2020 HWA Debut Crown Award (shortlist)
The Burial Plot, Elizabeth Macneal's latest cat-and-mouse thriller, is available now!
Now a major TV series with Paramount+, Sunday Times bestselling 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'
Genre: Mystery
Now a major TV series with Paramount+, Sunday Times bestselling 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'
Genre: Mystery
Praise for this book
"Fantastic - vivid, poignant, colourful, and elegantly horrifying." - Bridget Collins
"An astonishingly good debut. The Doll Factory reminded me of The Crimson Petal and the White, Fingersmith and Vanity Fair but had a richness of tone that was uniquely its own. Macneal writes with utter mastery, creating a lushly intricate world peopled by living, breathing characters you can’t help but fall in love 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
"With strong echoes of John Fowles' The Collector, The Doll Factory is at once a vivid depiction of a morally dubious world, and a page-turning psychological thriller, with a truly compelling villain." - Essie Fox
"A remarkably assured and beautifully written debut, filled with sinister delights and intriguing themes of imprisonment and objectification. A truly captivating read." - Elizabeth Fremantle
"A gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession." - Paula Hawkins
"This brilliant literary thriller gripped me from the opening page and didn’t relinquish its hold until I’d read the final sentence. The Doll Factory conjures 1850s London in all its grime and glory, possibility and restriction in absorbing, immersive detail. Elizabeth Macneal has created that rare thing: a beautifully researched historical novel with a plot to stop your heart. If this is her first book, I can barely wait to see what she writes next." - Hannah Kent
"A stunning novel that twines together power, art, and obsession. At every turn expectations are confounded - it’s a historical novel and yet feels incredibly relevant and timely. I loved its warmth, it’s wry humour, and the way each small thread leads into an unbearably tense and chilling denouement that had me totally gripped." - Sophie Mackintosh
"I loved The Doll Factory from the very first page and couldn’t do anything else until I’d read right to the end. An exquisite novel of obsession, delusion, resilience and love, Elizabeth Macneal really is a breathtaking new talent." - AJ Pearce
"The Doll Factory is one of the best books I’ve read in ages – heartbreaking and evocative. Elizabeth Macneal draws a vivid picture of life in 1850s London, exploring the world of the pre-Raphaelites and examining the position of women through her unforgettable heroine. At the same time, Elizabeth creates a perfectly structured and page-turning story of love and passion; crime and obsession. A wonderful and intense novel. I loved it." - Jenny Quintana
"A stunningly confident first novel with a real sense of period and place . . . thoroughly engrossing." - Ian Rankin
"The Doll Factory is brilliant, with a refreshingly original quality, beautifully orchestrated narrative, great characters and some fascinating background detail." - Andrew Taylor
"An astonishingly good debut. The Doll Factory reminded me of The Crimson Petal and the White, Fingersmith and Vanity Fair but had a richness of tone that was uniquely its own. Macneal writes with utter mastery, creating a lushly intricate world peopled by living, breathing characters you can’t help but fall in love 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
"With strong echoes of John Fowles' The Collector, The Doll Factory is at once a vivid depiction of a morally dubious world, and a page-turning psychological thriller, with a truly compelling villain." - Essie Fox
"A remarkably assured and beautifully written debut, filled with sinister delights and intriguing themes of imprisonment and objectification. A truly captivating read." - Elizabeth Fremantle
"A gorgeously evocative tale of love, art and obsession." - Paula Hawkins
"This brilliant literary thriller gripped me from the opening page and didn’t relinquish its hold until I’d read the final sentence. The Doll Factory conjures 1850s London in all its grime and glory, possibility and restriction in absorbing, immersive detail. Elizabeth Macneal has created that rare thing: a beautifully researched historical novel with a plot to stop your heart. If this is her first book, I can barely wait to see what she writes next." - Hannah Kent
"A stunning novel that twines together power, art, and obsession. At every turn expectations are confounded - it’s a historical novel and yet feels incredibly relevant and timely. I loved its warmth, it’s wry humour, and the way each small thread leads into an unbearably tense and chilling denouement that had me totally gripped." - Sophie Mackintosh
"I loved The Doll Factory from the very first page and couldn’t do anything else until I’d read right to the end. An exquisite novel of obsession, delusion, resilience and love, Elizabeth Macneal really is a breathtaking new talent." - AJ Pearce
"The Doll Factory is one of the best books I’ve read in ages – heartbreaking and evocative. Elizabeth Macneal draws a vivid picture of life in 1850s London, exploring the world of the pre-Raphaelites and examining the position of women through her unforgettable heroine. At the same time, Elizabeth creates a perfectly structured and page-turning story of love and passion; crime and obsession. A wonderful and intense novel. I loved it." - Jenny Quintana
"A stunningly confident first novel with a real sense of period and place . . . thoroughly engrossing." - Ian Rankin
"The Doll Factory is brilliant, with a refreshingly original quality, beautifully orchestrated narrative, great characters and some fascinating background detail." - Andrew Taylor
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Used availability for Elizabeth Macneal's The Doll Factory