Curled up inside the tiny cave-like space, silent tears trickle down her cheeks. She lies on her side, darkness all around her, rubbing her fingers over the little wooden doll he had carved. He told her to be quiet, not to cry or scream. Not to be a baby. Her throat was raw, her eyes swollen shut. She wanted her mommy and daddy. She wanted to go home.

When seven-year-old Penny Matthews, a girl with blonde curls and a gap-toothed smile, goes missing in the Appalachian mountains, Detective Ellie Reeves is called straight to the scene. All that's left behind is a pink friendship bracelet etched with "Penny". Owing to her own troubled childhood, which keeps her up at night, tossing and turning, Ellie knows all too well that the endless miles of dark forest and winding rivers are the perfect place for a criminal to hide, and a little girl doesn't stand a chance. Racing against a brutal winter storm on the horizon, she searches desperately for Penny.

However, when Ellie discovers the remains of a small body, hidden by fallen leaves and wildflowers, the breath is knocked out of her. The old bones, and the carved wooden doll they're buried with, have clearly been there for years. Ellie fears she's up against a serial killer who has been stalking the mountains for decades, preying on children.

Upon spotting tiny footprints near the unearthed grave, Ellie is certain they belong to Penny. As she begins to untangle the truth, she realizes the monster they're looking for is connected to her own dark past. To save the little girl, she needs to confront her own demons. Can she face her greatest fear before the twisted killer claims another helpless victim?

A totally gripping and utterly addictive new crime-thriller series, The Silent Dolls will have readers staying up way past their bedtime, but be warned: they'll be scared to turn the lights off after racing through the pages. Readers have hailed it as "bloody brilliant," "unputdownable," and a "superb start to the series" with "amazing" twists and character development.

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