Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Ragdoll - Daniel Cole

Ragdoll is Daniel Cole's first novel - and what a heck of a lead off book!

Our introduction to Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes is through a shocking courtroom prologue. Well, with my interest definitely piqued,  I quickly turned to the first chapter - and that was even more shocking. Wolf is called out to a murder - and here's the thing - it's not one body. It's six body parts - sewn together. And the killer seems to be sending a message to Wolf......

Many times a book can be deemed character or plot driven. Ragdoll is definitely plot driven with lots and lots of action. But the characters were just as well developed and important. This is the first book in a series, so the groundwork is being laid. Honestly, I really enjoyed each character - from the rash, unpredictable, unstable Wolf to the supporting cast. That cast includes Emily - a detective with anger and hostility issues. Wolf's ex wife Andrea - a television news reporter who believes the story is everything and she'll do anything to get it. Finlay is the old man on the team with only two years left 'til retirement. But I have to say my favourite was Edmunds - the newbie on the team. He's overlooked, undervalued, but tenacious.

Cole's plotting kept me completely off balance throughout the book. There was no way to imagine where the story was going to go. There were so many possibilities presented for whodunit.I cannot tell you how much I appreciate being surprised by an author. There may be a few instances that I thought things were a wee bit far-fetched. But in no way did this detract from my rapid turning of pages. You'll also find some great gallows humour sprinkled throughout the book.

Fair warning to gentle readers - this book is probably not for you. Crime fans like myself - an excellent read! See for yourself  - read an excerpt of Ragdoll.

Entertaining, page turning and addictive? Check. Looking forward to the next in the Detective William Fawkes series? Absolutely. Ragdoll has been translated into over 30 languages and production rights have been snapped. Crime fans, put this on your must read list.

I loved this bit from Cole's bio: "At 33 years old, Daniel Cole has worked as a paramedic, an Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officer and most recently for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, driven by an intrinsic need to save people or perhaps just a guilty conscience about the number of characters he kills off in his writing." You can follow Daniel Cole on Twitter.

I received this book from HarperCollins Canada for review.

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