{"id":11069,"date":"2019-01-07T00:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-01-06T22:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/?p=11069"},"modified":"2023-06-14T15:21:39","modified_gmt":"2023-06-14T13:21:39","slug":"doll-maker-highton-stevenson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelesbianreview.com\/doll-maker-highton-stevenson\/","title":{"rendered":"The Doll Maker by Claire Highton-Stevenson: Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a>The Doll Maker by Claire Highton-Stevenson<\/b><\/span> will grab you and won\u2019t let you go until the last page. It\u2019s great suspense with authentic romance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Detective Sophie Whitton battles competing priorities in her search for a serial killer who leaves calling cards in the form of mutilated dolls. The scenes are so disturbing, and her passion for justice so strong, that Sophie can\u2019t leave the case at the office, or ever make it home at a decent hour. <\/span><\/p>\n

The pressure to find the killer is as palpable as the strain on her relationship with her partner of four years. The killer becomes more brazen and more elusive. But as the case and her love life become more confounding, \u201cDetective Whitton\u201d must come to terms with \u201cSophie Whitton\u201d or risk losing herself, and others. She must track a killer while managing a deteriorating relationship and what feels like more than just a fling with a woman who seems to understand the demands of her job. She is the best at what she does as a cop\u2014smart, resourceful, and dedicated. The question is whether she can be the same in her personal life. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Characters<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

The characters are well developed and authentic. Sophie Whitton is self-confident, and a bit surly. She is not broken as many protagonists in detective novels are, but that\u2019s not to say that she\u2019s not breakable. It makes you root for her throughout the novel. <\/span><\/p>\n

Highton-Stevenson does an exceptional job of depicting credible relationships\u2014co-workers, friends, lovers\u2014through gestures and dialogue so familiar that you\u2019d swear you know someone like the people involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Writing Style<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Short chapters and a steady stream of clues keep you riveted on the investigation, but honest emotion keeps you immersed in the love story as well. The third person narration sometimes shifts abruptly from one character to the next, but it\u2019s easy to keep up with the character being depicted.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pros<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

I especially liked that Claire Highton-Stevenson spared us the gore and focused on the clues. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Cons<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Trigger warnings regarding abuse, sexual violence, and cheating may be in order, but they are dealt with delicately and with good restraint.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Anyone who loves a great suspense will love this novel. And they\u2019ll get a great love story as a bonus!<\/span><\/p>\n

Excerpt from <\/b><\/span>The Doll Maker by Claire Highton-Stevenson<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Detective Inspector Sophie Whitton stood silently on the periphery, watching like a hawk. Her tall and wiry frame stood stoically as she glanced around the cordoned-off area. It was how she always surveyed the scene: standing back from it, taking it all in. Inquisitive eyes looked out from under a mop of black hair that hung longer at the front than the back. She swept a hand through it and felt the damp air slowly soaking in, before shoving her hands into her pockets. Hunching her shoulders against the cold, she blew a puff of hot air out. <\/span><\/p>\n

The basic questions. Why here? Is there something special about the place that links to the killer, or the victim? How did he, or she, get the body here? Was the victim already dead, and this is just the body dump site? Or is this the execution site too? She went through everything in her head and drew her conclusions. Only later would she start to dissect them and focus on the areas that she could find answers for. <\/span><\/p>\n

After pulling on her own forensic booties to match, she followed the designated pathway that forensics had deemed clear to walk on without fucking up the crime scene, until she found herself at the doorway to the tent. Chief Inspector Adam Turner stood hunched over the body like an old man taking a rest. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHouse to house is taking place right now,\u201d he informed his detective. She nodded. She already knew that would be the case; it was standard practice. He turned to leave. \u201cI\u2019ll see you back at the station.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Tristan was bent down on one knee examining what Sophie knew to be the body of a young woman. There was nothing unusual in that; women turned up dead on her patch as often as young men did. No, what was unusual was what had been done to this body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get This Book On Amazon<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

(this link works for Amazon UK, US and Canada)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

[tweetthis]I just read this review for The Doll Maker by Claire Highton-Stevenson[\/tweetthis]<\/p>\n

Bits and Bobs<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n