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(Fiction writer) Louise Phillips
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The Doll's House (Dr Kate Pearson Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Louise Phillips (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 605 ratings

**Winner of Crime Fiction Book of the Year Award (BGE Irish Book Awards 2013)**

The past is waiting...
Thirty-five years ago Adrian Hamilton drowned. At the time his death was deemed a tragic accident but the exact circumstances remain a mystery.
His daughter Clodagh now visits a hypnotherapist in an attempt to come to terms with her past, and her father's death. As disturbing childhood memories are unleashed, memories of another tragedy begin to come to light.
Meanwhile criminal psychologist Dr Kate Pearson is called to assist in a murder investigation after a body is found in a Dublin canal. And when Kate digs beneath the surface of the killing, she discovers a sinister connection to the Hamilton family.
Time is running out for Clodagh and Kate.
And the killer has already chosen his next victim . . .

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  1. Book 2 of 4
    Dr Kate Pearson
  2. Print length
    408 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Hachette Books Ireland
  5. Accessibility
    Learn more
  6. Publication date
    1 Aug. 2013
  7. File size
    931 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 4 books in this series.

Product description

Review

Chilling, mesmerising. Gets under your skin and stays with you (The Doll's House) (Niamh O'Connor)

(The Doll's House is) a gripping, suspenseful story peopled with well-drawn characters (Irish Independent 2013-08-10)

A cracker of a novel, highly recommended, a phenomenal debut (Red Ribbons) (Arlene Hunt 2013-08-10)

Red Ribbons is an absolutely brilliant book ... spine-tingling with loads of twists and turns. A debut novel from a great writer who will soon be up there with the likes of Patricia Cornwell (Stafford FM 2013-08-10)

Dark, spooky but believable (Irish Examiner 2013-08-10)

Red Ribbons has been getting rave reviews, especially for the insight it offers into the emotions of a mother who has lost her child (Irish Mail on Sunday 2013-08-10)

The pace of this book is spot on, revealing information from the killer's past bit by bit to keep the reader turning the pages (Red Ribbons) (Novelicious 2013-08-10)

[The Doll's House] is every bit as good as her debut, Red Ribbons, this time with much more of a slant towards a psychological thriller which fans of Sophie Hannah and SJ Watson will devour (Writing.ie 2013-08-10)

If you enjoy the psychological thrillers of writers in the same vein as Sophie Hannah, Erin Kelly et al, [The Doll's House] sits very comfortably. I will definitely be seeking out Phillips' first novel Red Ribbons on the strength of this one (Raven Crime Reads 2013-08-10)

Phillips doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of Dublin city ... Her characters are well-crafted, the plot interesting and well-executed and, at the risk of sounding clich?, a page turner. It's gritty and it's dark, but at the same time hopeful. [The Doll's House] is a brilliant read. I devoured it. (Emu Ink 2013-08-10) --Praise for Louise Phillips

About the Author

Born in Dublin, Louise Phillips returned to writing in 2006, after raising her family. That year, she was selected by Dermot Bolger as an emerging talent in the county. Louise's work has been published as part of many anthologies, including County Lines from New Island, and various literary journals. In 2009, she won the Jonathan Swift Award for her short story Last Kiss, and in 2011 she was a winner in the Irish Writers' Centre Lonely Voice platform. She has also been short-listed for the Molly Keane Memorial Award, Bridport UK, and long-listed twice for the RTE Guide/Penguin Short Story Competition.

In 2012, she was awarded an Arts Bursary for Literature from South Dublin County Council. Her debut novel, Red Ribbons, was shortlisted for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year (2012) in the Irish Book Awards.

The Doll's House is her second novel.

www.louise-phillips.com

@LouiseMPhillips

www.facebook.com/LouisePhillips

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00D8CSWV6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hachette Books Ireland
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 Aug. 2013
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 931 KB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 408 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1444743074
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 4 ‏ : ‎ Dr Kate Pearson
  • Customer reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 605 ratings

About the author

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(Fiction writer) Louise Phillips

(Fiction writer) Louise Phillips

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WINNER OF BEST IRISH CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR

IRISH TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

WINNER JOHNATON SWIFT AWARD, JACK HARTE AWARD & LONELY VOICE PLATFORM

LONGLISTED UK CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY AWARD

ARTS BURSARY RECIPIENT FROM ARTS COUNCIL OF IRELAND

IRISH JUDGE EU LITERARY AWARD

LOUISE PHILLIPS is a bestselling author of six crime thrillers, five of which were nominated for Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year in the prestigious Irish Book Awards. ‘The Doll’s House’, her second novel, won the award. She has been longlisted for the CWA Dagger in the Library Award in the UK, the Molly Keane Award & Bridport UK. She is the winner of the Jack Harte Award, the Johnaton Swift Award & the Lonely Voice Platfrom. Her fifth novel ‘The Hiding Game’ was optioned by a major U.S. film company. Her latest novel, ‘They All Lied’ was published in 2022. She is currently working on her 7th novel.

REVIEWS for NOVELS BY LOUISE PHILLIPS

‘Will enthrall you to the end’ – Liz Nugent

‘A riveting, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller with dark secrets, which Phillips has pulled off not only with authenticity, but aplomb’ – Catherine Ryan Howard

‘Riveting and thrilling, you will not come up for air until the very last page’ - Patricia Gibney

‘Cleverly plotted and deftly woven, with surprises at every turn’ - Andrea Mara

‘One of the most original and distinctive voices in Irish Crime fiction’ - Jane Casey

‘Compassionate, compelling, and clever, it grips you from the opening page and doesn’t let you go’ - Brian McGilloway

‘Phillips knows how to conjure up suspense and darkness. An explosive thriller with brilliant twists’ - Anthony Quinn

‘Phillips has been compared to US crime writers James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell…she certainly lives up to that accolade’ – Sunday Independent

‘What’s particularly great about Phillips’ writing is her fearlessness’ – The Irish Post

‘One of the best crime writers in Ireland’ – Irish Independent

‘Phillips goes from strength to strength’ - Belfast Telegraph

‘Absolute top-drawer crime writing. Phillips is Ireland’s finest mystery writer’ – San Diego Book Review

‘Phillips never loses sight of the central ruse that draws the reader in’ – Sunday Business Post

‘Accomplished, clinical and dramatic’ – Irish Examiner

‘Phillips’ is superb at suspense, at conjuring up atmosphere with underlying humanity’ - Sunday Independent

‘A masterly psychological thriller…the foibles, fears and strengths of each fully realized character all come into play and affect their judgment. In short, they are people the reader will care about’ – Publishers Weekly

‘Superb…. thrilling and original…it has an ending that you just can’t see coming’ – Eurocrime

‘Rich in atmosphere with a complex plot that really does keep you turning the pages…cannot recommend highly enough.’ – Crimesquad

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
605 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a great read with a brilliant storyline full of twists and turns. However, the pacing receives mixed reactions, with some finding it interesting while others describe it as boring.

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11 customers mention ‘Readability’11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a great read, with one describing it as a real page-turner.

"...A great read." Read more

"...In conclusion an absorbing read although I found it a little off-putting that Clodagh appeared to believe that the dolls knew the answers despite..." Read more

"...This novel is a real page-turner with its ending revealing intimate details influencing the lives of Dr Pearson and D I O'Connor...." Read more

"...droned on a bit, but the actual storyline was brilliant and it's worth a read. It's a real whodunit." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Plot’8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, praising its brilliant storyline with many twists and turns, and one customer describes it as a gripping psychological thriller.

"...There are plenty of twists and turns in this plot to keep you guessing. A great read." Read more

"Louise Phillips n demonstrates her ability to weave a cracking good tale in the second book in the series...." Read more

"...This novel is a real page-turner with its ending revealing intimate details influencing the lives of Dr Pearson and D I O'Connor...." Read more

"...lots of books, some parts droned on a bit, but the actual storyline was brilliant and it's worth a read. It's a real whodunit." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Pacing’3 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it interesting while others describe it as boring and repetitive.

"A bit of a wordsmith, too convoluted. I found the victims descriptions of the dolls too complicated to follow and not to my liking." Read more

"...Personally I found Clodagh's story by far the most interesting and engaging of the book...." Read more

"...These characters were vague and uninteresting.. The other central characters didn't convince me apart from the sister...." Read more

"...in this book - Clodagh, Dominic and Martin - are fascinating in their own right - and Clodagh's story in particular is gripping as it unfolds from..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • John Ivory
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great read from Louise Phillips
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Great thriller from Louise Phillips, following up on the stupendous 'Red Ribbons'. Our insight into Dr. Kate Pearson and DI O'Connor, the main characters in this series, is further developed. There are plenty of twists and turns in this plot to keep you guessing. A great read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Cleopatra
    4.0 out of 5 stars An Intriguing mystery with themes of lost memories
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 October 2013
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    Louise Phillips n demonstrates her ability to weave a cracking good tale in the second book in the series. Following on from Red Ribbons we catch up with Kate Pearson, who is a criminal psychologist who again called in to work with Detective Inspector O'Connor.

    Set in Ireland this tale, like her debut, is told from multiple viewpoints of Kate Pearson, Clodagh McKay and the shadowy figure of the murderer himself. Personally I found Clodagh's story by far the most interesting and engaging of the book. Clodagh is the mother of a teenage daughter, has a marriage which has all that dissolved and a drink problem and crucially is the owner of the Doll's House.

    The story begins with the murder of the presenter of a TV show which allows members of the public to air their dirty laundry in exchange for five minutes of fame on daytime TV and it is presumed that he will have made a few enemies along the way. Within pages another body is added to the pile....

    One of the aspects of this book which I enjoyed the most was the uncovering of memories. Clodagh visits a hypnotist to try and remember key events in her childhood while Kate, as if she wasn't busy enough, is trying to help an anorexic girl in her practice who suffers from memory gaps. This added another dimension to the puzzle of the motive and perpetrator of the murders as I willed Clodagh to remember what had really happened all those years before. Themes of memories and the effects childhood trauma run throughout the book as Clodagh fights to find out what is being kept from her along with the reasons for the truth being withheld.

    In conclusion an absorbing read although I found it a little off-putting that Clodagh appeared to believe that the dolls knew the answers despite realising that this was the device used to uncover those shadowy events of childhood.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • B J McMahon
    3.0 out of 5 stars not quite as enjoyable as her first novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2014
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    A bit of a wordsmith, too convoluted. I found the victims descriptions of the dolls too complicated to follow and not to my liking.
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  • G. M. Banks
    5.0 out of 5 stars Memories are made of this?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 June 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This is the second of Louise Phillips' books I have read - and I've loved both of them. I like the emerging characters of Kate Pearson, and DI O'Connor - and the battles they are each fighting within themselves. The other main characters in this book - Clodagh, Dominic and Martin - are fascinating in their own right - and Clodagh's story in particular is gripping as it unfolds from the shadows of her memory. Part of the appeal for me is that the locations of the book are my own - Ranelagh, Leeson Street, the Grand Canal, Sandymount - all places I know - even if many street names are fictional (to protect the innocent perhaps?!). I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series 'Last Kiss' - and I hope there'll be more to come after that.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ismay1012
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping psychological thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2014
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    I was really keen to read `The Doll's House' having hugely enjoyed `Red Ribbons' and I was not at all disappointed in this second novel featuring the endearing partnership between Detective Inspector O'Connor and psychologist Dr Kate Pearson. This time a body is found floating in a Dublin Canal, brutally stabbed but finally drowned in its icy waters. When a second body appears in the canal not far from the first only days later, links are soon established between the victims linking them to Clodagh's family, the Hamiltons

    Meanwhile Clodagh, recovering from the recent death of her mother, is seeking help from a hypnotist. She is a recovering alcoholic with frightening gaps in her childhood memories, determined to begin a life of sobriety and rebuild her fractured relationship with her own daughter. Having lost her father to a drowning accident as a young girl she wants to find out about her past and to try to understand why her own relationship with her mother always felt cold and awkward.

    With the clock ticking away and danger of the state of mind of the daring murderer deteriorating, enquiries continue. With every new piece of chilling evidence gathered, so the case gathers new menace until finally a dramatic and surprising conclusion is reached. This novel is a real page-turner with its ending revealing intimate details influencing the lives of Dr Pearson and D I O'Connor. I can't wait for Louise Phillip's next novel!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Merlin O'Donnell
    2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 November 2018
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    After reading her first in the series, Red Ribbons, I was expecting another riveting read. The main storyline about the murders became muddled to me by all the business dealing. These characters were vague and uninteresting.. The other central characters didn't convince me apart from the sister. what was fascinating were the regression scenes and the ongoing going somewhere relationship between Kate and O'Connell .. Not sure now whether to risk The Kiss .
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  • Mrs. A. E. Mcfarlane
    5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 January 2014
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    As with lots of books, some parts droned on a bit, but the actual storyline was brilliant and it's worth a read. It's a real whodunit.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and Believable
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2017
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    Told over a period of time, this a family keeping secrets from themselves and each other. Set in Ireland, in an old house on the coast, a wife's suspicions about her husband's business and his links with a murdered man put her whole family in danger. she tries to revert back to her childhood, often playing with her dolls house when she felt safe talking with her dolls. Unfortunately, the memories she
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kindle-Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interessant, gut zu lesen
    Reviewed in Germany on 2 January 2015
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    Die Darstellung die Erklärung der Charakter ist sehr kurzweilig.
    Der Autor versteht die Spannung zu halten
    Zum Schluss ich will nicht gezwungen werden was ich schreiben will in die Länge zu fassen
    So bitte gibt nicht vor mit wie viel Wörter ich schlecht oder gut ausdrucken soll.
    Mit ein Grund warum ich selten eine Recession schreibe
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  • Worduser
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great "Who Done it" from page one
    Reviewed in the United States on 19 October 2014
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    The way the author weaves in and out is love at first sight. Hard to put the book down and when you have it all figured out there is more and you are quite wrong. Thus another reason to love the book and the writing. I get into character development and Louise takes her time informing us of how screwed up human emotions can be. Kate is so smooth you feel like she's an old friend talking about something that happened in her life. Her life is as messed as some of the characters and yet she manages to preform as expected even when things are crumbling around her. Cloddish is a lost sole in search of self, Dominic is surprising and ... well I can't disclose what Dominic does or doesn't do. Martin is also one who may be, could be a prime suspect or n to have anything to do with the mess, and then you have the cop - O'Connor and his troubles and budding romance mixed with other police business and mistakes, but this just opens more doors for the reader to grasp with both hands and want more. Fact is we want more or all these wonderful characters - the good and evil ones. What a fun escapade from page one all the way to the ending. You run out of guesses along the way as Louise teases us the readers into believing we have it all figured out. Oh you gotta love a good mystery that's well written. This author takes me back to my school days when reading writers from the UK or surrounding areas sucked my heart and soul into stories and ignited my youthful imagination. I loved The Doll's House - gave it 5-Stars and each one is well deserved. Can't wait to read her next book.
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  • Eureka
    4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling read
    Reviewed in the United States on 4 November 2013
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    My first Louise Phillips read and was very impressed. Really liked the way the story line developed. It kept me guessing right up to close enough to the end. The use of flashbacks by one of the characters was an unusual and innovative approach by the author which had a certain charm to it contrasting the innocence of childhood with the reality of adulthood. The plot involves a series of murders, each one carried out in the same way. The first victim was a well known TV personality whilst the second victim was at the lower end of the social sprectrum. All the victims were known to each other so that got the Sherlock Holmes genes going nicely. I found parts of the book confusing and vague but I recognise that this was deliberate. The interplay between the investigating officer and the psychologist was pretty weird and the reason I did not award the fifth star was because of the dismissive way the husband of the psychologist was treated. His character was not developed at all which I felt was rather sloppy and while he wasn't important to the story line you could also argue that the relationship between the officer and the psychologist wasn't either so why bother at all? I will look forward to my next book by this talented author.
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  • M. Sutherland
    3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good but choppy
    Reviewed in the United States on 4 October 2014
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    The story was exciting but very distracting with all the 2 page chapters. You barely understand who've you jumped to and the chapter ends so you're off to another thread. I stuck with it so can say the story was good. I can only imagine how gripping it would have been if each chapter went a little deeper and each character was filled out a little more. The multiple short chapters were really agonizing as we came to the end. There was one location yet a chapter for each character as we closed in on the conclusion.
    Mild recommendation.
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  • mary
    5.0 out of 5 stars Read it
    Reviewed in the United States on 31 August 2014
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    I've read so many books since reading The Doll's House that most of what I remember is that I thought it was terrific. I was intrigued by the author's method of getting to the bottom of all the deaths/murders. There were periods of excitement, fear, pity for Clodaugh. Her history of alcoholism was sad in the way it treated her life. This psychological thriller was just that! Many advertised that way are not.
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