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

I wish I’d reminded myself of the ins and outs of Ragdoll, as I’d read it so long before this next instalment of the Emily Baxter series. More to reacquaint myself with the main characters. Emily’s demeanour as we first meet her in Hangman, seemed at odds with what I remembered about her and when the book ended, I had to return to the beginning to read it again. It finally made sense.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I did Ragdoll. Daniel Cole has a way of really engaging the reader with his main characters and allowing you to get in their heads, whilst still controlling the flow of information to keep an element of surprise. I would, if I were you, read Ragdoll first. It will ease the way. Will eagerly await the next one.

Firstly this book is not quite as good as Ragdoll was but it's almost impossible that any book could be. However, it is still an outstanding novel In its own thought and could be my read of 2018 in the way that Ragdoll was last year..
Another brilliantly twisted plot with the return of Baxter and Edwards but for me Baxter without Wolf is like bread without butter. Already looking forward to book 3 when hopefully Wolf will return.

Brilliant second book in the William Fawkes series. This was a gripping fast paced thriller set in London and New York. Baxter was back in the second book along with some others and a few new faces.

The book was pretty gruesome in parts and the trust issues Baxter has rubbed off on me and had me questioning all the characters. I loved the development of the characters from the first book, found it really suspenseful.

It was a real page turner and kept me gripped till the end - can’t wait for the next installment

A great book. I loved all this authors books. Highly recommend it, as it was a real page turner. I loved the storyline and the strong characters.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Daniel Cole for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I read Ragdoll last year and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was excited to receive Hangman to review from NetGalley.
Although this follows on from the first book with some of the same characters including Baxter and Edmonds, it is not necessary to have read the earlier book to enjoy this one. Wolf does not feature as he has disappeared but the author introduces several new characters which more than compensates.
DI Emily Baxter is brought in to investigate what appear to be copycat Ragdoll killings. She joins up with FBI agent Curtis and CIA agent Rouche as the murders are happening on both sides of the Atlantic. The book is set in both London and New York and the American agents are great additions to the series. I really liked Rouche with his many hidden secrets which Emily is desparate to uncover. Although he is CIA he is English which seems a bit strange but as the story moves along we gradually learn what motivates him to work for the CIA..
There is a lot of conflict between the Police, The FBI and the CIA, each trying to manage the investigation which probably reflects what happens in the real world when several agencies are involved.
Although they are hunting some very depraved killers there is also humour in the book which serves to relieve the tension. An incident with a spider in a hotel room is very funny.
I loved Emily’s sarcastic wit and attitude- she is a great kick ass heroine. Her friends including Edmonds, the researcher and former trainee are extremely loyal. Edmonds is always available to her and is keen to be part of the investigation even though he is now working for the fraud department.
I felt for Thomas her long suffering boy friend whom she occasionally contacts to inform him she is still alive. He is obviously not at the forefront of her mind.
Some of the story is very bleak and the murders which escalate as the plot moves along are horrific- be warned - but if you like your thrillers dark and action packed this is the novel for you.
The end is a real cliffhanger and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment so please write quickly Daniel Cole!

Ha ha I LOVED this again. Despite the strangely ridiculous storylines both this and Ragdoll are WILDLY entertaining. Everything you want when you like a rather dark edge to your reading but also want to have a giggle. Hangman was very vividly dark, but also occasionally laugh out loud funny. The hotel room and the spider…I’m just saying.

I can’t give it anything less than a highly recommended tag because I banged through it, grasshopper on acid fashion, both laughing and grimacing along the way. Also because that last line…

Anyone waiting to see Wolf again will have to wait a little longer as this one is ALL about Emily (and Rouche who I ADORED) and a rather dastardly plot. The death scenes and “set pieces” in Hangman are brilliantly done, racketing up the tension to the highest degree, interspersed with some genuinely hilarious moments to give you the chance to settle a little before we are off again.

It is often jaw droppingly horrifying, which is something else I love about it, descriptively speaking it hits hard in all the right places. Is it far fetched? Yes obviously a bit, but while you are in it, it feels very very real. It does read like a movie and I hope one day it IS a movie – there’s a scene in a church that would definitely have me watching from behind a cushion and firmly ensconced under my axe proof duvet.

Sometimes you just want to rock along to a book, let the world go and envelop yourself into a rollicking good tale. Daniel Cole writes books that you can rock along to….

So, therefore, Highly Recommended. Not for the faint of heart!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of Hangman, the second novel to feature DCI Emily Baxter.

When a body is found hanging from the Brooklyn Bridge with the word bait etched on his torso and his murderer dead in the water below with the word puppet on his chest certain aspects of the murder bring the Americans in the form of FBI Special Agent Curtis and CIA Special Agent Rouche to London to consult with Emily as the Ragdoll expert. As more murders occur the team find themselves hunting a depraved killer in both London and New York.

I thoroughly enjoyed Hangman which is a fast paced thriller with countless twists and turns. It has a bit of everything with the usual inter-agency in-fighting, a psychopathic depraved killer, thrills, spills, tension and some humourous banter to leaven the violence. Is it plausible? Definitely not but who cares when it's such a compulsive read?

The novel opens with a bruised and battered Emily being interviewed by the FBI. She is her usual spiky self and frustrates them. But why? The novel then flashes back 5 weeks and continues in that timeline as the explanation for the interview unfolds. I found that I had to go back and re-read this opening once I had finished the novel to get all the nuance so I'm not sure that it works 100% as it got a bit lost in all the ensuing action although it is certainly an attention grabber. Once it grabbed my attention the novel didn't let go and I read it in one sitting, wondering what was coming next. The novel ends with a teaser and has already whetted my appetite for the next one. I use the word teaser rather than cliffhanger as Hangman is a complete novel and it will not be necessary to have read it to read the next one. Based on a couple of things the author said in his introduction I read Ragdoll before embarking on Hangman but, while useful for background, it's not actually necessary as many of the salient parts are usefully recapped in a natural way and at no point did I feel that I had read the two novels too closely together. I admire Mr Cole's skill in linking his novels without making them dependent on each other.

DCI Emily Baxter is an interesting protagonist. She is rude, offensive, untrusting and highly effective, mostly by utilising the analytical skills of her ex trainee and close friend DS Alex Edmonds. She also drinks too much. Despite this the few friends she has are incredibly loyal and she comes over as sympathetic. I couldn't help rooting for her.

Hangman is an excellent read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Solid follow up to one of the big books of 2017 by Daniel Cole. He writes in a straightforward and accessible style that helps generate a great pace to the plot, and it kept me guessing right the way to the end. He manages to bring two major settings to life, in London and New York, to throw you right into the middl of the action alongside the characters. Similarly to Ragdoll, it had quite the cinematic feel to it as well, and will translate well onto the screen if the rights are sol.

This is the second book in the book in the ‘Ragdoll’ trilogy and it is as fast paced and stunning as the first book. At times the murders are even more gruesome as in the first book, but you have to keep reading to find out who is the instigator of all the events that unfold in rapid succession, first in America and then in the United Kingdom.
Baxter again plays a pivotal role in this second book with the assistance of other characters, some new and some whom we have met before. I thought at first that the author Daniel Cole couldn’t keep up the fast pace of events that were in the first book but I was soon totally engrossed in the Hangman.
I can’t wait to read the last book in the trilogy and there are not many writers who can capture a readers attention and make them want to read the next book with anticipation. Highly recommended.