Dollface - by Lindy Ryan (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Barbie meets Scream with a 90s nostalgia twist in this horror romp from Bless Your Heart author Lindy Ryan. Horror author Jill has just moved to suburban New Jersey, hoping to fit in with the new PTA moms and maybe not weird everyone out with her Final Girl coffee mug. You know. Make some real friends. But then a plastic face-masked serial killer begins slashing their way through town, one overly made-up mom at a time. The police are incredulous. The moms are indignant. And Jill is slowly wrapped into a killer's murderous spree, until she might just be the last woman standing. A delightfully murderous novel that is equal parts scathing and salacious, Dollface will win you over with its gossip and gore, one body at a time. "A whimsical, bloody, unsettling suburban slasher with an unexpected twist." - New York Times bestselling author Delilah S. Dawson"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

Barbie meets Scream with a 90s nostalgia twist in this horror romp from Bless Your Heart author Lindy Ryan.

Horror author Jill has just moved to suburban New Jersey, hoping to fit in with the new PTA moms and maybe not weird everyone out with her Final Girl coffee mug. You know. Make some real friends.

But then a plastic face-masked serial killer begins slashing their way through town, one overly made-up mom at a time. The police are incredulous. The moms are indignant. And Jill is slowly wrapped into a killer's murderous spree, until she might just be the last woman standing.

A delightfully murderous novel that is equal parts scathing and salacious, Dollface will win you over with its gossip and gore, one body at a time.

"A juicy, irreverent and bloody twist on the genre." - Variety

Review Quotes

Most Anticipated by Macabre Daily, CrimeReads, Bloody Disgusting

Praise for Dollface:

"A juicy, irreverent and bloody twist on the genre." --Variety

"Lindy Ryan hands women the horror fix they crave." --Cemetery Dance

"In Ryan's fabulous new slasher, the satire cuts sharper than the murder weapon." --CrimeReads

"Lindy Ryan's novels are always a blast, and this one in particular feels like a treat." --Bloody Disgusting

"A whimsical, bloody, unsettling suburban slasher with an unexpected twist that will hit way too close to home for any mom who'd rather face a serial killer than a PTA meeting. I connected to the final girl on a molecular level!" --Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of Bloom and It Will Only Hurt For a Moment

"Imagine The Real Housewives: Friday the 13th edition, and you'll have an idea of how much gory fun awaits you in Dollface. This twisty slasher novel screams Lindy Ryan's mischievous and bloodthirsty talent!" --Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Birds and Road of Bones

"Dollface is Stepford meets Stephen King--sharp and sinister in all the best ways. A twisted joy for horror fans." --James "Murr" Murray and Darren Wearmouth, bestselling co-authors of The Stowaway and You Better Watch Out

"Literary slashers are having a moment right now, but I'm hard pressed to think of one in any medium like Lindy Ryan's Dollface. Equal parts Stephen Graham Jones, Rachel Harrison, Ira Levin, and Sarah Langan, with a trenchant wit, rip-roaring pace, real anger, and one of the most unsettling opening chapters I've read in decades." --Nat Cassidy, USA Today bestselling author of When the Wolf Comes Home and Mary

"A twisty, gory homage to the slasher, with a horror writer heroine who's just a little too knowledgeable about genre tropes...Dollface is a whole lot of bloody fun." --Christina Henry, author of Alice and The Place Where They Buried Your Heart

"Lindy Ryan's suburban giallo goes for the gullet, then slices right through. Dollface stands proudly within the new slasher canon alongside the works of Stephen Graham Jones and Brian McAuley, finding fresh weapons to render the reader's imagination into the reddest of ribbons." --Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Wake Up and Open Your Eyes

"A modern, female-centered riff on the slasher tradition... Dollface stands as a bright, blood-streaked love letter to slasher films filtered through the lens of suburban satire and feminine rage." --Horror DNA

"[A] playful horror thriller." --New York Post

"If you're looking for a fun, bloody romp through Pleasantville, this is the book for you." --Rue Morgue

"Will manage to satisfy hardcore horror readers, but at the same time will also appeal to true crime or mystery fans. That's a tricky tightrope to walk, but Ryan makes it look easy and, in doing so, shows her mastery of the genre." --Gruesome Magazine

"With a keen eye for description and a finely-tuned ear for dialogue, Ryan delivers a high-octane story that refuses to be put down until the last page turns." --Novels Alive

"This book grabbed me by the throat and pulled me in. Perfect for readers who like their gore wrapped in social commentary." --RIOTUS

Praise for the Bless Your Heart series:

"Incorporating just the right amount of Southern sass, this gruesomely descriptive yet heartrendingly poignant tale will leave horror fans hungry for the next installment." --Booklist (starred review)

"Vampire fans will enjoy this spine-chilling tale." --Kirkus

"Ryan melds mystery, horror, and family drama in her sharp solo debut... This has bite." --Publishers Weekly

"Ryan's compelling horror/mystery hybrid is bursting with serious scares, humor, and Southern charm. Fans of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison will appreciate." --Library Journal

"Such a brilliant blend of banter and dread. Authored with the confidence of a storyteller who knows every inch, cadence, and beat of their tale. Instantly cinematic. And if you're anything like me, you're going to wish you were part of the Evans family, working at the Evans Funeral Home, just so you can spend more time with these people. Lindy Ryan is on fire with this book." --Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box and Daphne

"The Evans women have arrived and these southern belle slayers are carving out a spot in our undead hearts. Lindy Ryan has harnessed the charm and horror of a Romero-helmed Steel Magnolias, equal parts Carson McCullers and Bram Stoker. Bless her heart." --Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters

"Lindy Ryan is among the most electrifying voices in the horror genre today. Her writing is devastating, beautiful, and horrifying in all the best ways. With her new novel, she's created a group of characters you won't ever forget set in a world that's sure to get under your skin. Bless Your Heart is everything you could want in a horror novel and more. Highly recommended." --Gwendolyn Kiste, Three-time Bram Stoker Awards(R)-winning author of The Rust Maidens and Reluctant Immortals

"Sometimes the dead can ruin your life. Lindy Ryan's Another Fine Mess is a rich and captivating story about family legacy, history, lore, and of course murder. Delightfully alluring and richly suspenseful." --Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Vanishing Daughters

"A flesh-ripping, heartfelt good time. Lindy Ryan has crafted a matriarchal line in keeping with Practical Magic but with the added gory fun of Dead Until Dark. I was utterly charmed and can only hope I haven't seen the end of the Evans women." --Kristi DeMeester, author of Such a Pretty Smile

"If you don't think a horror novel can somehow feel like Steel Magnolias meets Buffy with a dab of Straub's Ghost Story, well . . . Bless Your Heart. Lindy Ryan's debut novel is a bloodsoaked blast, packed with delightful characters and shockingly gruesome mayhem. And its ending seems to imply further adventures involving the Evans women, something I would welcome like a glass of sweet tea on a hot summer day." --Nat Cassidy, author of Mary: An Awakening of Terror and Nestlings

"A gloriously gruesome, compulsively readable debut that is as grizzly as it is clever and heartfelt, offering an inventive, poignant, and thoroughly entertaining exploration of legacy. Absolutely brilliant." --Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Cackle and Such Sharp Teeth

"Lindy Ryan's debut, Bless Your Heart, is a delight! Small-town, multi-generational horror about a family of monster-hunting women who make sure the dead can rest, it's a creepy romp that begs for sequels. Check it out!" --Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Road of Bones and All Hallows

"Gory, spine-chilling, and deeply Southern, Bless Your Heart is a women-led fight against the rising dead. An absolute must-read for anyone who likes their horror with bite." --Darcy Coates, USA Today best-selling author of The Haunting Of Ashburn House and Gallows Hill

"Sparkling with magic and Southern charm, Bless Your Heart is a witty and compulsively readable story about family, duty, and the power to protect the ones we love the most. I was delightfully charmed by the women of the Evans family!" --Maureen Kilmer, author of Suburban Hell and Hex Education

"If you ever thought Supernatural should have starred the Golden Girls, have I got the series for you. Smart, at times devastating, and just as funny as it is dark, Another Fine Mess is Lindy Ryan's unputdownable follow-up to Bless Your Heart. Balancing grief and duty, monsters and men, the Evans women are characters to sink your teeth into." --Katrina Monroe, author of Through the Midnight Door

"A tale of sacrifices, danger, and above all, love, Bless Your Heart...effortlessly stole my heart. If there's any complaint to be had, it is that I have not spent nearly enough time with the Evans women." --FanFiAddict

"Let Ryan pour some sunshine into your TBR...charming, as this novel has plenty of local color and turns of phrase. However, what elevates Bless Your Heart beyond pastiche is Ryan's willingness to revel in full-on gore and to follow through on some genuine, last-minute emotional stakes." --Esquire, Best Horror of 2024

"A bloody, blistering, bracing and bold foray." --Booktrib

"Another Fine Mess is a fast and witty sequel, and together with its predecessor makes for an entertaining and unique entry in the urban fantasy horror genre. With the second book, considered me sold on the quirky family drama and gallows humor of this series. I would love to see the Evans women return for more stories in this darkly charming Southern setting, and if that happens, I'll definitely be back." --Bibliosanctum

"Overall, this is a dark, clever, and unsettling novel that was a fast read. Readers looking for a horror novel with shocking and disturbing details plus excellent characterization, secrets, and the supernatural will likely enjoy this novel." --Mystery and Suspense Magazine

"[An] entertaining and utterly charming horror story following a family of women who take care of their town by stopping the undead, no matter the cost." --The Library Ladies

"Ryan's talent for blending genuine scares with authentic emotion and touches of dark humor makes this series a standout in contemporary horror literature. The Evans women aren't just monster hunters; they're fully realized characters with relatable struggles who happen to have extraordinary responsibilities. That human element, more than the monsters themselves, is what makes readers invest in their story and come back for more." --Book CLB

About the Author

Lindy Ryan is an award-winning author, anthologist, and short-film director whose books and anthologies have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Library Journal. Several of her projects have been adapted for screen. Ryan is the current author-in-residence at Rue Morgue. Declared a "champion for women's voices in horror" by Shelf Awareness, Ryan was named a Publishers Weekly Star Watch Honoree in 2020, and in 2022, was named one of horror's most masterful anthology curators.​ Born and raised in Southeast Texas, Ryan currently resides on the East Coast.​​​ She is a professor at Rutgers University.