The Hanging Dolls: An absolutely gripping and unputdownable serial killer thriller with a jaw-dropping twist

By Ruhi Choudhary

The little girl's body rests gently against the trunk of an old fir tree, her small hands laid delicately in her lap. From the day she became a Special Agent, Zoe Storm vowed to seek justice for the innocent. And for this little angel, her promise burns brighter than ever.

When the body of young Lily Baker is found in the sprawling woods behind the close-knit town of Harborwood, Washington, Special Agent Zoe Storm and her partner Dr Aiden Wesley rush to the scene. Nearby, three symbolic nooses hang from a branch and Zoe feels certain that it's a warning that two more lives will be taken.

Witnesses spotted Lily talking to an unknown man, and she was given candy shortly before she disappeared. Then, another girl vanishes from her bed in the middle of the night. The only link between the girls is that they were from broken homes. Did the killer promise them safety?

With time running out, Zoe uncovers a cryptic note with a clue pointing to the name of the next child and an abandoned greenhouse on the outskirts of town. Zoe knows the killer has set a trap for her. But with two lives hanging in the balance, she will do everything to bring her home.

An utterly gripping new crime thriller series that will have you flipping the pages deep into the night until the final heart-stopping twist. Fans of Mary Stone, Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh will be hooked from start to finish.

Readers love The Hanging Dolls:

"Ooooo yes ... This is definitely one of those books the line "read into the night" is made for... The book kept me guessing. Just a brilliant, brilliant read." Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

"Absolutely impossible to put down ... I loved this book so much " Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

"Excellent start to a new series... Kept me up all night as I couldn't put it down⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" Juliebrooksbank, 5 stars

"I could not put this book down... The storyline was intense... an exciting mystery that gripped me from page one... The story's suspense, emotion, and urgency create a fast-paced narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat." Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

"Hitting the ground running the shocks and twists come thick and fast. An excellent read that kept me hooked all the way through." Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

"The suspense kept me in a chokehold until the very end." Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

"Grabs your attention immediately... The ending will blow you away." Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

"The twist at the end was so damn unexpected that I had to re-read the chapter twice to actually believe it." Book_savant, 4 stars

"I think I've found my new favourite FBI agent wow what an amazing first in the series... The ending blew me away... The twists The final reveal ... A shocking crime with a great ending " Readingismy_happy_place, 4 stars

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1835252974
• ISBN13: 9781835252970
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Bookouture
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Dark and twisty

Zoe Storm is an amazing woman! Even with dark mysteries in her past surrounding the death of her mother, she still goes out and helps those that need protecting. And this time it is the horrible crime of a child's death, with possibly more to follow. I love that despite how strong Zoe is, she is not perfect. She has her own devils to deal with (especially when going undercover to catch a very bad man) and sometimes that leads to vigilante justice. She is balanced by Aiden Wesley, a psychiatrist with a great brain to tease out the clues the killer left behind with each new dead girl. Now this case with Lily and the others is very twisty and it leads to an edge of the seat experience in the race to catch the killer before they strike again. So many suspects and red herrings plus other crimes muddying the waters and secrets galore. For such a small town, it holds quite a lot! And if that isn't enough, Zoe finds more hints about her mother and why she may have died. This is a good first book of a new series and I am looking forward to see what crimes Special Agent Zoe Storm is called to solve and whether she can find out the truth about her mother and the dark past she was running from! I got the chance to listen to this as an audiobook and the narrator, Stephanie Cannon, did a great job in bringing the characters and story to life! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to follow Zoe as she lets nothing get in the way of answers and finding the killer!