Seven years ago, Dave Creasy was a New Orleans police detective working a homicide when his daughter, Ruby, turned up missing. He was a desperate man willing to do anything to find Ruby. He made a bad decision which ultimately led to his resignation from the force. He found solace in the bottle and lost everything that was dear to him. He now works as a private investigator, and a tip from someone in his past reopens the seven-year-old murder case of Renee Savaria. Along with the case, his memories from that time of turmoil threaten to overwhelm him. Will the current tip lead to closure for the murder? Will he be able to reconcile his past with the present?

Seven years ago, Claire Doucett was married to Davie Creasy when her daughter vanished. Her first marriage crumbled, and she found herself married to another cop. Now in the decline of her second marriage, Claire still glimpses her daughter in every face she passes. When she spots a doll in a French Quarter shop that is an exact replica of her daughter, no one really believes her especially since the doll has disappeared. She knows what she saw and the resemblance was more than coincidence. The doll even has the same birthmark that Ruby had. Will she be able to convince someone to look into her daughter's case?

By chance, Claire runs into Dave at a political fundraiser. Claire is there with her sister and Dave is checking into some leads. When Claire finds out that Dave is still a PI, she enlists his help in finding out the truth about the doll. She convinces him to at least find out about the doll maker. She knows that the doll will lead to the person who took their daughter. Will they be able to follow the path to a doll that may not have existed?

Amanda Stevens has written a sinister tale. The plot line is chilling as we look for a killer who makes dolls of his victims. I particularly liked that Ms. Stevens included chapters that were told from the viewpoint of the villain. The characters are well defined, and each has a past. THE DOLLMAKER is composed of one spine tingling event after another that keeps the pages turning. Ms. Stevens has a hit with THE DOLLMAKER.