This was a very complex murder mystery that was totally absorbing. Some great characterisations and a fast moving storyline. Some gory details, not for the faint-hearted. The story climbs rapidly to the climax which was something else entirely!!

A gripping police investigation story.

The book starts with a short prologue. A jury is giving its verdict in a murder trial in London. It then transports us forward 4 years to another gruesome murder. A body is discovered in a flat, composed of the dismembered parts of six different victims stitched together.

Detective William (Wolf) Fawkes and his partner, Detective Emily Baxter, are assigned to the case. Not only do they have to identify the six victims, they also have to find the killer.
Added to this mix is the fact that Fawkes’ ex-wife is a TV news reporter and has been given a hit-list of future victims, together with their murder dates. The investigation must take place under the glare of the TV spotlight.

This was a gripping book. Some of the characters we meet appear too awful to be true but they all perform true to form, from the vain and self-centred TV producer to the long suffering wife of a young detective. Mr Cole has nailed the personalities and weaved them into the storyline effortlessly.

I was a little thrown when, quite a way into the book, the author time-shifts suddenly but I soon understood his motive and was able to absorb and park that snippet of information for future use later in the book.

Is Wolf hero or villain? You need to read the book to find out.

The only mistake I could find in the book, and I was not looking for any and was sorry when I found it, is that Hyderabad was quoted as being in Helmand province, Afghanistan. There are two Hyderabad’s, one in India and one in Pakistan but none that I could find in Helmand.

I understand that it is the author’s first novel. If so, I look forward to future instalments, either in this series or other subjects. He is a talented storyteller and kept me absorbed from first to last. Well worth a 4 star rating.

Mr Bumblebee

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

I wasn't sure what to expect when starting this - I've seen so many amazing reviews that, before I began, I was wondering if it can live up to them all?...

It definitely does!

This is a fast-paced, punchy crime novel that hits just the right notes - humorous (at times making me really laugh out loud) without being too obvious; dark and with plenty of gory detail without being gratuitous; full of action without overdoing it; and - to top it off - really well-written!

The characters are likeable and make you want to read more about them. Wolfe has his own problems and flaws but seems very sharp even whilst his life seems to be falling apart, whilst Baxter is just great - a strong, willfull female sidekick that doubles as a lead character in her own right, really - I enjoyed reading about her just as much as Wolfe. I loved trainee Police Officer, Edmunds, as well, and felt so sorry for him at times. All the characters seemed pretty well-rounded and convincing in their own ways, although some were a lot less likeable than others!

The story manages to be fast paced without losing the reader in a flurry of Police language and action. The quick comebacks and humour from Wolfe only add to the snappiness of this novel, giving it a fresher, more sophisticated feel. It's got surprises aplenty and it certainly consumed me from start to finish!

Eagerly anticipating Daniel Cole's next in the series already!

4.5* from me. The Ragdoll Killer is on the loose. It's hot news and everyone is talking about it.
Prior to reading, I'd heard a lot about this book and am generally quite sceptical in these situations but it certainly lived up to what was being said and written about it. This was one roller coaster of a read & you won't be disappointed when you read it.
My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I'm sure that this book will be a hit, judging by the pre-publication enthusiasm and hype and I wish the new author well. But I'm afraid it really wasn't for me - the mix of black humour and gore didn't work for me, and I didn't find the central character - Wolf - or any of the others, sufficiently engaging to hold my interest. I was relieved to finish it.

This reminds me of the human centipede which I refused to watch but have been told by friends what it is about. It's brilliant! Disturbing, heart-racing, inspired by the popular TV show 24's countdown to track the murderer while trying to protect the future victims. I used to watch 24 so I could hear the countdown in my head.

Wolfe, the main character, is a lunatic but one you can't help loving him and his flaws. Like any decent crime novel Ragdoll has the humour, excellent murder mystery and heart pumping countdown. Ragdoll however, is not just decent but exceptional to read. You feel yourself finding an attachment to each of the different characters who have their own background story and shape Ragdoll.

Without a doubt I can guarantee any crime fans will be positively hooked by what I predict to be an absolute bestseller. Ragdoll has only JUST been published and I'm already excited for book 2 in the series.

Not long after being reinstated by the Met, Detective William Fawkes (known as Wolf) is called to investigate a grisly crime. The body parts of six victims have been stitched together to make one 'ragdoll' victim. Not only do the team have to identify the victims but they must also prevent the killer from murdering six further targets.

The black humour in this novel shines through from the outset, there's a lightness of touch in the writing that I found really enjoyable and absorbing. The tone also prevents the graphic and grisly murders from being too horrific. Wolf is a flawed hero and yet I found him very sympathetic; the relationship with his journalist ex-wife and his fellow Detective, Baxter, added another interesting dimension.

It's rare amongst the (many) crime novels I've read that you get a great characters AND great plot but Ragdoll managed to deliver.

Honestly do yourself a big favour and read this book, quality from the opening page to the last line bestseller written all over it.

Netgalley always asks for an honest review. Most of the time that's easy because I tend to love books! Unfortunately, in this case I really didn't.

Ragdoll by Daniel Cole has a great review score on Goodreads and even had a write up in Writers Magazine which made me really excited to read this. However, I was somewhat disappointed.



Ragdoll focuses on a team of misfit police officers working for Scotland Yard. There's William 'wolf' Fawkes who spent time in an psychiatric hospital after an incident in a court room. Detective Baxter as well as harbouring a secret crush on Wolf is hiding other secrets which would threaten her job, while Edmunds a transfer from fraud is trying to prove himself by digging into things that someone doesn't want looking at.

Meanwhile there's a killer on the loose and Wolf is revealed as one of his next victims.

Sounds great doesn't it? Unfortunately, it wasn't.

The writing was mediocre at best, Cole originally wrote Ragdoll as a script and it shows. The characters are all dysfunctional and have no seeming basis in reality. I didn't find the plot very interesting at all there were no feelings of suspense or desire to race through the pages. Instead I felt myself skipping some of the flat, boring paragraphs.



There were a lot of cliches and some things which didn't even seem very realistic like news anchors showing pictures of mutilated dead bodies and footage of people being murdered on live television which just wouldn't happen in real life. All in all I'm afraid I couldn't recommend this book.

For once a book that lives up to the hype. Gruesome, original, fast paced and shocking this is one hell of a read. Like a lot of crime novels it starts with a murder but this isn't your average dead body. Six different victims have been gruesomely combined and left pointing through the window of Detective William Fawkes. What links the victims? and how is Detective Wolf involved?
I promise you won't be able to put the book down until you know. Wolf is a great character but he is supported by a cast of well rounded, interesting colleagues and I simply loved the whole 'urban legend' aspect of the crime. One of my books of the year .... and it's only January.

Ragdoll's opening scene is intended to not just grab your attention but to leave you shocked and somewhat disturbed. And it certainly achieves that, with gruesome descriptions of body parts from six victims connected together to form a 'ragdoll'.

With its macabre deaths (graphic in places) and a very dark multi-layered plot, Ragdoll isn't for the faint-hearted. It's cleverly plotted, with a passionate yet damaged detective and a cat and mouse game to save lives. The twists and turns keep on coming, right until the bitter end. I admit that certain aspects of the plot were a little far-fetched for me, but I just had to go with the flow. To be honest, there was little time to breathe, let alone think. You can tell that the author's background involves script writing.

I love crime fiction dripping with humour, horror and unpredictability. I like to be frightened, challenged and wowed. Ragdoll ticked all the boxes. A gripping, intriguing and fast paced rollercoaster ride, this book certainly doesn't read like a debut.

This is the first in a series, and I definitely want to know what's next!

I received an Advance Reader Copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc.
I had been a bit wary about reading this as I thought it sounded a bit too gruesome, but it wasn't that bad! Great story and an original idea, very clever! I loved the characterisation, they were all so well written and realistic, each character has it's own backstory and the reader is given enough of an insight into their personality to really bring them to life. The TV battle for ratings was uncomfortably real too! I have to admit I got slightly confused in the last 25% or so of the book, and I did have to reread it a couple of times, but that is my fault - you do need to concentrate! Great read, highly recommend.

Superior serial killer thriller. Beautifully written and plotted with a terrific cast of characters, lots of black humour and enough violence to fill more than one book. The plot involves a rugged, if slightly unhinged, detective's pursuit of a serial killer who has issued a hit list, complete with names and dates of predicted demise, to the detective's journalist ex - wife. Inevitably, the list enters the public domain and the story revolves around police efforts as they try to protect the intended victims. This is smart, funny and gruesome in equal measure and the author has some fun with sideswipes at the media , police beurocracy and the British public's fascination with celebrity. So make the effort to read this book and yes, the conclusion is a bit lurid, but that's a small quibble about a terrific read.

I don't read much in the genre of crime or thriller, but every now and then a synopsis grabs my attention. I was very happy to be approved to read this before its general release, and as a reader who is relatively new to the genre, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Lots of POVs, which won't be to everyone's taste but that doesn't bother me normally. This is a fast-paced read with plenty of action and some quite inventive deaths.

My only negatives is that the characterisations of some could have been expanded a bit more (namely Edmunds and Baxter). I liked these two characters but they were quite bland in their back stories and I feel are worthy of more. Also, and this really is a personal niggle for me, I was expecting the deaths to be a tad more gruesome and descriptive (or perhaps I just read, and watch, a lot of horror and sci-fi and have become desensitised)

Good book and well written.

Brilliant title, well worth the read.

Thanks for the advanced copy

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this dark, psychological thriller. So many twists and characters you can really get involved with.
The plot moves along at such a pace that it's a little hard to keep track at times but this doesn't really detract from the story.
I think this is a very good debut novel, my reason for only giving four stars is because it does stretch credibility at times and I did find myself thinking, that could never happen towards the end. But if you go with it it's a real page turner and I can recommend it to anyone who likes their thrillers gory!
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this arc.

A wild,undisciplined detective and a body made up of six different bodies...all the makings of a good murder mystery but it did not work for me. Too many characters, too many unbelievable twists and turns. Its a fast moving story and despite the unbelievability of the tale once started one wants to find out who is behind such chilling murders. I cannot help thinking that the story would work better as a film than as a book.

I struggled a little to get into the book but once I did, it was compulsive reading. Started and finished in one sitting, I couldn't let sleep get in the way! Excellent. Will look for more by this author.

I’d heard a fair bit of rumbling about Ragdoll before I read it, all of it positive but I had avoided reading too much about it as I do like to avoid the hype and building my expectations too high.

I loved how Ragdoll started. The author, Daniel Cole, told us how the book had come about. He told us about years of knockbacks and rejections and how he wrote many, many, short stories. But one story stayed with him and he decided to turn it into a book. And that book is Ragdoll.

Reading Ragdoll reminded me of books that I used to read, real proper police procedural, crime books. A bit like Patricia Cornwell in the early days when her books were gripping and wonderful to read. I loved so much about this book! The crime that kicks it off is suitably gruesome and unpleasant and as the police try to untangle the crime and who is behind it suspicion turns to one of their own, pulling the team apart and making them question everything.

The way that the story unfolds with a time pressure with lives at stake makes it a gripping read, who will survive? Will the police catch the killer in time? Who can they trust?

The writing was good and solid, the characters were really well developed and interesting, everyone gave something to the story. And they are characters that I’d very much like to read about again, and soon. It would appear that this book is the first in a new detective series which makes me very happy, I cannot wait to find out what happens to detective William Faulks next! If this is the author’s debut book then we are surely in for an outstanding series.

I’m trying hard not to give too much away, but if you like crime books then read this. I am sure that you won’t be disappointed. Seriously, this is without a doubt one of the best crime books that I have read and I am now waiting (im)patiently for part two.

I received a copy of Ragdoll from the publishers via Netgalley but was under no obligation to review it.

On one of my numerous potential book trawls, I saw this on the list for the most anticipated books of 2017. I can see why. Ragdoll had echoes of Mark Billingham mixed in with the novels of Chris Carter. It was gritty, well-crafted and just oozed tension and thrills.

There is this tenderness in the relationship between 'Wolf' and Emily which adds a sense of lightness to the book. And it was this, coupled with the highlights of humour that lifted it to the dizzy heights of a 'Must Read' recommendation.

The story itself is great, from the beginning the pace is there, steadily building without ever rushing. I mean there's six potential victims to save, in addition to finding out who makes up the actual 'ragdoll' discovered at the start of the book. That's a lot to be packed into one story, but it's done with such real skill that it's hard to believe that this is Cole's debut novel.

This is such a superb read, I savoured each delicious word of it. Ragdoll is published on 23rd February 2017 - mark it on your calendar and clear your schedule. This is going to be a huge hit.

My full review can be found on my blog and goodreads.