Ragdoll by Daniel Cole Book Review

BLURB

The nation is gripped by the infamous 'Ragdoll Killer'
Your friends, your family and your neighbours are all talking about it.
'...utterly addictive with brilliant characters and a killer twist you will never see coming - the best debut I've ever read.' Rachel Abbott, No. 1 bestselling author
'A star is born. Killer plot. Killer pace. Twisted killer and a killer twist. Kill to get a copy.' Simon Toyne, Sunday Times bestselling author 
'A brilliant, breathless thriller. If you liked Se7en, you'll love this!' M.J. Arlidge,Sunday Times bestselling author

Believe the hype. Sold in over 32 countries and counting, RAGDOLL is the standout thriller of the year.

A body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together like a puppet, nicknamed by the press as the 'ragdoll'.

Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter.

The 'Ragdoll Killer' taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them.

With six people to save, can Fawkes and Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their every move?

MY THOUGHTS 

Ragdoll has been on my wish list since I first heard about its acquisition by Trapeze books way back in April. I was desperate to get my hands on a copy, and when my copy finally came in the post I couldn’t wait to get stuck in and I can tell you, Ragdoll has certainly lived up to the hype. Ragdoll electrified me from page one and I found myself on the edge of my seat, waiting with baited breath to find out what happened next, throughout my reading journey, until I had turned the final page.

Ragdoll has been sold in thirty four countries around the world and has been snapped up by ITV’s ‘The Durrells,’ Sid Gentle.

In Daniel Cole’s debut, we meet Detective William Oliver Layton-Fawkes, aka Wolf, to his team and members of the press. Four years ago, Wolf headed up the enquiry into a series of murders known as ‘The Cremation killings.’ After losing control on the final day of the trial, which almost ended his career, Wolf was subjected to months of psychological assessment before finally returning to the police force.

When Wolf arrives on the scene in the present day, he is faced with a career defining cadaver, which his colleague Baxter excitedly describes as ‘the one, a once-in-a-career case.’ One body, six victims sewn together to make a corpse; the cadaver is soon dubbed by the press as the Ragdoll which has everyone in the media world talking and speculating.  Whilst the team are trying to identify the different body parts, the investigation into the killings steps up a pace when the killer releases a list of six names to the press of intended victims and the dates on which they intend to murder them. The final name on the list is Wolf’s.

Daniel Cole has created a stunning cast of characters in his first novel. It is amazing to think that this started off as a screen play and was turned down repeatedly before Daniel finally made the decision to turn his idea into a book, because he was desperate to know the end, which in my opinion was the right choice. I would have to say that my favourite character was Baxter, I admired her way of dealing with pressing issues, particularly when it was announced that Wolf’s name is on the killer’s hit list. I also loved her wit and sense of humour throughout the novel which made me laugh out loud in places. I found myself feeling sorry for Edmunds, who is trying to impress his team and crack the case before anyone else, but struggles to juggle his work and home life together, especially as his girlfriend, Tia, is pregnant. Tia doesn’t seem to quite understand how demanding a detective’s work is. 

There are some clever and original ideas in this book which Daniel uses when he kills off his characters, you can see the influence from his days working as a paramedic. If you love crime, I challenge you not to love this book. Many thanks to Ben Willis and Sam Eades at Trapeze for the advance review copy. Ragdoll publishes on the 23^rd February 2017, you’d be mad to miss out! 

Publisher: Trapeze 

Publication date: 23rd February 2017

Print length: 359 pages 

ORDER RAGDOLL NOW!