The Dolls

by James Patterson, Kecia Bal

The Dolls are perfect lovers, perfect companions, perfect killers.
Investigative reporter Lila Wallace has covered many crimes of passion in 10 years. But nothing will prepare her for the dark secrets of...The Dolls.
BookShots
LIGHTNING-FAST STORIES BY JAMES PATTERSON
Novels you can devour in a few hours Impossible to stop reading All original content from James Patterson

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Science Fiction

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

Official US Site
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JIMMY Patterson Books
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James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy with a farfetched storyline -- or is it so unlikely? A gripping read that has you thinking about the technology in our lives and just how far it might go.

[Alya ( 20 comments restriction ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts
For the love of a mood reader who loves random books😂 they say this was creepy but honestly? It just reminded me of the movies that have plots based around robot dolls and then shit happens and add thriller to it so I guess you could say weird, the idea of the book is unique and for how short this was it was entertaining. However due to how short it was alongside the short chapters I do think it had more potential as a storyline, everything just felt crammed and rushed. Overall was a good random read, apparently if you loved black mirror you'll love this but as someone who hasn't watched this show it resembled movies I've seen based on dolls/robots

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the interesting aspects to the BookShot collection is the vast array of topics that emerge from the various author combinations, serving up a little something for every reader to enjoy. Working alongside MasterClass Co-Author Competition Winner, Kecia Bal, James Patterson presents this story that is as eerie as it is futuristic. After working the crime desk in Chicago for a decade, journalist Lana Wallace arrives in Boston to work the business section and sharpen her mind in a new environ. However, as she arrives, a millionaire has been found murdered in his home, which turns the attention away from anything as mundane as the business pages. Still, Lana tries to use her crime beat past and mesh it alongside her her role to explore the business dealings of the recent victim, the second rich businessman to have been killed in recent days. What Lana finds out shocks her and leaves her gasping for air. CEO of PrydeTek, Eric Blake, was in the market to create life-like dolls that replicate humans in every way; from their physical appearance to the feel of their skin, and even their mannerisms. Labelled ‘robot companions’, these pieces of artificial intelligence can do whatever their owner desires and yet give the appearance of being entirely life-like. One of the darker sides to the PrydeTek discovery is the submissiveness of these robots, such that they are completely compliant in every way. As Lana tries to wrap her head around the sexual nature of these creations, she pokes around to find out just how realistic these robots seem to be for their owners. Discovering one such robot, Lana engages ‘Sandra’ in conversation and learns of her desire to leave the home, where she has been ordered to stay, but is programmed to remember a negative thought process from a past attempt to enter the outside world. After learning the extent of the horrible treatment of these robots, Lana discovers that a third body has turned up, yet another businessman. When a loose-lipped detective releases some poignant commentary on key pieces of evidence, Lana begins to see a larger and more disturbing picture, forced to act before it is too late. Patterson and Bal do a wonderful job presenting this 21st century piece of social commentary rolled into a thriller of sorts. BookShot fans with open minds will surely enjoy this piece, which differs from anything I have read to date.

As I have said before, it is refreshing to see new talent grace the pages of the BookShot collection. To learn that Kecia Bal earned this spot after a rigorous competition is even more exciting.Together, she and Patterson have crafted a piece that pushes the envelope, but also provides much needed insight into the world that is developing before us, even if things get a little personal and graphic at times. Lana Wallace proves to be an interesting protagonist, with her sleuthing capabilities and attempts to reinvent herself. The reader is not fully capable of engaging in a complete backstory with so little time to explore the story, but the authors do an effective job keeping the reader curious and always on their toes. Adding a number of strong (or, at least, quirky) secondary characters keeps the story moving forward and provides the reader some time to think, particularly when the dialogue and subject matter move away from traditional artificial intelligence discussions. The story itself is quite engaging, more for the eerie nature and twists embedded in the narrative, sure to keep readers talking for some time to come. I felt the story was the perfect length for a BookShot and one can hope these two will return to present more pieces of such high quality.

Kudos, Mr. Patterson and Madam Bal, for developing such interesting topics of discussion in this short story. Perhaps one of the better BookShots I have read, as it kept me thinking until the very last page.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was.....creepy and weird! When I first saw the cover of this book, I thought I knew what it was going to be about. I was wrong. That was not what I expected. Far-fetched, yes, but still an entertaining story. One of the better Book Shots I've read.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bookshot is a great read for fans of the Black Mirror anthology series; future tech with real-world plausibility which has the potential to go very, very wrong.

In The Dolls, this future tech comes by way of companion AI's - or to put it bluntly, life-like sex dolls. These dolls have independent thought (with in-built limitations) and can do things most humans can; homemaking, conversation, and companionship.

The problem with the dolls being a sophisticated form of AI, is the potential for them to be hacked, and, even more concerning, the potential for them to evolve and break the shackles of their creators...which is the premise of the book.

My rating: 5/5. The Dolls is fast paced, has an interestingly creepy concept and manages to make the reader establish a connection with the characters in a very short period. Ticks all the boxes for a short form of escapism. One of the better bookshots I've read.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great and had short chapters which made it easy and fast to read.

Lana, a reporter comes to Boston only to find herself wrapped up in a fiery case where two millionaires have been murdered. With her friend, Kat and her on the case, Lana delves deep into the story that includes sex, money, AI, and lust. What is going on with these murders? Who is killing them and for what reason?

Soon Lana finds herself face to face with the answer and it’s chilling and jaw dropping to find out what is really happening under the surface.

Great story and fast read. Glad I picked this one up at the library!

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dolls

This started out okay but went downhill very quickly. This was so farfetched. I don't even know what to say about this story except I really didn't care for it.

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. Creepy. But good. It was even creepier that this didn’t seem as far fetched as we may have once felt. I liked Lana a lot she was very relatable and made the story matter to me since it did to her. I felt the romantic interest was very forced and unnecessary to the plot in such a short book. Not bad just took up pages in a very short story that could’ve gone more to plot. Overall I did enjoy this one more than I thought I would, as I was very skeptical going in.

[Ria · Rating 2 out of 5]

i legit got this because it was cheap,the cover is amazing and i was obsessed with the show Humans and i wanted to read something with robots..i can't really comment on it because i forgot everything about it in like a week..the only thing i remember is that i found it to be mediocre.i think it's a murder mystery and it has human looking robots

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book.

Unlike other Bookshots I have read I felt that this one had an ending and did not leave you hanging.

The story is rather scary when you stop to think we are not all that far, technology wise, for this to be a reality.

Really enjoyed the read.

[Bon Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off as 2 stars book, got to 5 stars somewhere in the middle, then I lost it somewhere. I don't know. Maybe I'm just not tailored for this short story form, or I'm just lately on a spree of books that didn't realise their potential.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson has combined forces with his Master Class Winner Kecia Bal with this quick read mystery in a series released called Bookshots. Lana has moved from the world of crime reporting in Chicago to the world of Business reporting in Boston. When she arrives through the newsroom is in an uproar as a few business people have turned up dead with one deep stab wound and no forced entry. The crime scenes are as clean as clean could be. Lana teams up with her experience as a crime reporter with Kristen, the Boston's to find out what is going on. She decides to use the business cover to learn about Eric, and when she talks to his wife, she learns about Eric's sex doll. As she delves deeper, Lana meets Sandra who is a sex doll who is almost like a human. She starts to develop a relationship with her but soon backfires when Sandra's owner turns up dead, and Sandra escapes. As Lana goes on a mission to save Sandra can she get to the bottom of the hacking of the sex dolls? The Dolls was a quick mystery read and to sum it up - The Dolls = Attack of the Killer Sex Dolls.

[Mark Hannan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dolls with heart

I'm not a big fan of Book Shots.Yes the stories are intriguing but there isn't enough time for character development. That's what I love about James Patterson books, his character development's what keeps you coming back. I always feel shorted afterwards.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty boring for a lot of it. I feel like not much happened until the very end. Then everything happened. The way it ended makes me feel like there should be another book. But I don’t think there is going to be one. Which seems a bit weird.

[Kari]

Nope, just no. DNF

[Saswati · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little creepy, a little weird and also, a little disappointing.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bookshot read. Quick and interesting stories.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was freaky as hell
AI dolls almost completely human. Used for... everything, including murder. They talk to you like real people, feel like real people. It was creepy.

[Alatea · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5*

It's difficult to classify this book, but I guess I could say it was a sci-fi thriller. Quick pace, good world-building. But I found relationships between characters really odd and that put me off.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice set-up, weak third act. THE DOLLS introduces a neat little mystery but can't resist segueing into melodrama about these sex robots venturing out into the world to live autonomous lives. There's no real debate over whether these robots are truly living beings deserving of their freedom, or whether their emotions are genuine or mere facsimile--readers are simply expected to care about them as real people, and that's that. It makes for a nice story, but has nothing to do with actual science.
The murder mystery aspect gets lost in the shuffle, culminating in a big reveal that has all the dramatic impact of a defective water balloon. It's a quick and reasonably entertaining read, but there's nothing about this story that hasn't been done a million times before (and done better) in other sci-fi novels, movies, and video games. Do yourself a favor and read William Shatner's TEKWAR instead.

[Chanel Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting concept and storyline - which I really enjoyed. However I felt, because it was a short read, it lacked the chance to be truly intense and gripping. It's certainly got the potiental to be rather thrilling but because of it being only 132 pages long, it was interesting but rather rushed. This storyline really would of been better as a full novel. The ending disappointed me a little as well because it was rushed but it did give the impression of maybe a second book??? Hopefully James Patterson will do the same as he did with the Harrriet Blue series and write the next one as a full novel.

[Sean Harding · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute rubbish sci-fi story from Patterson incorporated.
The more the story went the sillier it got.
The ending was totally absurd.
Sometimes I think these bookshots would be better if they were fleshed out into a full length novel this one would he better if prior to publication it was just thrown into a dumpster.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing good about this book is that it was only 115 pages...thank God.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was a creepy book, especially because it could be a reality one day.
Fun, quick read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Patterson is one of my favorite authors, but his Bookshots are usually either a hit or a miss. This one, however, lands somewhere in the middle. It is an enjoyable and fast-paced read but it’s not very suspenseful and seems rushed. This would have probably been better if there was more depth to the characters and more meaning to the story. There was zero connection to the characters for me.

Also, maybe I just misinterpreted the synopsis but I thought that the dolls would be exotic call girls, but instead were artificially intelligent robots that were able to feel emotion.

Not the best from Patterson, but did not totally hate it.

2.5 ⭐️

[Lindsay Detwiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dolls by Kecia Bal and James Patterson is a fast-paced, action-packed story that is sure to creep you out with how realistic it feels.

The story follows the main character Lana as she uncovers some unsettling facts about a company while conducting investigative reporting. Dark secrets are revealed, and her life will never be the same after this story.

This story is eerie because it doesn't feel completely out of the realm of possibility. Furthermore, the themes of distrust and secrets permeate this story, making the reader feel uneasy. I liked the Westworld/Black Mirror feel. The short, fast-paced format of this story also make it great for an evening read.

Kecia Bal and James Patterson's styles support the suspense and eerie quality. This story really made me think about where technology is heading and how humanity can be affected. Most of all, it made me realize that some secrets need to come to light.

[Michelle ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started this on the spur of the moment and went straight through. I know there has been mixed reviews, but I really enjoyed it. It's an interesting concept, though hopefully not likely. I could see this as a full novel.

[Jade Elena Attard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dolls by James Patterson follows Lana Wallace, a reporter from Chicago who had just made a move to Boston in order to make a move forward in her career as a Business Journalist. On her first day a corpse is found, which sends her back to her roots, and as she goes deeper, she realises the string of murders uncovers a whole array of deadly secrets.

This book was Wow. It kept me intrigued, on my toes, and at times creeped me out with some of the visual imagery. It was a very interesting read, and I fully recommend it to anyone who is thinking of reading this book.

[TISHA · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the perfect example of leave Ai alone. This was written a while ago but stands true in 2025. It was a quick read/listen, even though it took me a while to finish. I love James Patterson's BookShots and I will grab another one in the future.

[Momma-Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although kind of far fetched at times, even for "fiction" I liked this book for many reasons. It contains lots of empathy, clever writing skills that pulls off much of AI technology and no language that offends!