This book was a tragic retelling about the life of an incredibly privileged woman, who was killed by her partner (soon to be ex). The writing was personal but balanced, and the narrative the author writes is engaging and thoughtful.

Even though we were living in New England when these events happened, we completely missed the reporting on the case. In the end, what happened to Jennifer was an incredible tragedy. But the ramifications for her children will last for generations.

I just want to start off by saying thank you to NetGalley, Rich Cohen, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also the narrator Edoardo Ballerini was amazing! This book follows the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. Is going through a nasty divorce with her husband and one day in 2019 she leaves her house to drop off her children to school and disappears. Not to be seen or heard from. This is intensive research about this case. If you are a fan of true crime you are going to find this story interesting. This is a pretty recent case and it was interesting to learn about and hear what happened. I haven’t read true crime in a while but this
One baffles me.

This book will give you nightmares. Coercive control is a real problem. I lived it while undergoing a divorce with my ex husband. My daughter looked at me one day and said she thought her dad could kill us all one day like on one of those true crime shows. I realized how abused I was by then but I had no clue how it affected my kids.
I feel so sad for these children who were left behind. And for this poor woman who our system failed. Women should be kept safe from this kind of abusive and terrorizing behavior. Bravo to this author for doing her story justice.

I didn't fall in love with this book as much as I was hoping. Normally when I read true crime I expect more of the crime to be explored however this book felt more biography of Jennifer Dulos. Which was very interesting, unfortunately it's not a biography I would normally read because I didn't find her life very relatable. It was quite slow and boring but I did my best to listen with respect because it's a very tragic case that may have been prevented had the red flags been seen or acknowledged by family/friends. This book was definitely worth reading and I hope the family likes it, the author mentioned that he tried to do right by them. I think I will recommend this title but towards more biography readers versus true crime readers although it did pick up on the crime/court details near the end of the book.

[5 stars] [https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7470843814]
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

So, full disclosure, I somehow missed the nonfiction tag on this book when requesting it. I am not a fan of true crime - it feels extremely voyeuristic and dirty - and I had never heard of Jennifer Dulos’ story, despite its recency. I assumed that this was an excellent, detailed fictionalized “true crime” novel.

As a nonfiction true crime novel about an actual event that occurred in the last few years, it is still excellent.

A true story about the disappearance of a wealthy wife and mother in the middle of one of America’s wealthiest towns, while in the middle of a troublesome divorce: there are some caveats to that excellence, though. You need to enjoy a dry narrator. As another reviewer put it, it comes across as a Dateline episode. I, personally, found the dry delivery to enhance the read and give a better punch to the sparse comedic recounts in this book (though, much my enjoyment may come from the very well done audiobook narration) (though I mention humorous moments, this book does not take light of Dulos’ murder or the events leading up to it. Just, naturally, there are dry comedic moments taken by both the narrator and the quotes of people recounting Dulos’ life. I never felt as though they were hurting the tone or seriousness of the story).

You should also know if you enjoy reading an in-depth biography of a stranger, no matter how dull the details may get. This is especially true at the beginning, where we are introduced to Dulos’ life in segments. We see her very briefly as a young child, before being taken away and learning about her parent’s upbringings and meeting. Back to Dulos, we meet her again in highschool (an expensive NYC private academy), then college (Brown), then graduate school (NYU) and the playwright company she helps form. My attention was held fast at all of these moments as I loved the narration style. The amount of details was huge but rarely overwhelming. The author does a beautiful job combining Dulos’ friends’ recounts of her, the plays she wrote, as well as blog posts and essays by Dulos herself to not only give the facts about her time at these places, but examine her story and what was important to her. The central motif of the dollhouse she played with as a child, little blonde Europeans - that her father called “little Nazis” - that she modeled into her ideal future for herself as a wife and mother of three, is done extremely well. The author creates a tragedy that we know is coming from decades away through the bringing up of these desires of Dulos. This is not just a recount of the relationship and immediate actions surrounding a woman’s murder at the hands of her husband, but a detailed, devastating tragedy that we are all powerless to stop (or tear our eyes from).

Despite the almost character-study nature of much of this book, I never felt as though it went too voyeuristic towards Dulos. As stated earlier, this is my biggest detractor from real true crime accounts. Though I understand the appeal to many, I dislike what the “genre” (I hate calling it that) has become. I think the care handled towards letting us meet Dulos, how a lot of the study of her is based off of things that she published herself, and the much more minor part of the novel being focused on describing the crime itself, help this. The scenes of abuse and murder are done gruesomely, but with care. It speaks to the skill of the author that, even after realizing that this was a true story, I only felt a little dirty because of how engrossed I was in this.

The formatting of the book is done masterfully. Separated into acts (a reference to Dulos’ passion as a playwright) the book focuses on her life chronologically, but with tantalizing references to things happening in the future. The book itself opens with the general basis of the murder: A wealthy wife and mother in one of America’s wealthiest areas has gone missing and is assumed murdered by her husband during a troublesome divorce. This both acts as a wonderful hook leading into the story, but allows for the author to reference these things throughout the book as a kind of cursed foreshadowing. It helps break up the constant character study and biographical quality of the narration (which, again, I already loved) and bleed in details of the ultimate outcome. The overall tone and narration of this book is done unbelievably well.

This is a gripping but still devastating tragedy about a woman who wants a specific “American dream” wife so desperately that she ends up dead for it. The writing style may feel too fictional narrative based for some readers, maybe those who are used to a specific style of true crime literature especially, but I found it engrossing and utilized well by the author. I highly recommend it, even to those who are not generally true crime fans.

Thank you to @macmillanaudio for the ALC! I was excited to make my foray into true crime, but found that I need more narrative to become invested. This sounded very stiff and factual coming from the narrator. I recognize that because this is a true story that makes sense and may be necessary but I have read other non-fiction pieces that are more narrative and engaging. Unfortunately not for me.

Usually I give myself time before I write a review. Mainly because I procrastinate. I just finished Murder in the Dollhouse two minutes ago though so this review probably won’t be very well composed.

I’m very familiar with Jennifer’s story. That did not prepare me for everything I learned in this book. I am sure Jennifer was not a saint. Apparently that is something that was very important to her ex-husband Fotis, his lawyers, his new girlfriend, and the next girlfriend for everyone to know. Funny story though…. No one is. Whatever shortcomings she had, whatever flaws she had, had no bearing on the coercive, abusive, and control she had to live with. What’s insane is she didn’t want out of that garbage marriage. She was willing to stay on that ride until the wheels fell off even at her own expense.

Jennifer was a mother and an artist and she had more fight in her than she knew. I hate that she became another statistic. Another news story. Another woman whose spouse had to have the final word by silencing hers forever. Another narcissist with no regard for life. That had to maintain control. This story hits so many women so hard because it’s such a familiar tale. Her husband no longer wanted her, and she finally gave him what he wanted. She left with the kids secretly because you don’t just walk out in front of someone like him. This wasn’t enough though. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he eviscerated her. She knew he was dangerous. She knew she wasn’t safe. She could afford body guards. She had body guards. Perhaps she was feeling a little more comfortable because she had scaled back on the bodyguards and now she’s gone. She’s never been found. Five kids without a mother. Her husband will do no time because he gassed himself while awaiting trial. His accomplices have been found guilty and are still awaiting trial.

As a woman what I took for this story is that when women leave or when they fight back or even when they don’t, you should never let your guard down.

Yeah, this one just wasn’t for me and I’m pretty bummed about it. It’s definitely true crime but it’s more of a biography than what I’m used to. It wasn’t a bad book but it definitely wasn’t for me. I think the author really focused on the wealthy and while it’s part of the story we didn’t get to the disappearance or the case until more than half way through.

This was a 4 star for me! I really enjoyed the narration by Edoardo Ballerini! Felt like I was watching a true crime series! I found it really easy to get into this and stay engaged! The narration made this a fast listen even on 1.5-175 speed it was still really easy to keep up with the story.

I was not familiar with the story of Jennifer Dulos but I felt like this was a great introduction to the story of her life and the crime that ultimately cost her her life. You could tell that this biography was well thought out and really well researched by the Author Richard Cohen. I highly recommend if you are a true crime junkie!

Overall a very intriguing story and im definitely excited to dive more into this true crime!

This was three stars for me. The narrator was good - it felt like watching Forensic Files, in a good way. As for the book, I thought it would be more about the murder/disappearance of Jennifer Dulos but it seemed to be more like a biography as the murder/disappearance didn’t happen until three quarters of the way through. Despite this, it was still a good book - it seemed well researched and was put together well.

Pub Date: 5/20
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I have always been fascinated in true crime, and this is actually one that I didn’t know about that happened recently so I wanted to learn more. Murder in the Dollhouse takes a deep dive into the life of Jennifer Dulos, a prestigious mom who went missing in Conneticut, who is presumed dead and whose body has never been found.
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The beginning of the book is definitely on the slower side as it goes into the family history and Jennifer’s life as a young girl. It was about half way when it gets into how she met Fotis Dulos and their life together and that is really when I became invested in the story. Fotis was an egotistical man that had a tendency to believe himself to be “all powerful”. I cannot believe what went on from the court appearances for their way drawn-out court appearances to the mysterious disappearance of Jennifer to the ending of this story. It was honestly disgusting what occurred in her life.
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I think that Cohen did a fantastic job at being respectful of all parties in this. It was very factual and this was well done. I could have done without the family history, but I guess her family and their connections is what made her s valuable to Fotis.
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I listened to this via audiobook, and Edoardo Ballerini was a great narrator for this! I definitely recommend the audiobook.
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Overall, this is a very interesting story and I would love to read more about the case. I really hope one day the family gets closure and answers as to what really happened to Jennifer. Huge thank you to NetGalley, Rich Cohen and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Ughhh! This book was distressing. I knew a little about Jennifer Duclos and her death and now I know more than I ever need to know. The book was well researched and done in a way that was respectful to Jennifer, her children and others who love her. There was more detail about their lives ie) children’s sport competitions than I think personally was needed but arguably this set the stage for listeners to understand how mentally disturbed her husband was and is ego mania which led him to thinking he would get away with murder. Thank goodness Jennifer’s Law is now in place and we recognize coercion as abuse. The narrator was excellent in this audio book. Thanks to Rich Cohen for the critical unpacking of this important story of Jennifer’s murder. Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to Murder in the Dollhouse in exchange for this review.

Typical true crime- family with money- expensive divorce … you know the rest. While the story was interesting enough to listen to, it was nothing ground breaking .

I remember seeing this case on the news around the time that it happened. It's fascinating to me because it seems as though Jennifer Dulos was a victim of the justice system who failed to save her from the clutches of her abuser.

Rich Cohen did a lot of thorough research for this novel. He contacted a lot of people related to this case who hadn't previously given statements. He brought a unique vision to this novel by detailing Jennifer's life extensively, no detail was left untouched. It made the experience more emotional, getting to know her on a personal level while also knowing what unfortunately happens to her.

I'm pretty out-spoken about how sometimes true crime stories just seem like they're profiting off of suffering, but this isn't the case here. Cohen did amazing research bringing this story back into public perception in a way that doesn't feel voyeuristic or tacky. He does so with facts and with the utmost respect for Jennifer and her legacy.

This was a fascinating book. Rich Cohen (who I love) delves into the disappearance and murder of Jennifer Dulos. I had heard about this story on Dateline or 20/20 or any popular true crime podcast. But this book tells the story of Jennifer and her marriage and her striving for perfection and her murder. It was well-written and absorbing.

Jennifer came from a very wealthy family. She was raised to believe in perfection and appearance. She tried to be a writer and wrote a play that her family was angry with her for staging. She left the players company. She moved to Colorado, where she meets up with a former classmate at Brown, Fotis Dulos, a Greek immigrant. Though married at the time, he strikes up a relationship with Jennifer. Eventually they marry and have four kids.

Fotis is concerned with appearances. He was a champion water-skier and pushes his children to do it - whether they want to or not. He has a temper. He travels a lot. Owns a home building business that he borrows tens of millions of dollars from Jennifer's father to keep afloat. Then he meets a woman in Miami and starts seeing her. As Jennifer and Fotis being down the road of a very nasty, very drawn-out divorce, their relationship deteriorates.

Then Jennifer disappears. Eventually the police start piecing the mystery together. And I am not going to say anything else. This book drew me in and kept me turning pages. It was an excellent dissection of wealth, expectation, class, and violence. If you like true crime, you'll like this story.

T'rue crime fans - here's your book for the Spring! In one of the richest areas of Connecticut, Jennifer Dulos disappeared on May 24, 2019 after she dropped her kids off at school. Her ex-husband, Fotis, is then arrested for her murder and amazingly is released on bail. Upon learning his bail is about to be revoked, he dies by suicide, still proclaiming his innocence. These aren't spoilers - there was a tremendous amount of press coverage about the case, and author Rich Cohen explores and amplifies the coverage in great detail.
Murder in the Dollhouse tells a terrible story of murder, money, greed, and the failure of the legal system. I had read quite a bit already about the case, but the book went into greater detail about the whole situation, especially about Jennifer's background and her family. Cohen brought in additional sources to amplify the story, including family members, psychiatrists and lawyers involved in their divorce, their nanny, and Jennifer's friends. There's also a fair amount of detail about water skiing and competitions, which I truly didn't believe was actually a thing. The epilogue takes us up to the most recent sentencing of Michelle Traconis, former girlfriend and accomplice of Dulos. I listened to the audio book and narration by Edoardo Ballerini was well done.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read Murder in the Dollhouse. I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and opinions expressed are completely my own.

I had not heard of this case before having the chance to listen to this as one of my MacMillan Audio ALCs this month. I also don't typically read/listen to true crime, but I was very intrigued by the description.
There was a lot of backstory here. More than I needed, personally. The first 2/3 of the book is all about Jennifer's life and the last 1/3 is about the case + trial.
I think the ex husband was guilty AF and I think his lawyer was a POS for trying to say Jennifer "gone girl'd" herself. Her son's victim statement at Michelle's trial made me cry and I would be interested to know what the five kids think about their father.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio book.

What happened to Jennifer Dulos is tragic and I can see how her murder and the fall out from it could seem like prime material for a nonfiction story. Unfortunately, for me, the execution didn't hold my attention.

Masterfully crafted true crime book that delves into the tragic and shocking case of Jennifer Dulos’s murder. From the very first chapter, the story grips the listener, unfolding with a tension that makes it impossible to pause.
What sets this book apart is Cohen’s meticulous research and detailed documentation. He not only recounts the events but also provides deep insights into the legal battles, the key players, and the larger societal themes surrounding the case. The storytelling is both compelling and informative, making it a fascinating listen for true crime enthusiasts.
The narration is simply fantastic. The voice actor delivers the story with perfect pacing, capturing the suspense and emotion without ever feeling overdramatized. The measured tone enhances the experience, keeping listeners engaged while maintaining respect for the gravity of the subject matter.
Every aspect of Murder in the Dollhouse—from its gripping storytelling to its impeccable narration—makes it a standout in the true crime genre. A nail-biting and unforgettable listen. Highly recommended.

The narrator for this one did an amazing job! I was hooked from the beginning and so drawn into the story. I really wish her husband had given the family more closure prior to taking himself out of the picture. There is a lot of drama, and it was eye opening seeing a glimpse into a wealthy lifestyle and the means people will go to keep their secrets quiet. Thank you so much for this audiobook!