Paper Dolls by Emma Pullar

Out: 28 March 2019

Book blurb

When a bizarre set of murders take place in London, three flatmates become embroiled in the terrifying mystery.

Mike, Beatrice and Kerri all share a flat and a passion to move their careers forward.  When Mike, a frustrated mime in Trafalgar Square, lays eyes on performance artist Princess, his world begins to unravel. Meanwhile, Kerri is struggling to hold onto her job as a journalist,when she stumbles across a body, which turns out to be the third victim of the Paper Doll Killer. Beatrice, who was once a bestselling author, looks to the series of murders for inspiration but finds a lot more than she bargained for.

As the three flatmates discover they each have links to the killer they start to turn on one another. Who might be next? Why does the killer paint the victim’s cheeks and lips with blood? What purpose do the paper dolls serve?

As the deranged Paper Doll Killer continues to stalk the streets of London there’s only one question that needs to be answered … is anyone safe?

My thoughts

I’ve found it a little difficult to describe this book without giving too much away and I really don’t like doing that! Still here goes…

To begin with the reader gets to know Mike, Beatrice and Kerri their worklife, ambitions, that they share a flat and the difficulties each is currently experiencing just to keep going. It is set in London and many of the geographical references will feel familiar to readers who have lived in or visited the capital.

Kerri has a comfortable relationship on the go, she’s a journalist but gets all the rubbish jobs. Then she has a stroke of luck, if you can call it that, when she discovers a body in a warehouse. The scoop will ensure her work at the newspaper takes an upward turn. She makes a link to two other murders – it’s a serial killer – The Paper Doll Murders.

Beatrice has been quite a successful author but recently she’s found it more difficult. In a bid to put her career back on track she has got herself a new agent who suggests, quite strongly, she takes up crime fiction. Not a genre Beatrice feels altogether comfortable with. Then she discovers what Kerri is working on and starts a fictionalised version.

Mike just wants to get his big break. He’s working as a Mime artist just outside the National Gallery. There’s no doubt that it can be good money but it’s seasonal and unreliable. If truth were told Mike’s big break would probably have had happened long ago, if it was going to happen at all, but you never know! Then, after a disastrous try out, he lands a role that is made just for him.

Things seem to be ‘on the up’ for the three flat mates but then suspicions creep in and each starts to suspect one of the others is the murderer. Could it really be one of them?

Whoever the killer is, we are given some of the Paper Doll Killers thoughts as part of the story, they are a troubled soul and there is some graphic description in the book.  We are not privy to the direct police investigation as the book is written from the points of view of the flat mates and the killer. It’s perfectly clear whose POV is being read as the story moves along.

Emma Pullar has written a dark tale which takes us on a twisty road to discovery. When that discovery comes it is shocking and quite saddening. This book gives a perspective on a murder, or rather a murderer, that asks as many questions as it answers.

Blog Tour

With thanks to Heather at Bloodhound Books for the invite onto the Blog Tour and for an eCopy of The Paper Dolls by Emma Pullar. Like to see more? Then do take a look at what everyone’s saying…

Information

Publisher: Bloodhound Books (28 Mar. 2019)

Buy: Currently a snip at 99p  Amazon UK Smile     Amazon.com

Author: Emma Pullar is an award-winning and bestselling writer of dark fiction and children’s books. Her picture book, Curly from Shirley, was a national bestseller and named best opening lines by NZ Post. Her second picture book, Kitty Stuck, was illustrated by her talented daughter who was just twelve-years-old at the time. Four of Emma’s short stories have been published. Her dystopian duology, Skeletal and Avian, are popular with fans of the genre and Emma’s crime debut is out March 2019. She also writes articles for Bang2write and dabbles in screenwriting. Find her on Twitter @EmmaStoryteller or Instagram @emmapullar_storyteller or www.emmapullar.com