I have come to the conclusion this series is one of the best I have read in a very long time. The characters are well thought out and the storylines believable. I love the pace of the books and how they are all interlinked with each other. I would heartily recommend these books and just to be sure the ending of this one was for once a totally satisfying conclusion. Note to Daniel Cole thank you so much for a wonderful trilogy and allowing me a few hours of total escapism, your books are amazing.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of Endgame, the third novel in the Ragdoll trilogy.

DS William ‘Wolf’ Fawkes gives up life on the run when his close friend former DS Finlay Shaw is found dead in a locked room with a gunshot wound to the head and the gun beside him. Wolf refuses to accept the official verdict of suicide and insists it was murder. He is given five days to prove his theory.

I thoroughly enjoyed Endgame even though it is a totally different novel to its predecessors. For a start it has nothing to do with the Ragdoll killer but instead pits the Ragdoll team against a very different opponent. It is also a different kind of novel being less violent and sensational and more traditionally a police procedural, if this is possible when all the main characters have a serious aversion to said procedure. Nevertheless it is still an excellent read with plenty of twists and a vein of humour running through it.

The novel has two timelines contrasting events from Finlay’s life between 1979 and 2009 and present day events. It works well as the reader tries to find the relevance of these events to Finlay’s death. I think the smarter readers, which don’t include me, may find it overly informative by allowing them to guess certain turns ahead of time whereas I was left puzzled until the author revealed their relevance. The novel is also told from various points of view but as they are all from the police side it serves to give the reader a wider perspective rather than offering a choppy read.

I would stress that this trilogy should be read in order and fairly close together to give the reader continuity. It is a long time and hundreds of other novels since I read Hangman so the detail has slipped my memory. The author has said that he’s not in the business of reprising his previous novels so I got a bit lost in where all the characters and their backstories fit together. I would have benefited largely from a “story so far” summary at the beginning of this one which would keep series readers up to date and inform their read while allowing newcomers to skip it if the want to go back to them at a later date. Having said this the novel does work as a stand alone, if you don’t mind a little confusion on the characters and their history. 4* rather than 5* for this touch of confusion.

Endgame is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Ah ... William 'Wolf' Fawkes. How I have missed you. Not that I didn't enjoy book two and the brilliant combination of Baxter and Rouche, but there is some unfinished business between Wolf and Baxter that I was really intrigued to see play out. And play out it does, in the usual maddening and thoroughly enjoyable style.

Yes folks, Wolf is back and once again he is bringing trouble to Baxter's door. Not that she doesn't have enough heaped there already, but that's a slightly different story ... Wolf has returned to face his dues, but on the understanding that he also gets to look into the death of his former mentor, Finlay, who was believed to have committed suicide. Something about this fails to ring true for Wolf, or for Baxter is she was being honest, and he is determined to find out what really happened. Only Finlay was in a room, sealed from the inside with no other routes for escape, cause of death a single gunshot wound to the head. An open and shut case then ...

Well, lets face it. That would make for a very short book. And nothing that involves Wolf is ever that straightforward. And whilst the death of Finlay forms the central thread of the novel, it is far from being the full story. With action moving from the present day investigation to the earlier days of Finlay's career where his fate was soon to be sealed, along with the cementing of his love for his yet -to-be-wife Maggie, there are a number of secrets set to be revealed that will shock both his fictional colleagues and the loyal reader alike.

Now if you have come here looking for the same level of gore and violence and the preceding books, you may well be disappointed. This book contains more humour, in site of a difficult storyline, but it is much more of a who or rather how-dunnit read. It is a straight forward locked room mystery, or as straight forward as a case involving Wolf can ever be. Add into this some amusing scenes as Edmunds gets to grips with his new career as a private investigator, and a few potentially career ending decisions by Baxter, and you have a very engaging, sometimes fun, sometimes emotional, read.

I love the characters in this book, love the dynamic between Baxter and Wolf. Wolf is far from a popular character, with Maggie seemingly the only person happy to see him. His ability to rub folk up the wrong way hasn't dulled in the time he has been missing, and it makes for a much more entertaining read as a result. I have loved getting to know a few of the other characters more too, some of them often surprising me by their actions and forming the most unlikely of alliances to see justice done. Whether true justice is something that ever has a place within this trilogy ... well you need to read to find out.

The book pulls together a lot of unresolved plotlines making this a perfect place to bring the series to a close. Or does it? Expect the unexpected, plenty of dark humour, even moments that will make you chortle out loud - they certainly did me - as well as plenty of emotion. it was great to see Wolf back, being his unconventional, unpredictable self, as well as seeing the conflict, emotional and metaphorical, between him and Baxter. I am only sad that the series has come to an end as I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Recommended for fans of the series.

Endgame is the third and final book in the Ragdoll Trilogy written by Daniel Cole and will be published by Trapeze Books in hardcover, audio and ebook formats later this week on 5th September (with the paperback to follow in January 2020). I received a free eARC of Endgame from NetGalley but that has in no way influenced my review.

I am a huge fan of this author’s books. I really liked Ragdoll. I LOVED the second book, Hangman. And knowing this was a trilogy I was very keen to read book three. But also a little nervous too. What if it wasn’t as good as the first two books? What if a series I felt quite invested in didn’t deliver? What if it wasn’t all rounded-off perfectly and I was left feeling completely let down and dissatisfied? No pressure there then 😬! Excited but apprehensive. I needn’t have worried, this is an absolute blinder of a book and I loved it.

The first thing I must say is I can’t quite see this book working unless you have read the first and second books in the trilogy. There is a lot going on and an awful lot of history here which the author alludes to but doesn’t really go into any detail about. This is an exceptionally good set of books though so you’d be daft to not want to start at book one and see the journey with Wolf, Emily Baxter, Edmunds and the team through to the very end.

When the team’s loved and respected colleague, DS Finlay Shaw, is found in a locked room having allegedly committed suicide the team are devastated. Despite being one of London’s ‘most wanted’, Wolf makes an emotional return to grieve the loss of his friend and mentor…only to be arrested! But Wolf’s gift of the gab and his promise to dish the dirt on a notorious international criminal means he’s permitted to join the investigation into Shaw’s death, but with certain caveats in place (a curfew for example, which involves spending every night under lock and key at the local police station). Because the people who knew and loved Finlay Shaw the most don’t think he would have killed himself. But will the team’s digging into Shaw’s past lead them to discover something they’d rather not know…

I loved this book, I think I’ve said that before. But it’s true so it bears repeating. It’s a fitting end to a wonderful trilogy of books and I’ll be sad to say goodbye to these characters (but who knows what the future holds). I’ll be honest here, I wasn’t all that sure about Wolf and Emily after reading the first book. But oh my gosh, how my opinion has changed. The banter and familiarity between all the team (including ‘Lab Guy’) is just wonderful and really drew me into the story. The dark humour made me laugh out loud at points and at other points I found myself holding my breath.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. But as I mentioned, it’s probably better to start with book one and make your way through the series in order. It’s a wonderful conclusion to a brilliant trilogy and no matter what Daniel Cole writes next, I will be making a point of reading it. I probably would have preferred a slightly ‘less perfect’ ending, something to appeal to my darker side, but that’s just me. Other readers will find the ending fitting and it finishes our time with these characters off nicely. A real page-turner of a novel with lots of really clever, laugh out loud moments. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Endgame. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Having read the first two books in this trilogy I was delighted to be given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. It certainly didn’t disappoint, disgraced Detective William ‘Wolf’ Fawkes is Back after disappearing for 18 months. He returns after he hearing, his mentor and friend retired officer Finlay Shaw is dead and it has been ruled as a suicide. Despite the fact that Fin was found in a locked, sealed room all done from the inside, all windows locked with no way in or out, holding a gun and shot. Wolf still refuses to believe his friend would commit suicide, he loved his wife Maggie too much to do that to her.

.This book brings back the whole team for the final instalment. DCI Emily Baxter, Alex Edmunds now a Private’s Investigator, Police Commissioner Christian Bellamy, who was once Fins partner and close friend, Jake Saunders and of course Wolf himself. They start looking through Fins life to see who, if anyone killed Fin their friend and partner. Going back to 1979, delving into Fin’s background, looking at a warehouse fire, and a big drug bust that led to both Christian and Fin becoming front page news, with a famous photo of the two of them. We learn how Fin met his wife Maggie, who he fell in love with at first sight. There are times the team find things that make it look likely that Fin did take his own life, leaving the team deflated, then something else that reaffirms Wolf’s suspicion that his friend was murdered. So it leaves you not sure which way the story will go.

Relationships are scrutinised Andrea Hall celebrity news reporter and Wolf’s ex wife, along with Wolf’s history with Baxter who has tried to move on, after Wolf had disappeared for the previous eighteen months. But Wolf makes things difficult for Baxter, being the complicated soul he is. Andrea tried to make amends for her behaviour during previous cases she reported on, and actually comes to help the team.

Unsurprisingly Wolf is arrested, but he has information regarding a wanted drug lord which he uses as a bargaining chip with the very ambitious Commander Geena Vanita, who actually would like to put Wolf away for good, but she agrees to let him work on investigating Fins death, although he does have to check into the police station every night and sleep in a cell.

So did Fin kill himself or was he murdered? If it was murder how did the killer get out of a room locked and sealed from the inside? What secrets will come out from the past? Will all the loose ends from the previous two books be tied up?

Daniel Cole has expertly written a brilliant final part to this trilogy, I think if you haven’t read the first two books in this series you really should get them before reading this one, some books can be read as stand alone but for this I think there are a lot of references throughout the book to previous incidents that may not make sense without the knowledge you get from Ragdoll and Hangman, I mean you wouldn’t watch the last episode of a series before watching the first so it makes sense to start at the beginning. But obviously that is just my opinion. It could be read as a stand-alone book but some bits will be a little confusing.

If you are looking for a cozy mystery crime series these are not the books for you, but if you like your crime stories a little more gritty and gruesome then you won’t be disappointed. This trilogy is so well thought out and written.

This book is filled with high paced action and suspense, it certainly keeps you on your toes. But not only do you have that suspense but there is cleverly written black humour and even some slapstick humour that just works. I am hoping we may see some of the characters in more novels by Mr Cole, I highly recommend that you go out now and buy all three of these books and you certainly won’t be disappointed.

A great read that brings us a fantastic ending to Ragdoll and Hangman.
Wolf (Will Fawkes) is back after the death of a close friend and is soon arrested.
Baxter is shocked to see Wolf and annoyed that he hasn’t been in touch while he was away.
It soon comes to light that Wolf has been working on another case and tries to do a deal to keep him out of prison.
Wolf is allowed some time to investigate his friend’s death and Baxter and Edmunds are on hand to help as they knew him too.
When something is discovered in the room Finlay died, the investigation takes on a new angle.
This is an addictive page turner that had me hooked throughout the book.
I’ve loved reading about these characters and hope there’s going to be more with them in.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow what a fantastic end to a superb trilogy. Book 3 in the Ragdoll series has it all, gripping, suspenseful, with great characters, good tense unexpected twists and some very witty parts throughout, for me it was unputdownable.

When long time close friend and colleague of the team, Finlay, commits suicide, they are convinced it is a staged scene and that he was actually murdered. However thinking that and proving it are two very different things.

This book takes a different approach to the Ragdoll story. It's less frantic and serial killer crazy than the first two books, but no less gripping, focusing more on the characters and a great back story.

Love it and loved the whole series 5/5*

Wowsers! What a brilliant conclusion to a great series. I've really enjoyed the way that this has been written, the author has a really creative approach and it's a nice change. Looking forward to seeing where he takes the characters next.

Wow I can’t believe that was the last one of the Ragdoll trilogy 😢 The team are back but this time they are looking into the possible suicide of friend and ex colleague Finlay Shaw. Disgraced detective Will Fawkes will not believe his mentor would ever do such a thing and starts trying to find proof he was murdered.

It was a nice end to the series, nowhere near as crazy and serial killer fuelled as the first two books but very enjoyable and with some very good twists.

This is the last book in the trilogy. First there was Rag doll, then came The Hangman which were fantastic and both awarded five stars and now we come to this book. First of all if you haven't read the previous books why not? Where have you been? I promise you will not be disappointed.
A detective if found dead in a locked room with a gun by his side suicide?. Wolf has other ideas and with the help of Baxter and his motley crew they need to find out who and Why? This book had me laughing out loud especially with the artists impression. The one liners are priceless and the banter hilarious. As I would expect from this author the storyline was brilliant and gripping. This is another five star read. These books are full of humour,action,tension and suspense. Heart in your moth moments and in places not for the squeamish. I love this author and his books and can't wait to read where he goes next. An easy five stars and so Highly Recommended.
I would like to thank the author, Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Fawkes is back with a bang and it couldn’t be any better than it is!!! Wolf is definitely what was missing from Hangman for me, he adds an edge, and a touch of badassery to the story. His chemistry with Baxter is still there, it still leaves me with all the hope in the world for them, especially after the ending. And I really hope this is not the ending for them, even Daniel Cole says in the Author’s Note, Is It the end?

The story jumps from 2016 to 1979, we get backstory, we get reasons, we get action. It all works for me, and I devoured every page from both years. The beginning started slowly for me, but the further into the book I got, I couldn’t read it quick enough. I was excited to get the backstory, and what was happening then and in the now part. Nothing was left out, and it was spectacular and shocking!!

As with the previous two books, the writing style is gripping, and leaves you wanting more and more. It keeps you guessing. Even when you’ve got all the answers, we’re left with Will They Get Away With It?? I was left with a feeling of justice served. I’m glad we got an ending with Rouche from Hangman as well; things were never tied up in the book and in this one we get some sort of closure.

There is enough action in this book to keep you on the edge of your seat. There are heart racing moment, gasping moments, and moments that make you think that all is not lost in the world.

Overall thoughts? I loved it. I’m glad we got an ending to the Ragdoll trilogy that does the whole series proud. There was not a moment I didn’t really like. There are plenty of moments that I loved, and I really do hope that this is not the last we ever see of Baxter and Fawkes.

Definitely an intriguing story.
Going back and forward in a 40 years time, we discover many long forgotten and hidden secrets of the two old friends and colleagues.
Not everything is what it seems and with a few twists and turns, this book managed to keep me on the edge because I thought I knew what was happening or how it all finish but I was definitely wrong.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review to the publisher, NetGalley and author.

Endgame the third book in the Ragdoll series is a brilliant jaw dropping read and my absolute favourite. The characters are all wonderful and jump off the page with their wit and sparky dialogue, the humour in this book is dry sarcastic but above all.....bloody funny.
The plot line is tight going back at times to the late 1970’s where we learn of Finley and Christians start as police officers in Glasgow.
Back in the present Finley has committed suicide, but despite there being no signs of foul play his long time friend Wolf is determined to prove otherwise knowing Finlay would never do such a thing as leave his beloved wife Maggie. As the investigation progresses all manner of things are slowly revealed leading to a shocking conclusion.
Wolf as ever remains a wonderful character as do Baxter, Edmonds and Saunders.
An engrossing so well written book, if you haven’t read the other two.....boy are you in for a treat.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

A cracking thriller laced with some fantastic twists throughout the book! It’s not just your average locked in a room mystery, it’s takes readers back in time to a secret going back 40 years! I would definitely recommend this book to read! Thanks to Netgalley for ARC

A really good finish to this trilogy. Strong characters and a great plot. Definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I loved the premise of the book, a retired cop Finlay Shaw was found dead in a sealed room, locked from inside with a gunshot wound. A suicide it was presumed. Detective Wolf Fawkes thought otherwise, was called to investigate his friend's death.

My first book by author Daniel Cole, I went in blind, not knowing this was the third in the series. Having not read the first two, I was at a distinct disadvantage in understanding the subtle politics and the past skirmishes between the various characters. The author too did not give me any hint of the past two books. But I treated the story as a murder investigation and ignored the subtle byplay which happened in the sidelines.

Dark humor adorned the story, tight plot marked the pages, the twists and turns brought the past of these cops to light. A banger of a story, this book was fast paced where the author's writing showed his mastery over words. He kept the information about the past flowing into the present under a tight leash making it an edge of the seat kind of a story.

The characters seemed strong yet flawed so they became real over the course of the chapters. Action interspersed, the tension in the scenes raised the pressure right up to the very end. Needing to get to the killer was not only Wolf's aim, but it soon became mine. Turning the pages was the target. A high riding crime thriller, I would say!!

I loved the first two books in this series so I was eager to get reading Endgame, and I wasn’t disappointed. It is fast paced, dark, witty and engaging. It was fantastic to catch up with the characters after the events of the last book, and I’m quite sad to see this being the end of it too! Highly recommended!

This is the third book in the Ragdoll trilogy and it is useful to have read the first two books to fully appreciate this one.
Detective Wolf makes a comeback in Endgame- he appears at the beginning of the book to comfort Maggie, the widow of a recently retired colleague, Finlay.
Fin has been found dead in a locked room and his death has been ruled a suicide. Neither Wolf nor his colleagues, Baxter and Edmunds believe that Fin would have committed suicide so they set out to investigate the death. Wolf is wanted for previous wrong doings and his superiors give him a short time to look into Fin’s death.
There is an ongoing situation between Emily Baxter and Wolf- they both obviously have feelings for each other. Both are slightly flawed characters but it is obvious to the reader that they belong together. I felt sorry for Baxter’s long suffering boyfriend Thomas who is nice and kind but really does not set Baxter on fire!
There is also a follow on from the previous book with CIA Agent Rouche hiding out, trying to avoid capture.
I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t as gory as the previous two, it was more of a mystery. I liked the flashbacks to when Fin and Christian were young detectives in Scotland which eventually explained what had happened in the present.
Although this book tied up a lot of loose ends I am hoping it will not be the last one in the series and that the trilogy will stretch to something more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Daniel Cole concludes his Ragdoll trilogy with this scorcher of a finale, a twisted locked room mystery and the tying up of ends from the previous two books. To get the most from this addition, you are going to have to go back to the beginning, otherwise you will be bewildered by the numerous references to previous events and the back stories of the main characters. One of the major highlights of this trilogy are its intrinsic comic elements, from the blackest humour to the slapstick. Retired police officer, Finlay Shaw has been found shot dead, with a gun by his side, in his home in a locked room, in what looks like a obvious suicide. Disgraced Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes is back, Shaw was his beloved mentor and his gut instincts are telling him there is no way Fin would kill himself, for starters he would never do that to his adored wife, Maggie.
Unsurprisingly Wolf is arrested, but Wolf has information on a wanted drug lord to bargain with despite his ambitious Commander Geena Vanita's desire to put him away for good.

Five past and present cops, Wolf, Alex Edmunds, now a private investigator, DCI Emily Baxter, still in a bad way, a woman with secrets, Police Commissioner Christian Bellamy, once Fin's police partner, still his close friend, and Jake Saunders begin to poke into Fin's past, where they believe the answer to his death lies. Their focus takes them back to Glasgow in 1979, a warehouse fire and drug bust that made heroes of Christian and Fin, resulting in a front page splash with the famous photograph of the pair. They are to find the past is far from dead and buried, there are powerful forces determined to ensure the past does not come to light, with danger swirling close to the team. Relationships come under the spotlight, Wolf's fraught history with Emily, whilst his ex-wife, celebrity reporter Andrea Hall is looking to make amends for her past behaviour and plays a critical role in the case. With a narrative that includes the man that would not die, a wanted agent ending up in prison and betrayal, it all culminates in a unforgettable thrilling twisted finale.

If you enjoy explosive fast paced, well plotted, twisted and inventive crime thrillers with charismatic, flawed and fascinating protagonists then this vibrant, well written and imaginative trilogy is a must read. Daniel Cole gives the strongest of hints that he has the bones of an idea that will continue the series beyond this particularly trilogy, news which I am overjoyed to hear. Moreover, I think the trilogy would make for a brilliant TV series, with the right director and actors. This is a fabulously entertaining read, full of action, with brilliant characterisation that takes the reader on one hell of a thrill ride. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

I've been waiting to complete this trilogy for so long that, pretty much as soon as I got my hands on this book, it went to the top of my tbr. As with all trilogies, it is intrinsically linked to its two predecessors, Ragdoll and Hangman so, do yourself a favour and read these two first. It could at a push be read as a standalone but I think you will be missing out on a lot of key background if you do. Another thing to note that, although this completes the trilogy, the series will continue further. This is something I am really pleased about as there are some cracking characters in it that I am not ready to leave behind yet.
We start with a locked room mystery. Retired police officer Finlay Shaw is found dead in an apparent suicide, the locked room kind of gives that away. William "Wolf" Fawkes is however not convinced and comes out of hiding to prove it. Hiding isn't quite the right word, coming in from being "on the run" covers it better. But he's arrested. But he has a bargaining chip and long, spoiler free story short, manages to get in on the investigation. And what an investigation it all turns out to be! As the team delves back into the deep past to try and figure things out, what they start to find shocks them to their core. But they soon realise that their newfound knowledge is without power as they struggle to find actual evidence, scuppered at every turn by a very clever baddie.
And throughout all this, there is some of the best humour I have experienced in a book of this genre. I have to admit to laughing out loud on many occasions with those around me confused at the genre of book I was claiming to read!
Plotting is, as always, sublime and so very clever. There are also so many memory links to what has gone before in the previous two books - see I told you that you need to read them first! And all the loose ends are tied up satisfactorily.
Wolf is, once again, teamed up with Emily Baxter and to say that they have history would be as much of an understatement as saying that their relationship is fractious. But they still have a sort of mutual respect and manage to rub along (you'll see what I did there when you have read the book) quite well.
All (most) of the rest of the gang reunite in this book and the way that the author has developed and, sometimes, redeveloped his characters throughout the trilogy has been nothing short of excellent. It'll definitely be interesting to see what happens next for those who are left at the end!
All in all, a cracking ending to a fantastic trilogy. A book that I will also get in Audible when it comes out to go with the two I already have and I've already planned my marathon re-listen session. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.