I finished this book relatively quickly, although I'm not sure why. It definitely had enough going on to keep you reading, but I didn't find myself in the edge of my seat. I struggled with the odd section of writing whereby I failed to understand it, and all the history lost me on the odd occasion. I've read Daniel's other books and I have to say I preferred them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mimic, even if it took me a while to get to reading it!

Following the same case, almost a decade apart, DS/DI Benjamin Chambers and DC Adam Winter tail a serial killer with some sadistic, yet artistic flair.

The descriptive visuals are beautiful, the dialogue is lifelike and you can invest in the characters.

I struggled with the pacing at times, and at one point had to reread a couple of pages towards the end to make sure I had the right end of the stick. However, it drew me in and I still read the whole book in a single sitting on a train.

I look forward to whatever Daniel Cole writes next - if this is anything to go by, it'll be excellent.

The only other novel that I've read by Daniel Cole, to date, is Ragdoll, which I really enjoyed and I have a massive soft spot for serial killer thrillers, so I had to give Mimic a go.

In 1989, a young man is found on a plinth in the middle of a park in the middle of a snowstorm. A mother and son are also found dead a few days later. They are seemingly unrelated to the first, until DI Ben Chambers realises that they have an eerie similarity to works of art. Nobody wants to listen to him. Seven years pass and the killer is back again, it's up to DI Chambers and his team to stop the murderer before they finished their collection.

DI Ben Chambers was an interesting character. Determined and headstrong, he's unwilling to give up when he has both a theory and a suspect in his sights. But he also has to suffer his horrendous boss, with no backup from his fellow officers. Until Adam Winters comes along.

I did like Adam a lot. He just seemed like a sweet person, a bit too sweet to see all the death and misery that comes with being in the police force. He also brought some unexpected humour to the story.

So I was expecting a whodunnit, but I rapidly realised it was more of a whydunnit, which I'll be honest was a little disappointing. I was hoping for some more twists and turns.

Also, while the killer is unusual in the staging of the victims as works of art, I really feel like I've read something similar not too long ago.

Mimic is a solid thriller, perfect if you're looking for a bit of murder-y entertainment without taxing those amateur sleuthing skills too much.

A brilliantly written thriller that is spectacular and will give you chills and thrills this Police Procedural thriller is going to be big loved everything about it.

After reading the Ragdoll Trilogy by the same author I was excited to get my hands on this one.

Set in London, Daniel Cole's latest offering gives the same grotesque touches and humour as previous novels but I'll admit it didnt grab me like inwas expecting it to.

In all honesty I think it was the characters that just didn't hold me, I found the 'slapstick' comedy a bit too much and unprofessional. Not what I've come to expect after previous novels.

On a positive the actual storyline is strong and engaging, whilst not completely original it does keep you reading and expectant of what's to come.

If you are after a dark comedy thriller than this is most definitely one for you.

Thanks to netgalley and Orion Publishing for the ARC.

After working as a paramedic, an animal protection officer and with the RNLI lifeguards, five years ago Daniel Cole decided to become a full-time writer.
His first three books formed the Ragdoll trilogy which has been published in over 30 countries.
Now he seems ready for a change again, because his fourth novel Mimic has an entirely different cast of characters and is a standalone.

The reader is immediately fully immersed in the action as the two main protagonists - detective sergeant Ben Chambers and young constable Adam Winter - get acquainted with each other at a crime scene in Hyde Park on a winter's night. One of the statues was replaced by a body and, being completely frozen in the same position as The Thinker of Rodin, has become an artwork in itself. After a few other artistical murders Chambers and Winter realize they might be up against a serial killer and some enthralling sequences follow.
Fast forward to 7 years later. We're in 1996 and the same serial killer seems still on the loose. Will both policemen succeed this time to unmask the killer before he or she makes even more victims?

Not everything is entirely credible, as there are some actions a wise policeman normally wouldn't take (no further details to avoid any spoilers). But then again, policemen are just people too and even in real life some of them don't behave like their function requires. So in fact, some of the described scenes aren't totally unthinkable either.
If you're able to suspend your disbelief at these points, this is a very enjoyable book.

It's not surprising at all that the previous books of this author (the Ragdoll-trilogy) are currently being adapted for TV.
Daniel Cole has such a filmic writing style.
The same goes for Mimic: when you read the dialogues and the action scenes, it's as if you're seeing them in your head.

Furthermore, there's a lot of humour.
Even though it might be a bit predictable here and there, most of the times it really adds a touch of lightness to the whole.

All in all, Daniel Cole succeeded once again to deliver a suspenseful story sprinkled with just the right amount of humour.


*Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I recently finished The Ragdoll Trilogy and was sad I wouldn’t be reading more from the fabulous team. So imagine how elated I was to find one of those characters had his own standalone!

The first part of the book is set in 1989 then forwarding seven years the story continues in 1996.

What I love about this novel is the illustrations that accompany some chapters. I won’t say more otherwise it could be a spoiler. With a unique theme and an impressive MO it really does push the boundaries.

I loved this novel as much as the previous trilogy and look forward to reading any more Daniel Cole publishes.

Mimic was quite an experience! I think for most of the story I was kept in a kind of tense, on edge state. I was left wondering what would happen next or whether the characters would succeed in catching the killer!

Mimic had two timelines and both worked very well. In fact I loved both the time periods especially as in both there was a lack of modern day technology. Which in turn gave the detectives an even trickier time in catching the killer. In a way the story felt a little grittier and at times darker for it. This all made the pacing of the story pretty perfect. For the most part I was glued to my kindle and when I wasn’t reading (even though I wanted to) I was left thinking about the characters.

Speaking of characters. Mimic had three very strong, stand out characters at its heart. I couldn’t help but like and care about them. I’ll be honest and say they weren’t perfect but I think that was what made them stand out for me. This trio of characters had flaws and they didn’t necessarily make the right decisions but you know what, it also gave them a realistic edge. They also brought humour to the story that ended up providing a great contrast to the darker content. Daniel Cole has created three well drawn and engaging characters. It’s safe to say by the end of the book I was left wishing that I could catch up with the characters again!

All that’s left to say is that Mimic was a brilliant, dark and at times tense read. I was completely entertained from first page to last!

Having previously read the Ragdoll Trilogy and loved each book, I found this book to be just okay. I almost dnf'd it a couple of times but glad I held on to the end. It was hurtling along in parts and then other parts it slowed down. I would recommend anyone who has read the Ragdoll Trilogy to give this a read though. It just wasn't really for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read Mimic in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ben Chambers is a rising star in the police force, working hard to make his way through the ranks when he is called out to an unusual crime scene. DC Winter has found a man frozen to death on top of a plinth in a London park, but all is not as it first appears. This night kickstarts an investigation into a grimly artistic murder, who seems to be working through London, leaving victims staged as works of art. After a dangerous encounter that almost takes the life of one of the officers, the case goes dormant for a number of years, until the killer is reawakened and embarks again on his murderous rampage. But will the police be able to find the killer before he completes his collection of masterpieces?

This is an interesting story with a great premise and it starts off very strong. I think it was well written and well paced and is definitely worth a read. I can recognise that is it a good story, but for me personally I feel that it dipped a bit at some parts. I wasn’t very keen on the character of Jordan Marshall, I just feel that she wasn’t really fleshed out as well as the others, but had more of the story time (or so it felt). I found Chambers and Winters more interesting, but they were built up more at the start and then almost left with no further development in the later part of the story, although there were a lot of gaps that could have been filled in.

I would definitely recommend this to people who found the premise interesting as it’s written well, it just wasn’t quite a five star rating for me.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Daniel Cole is a master of storylines, having loved the ragdoll books I was desperate to get my hands on this stand alone thriller and it didnt disappoint. I loved how the killer uses art as he signature. The characters are brilliant and bounce off each other nicely.

The characters within this book were great! I really enjoyed how their personalities and relationships developed through the two time zones. Although in some ways the detectives did sometimes slip into the generic stereotypes/ troupes of the genre, they were raw, vulnerable and ultimately human which made it so easy to root for them! The serial killer character was really well-developed and brutally complex. I loved how intelligent they were and you really believed that they were always one step ahead of the police. I really wondered if they would ever get caught. On the other hand, though, I struggled a bit with Marshall, I just couldn’t get on board with her personality and drama but that is simply personal preference!

The plot was really clever, and I loved how they spread the story across two specific years, it was great that this was done in a linear fashion which meant the reading wasn’t confused by flitting back and forth. I really enjoyed that the murders were based around different works of art as this meant the story had the licence to being incredibly gruesome without including extreme description as the reader had the artwork as visual reference. The cat and mouse aspect of the book was really interesting too, the detectives always seemed to be one step behind and although this could have become tedious and repetitive, I felt like it was done really well and there were enough parts to uncover that kept be invested throughout.

As someone who does not have a huge knowledge or appreciation for art, I really enjoyed getting to learn about the different masterpieces. The author added the perfect amount of history and information about each piece of art and added a huge dose of murder to add that thriller twist! I really enjoyed having this clear and obvious foundation to the murders as it felt like a traditional serial killer story but with a mature and intellectual backstory. I genuinely felt more intelligent after reading this book and that was unusual for a fiction book.

I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this one! I requested the E-Arc as I’ve been trying to broaden my reading horizons and I’m so glad that I did now! The premise of this book is so good and kept me interested until the last page! I will definitely be exploring more types of fiction books which have a underlying aspects of non-fiction.

DNF @ 25%

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. I got 25% through it but I didn't understand what was happening, it felt all muddled up. It could be the formatting of the e-book, but it didn't feel spaced out enough to show changes in time, scene or character.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

Having previously read Daniel coles books I was looking forward to this stand alone novel.

It packs a punch right from the word go and it doesn't let up throughout the book. So many murders and so many what ifs.... And what an earths?!

I liked Chambers and Winter as detectives and their relationship that they had.

The book was very clever in the way that the murders took part. It was all a work if art. And don't worry if you are like me and aren't sure what they are there are paintings in the book to help you incase you cannot visual it.

Great read.

Why did I wait so long to read this book?

A fast paced, gritty crime thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish!

Clever use of art to create disturbing murders/crime scenes.

It messed with my head a little as what had been depicted was beautiful yet horrifying.

The twists nearer the end gave the story that extra explosive push to keep me turning the pages.

Highly recommended.

WOW, I just finished reading this absolutely brilliant book. Having read Daniel Cole’s previous Trilogy and living it I was excited to receive an eARC of this book. It certainly didn’t disappoint.

It’s 1989, A killer is on the loose, not just a plain old killer though this one is also an artist, when he has killed a person he stages the body as a Greek statue the first one being the famous statue of the Thinker by Rodin.

Detective Sergeant BenjaminChambers is called out to the first statue, which initially looks like any ordinary statue on the scene are two other officers one being Winter. Who ends up working briefly with Chambers mainly because he happens to be on duty and at the first couple of scenes. It’s only after another two bodies are found that a bigger investigation starts taking place. Unfortunately DCI Hamm is not accepting any of Chambers theories seriously, despite him having found 2 people that may or may not be the killer.

The situation is made worse when someone comes forward claiming to be the killer, signing a full confession. Chambers is still not convinced and is still watching suspects. Until he is attacked one night and almost killed if it hadn’t been for Winter he would have died. The case is closed.

Until 1996, when Jordan Marshall a trainee officer starts looking into the case again. She approaches Chamber’s, and Winter’s with her theories.

This is a fast paced engrossing read, despite it being about Murder and a serial killer I liked that there were also some lighter moments in the story. I enjoyed some of the relationships between the characters. But also Mr Cole shows the toll that the initial investigation and subsequent injuries sustained by Chamber’s had had on him not just physically. The same for Winter’s who had been off sick several times due to nightmares of the night Chamber’s was injured and someone else had died. Marshall also has her own demons she is fighting which stem back to 1989.

Never knowing where the killer was going to strike next, as he always seemed to be one step ahead this is a great read for anyone who likes there crime stories a little more gory than a cozy crime.

An absolute 5 ⭐️ Read for me I would like to thank #netgalley and #Orionbooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

I think once you get past the fact that this isn’t a ‘Ragdoll’ book and give it a chance it’s a very good read. Chambers, Winter and Marshall are a bit of an odd assortment of characters but then maybe the best teams are. I see this book is billed as a standalone but I would have thought here was scope for a return. I like this type of serial killer book where the killer (or more correctly the author) has a theme and puts a lot of planning into his murders. With the art theme here the drawings were a really great addition and saved me from an internet search to check out the works of art. I’m intrigued to see what Daniel Cole offers us next.

I adored Daniel Cole’s Ragdoll series so I have been looking forward to his new project with some trepidation and excitement and I wasn’t disappointed.

The first part of Mimic is set in 1989. DS Benjamin Chambers arrives on the scene of a murder in Hyde Park where the victim has been set up as a statue. DC Adam Winter is the first officer on the scene and, when another murder occurs, the two pair up to find a serial killer who seems to recreate famous works of art with his victims. Despite getting very close to catching the killer, things go very wrong. Jump forward to 1996 and Chambers and Winter have been trying to forget all about the case until they are called back to action by trainee narcotics officer Jordan Marshall who has been investigating the case during her free time. Jordan has her demons to face and her personal reasons for investigating. When the murders start again, Chambers, Winter, and Marshall team up to stop the killer once and for all.

How can one not enjoy a novel that is both dark and entertaining? A story that is full both of suspense and humor? Mimic is all of this and more. The characters are intriguing, entertaining, and very likable and I enjoyed the twisty and chilling plot accompanied by the witty dialogues that made me laugh out aloud on more than one occasion and a clever writing style that keeps me glued to the pages. Riveting, original, and engrossing, Mimic is another must-read by Daniel Cole and I highly recommend you give it a try (together with the Ragdoll series)!

The return of Daniel Cole is something to be welcomed and whilst we have lost the characters we grew to love in the Ragdoll trilogy we have here another twisted tale from the author..

Was I as wowed as I had been previously, maybe not but I think that is more my fault, this is often the case when an author has captured you..

There is so much to enjoy in this book despite the reservations expressed, there is the charcterisation, the humour, the twists and turns along with some engaging dialogue.