Yeah. That doll is creepy as hell and it is no wonder that someone might assume it was cursed just from looking at it. Given the fate that befalls those who come into contact with it, I'd not be entirely dissuaded from believing it either. Not that I'm superstitious, but it is certainly not what you'd call a good omen.

I love the Children's House series, or the Freyja and Huldar series if you like, because author Yrsa Sigurdardottir has never shied away fro bringing readers the grotesque, both in terms of actual shocks and gruesome murders, but also into terms of the visceral reaction we are often faced with when coming to terms with the events in the books. It should come as no surprise really given that the series is based around crimes against children, both historic and present day, not always at the hands of adults, but the adult influence is seldom far away. This time around Freyja is called upon to sit in on interviews of the former residents of a children's home, one where there has been an allegation of historic abuse.

But that is not the only thread to this particular tale, with Huldar and his colleagues investigating the discovery of some skeletal bones deep underwater, a situation which leads to some comical light relief at the start. Let's just say that neither Huldar or his boss Erla, truly seem to have their sea legs. To be fair, we're going to need it as the case that Huldar soon becomes embroiled in is multi-faceted and much of what we hear will leave a bitter taste in the mouth as it rightly should.

There are other elements of the story, different threads which seem at first to be hanging loose. You know they will be important, the opening scenes with the doll above all else, but their significance is well hidden by the author, just another waiting for the right person to tug on the right thread an unravel the whole mystery. It is a story of coincidence and also not - everything that happens does serve a purpose. It may feel at times like you are just going to be left with a pile if disconnected threads, but Yrsa Sigurdardottir has a real knack for weaving them into a scene so vivid, so detailed, you are left wondering how you didn't see it in the first place.

I love the characters in this series, especially the back and forth between central protagonists, Freyja and Huldar. They may have checkered past, but you have to admire Huldar's persistence and there is a sense that, to a degree, there is a moderate to mild thawing of Freyja's feelings toward him. That could just be hormones, but it still makes a reader smile. Even Erla, often quite acerbic toward Huldar, demonstrates a more human side in this book, although how long that will last remains to be seen. But there is one character who gets under your skin, the young girl, Rósa, whose insistence on finding the owner of that grotesque doll really is the start of everything. Quite literally in the case of the book. In truth we spend little time with her and yet I was completely invested in her story, and the author manages to do this well through the actions, and reactions, of others. The narrative is immersive enough to make me care, even if my contact with her was fleeting.

This is not as dark as some of the series predecessors, so if you have come looking for 101 inventive ways of adapting household appliances for nefarious intent, then you'll be disappointed. It is much more subtle, more nuanced. More about the character and the psychology of a missing girl as much as it is the discovery of bones, or the strange appearance of long lost bikes. It was a slower paced read and as such took me longer than I'd normally take to finish, but it was a book to be enjoyed, as far as you can given the subject matter. One to savour the richness of the narrative and the general atmosphere of foreboding that permeated the story from start to finish. A fab addition to the series with the real promise of more to come. Cannot wait.

On a fishing trip with her mum Disa, Rosa finds a barnacle-covered doll in the fishing net. Her mum wants her to throw it back in the ocean but Rosa is determined to keep it. Disa reluctantly takes it home with them and puts a photograph on Facebook. Within 24 hours, the doll is gone and Disa is dead.

I really enjoyed the opening few chapters of the novel, they were pacey and introduced some interesting characters, but then it just went downhill quickly.

The novel was overly long with the author using excessive amounts of description and adding in unnecessary and irrelevant detail. There was so many insignificant points in it that really serve no purpose at all. I also thought there were too many characters that were not distinct enough, so I found it a tad confusing at times.

I’m usually a read every word type of reader, but I found myself skim reading and even missing some sentences out and it didn’t change the meaning of anything. I just think it is a shame someone didn’t just suggest that the author streamline it.

After ploughing my way through doughy writing, the ending was just so disappointing, especially as everything magically just reveals itself to the police in a couple of pages. I also thought it was quite unrealistic with too many ‘coincidences’ and I was left just very disappointed and unsatisfied.

After this, it would put me off picking up another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a dark and cleverly twisted tale. Yrsa Sigurdardottir proves she is the Queen of her craft with this brilliantly written story, This story starts out quite chilling and haunting then continues into a seriously well thought out and cleverly plotted crime story. All the elements of the story, which initially seem unrelated, are brilliantly woven together as we get towards the end. All the main characters are really well written, rounded and believable too. And there is even a light touch of humour sprinkled in along the way. Definitely a recommended read.

First time I’ve read this author and I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the story and twists. Will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author. Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

This book had it all.

The creepiness, the constant feeling of being watched, the eeriness

So atmospheric and so perfectly executed!

Thanks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Couldn’t finish.
I loved the blurb for this book, loved the Icelandic setting, but found the translation bad. In places it flowed well, but in others was so stuttering and unnatural it made me give up. I couldn’t get into the plot enough to warrant plotting through the awkward prose. Sorry, author.

This is book five of the Children’s House series and I think it was the best so far I really enjoyed it. So we are back with Huldar and Freyja once more more and it was like catching up with old friends and finding out what they have been up to I just love these two characters.
The book starts with what seems like a series of events that seem to have no connection whatsoever and this is where I feel the book excels it’s so cleverly written weaving a complex story and revealing more and more as the book continues. It’s a dark story as you would expect from Yrsa Sigurdardottir with an element of creepiness at times but it also has some humour especially from Huldar I just love his awkwardness!
All of the characters in the book are well written the plot line was a very thought out one and I loved how things all came together at the end with quite a few surprises that I hadn’t seen coming.
So for me it was a fabulous read and I am really looking forward to reading the next in this brilliant series.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had never come across this author previously. I chose this novel based on the strapline and expected a supernatural thriller; this did not turn out to be the case. The book is crime fiction and not something I would generally read. That said, I did enjoy it. The descriptions of Iceland were magnificent and set the scene for a well-plotted story with an exciting finale and plenty of twists.

Would I read this author again? Probably not, but if you like this genre of fiction, I suspect it would be well worth giving it a go.

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the fifth outing for child psychologist Freya and Detective Hulder but the book can be read as a standalone novel. Well written atmospheric gripping story with a number of surprising twists at least to me, and they keep coming right to the end. A character driven story engaging and gripping from first to last page set in Iceland. Quality Scandi or is it Nordic noir I am not sure but whichever it's classed as i completely recommend it.

I had never heard of this author before but when I read the synopsis on Netgalley, I couldn't resist requesting it. What I didn't know until I had finished the book, is that The Doll is actually the 5th book in the Freyja and Huldar series. And since I really, really liked this book, you know what that means?! I am going to have to go back to the start of the series and read from book 1! (See my post featuring book 2: The Reckoning)

From the name of the book, you might be a little misguided into thinking this was a horror story about some demonic doll, I know I did, and I hate to tell you that it's not. What it is though is a brilliantly written crime thriller.

There are several different cases happening through the book, which appear unrelated to the great opening stories and you would be forgiven if you wondered how on Earth they were linked, but the wonderful plotting by the author brings them all neatly together with a nice, clear explanation towards the end of the book, complete with a twist that I never would have seen coming!

You know when a book gets you excited about reading more in the series or by that author? This one did exactly that to me, I can't wait to read the rest! I couldn't put The Doll down.

This is my first book by Yrsa Sigurdardottir so I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was book 5 in a series but I read it as a stand alone and wouldn’t have known until I looked on goodread.
I found it a rollercoaster of a ride. I loved the concept of the demonic doll being the cause of everything, however, things are definitely not as they seem. There are a few different plots woven skilfully throughout with a few surprises that keep you guessing.
I found it quite gripping and hard to put down. I like the characters and how the investigation slowly unfolds.
I will definitely be looking out for more of her books
Thank you NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book.

I had not realised that this book was part of a series, but I will certainly look for the other books by this author to catch up on some of the back stories. A cleverly written police procedural book, with interesting, believable characters and several different plots coming together at the end. Much better than I had expected as I thought it may be a horror story about a doll. Very enjoyable.

"It was meant to be a quiet family fishing trip, a chance for mother and daughter to talk. But it changes the course of their lives forever"

This book was a bit of a slow burner, to start with it jumps between different characters and scenes which do not seem to link in any way whatsoever, this left me really confused. I felt that for about half of the book it was just a big information dump from all over the place, nothing linked or made sense. Only after this did the story start to slot together and you could see the story forming and linking and beginning to explain everything.

After this, the story was really well linked, everything slotted in so well and everything clicked into place. I enjoyed how all the characters linked to each other.

I didn't find it particularly creepy or scary. But turned out to be an enjoyable crime read.

A very dark, forbidding thriller that kept up the mantra 'expect the unexpected.' A great read that holds you entranced from page to page.

This was a nice book. I liked it, but I do have a feeling that this is one of those cases in which the book can't be read as a standalone. I was missing many information on the characters and that made me sad because it wasn't a bad thriller and I love nordic books, especially when they're set in Iceland.

I received a free copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, first page and Bam!! I am hooked. A creepy beginning with the connections to the Doll found in the sea, had me hook line and sinker, as they say. What a read, the plot is excellent, the book as twists and turns as you go with it.. fast paced , and i read it in two days as i couldn't put it down .... i love Icelandic literature and this is one of the best i have read... Five stars for me

When Disa and her daughter Rósa go on a fishing trip, the most Disa expects to bring home is a couple of fish. Instead, they net a doll, one-eyed and encrusted in barnacles and worms, a hideous, broken thing that Disa wants to throw back, but Rósa insists on keeping. By morning, Disa is dead.

Five years later, the manager of a children’s home is accused of sexual abuse, a drug addict is found dead, and human remains are discovered off the coast of Reykjavík. One witness seems to link all three cases, but that witness is missing. That witness is Rósa.

I made two rookie mistakes when I chose The Doll for review - I made an assumption that it was a horror (hey, creepy doll!), and I forgot to check whether it was part of a series – so when I started reading and realised that it was book five of a crime series, it came as a bit of a surprise. Fortunately, it turned out to be a happy accident, as The Doll happens to be a superior Scandi-noir thriller which works equally as well as a stand-alone novel.

Set against the atmospheric backdrop of the Icelandic capital, The Doll is fast-moving, yet tense and complex. I will definitely be going back to the beginning of the series and reading the first four books.

I received an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable thriller with an unexpected ending.

I didn’t realise until I had started reading the book that this is part of a detective series, however I felt that the author was careful to include enough information for the book to make sense as a stand alone book.

I like how the author added the name pronunciations at the beginning of the book and felt the book was translated well from Icelandic. I love reading books based in other countries, especially when written by a native author as I feel like you get a real peek and what that country is like.

The doll is the link to how the characters of the book all tie together. I felt that the ending of the book was a bit rushed - as rather than experiencing the finale of the story, we are told the events third hand when one character explains the conclusion of the case to another character.

This was a good introduction to this authors work and I would pick up another of her books.

This is my first novel from this writer and I enjoyed it. There is a good amount of tension and creepiness and I cared about the characters.

Despite the impression I got from the cover, this was not a horror story with a demonic doll at the heart of it but instead a detective story where a doll, recovered from a fishing net after a day out at sea, is the key to unlocking a series of mysteries that somebody is determined to keep hidden for as long as possible. Although part of a series, the book also works well as a stand alone novel. The plot is complicated and involves a number of past tragic events and unsolved crimes linked in with more recent mysteries and body parts fished out of the sea. It was well written and mostly compelling though the bringing together of the different threads at the end was a bit clunky, requiring one of the detectives to explain it over dinner to one of the other main characters.