Chills & Thrills: The Dollmaker (Forgotten Files, Book Two) by Mary Burton

 

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

  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 (from the Shark) to the forefront. Several years ago, Sharp's sister was found dead of a drug overdose after disappearing from a college Halloween party that 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 alongside her at her newest job at the Medical Examiner's office. To both their surprise 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 chilling book to read. As crime thrillers go, this book was also an 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. Tessa McGowan was a 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. The finale brought them face-to-face with a deadly adversary that was filled with heart-pounding danger. 

  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. Mary Burton definitely has what it takes to be one of my favorite crime thriller writers. And I think you will agree. 

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