Description
Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times bestseller – Now a major TV series with Paramount+
Elizabeth Macneal's The Doll Factory is a gothic suspense story of art, obsession and delusion, set in Victorian London.
'Astounding . . . I recommend it wholeheartedly' – Jo Whiley, BBC Radio 2 Book Club
London. 1850. On a crowded street, the dollmaker Iris Whittle meets the artist Louis Frost. Louis is a painter who is desperate for Iris to be his model. Iris agrees, on the condition that he teaches her to paint.
Dreaming of freedom, Iris throws herself into a new life of art and love, unaware that she has caught the eye of a second man. Silas Reed is a curiosity collector, enchanted by the strange and beautiful. After seeing Iris at the site of the Great Exhibition he finds he cannot forget her.
As Iris's world expands, Silas's obsession grows. And it is only a matter of time before they meet again . . .
'A sharp, scary tale of love, art and obsession' – Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train
BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick
BBC Radio 4 Book At Bedtime
Five Star Reader Reviews:
'Breathtaking'
'I couldn't put it down'
'Spellbinding'
'I never wanted it to end'
'A plot to stop your heart'
The Burial Plot, Elizabeth's latest cat-and-mouse thriller, is available to pre-order now!
Trade ReviewA
remarkable example of historical fiction . . .
full of life, colour and intelligence * Sunday Times *
Stunningly confident . . .
thoroughly engrossing -- Ian Rankin
A must read . . . Elizabeth Macneal's compelling debut is a darkly brilliant tale of Gothic suspense * Daily Mail *
Fantastic -
vivid, poignant, colourful, and
elegantly horrifying -- Bridget Collins, author of
The BindingMacneal is
excellent on the tension between idealised women and the reality . . .
The Doll Factory is
a remarkably strong debut;
clever and readable with flashes of wonderful, descriptive prose -- Book of the Month * The Times *
Astounding . . . I recommend it wholeheartedly -- Jo Whiley, BBC Radio 2 Book Club
This is
a dark delight and
fans of The Miniaturist and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock will love it * Red Magazine *
A
deliciously gothic concoction that
abounds with energy and imagination, conjuring up 1850s London life in all its Dickensian glory. Macneal marries art, obsession and possession in
a plot that gains momentum and leaves the reader breathless * Daily Mail *
I loved
The Doll Factory from the very first page . . . an
exquisite novel of obsession, delusion, resilience and love . . .
breathtaking -- AJ Pearce, author of
Dear Mrs BirdAstonishingly good . . . with and
a plot that rattles like a speeding carriage to its thrilling conclusion. I couldn’t put it down. You won’t be able to either -- Elizabeth Day, author of
The PartyMagnificent . . . features an
extraordinary, unforgettable cast of characters . . .
you can't help but be entranced by this uniquely evocative and arresting story . . . the tension ramps up to a
breathtaking climax . . . if you love books like
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock,
Tulip Fever and
Perfume then add
The Doll Factory to your reading list * Daily Express *
Vividly rendered . . . captivating . . . engrossing * Evening Standard *
This
brilliant literary thriller gripped me from the opening page . . . a beautifully researched historical novel
with a plot to stop your heart -- Hannah Kent, author of
Burial Rites and
The Good PeopleBrilliant . . . refreshingly original . . .
beautifully orchestrated . . .
fascinating -- Andrew Taylor, No. 1
Sunday Times bestselling author of
The Ashes of London and
The American BoyThe summer's hottest author . . . at once
a love story and a thriller . . .
Iris is a fierce creation. She chafes against the Victorian constraints on her freedom,
carves out her own space in the male art world * Sunday Times *
Stunning . . . with an
unbearably tense and chilling denouement that
had me totally gripped -- Sophie Mackintosh, Man Booker Prize longlisted author of
The Water CureElegantly plotted . . . compelling and chilling * The i *
Exquisitely executed, well-researched and richly evocative . . . a
fast-paced, inventive ride through the dirt and squalor of Victorian London * Mail on Sunday *
Exquisite . . . authentic and suspenseful * Woman & Home *
Pretty much
everything you could want from a book set in Victorian London . . .
terrific storytelling . . . Ever since the success of
The Essex Serpent, there's been no shortage of good modern gothic novels.
The Doll Factory might just be the best yet -- James Walton * Reader's Digest *
One of the best books I’ve read in ages –
heartbreaking and evocative . . . a perfectly structured and
page-turning story of
love and passion; crime and obsession . . .
wonderful -- Jenny Quintana, author of
The Missing GirlRemarkably assured and
beautifully written . . .
truly captivating -- E C Fremantle, author of
The Poison BedThis
dark, enchanting tale is
beautifully written. We
couldn't put it down * Take a Break *
A
brilliant literary thriller that
you won't want to put down * Surrey Life *
[A]
gripping historical thriller . . . Macneal
paints a masterpiece with her vivid descriptions, and
the conclusion will have you racing to the end -- Book of the Week * Woman's Weekly *
A
vivid depiction of a morally dubious world, and
a page-turning psychological thriller, with a
truly compelling villain -- Essie Fox, author of
The SomnambulistGripping, artfully written . . .
part love story, part gothic novel and leading up to a
truly breathless conclusion, this book is
destined to be one of the biggest titles of 2019 -- Sharlene Teo, author of
PontiDarkly brilliant -
The Collector meets Possession with
added female power -- Anna Mazzola, author of
The Unseeing and
The Story KeeperEngrossing and atmospheric . . . I can practically see the TV version! -- Adele Geras, author of
The Ballet ClassA sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession -- Paula Hawkins, author of
The Girl on the TrainIn its evocation of the seething energy of 1850s London, its immersion in the detail of the 19th-century city’s everyday life and in its fascination with the macabre and the eccentric,
Elizabeth Macneal’s debut novel does feel genuinely Dickensian. * Sunday Times *
The sort of book
you want to read curled up by a fire while your fingers twitch to find out what happens next -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of
Harmless Like YouMacneal has
a magpie's eye for whatever is bright and glittering, and she writes
vividly * Scotsman *
Memorable * Herald *
Gripping -- India Knight,
Sunday TimesElizabeth Macneal’s debut is
a stunner . . . both
a page-turning thriller and a
thoughtful, moving exploration of what it meant to be a woman and an artist in the 19th century. * Irish Times *
Gothically good -- Eithne Farry * Daily Mirror *
