The Dollmaker

Shamy’s (“The Dark Nocturne” series) experience as an ex-ballerina uniquely qualifies her to stage this 1920s mystery in the world surrounding the ballet theater. A serial killer is on the loose and is targeting ballerinas. Styling himself as an artist, the killer expertly amputates body parts as he tries to create the perfect doll. Now, the only parts he still needs are the head and the hands. Dawn Hildegard enters the killer’s sphere when she witnesses her friend Rose, a prima ballerina for a local ballet troupe, being kidnapped by a shadowy figure. Audie Award–winning narrator Kate Rudd employs her wide range of experience and character voices, doling out clues for listeners to discover as she describes Dawn’s desperate attempts to find her friend. Rudd keeps the narrative moving with text-appropriate pacing and satisfying dialogue, capturing Dawn’s sense of unease when she encounters two brothers who seem like they may be harboring secrets of their own.