The Doll Maker, Richard Montanari
The Doll Maker, Richard Montanari
2 Rating(s)
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
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The Doll Maker

Author: Richard Montanari

Narrator: Scott Brick

Unabridged: 13 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/28/2015


Synopsis

Detectives Byrne and Balzano return to the streets of Philadelphia to put an end to a macabre succession of murdered children.

A quiet Philadelphia suburb. A woman cycles past a train depot with her young daughter. There she finds a murdered girl posed on a newly painted bench. Beside her is a formal invitation to a tea dance in a week's time.

Seven days later, two more young victims are discovered in an abandoned house, posed on painted swings. At the scene is an identical invitation. This time, though, there is something extra waiting for Detectives Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balzano: a delicate porcelain doll.

It's a message. And a threat. With the killers at large, Detectives Byrne and Balzano have just seven more days to find the link between the murders before another innocent child is snatched from the streets.

About Richard Montanari

A novelist, screenwriter, and essayist, Richard Montanari's work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and scores of other national and regional publications. He is the OLMA-winning author of the internationally acclaimed thrillers Deviant Way and The Violet Hour that have now been published in more than twenty countries. Montanari currently makes his home in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is slavish only to the high arts of boxing, Italian food, and independent film.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Peter on January 17, 2024

Some children vanished and were killed. The case seems to be closed. A mysterious woman awaiting death penalty for killing children. Again children who abducted and murdered in a spectacular way. Can Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne identify the mysterious perp(s)? This is a very compelling tight kni......more

Goodreads review by Greg on April 28, 2015

When I was going to add and rate this novel I discovered that it was the eighth in a series of novels featuring the two main detectives. I had no idea. It’s weird for me to come across a series going on this long and not having any clue about it’s existence. I still can’t picture a single other book......more

Goodreads review by Jon Recluse on March 18, 2015

A well written serial killer thriller, concerning a series of bizarre child murders in Philadelphia, weaving realistic police procedural, and a complex mystery into a better than average chiller. The twists and turns in the manhunt for the maniacs are refreshingly unexpected, as are the killers thems......more

Goodreads review by Liz on July 17, 2014

So another outing for one of my favourite detective duo’s Byrne and Balzano, and another terrifically chilling journey into the heart of darkness. I love these books even though, frankly, Mr Montanari’s “bad guys” tend to scare the bejeezus out of me and usually stalk me around my dreams during the r......more

Goodreads review by Bill on April 02, 2017

Philadelphia homicide detectives Byrne & Belzano have appeared in some great stories over the years, but sadly this isn't one of them. Richard Montanari creates a rather plodding & lifeless story, which only has glimpses of his usual gripping narratives. My only criticism of his previous works featu......more