This was a nice little mystery that I thought I had figured out early on, but I was wrong – kudos to the author for being able to trick me. While I was surprised at the nice little twist, I wasn’t completely blown away by the overall book.

The story kicks off with a young girl walking along a road in the rain. It’s clear she’s escaped from somewhere, and she’s completely lost. Turns out the child was reported missing over a year ago and was presumed dead. The child, eight-year-old Kathy Stone, is traumatized to the point of being completely silent, refusing to speak to anyone, including her own parents. She is easily triggered by loud noises and clings to her mother. Child therapist Robin Hart becomes determined to help Kathy and is the only one besides the child’s mother who can connect with her.

Using play therapy, Robin tries to help Kathy process her memories and heal from her traumatic experience. However, as the therapy progresses, things take a pretty dark turn when Kathy begins to reenact what appear to be murders with the dolls in the dollhouse. Each session brings a new chilling scene, with another toy meeting a gruesome fate. It becomes clear to Robin that Kathy might possess knowledge about real-life unsolved murders.

This is where the tension in the story ramps up, as Robin tries to uncover the truth hidden within Kathy’s mind. She knows that Kathy is fragile and needs to proceed slowly, but the police are desperate for answers. They need to stop whoever is killing these women before they claim their next victim, and while Robin wants to help stop whoever is behind this and bring Kathy’s kidnapper to justice, she knows she has to tread lightly. When Robin begins to act as the mediator between Kathy and the police, she unwittingly places herself in the crosshairs of the big bad.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a little on the fence with this one. The story was engaging enough, but there were parts of the book that felt unnecessary and caused the pace of the book to slow. Some scenes didn’t really further the plot and seemed to be nothing more than filler. These scenes really slowed the book down for me. Also, some of the dialogue felt as though the author was trying a little too hard to make it come across as natural. For example, there’s a scene where Robin is out with her dog, and she’s speaking with another character, and in the middle of her dialogue, she tells her dog to “stop that”. This is likely something that many of us pet owners say several times a day – and many times while we’re having a conversation with another person – but when added to the dialogue in the book it felt weird and, again, unnecessary.

As far as the characters go, for the most part, they are all well-developed and have clear motives. I was especially attached to Kathy and Robin. Robin’s dedication to helping Kathy is evident throughout the story, and readers will find themselves rooting for her as she navigates through a treacherous path to uncover the truth. Omer’s portrayal of Kathy is also notable; the young girl’s silence and eerie behavior create an enigmatic aura that adds to the overall sense of unease.

One of the things I liked was how the author wrote about the psychological aspects of trauma and its impact on individuals. Through Kathy’s story and Robin’s attempt to help her deal with her trauma, readers gain insight into the complex psychology of a survivor, as well as the lasting effects of trauma on a young and vulnerable mind.

My only gripe with the plot was the motive behind the kidnapper and the connection to the murders. I can’t go into it much without giving it away. I also felt that there was a big build during the climax that suddenly fizzled out during the final standoff. I had to reread it to make sure I hadn’t missed something.

All in all, this was a fun read that kept me engaged despite an uneven pace and an ending that fizzled out. Anyone looking for a decent read with an engaging premise will likely enjoy this one.