I haven't read 'Ragdoll', the first book in this series but I still found the first five chapters of 'Hangman, an absorbing, easy read. The grisly, mysterious, quirky, thriller has an extensive body count, even in the early chapters. The killer or killers wants Detective Chief Inspector Emily Baxter to make the connection and draws her back into the killing zone.
 Flawed and secretive, Emily Baxter is hard on herself and others, especially her bosses but she values her colleagues, and they reciprocate.Written in manageable chapters, timed and dated, you feel part of the action, conflicts and decision making. If like me you are a fan of adrenaline-fuelled thrillers with an eccentric, forceful protagonist, take a deep breath and read ''Hangman, I'm sure the rest of the book will be as riveting as the sampler I've just read.
I received a sampler of the first five chapters from Trapeze Orion Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I didn't get to read the previous authors book Ragdoll but after reading a sample of his new book Hangman I would love to read that as well.
The book refers to the 1st book without giving anything away. It's about a women detective that previously helped to find and put a serial killer away behind bars. There has been a few new murders which seem to be linked to each other by various words being carved on the victims body. The detective has a secret that she doesn't want to get out as it will end her career. The 5 chapters that I was sent has left me wanting to read the rest of the book to see what happens. I would recommend this book.

Did not realise until it downloaded that it was a sampler. Look forward to the full book.

Having enjoyed, “Ragdoll,” I was curious to see whether Daniel Cole could come up with something as good for that difficult sequel. I am pleased to report that he has – this is an intelligent, well written thriller, with excellent characters, a fast moving plot, and a great dose of dark humour.

There are some characters from “Ragdoll,” who we meet again. Emily Baxter is now a Detective Chief Inspector, one of the youngest female chief inspector’s in the Metropolitan Police, but finding her new role challenging, while Alex Edmund has transferred to Fraud, in order to spend more time with his partner and baby daughter, but finding the department dull after homicide. Baxter finds herself joined up with Special Agent Damian Rouche (rhymes with ‘whoosh’ and Special Agent Elliot Curtis, after a bizarre murder, which echoes the Ragdoll case.

Both in the UK and the US, there are a string of bizarre murders, which echo each other. Baxter is sent to New York, in order to help investigate the crimes. Against protocol, she gives Edmund all the information and, before they know it, they are both deeply involved in the investigation. This is a really impressive second novel and Cole is writing what is sure to become an excellent series. I would be happy to read more books with Baxter as main character. I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Daniel Cole brings us the sequel to Ragdoll, and it is a surefire adrenaline ride with a phenomenal body count set in New York and London. It is blackly humorous and more than a little over the top bonkers, so providing you are prepared to suspend your disbelief, then this a thrill ride of an action packed read. DCI Emily Baxter is newly promoted and believed to be responsible for the apprehension of Lethaniel Masse, the Ragdoll killer, except she wasn't, Alex Edmunds, now working in Fraud is. She is burdened by the weight of her less than truthful account of what happened and her nightmare is exacerbated when Special Agents, Elliot Curtis and Damien Rouche want to interview Masse in Belmarsh Prison after a banker, William Fawkes, in a murder-suicide in NYC connects with the Ragdoll killings. Emily's fears of the truth emerging are laid to rest after Masse is killed in spectacular circumstances.

The NYC and London killings both have the killer scarred by the word killer and the victim with the word bait on their bodies. Baxter, the woman who is never without a scowl on her face, travels to NYC to help the FBI and NYPD track down the person responsible. With elements not welcoming her presence and determined to keep her from key evidence so that she is not seen to crack the case, Emily works with Rouche and Curtis, as they slowly becoming an tight knit team. Presented with horror after horror, the investigators rail at their inability to get closer to the truth. After a catastrophic failure to prevent a major terror attack which leaves multitudes dead, a traumatised Baxter returns to London. There are fears that a similar incident will occur here, and with the help of Rouche and Edmunds, Baxter works round the clock to prevent this as London goes on full alert.

The novel begins with Baxter being questioned about what happened in NYC and London, and yet again, as we discover what happened from start to finish, we see Baxter once again glosses over what actually happened. This is a blood drenched and macabre sequel to Ragdoll, full of tension, and utterly gripping, shot through with wit and humour. Baxter is a charismatic creation, a woman that sees the worst of humanity. Unsurprisingly she has huge trust issues, her relationship with her boyfriend, the lawyer Thomas, is fragile and she is only close to Edmunds. However, she inspires both trust and loyalty from those around her, such as Fin and Rouche, as well as Alex Edmunds. This is a brilliantly compelling read for those who are not put off by a huge body count and willing to overlook the OTT aspects of the story. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

Another corker from Daniel Cole. I was very excited to get my hands on this book having loved Ragdoll (despite its gory nature)... and this book did not disappoint.
Although Wolf doesn’t really feature in this book, Emily is a fantastic protagonist with her sharp wit and mistrust of almost everyone.

A great story, fast-paced and absorbing. There’s a couple of graphic scenes that made me squirm but other than that it’s a sheer delight to read. Never thought a book of this type would be funny and amusing but therein lies the author’s talent.

As an honorary Londoner and a frequent commuter this book did make me a squirm a little! be warned that’s it’s so descriptive in places that you can feel you’re there in the moment as you race against the clock with Baxter and co.

Highly recommended 5 🌟

Wow where do you start with this book, the action was relentless, and the author has the most sick mind in the ways the murder victims die.The action takes place both in the UK and USA and I really liked the banter and interaction between the 3 main characters, there was humour and sadness, and the peripheral characters were solid as well. This was fast paced there were lots of references to the first book but this can still be read as a stand alone book, although I guess it would be better to read the books in order.No spoilers from me, but this is well worth a read be warned about the gruesome murders but it is relevant to the story .Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

A body is discovered on the other side of the Atlantic with startling similarities to the Ragdoll murders. DCI Emily Baxter is called upon to investigate with FBI Agent Elliot Curtis and Damien Rouche of the CIA. The body has been strung up and the word 'BAIT' carved into its chest. As the investigation intensifies, another body is found, also carved with 'BAIT'. The nearby corpse of the killer is carved with 'PUPPET'. Baxter, Curtis and Rouche must work out how the victims are selected and just who the puppeteer is; the person pulling the strings.

This book was an incredible read. I really didn't think it would come anywhere close to its predecessor, Ragdoll, but how wrong was I! The characters were brought to life with such outstanding clarity that they literally leapt off every page. DCI Baxter was one tough lady who, despite trust issues and many faults, was sassy, loyal and dedicated to her job above and beyond the call of duty.

I thought the entire book was imaginative, creative and original from beginning to end. It was gritty, brutal, gory, real and pumping with adrenaline. The imagery and ingenuity was fantastic - the excellent scene inside the church is one that will stay with me for a very long time.

I'd love to say this book would make a fantastic movie but more often than not, movies disappoint. Let me put it bluntly - the book did not. If you get the opportunity to read Hangman, grab it with both hands! I enjoyed it so much I could burst with pleasure :)

Hangman is the second novel of Daniel Cole’s trilogy about the Ragdoll murders. His first novel, the original ‘Ragdoll’, left me with a lot of anticipation in the end and I was quite eager to see how the story would continue but I’m afraid the plotline didn’t pick up where it left off and the focus in this novel is really on Baxter who teams up with detective Rouche and Curtis in this novel while she also still manages to get assistance from Edmunds on the side (poor Edmunds helps out in his own private time). Baxter has been promoted to Chief Inspector and thrown into an international inquiry to assist the FBI and CIA when they are facing their own Ragdoll murders, which takes her from London to New York. Meanwhile new murders commence in London once again as well.

Hangman is everything Ragdoll was but more. It was more gruesome, it was more (way more) spectacular, it was bigger, it was bolder, it was more complex and with a much higher body count.

I really liked the new team surrounding Baxter and I even think I liked the team’s interactions more than the murder inquiry here for most of the story. Ragdoll was perhaps a bit easier to follow than Hangman as well. Rouche (pronounced like whoosh) was very likeable and the brilliant opening scene where Baxter is being interviewed had me fearing the worst already for what was about to happen. The hunt for the killer wasn’t as much about finding out who was responsible but more their efforts for capturing him without going under themselves. In the final and third part of the novel I was almost breaking a sweat as the situation became increasingly dangerous when they try to infiltrate and get closer to the killer. Mr. Cole doesn’t hold back at all and it already felt like a movie. Seven will get some competition soon ;-).

This was a good follow-up for Ragdoll – even though that remains my favorite for reasons I can’t really point out other than that this one is perhaps just a little bit more chaotic to read with everything that is happening in both countries – and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series!

Hangman is the 2nd in Ragdoll Murders series. I must confess I have not read the first one. If I had I would have known more of the background story of the Ragdoll Murders and Wolf.
After a body is found on hanging from Brooklyn Bridge, with the word Bait carved into his chest and which has a similarity to the Ragdoll Murders. FBI Special agent Curtis and CIA Special Agent Rouche visit DCI Emily Baxter in London to consult over the murder.
The story continues with DCI Emily Baxter going back and forth from London to New York as more bodies turn up either with BAIT or PUPPET ETCHED in their chests and the severity of these crimes escalate. But all is not rosy. She has been asked to help solve these crimes but, Curtis and Rouche are keeping things from her and things come apparent, when Curtis is killed in action.
This is a gruesome story, but action packed, with many twists and turns that will keep you hooked throughout. I really enjoyed this but, I am disappointed I didn’t read the first one in this series before I read this. As, I would understand the storyline a bit better. I liked how the Author described each character and we found out a little of each other’s background. 4.5 stars from me.

Absolutely fantastic, fast paced and gripping, just loved it. Highly recommended.

Well now what we have is the follow up to Ragdoll with no Wolf or Detective William Fawkes. With one of the main characters from the first book missing you had to wonder how it would go. Instead you have DCI Emily Baxter to the fore and as a book it is good.
It starts with her having an interview but then jumps back to take you through the events that happened leading up to the interview. Now to be honest you forget about this once the book gets going and wonder why start with it as becomes forgotten.
The real action starts with a body found on the Brooklyn Bridge with bait etched into their torso and the murderer dead but with puppet in their chest. The Americans need a "ragdoll" expert which is Baxter and she is seconded to help the FBI. From here on you get a roller coaster ride which sees murders taking place on both sides of the Atlantic but they all have "bait" or "puppet" on them. The question then becomes who can get these puppets to kill? Someone is pulling the strings so to speak but just who. That is the million dollar question and what Baxter and crew need to work out.
The mayhem and murders increase at quite a pace and to a degree you may think it is a bit unbelievable that some of these happen and that maybe so but it is a book and in the context of the book it works.
The writing is excellent as it has a fast pace to keep you enthralled and wanting to know what happens and it also has some humour and sadness as well. Baxter on her own as the lead character works well enough and you learn a lot about her. She is certainly forthright and blunt to the point of rude and certainly strikes you as someone who doesn't suffer fools gladly.
The book is a definite read, it has the pace of a Simon Kernick novel and an ingenuity of it's own with the way the murders are thought up. A very good second book and you now wonder what his next book will bring.

I would like to thank Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Hangman’, the second in the ‘Ragdoll’ series and written by Daniel Cole, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
When a body is found hanging between cables over Brooklyn Bridge, DCI Emily Baxter of the Metropolitan Police’s Homicide & Serious Crime Squad is seconded to New York to work with Special Agents Curtis and Rouche of the FBI. During Baxter’s time in the US, identical murders are being carried out on both sides of the Atlantic, the victims’ chests branded with the words ‘Puppet’ or ‘Bait’. Baxter and Rouche are brought back to London to continue the hunt for who’s behind the killings.
I didn’t believe Daniel Cole could improve on ‘Ragdoll’ but ‘Hangman’ has surpassed all my expectations. From page one it’s been compulsive reading with my heart rate increasing as the body count rises. It’s tense and action-packed, characters who I’d trust to watch my back, a number of unpleasant suspects, finishing with an unbelievably gruesome ending. This is one of those novels that once started you can’t put down. I can wholeheartedly recommend this thriller and can’t wait for number three!

Oh my this book was awesome!! I read Ragdoll and really enjoyed that so I hoped that this second book would come close to that. It was absolutely brilliant the characters and the little touches of humour when you least expected it, and then of course that ending, I do hope we don't have to wait too long for the third book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced thriller. Gruesome in parts, it raced between both sides of the Atlantic. In fairness, had I already read the first book, some of the references would have made more sense and this would have led me to award 5 stars.

What a thrill! This book grabbed me from the beginning, once I had got my head round the plethora of characters introduced there and it did not let me go until the last page. By the middle, I was tempted to read it behind a cushion and was grateful I was reading the scenes not watching them on a screen. If you are put off by powerful grusome murders I would give this book a miss - it isn't for the squeamish or faint hearted.
All the characters have depth and backstory adding to the plot which is full of complicated, intricate twists. Investigations in UK and America with involvement of fbi and cia not my usual read but the relationships between the three units held my attention. This is not a book to skim read but one to immerse yourself in without giving yourself nightmares.

Hangman is another entertaining if not at times uncomfortable read about another evil serial killer, it has you squirming with disbelief but also believe it or not at times laughing out loud.
Victims are dying in London and New York, enter DCI Emily Baxter now promoted since her role in Ragdoll, she is sent to work with the FBI and CIA to stop this killer who is branding the victims with Bait or Puppet on their chests.
Lots of action, thrills and heart pounding moments, great characters and a worthy successor to Ragdoll.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book.

A fabulous book! Second one after Rag Doll and this one doesn’t disappoint at all. I would recommend reading Rag Doll first and then this one simply as it adds more depth to the characters. Highly recommended!

Hangman is an absolutely brilliant book. It follows on after the events of Ragdoll, and focuses on Emily Baxter as she tries to solve a speight of gruesome murders on both sides of the Atlantic. It is a cracking thriller, fast-paced and gripping, but dark and and funny in parts. Loved it!

Another fantastic instalment in this trilogy with a devilish cliffhanger that leaves you wanting the next book now. This book is action packed and is certainly a page turner and some parts are certainly not for the faint hearted. There are some really strong images in the book and the section in the Church will stick with me for a long time - no spoilers - you will have to read it to find out. In this instalment we get to discover more about the characters and Baxter and her trust issues are explored leaving the reader to doubt the events unfolding. The overall feeling of the book is very cinematic, there are broad descriptions of place but the key aspects are the characters and the plot. Daniel Cole's use of humour is well used and really does bring a smile to the lips. For those who haven't read Ragdoll its not essential to have done so prior to reading Hangman, but it's pretty certain you will want to, and then await the next and final instalment of this trilogy. Hangman - A must read for 2018. #HangmanBook #NetGalley