The Dollmaker's Daughters

Bo Bradley #5

by Abigail Padgett

Fianna is not your usual fifteen-year-old. Most nights you’ll find her at Goblin Market, an eerie club for teen vampires. Like her peers, she dresses in black, but always carries an baby doll chained to a leather cuff. Fianna is a live wire—until the night she is found sprawled on the Market floor, with a gaze as vacant as her doll's. Now child abuse investigator Bo Bradley is on the case. To Bo's relief, Janny—a.k.a. Fianna—is very much alive, although catatonic and terrified that someone wants her dead. To discover who, Bo must go into the musty workshop of an old dollmaker and down a trail of dreadful secrets and forgotten crimes. Here she’ll learn the hard way that evil never sleeps...and is always up for murder.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

294 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[J.M. Jeffries Jeffries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Abigail Padgett's first book Child of Silence (Bo Bradley Mysteries 1)a couple weeks ago. I was intrigued by the manic-depressive heroine and since I love reading books about cities I've lived. San Diego is one of the nicest cities I've ever lived and occasionally wish I could move back.

I was nicely surprised by the first story enough to read the whole series. Though the first book appeared in 1993 and it was just enough dated to stop me on occasion, I still enjoyed it. The author, a former court investigator, brings her sleuth, Bo Bradley, to life through thorough knowledge of the San Diego Juvenile Court system. Bo investigates cases of child abuse, a daunting job that produces its own stresses. For a manic-depressive, having certain strategies to help her through the horror of each case is interesting. How she deals with the stress of each case has it's own delightful charm. In one story when the stress gets too much, Bo lists shipwrecks by name and date. In other stories, she talks to her late therapist whose practical advice she tries to heed. And when her late therapist is replaced by a live one, the new therapist's down-to-earth advice is perfect.

Bo's illness is handled with sympathy and grace. I have two friends with the disorder. My knowledge is small, but I learned a great deal about manic-depression in a way that made me love Bo even more. Her bravery in each story is awe-inspiring as she works in the most determined manner to solve the mystery despite her own mental demons and an unsympathetic boss. Never once did I ever feel sorry for Bo. Her courage in the face of some staggering obstacles, made me love her more.

If I have anything negative to say, and it's a very minor negative comment. The dated areas in each story would have been easy enough to update to present time. When I'm reading, I assume that every story takes place in the ever-present now unless otherwise noted.

I anxiously await the next story which I've read Ms. Padgett is working on. Ms. Padgett, you have a life-long fan of Bo, Andy-the love interest, Es-her best friend, Eva-her life therapist, Molly-her dog and even Madge-her boss, in me.

Thank you.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting. Good characters, good plot, nice and twisty but not too much gore, not so much tragedy and horror that it was overwhelming. Really like the characters. This is the first in the series that I've read. Looking forward to reading more.

[Bronwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in a unique series with a uniquely gifted 'heroine'; I especially loved the Goth detail in this one. I love all Abigail Padgett's "Bo Bradley" series, and wish there were more books in it. This is my third reading of the series, and they're as good as when I first discovered them.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, really enjoyed the story with Bo Bradley as child protection agent. Unfortunately, this seems to be the last one in the serie.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting mystery featuring bipolar social worker Bo Bradley.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. Easy, quick read. Bo is great. I'll have to check out some more books in her series.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series. I'm sorry that there are no more books in series and wish I could read more because I don't want to see it end.

[Catherine Nobles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Padgett's books have greatly intrigued me, especially her incredibly poignant, insightful characterization of a person with bipolar disorder. She shows her readers that, at the deepest level, persons with brain disorders are really no different from disorders of the heart, blood, liver, skin, etc. Since disorders of all the organs of the body--other than the brain--do not generally cause abnormalities in thinking and behavior, it seems easier for society to look past the organic disorder and view the "person."

I like the fact that Padgett's character, Bo Bradley, demonstrates that, sometimes, what appears to be our greatest weakness or source of shame is ironically our greatest source of strength. Bradley's hypersensitivity to all types of seemingly irrelevant, unconnected stimuli serves her well as a social worker and unofficial detective. Without her burden/blessing, she would just be another overworked, underpaid, emotionally anesthetized child advocate.

[Cat. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deceptively slim series mystery starring Bo Bradley. Bo works for the state child protective services and so is called when a teenage girl enters a sort-of fugue state at a Goth club near Bo's house. Even though Bo is encouraged, strongly, to drop the case once the girl is placed back with her foster parents, she contiues to investigate, finding holes in her supervisor's story and befriending the teenager. Eventually she finds the girl's biological family which only serves to bring about more tragedy before Bo stops the perpetrator for good.

Quite an interesting woman is Bo, but she'd be hell to work with.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

SCreepy but good

this series is entertaining with well drawn out characters. the use of saints & mythology deepens the story. Bo's illness n psychic connections keep me reading this series

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the heroine of this mystery, but she is a child abuse investigator -- not sure I will always like the topics of other books in the series! I will give them a try, though.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had lost sight of this writer and missed this 5th in her Bo Bradley series about a child protection worker who has manic depression. Good characters and story.

[Susan Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Bo Bradley adventure (murder mystery).

[Cindy]

Truly loved the Characters. The relationship between Bo and Eva and Es are just so enjoyable.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all the Bo Bradley mysteries. This one was the most interesting. It doesn't look like Padgett has written any more in this series. Guess I will have to check out all her other books.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!