The Dollhouse Review

Hello, all!

Let's chat about The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis.

Pub Date: 8-23-16
Adult - Historical Fiction

In 1952, Darby McLaughlin arrives at the dazzling Barbizon Hotel, where she is staying while completing a secretarial course. Darby immediately feels out of place surrounded by her gorgeous model floormates and finds her classes at Katharine Gibbs insufferably boring. But when Darby befriends Esme, one of the maids at the Barbizon, her world is opened to a whole new side of New York City. One that may eat her alive if she's not careful.

In 2016, the famous Barbizon Hotel is now condos and most of its residents are long forgotten, except for a few who now live in rent-controlled apartments. Journalist Rose Lewin has recently moved into the Barbizon and becomes fascinated by its history and the women after a run-in with one of them. As Rose digs into the building's history, she discovers a deadly accident between her neighbor and a maid. With Rose's personal life swirling down the drain, she becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth, and neither Rose nor Darby's lives will ever be the same again.

Once I read the synopsis and saw it had a bit of a murder mystery aspect, I knew I had to pick it up. I did enjoy it, but it was slow to unfold. It's told in two separate timelines, and Davis does a great job balancing them. It didn't feel like either one overshadowed the other. Whenever a book does this, I usually find myself favoring one over the other, but I thought both timelines were super interesting. I also liked the characters. Darby and Rose were both strong characters to follow and while they seemed so different on the outside, they had some of the same insecurities. The mystery at the core of the story was intriguing. I thought I knew how it would wrap up, but I was wrong, which made for a more satisfying ending. Despite a sluggish beginning, I'd still recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction.

Rating: 4/5

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