Olivia by John Hunt (#2 – Doll House)

 

Olivia by John Hunt

Publishing: October 27, 2022 by Black Rose Writing

 

Previous Book in the Series: #1 – Doll House

 

Reason I chose to Read this Book: This author is amazing.  He writes great horror….and he’s from Ontario Canada….my home.

 

Olivia by John Hunt is the sequel to Doll House (and a long time coming!)

First, let me thank the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

Series Background:    (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
On her first night at university, Olivia is kidnapped by two men in masks.  She is held in a small room, raped and tortured for 5 years by “Gorilla Man” and “The Jackal”.  They never remove their masks.  Meanwhile, her father sank into alcoholism. She eventually escapes, and by the end of her ordeal, her attackers are dead.

 

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

The murderer has been doing this a long time but not even the police are aware that there’s a serial killer out there.  He takes his victims in remote wooded areas and hiking trails miles apart.  Until now, his murders have gone unnoticed.

But things have changed with his latest abduction.  Bibi has escaped, and the information she gives police will go into a file and be read across many jurisdictions.  When another is taken, a truck was noticed nearby, which matches that of Bibi’s abductor.  It has been a long time, but Bibi has never moved on with her life.

It has been even longer for Olivia, but when she meets Bibi, there is hope for both of them, and perhaps a little revenge is in order.

 

My Opinions:
First, I have to admit that having the author use towns near me is a hoot! 

This was a great follow-up to Doll House, just as dark, and just as graphic.  I was really looking forward to seeing what had become of Olivia.   However, it took me a little bit to get into the book, because it was a long time until Olivia put in an appearance.  Mind you, the story was really good before that happened.

I liked how the story was told from multiple viewpoints, and in particular the killer.  It was interesting to see how his mind worked, and how he came to the conclusions he did.

I loved the characters.  Both women are strong, but both have real physical and emotional scars.  They both understand fear, and the author really used that to bring them together.  I feel that the relationships before and after was the correct way to go.

If you want graphic horror with a great plot, this is it, but again, if you are squeamish, you’ll be looking away every now and then.  The reason for the 1/2 star deduction – the dog (and I’m not sure about the choice of cover).

Bottom line, I absolutely loved it!

 

Read: Septembeer, 2022

 

Favorite Quotes from Olivia:

“Even crazy people can be right from time to time.”

“It wasn’t a monster.  It was a man.  But then, plenty of men have turned out to be monsters, haven’t they?”

 

A busy father of four, John Hunt  had not started writing until late 2009.  Most of his writing is done during his spare time.  His short stories have been published in various anthologies.  He works and lives in the city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada with his family, a dog and a cat.   *** Photo taken from GoodReads.

Check him out:

• • • • Website: www.johnhuntfiction.ca
      • Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnHuntFiction
      • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhuntfiction/

 

I have also reviewed this book on GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5001009257

 

Have you read it?  Do you plan to?  Tell me your thoughts…do you agree or disagree with my assessment?  These are only my opinions – and it would be a boring world if we all thought the same.  Either way, I’d love to know.