quarter of the way through and we're still stumbling through Jennifer's late 20s before she even gets together with her husband. There's just so much information that's unnecessary to the story. Telling the reader about the history of a random building she lives in or the entire town of Aspen? Why? This isn't a textbook, I hope there's not a test at the end about all these details. From what I read, I couldn't get a real feel for Jennifer and feel connected to her like you want to with a victim in a true crime book. The author almost seemed to dislike her in general. She felt like a side character to all the history of things around her. The author did quite a bit of research and interviews, as is mentioned often and with quotes from many people (always referred to by first and last name for some reason).

Overall, very detailed information about a lot of things besides Jennifer Dulos. If that's what you look for in a true crime books, then this is definitely for you. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. But I did learn some neat architecture facts about some buildings in New York, so I guess it wasn't a complete loss.

Chilling, haunting, and ultimately tragic - Rich Cohen does a fantastic job of biographing Jennifer Dulos' life both before and after her marriage to the man who would tragically kill her. A really affecting read.

Listened to the audio thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio #partner

A great listen. Learned a few things I hadn’t known about this case. I’ve seen all the documentaries but didn’t remember the husband’s friend’s wife who Fotis had taken out to lunch/dinner and who he tried to get to go home with him. How creepy. Sounds like there would have been another victim had this other girl not listened to her instincts. It also throws a wrench into the potential planning of this murder and another person who could have stopped it - though that dude is a loser and wanted his own ex wife killed, I’m sure.

This broaches the issue of why so many men think it’s okay to kill women. The statistics are shocking, sad, and all around just horrible. Fotis was a spiteful man and his violence towards Jennifer was only escalating. More should have been done previous to her being killed. While her body has yet to be found we all know she is dead.

We need better resources for women in situations like the one Jennifer was in. More funding to programs like Women Care - who rebranded and are now called something else but I know them as Women Care. Restraining orders don’t save lives and are essentially useless in my eyes.

This was a comprehensive book that covers the early years of Jennifer’s life up until her disappearance. My heart breaks for her children. Jennifer had such a sad life towards the end. I wish she would have gotten to find her peace and happiness after her divorce.

Recommend.

"Murder in the Dollhouse," by Rich Cohen, is a well-written but, in some ways, flawed book.

It's about the disappearance and murder of Jennifer Dulos, an heiress and mother of five, in New Canaan, Connecticut. At its best (the investigation and trial), it's a well-researched, comprehensive account. Cohen has clearly spent hundreds of hours on this project and it shows in those scenes.

His sociological analyses are also well done, the way he contrasts the Duloses and their Ivy League pedigrees with the prosecutors and attorneys who attended lower-rated colleges and law schools. Initially, I wondered why he was fixated on that but later realized it contrasts those at the top of the socioeconomic machine with those who make the machine run.

Then, there are numerous scenes in which he's speculating about what a character was thinking at any given time, without any evidence. ("Perhaps, she was embarrassed... perhaps, she did this or that to get away from her father.") This, to some extent, is the flaw in true crime writing. The author needs to put you in someone's head to bring the story to life but, in more than small doses, it detracts from the story itself. There's also a strange aside about how the Duloses, children of the 1970sm neither of whose parents were divorced, were affected by the wave of divorces in that decade. I understand that the author wanted to quote Rick Moody, whose "The Ice Storm" is, in part, about divorce and sexual mores in 1970s New Canaan. It just seemed unnecessary.

There are a few paragraphs that make no sense - e.g., there's an aside where he talks about bald men who shave their heads, about the cars they drive and how they "wiped the sweat from their bald heads with a single confident towel stroke" after softball. He brings up baldness in a few other places for reasons I can't fathom. Is it to provide color? If so, I nonetheless found that they temporarily derailed the story.

As an aside, there's a little bit of a fixation on "The Godfather," (e.g., going to the mattresses, etc) but that reminds me of a scene in "You've Got Mail," where Meg Ryan asks why men are constantly quoting it.

I'm a big fan of Mr. Cohen's work, from "Tough Jews" through "The Fish That Ate the Whale" and "Machers and Rockers" (the title is what originally attracted me) through his books about his sons' pee wee hockey experience and his memoir of his father. This book has its flaws, which may be the flaws inherent in the true crime genre, but, on the whole, it's worth reading.

This honest review was given in exchange for an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. Thanks to them for providing it.

Dark, chilling, and utterly gripping.
Murder in the Dollhouse dives deep into the haunting true crime case of Jennifer Dulos. It paints a vivid picture of the world she lived in…privileged, controlled and a polished life that holds darkness. You get a good look into her life leading up to her murder/disappearance.
It’s the kind of story that lingers.