The Dollhouse Murders

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. Family (Chapter 1)

2. A dollhouse (Chapter 2)

3. Chicago (Chapter 3)

Short Answer

1. Amy’s parents have put her in charge of caring for her younger sister, Louann, who has a developmental disability. Amy is afraid Ellen will no longer want to be friends with her because of the difficulty of caring for Louann. For example, when Amy and Ellen are at the mall, Louann wanders off, forcing Amy and Ellen to go and search for her. Amy’s concerns may be supported when Ellen informs Amy she is no longer able to picnic with her because of visiting family, which Amy interprets as a made-up excuse. (Chapter 1)

2. Louann has a developmental disability and wanders away from Amy and Ellen while they are in the mall to watch a puppet show. Later, in a flower shop, Louann knocks over and accidentally breaks a tulip plant. The shop owner becomes angry with Amy and Louann. (Chapter 1)

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. A vase (Chapter 4)

2. The dollhouse (Chapter 5)

3. A birthday party (Chapter 6)

Short Answer

1. Amy is relieved, because she feels burdened by her responsibility to care for Louann. Amy likely also feels guilty about leaving Louann, as she has in previous chapters, because she still cares about Louann’s feelings. (Various chapters)

2. Amy returns to the dollhouse alone because she left it open. When she returns, however, she hears a noise “like the scurrying of a mouse” from the dollhouse. She realizes that Grandma Treloar’s doll is not in the parlor where Amy left the doll. These events frighten Amy, causing her to run away. (Chapter 5)

3. Aunt Clare believes Louann should learn to be independent, as Aunt Clare learned to be when she was away from family. Amy disagrees with Aunt Clare, explaining that Louann will always be like a child. Aunt Clare counters this argument by explaining that even children are independent to a point. (Chapter 6)

Chapters 7-9

Reading Check

1. Louann (Chapter 7)

2. Ellen (Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. Amy decides to discover what happened to her grandparents herself when she asks Aunt Clare if her grandparents died in a car accident and Aunt Clare dodges the question. She does not want to upset Aunt Clare, so she goes to the library to look through obituaries to find her grandparents. She discovers they were murdered. (Chapter 7)

2. Aunt Clare is angry with Amy and tells her to leave the past alone. Aunt Clare probably has the reaction she does because she discovered her parents after they were murdered, and a few days later her fiancé died in a car accident. Additionally, the murders were never solved. Aunt Clare reveals to Amy that she feels guilty about her parents’ death. (Chapters 8-9)

3. Aunt Clare notices that the dolls in the dollhouse have been arranged in the way the murders took place. She accuses Amy of setting the dolls up in this way, but Amy denies placing the dolls in those locations. Later that night Amy awakens to find the doorknob slowly turning followed by a loud crash outside. (Chapters 8-9)

Chapters 10-12

Reading Check

1. Her birthday party (Chapter 10)

2. An emergency (Chapter 12)

3. A birthday cake (Chapter 12)

Short Answer

1. Mrs. Peck has been teaching Louann new things and intends to show Louann how to ride the bus. Amy becomes angry when she learns of this because she believes her family should determine what Louann is able to learn. (Chapter 10)

2. The first time Amy attempts to retrieve the blanket she sees an eerie glow around the dollhouse and the Grandma Treloar doll in the parlor again. Afraid, Amy leaves without retrieving the blanket. The next morning Amy ventures to the attic to retrieve the blanket again and the dollhouse is open with the grandparent dolls in the places where they were murdered. She again closes the dollhouse. (Chapters 11-12)

Chapters 13-15

Reading Check

1. Kathy Sells (Chapter 13)

2. The park (Chapter 15)

Short Answer

1. Amy is angry when she learns Louann will be at her birthday party. She runs away instead of confronting the problem. Amy begins to realize that she tends to run away from her problems and decides to return to help Aunt Clare make pizza. She apologizes for her behavior. (Various chapters)

2. The dollhouse parlor is lit, and Louann sits in front of the dollhouse trying to understand why Grandma Treloar is crying. Books fall off the dollhouse parlor shelves, and Amy hears a sigh come from the house when she moves Louann away from it. Amy describes Louann’s reaction as strangely calm, possibly hinting at one of Louann’s personal strengths. (Chapter 14)

3. Louann asks Aunt Clare about the crying doll, giving Amy the courage to tell her about the haunted dollhouse. Aunt Clare is reluctant to believe Amy because it means there’s a “restless, unhappy spirit” in the house. (Chapter 15)

Chapters 16-19

Reading Check

1. Her former fiancé (Chapter 16)

2. An unseen doll/the murderer (Chapter 17)

Short Answer

1. When Amy remembers the books falling off the parlor bookshelf, she suspects there may be something to help them discover who murdered Grandma and Grandpa Treloar. When they search among the books a letter falls out identifying Reuben Miller, the handyman, as the killer. (Chapter 18)

2. Aunt Clare has suspected her former fiancé of the murder of her parents for years. After discovering the killer’s true identity, Aunt Clare feels relieved that she is not indirectly responsible for their deaths. The relief Aunt Clare feels makes her look younger, gentler, and prettier, according to Amy. (Chapter 18)

3. The dolls are found, having moved on their own, sitting around the dining room table. The dolls’ positions indicate that they are happy and together and finally at peace with their murder. Amy’s father observes that family is the best thing in the world, referring to the position of the dolls. (Chapter 19)