Book Review: The Dollmaker by Mary Burton

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!

  Finding new authors to me is always a fun adventure. I have heard of Mary Burton many times while I spoke with other bibliophiles and I never heard a bad review. Her blend of suspense and steamy romance sounded like something I would like to try. With the Shark I was introduced to trooper Riley Tatum and hard-nosed Agent Dakota Sharp. I was sucked into the world that Burton had created and loved the characters. Thankfully for me it was book one of a series. 

  The Dollmaker is book two in Mary Burton's Forgotten Files series of romantic thrillers. With each book of the series focusing on one of the ensemble cast, the Dollmaker brings Agent Dakota Sharp to the forefront. Several years ago, Sharp's sister was found dead of a drug overdose after disappearing from a college Halloween party where she and her friends attended as dolls. Her friends Diane, Elena, and Tessa were shocked by her death, since Kara was not known to do drugs. But when another woman is found years later dressed as a doll, also dead from a drug overdose, Sharp is not liking the similarities. This latest victim is a bit different. In addition to her doll clothing her face and parts of her body are tattooed to look like a porcelain doll. With work this intricate, the victim had to have been with her abductor for a long time.

   When Dakota is reunited with Tessa, now his estranged wife, he works along side her at her newest job at the Medical Examiner's office. To both their surprise the Jane Doe turns out to be Tessa's college friend Diane, which begins to tie the treads of doubt together between his sister's death and the latest. But when Elena also disappears, Tessa and Dakota are against the clock as a psycho serial killer is readying his latest masterpiece. What they do not know is that the killer also wants Tessa. Because his latest dolly needs a friend. Can Dakota and Tessa save Elena before it's too late? Or will Tessa be the Dollmaker's next creation?

  The Dollmaker was a fun book to read. As crime thrillers go, this book was a easy and often steamy read. I enjoyed the story and the players involved. Burton did an excellent job keeping the characters from the Shark involved as she gave Dakota his own book. Riley Tatum and Clay Bowman have continued exploring their relationship. And Riley's adopted daughter, Hanna, has continued to excel in her school work. Even though I did not get the sequel to the Shark I wanted, their involvement managed to continue their story in the background. Tessa McGowan was fierce protagonist with a take-no-crap attitude that was a perfect foil for Sharp. They worked rather well together, which upped the sexual tension and piled it on top of the already suspenseful story. New player Agent Julia Vargas will get the spotlight in book three, but her introduction was excellent in the Dollmaker. Burton has created an even better cast by adding her. 

  I read the Dollmaker with the narration of actress, Christina Traister. Traister returns to the series to present this second book with her usual arsenal of voices and accents, that once again brought Burton's words to life. I look forward to her work on book three.

  The Dollmaker was a four star story with an excellent cast. Scary, steamy, and suspenseful were the words that came to my mind when I finished this story. A Summer read that will make a you want more. Mary Burton definitely has what it takes to be one of my favorite crime thriller writers. And I think you will agree. 

  Have fun reading this week. Let me know in the comments below what you are reading this week.

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