Brilliant, captivating and thrilling. This kept me hooked and i look forward to reading more from this author.

A sick and twisted read.... just as I like them. Definitely worth a try

Wow.
Wowsers!
WTAF?!?!?!?
Daniel Cole you are one talented man!!!
Is this seriously your debut? Honestly???
I am in awe!!!
Ragdoll starts like a seemingly routine courtroom drama but it quickly becomes clear that it is anything but!
I am fairly certain that this concept has not been done before, one 'body' which is actually made up with the limbs of six people?!? I mean, come on . . .  I bet Stephen King is well annoyed he didn't think of this one!!! What a genius concept and so utterly clever of Cole to bring something completely fresh to the table in a genre that is saturated with reworking of the same plot lines (not that there is anything wrong with that mind!!)
Ragdoll is totally addictive, you will need to plan a take away, call in sick and get a babysitter before you start reading this because you will devour it in one day given the chance.
It is also the kind of book you don't actually want to finish because it so superbly written and the storyline is that enthralling you want it to carry on and never end.
The whole book has been brilliantly planned and plotted, from the characters to the darkly delicious humour, the chapter headings to the relationships between the characters and this shines through.
A thrilling ride that will have you glued from the first page to the last.
A very, very fantastic debut, well done Mr Cole, well done!

Promising debut - good pacing and great dialogue. An author to follow, looking forward to his second novel.

This is the debut novel from the author and is such an impressive piece of work I honestly couldn't believe it was his first book.

I am a huge fan of police procedural/murder stories, and this one is a cracker. The characters are all written extremely well, the mystery itself is very well done too. The characters all have other things going on in their lives, and these back stories give the book so much more depth. Given the way the story ends for Wolf, I can't wait to see where the author takes his character. Will await book two with great anticipation.

The story kept me gripped all the way through and I recommend this to anyone who likes a good murder mystery story. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this great, brilliant, stunning debut thriller by Daniel Cole.
The book grabbed me from the beginning, and I ended up reading it on my kindle app during meetings, just because I could not put it down.
Please tell me there is more to come!

What a thrilling book, guys! Before I started Ragdoll, I read Daniel Cole's introduction and loved how he came up with the idea while watching a tv show. I seriously don't understand how TV producers didn't fall in love with Ragdoll's concept, as I believe it'd make an awesome show. Anyway, now we have it as a book series, so in the end, we got lucky.

The book had me with its prologue. A man on trial. A detective attacking brutally him. Years later, this detective is working again. And here it comes the most important and dangerous case of his life... I'm sure that if you've read what this is about, you already know there's only one body but six different victims. They're stitched together! I couldn't believe someone would actually do that. It reminded me of the film Resurrection (but don't worry, Ragdoll is way better).

What I liked the most about Ragdoll is that, even though it's a serial killer book and follows the usual pattern at first, it eventually stands out because of how the plot develops. Daniel Cole isn't afraid to go to places many other crime writers wouldn't dare, especially when it comes to the characters' actions. Wolf is a complex protagonist and not an easy one to like, to be honest. The same happens with Emily Baxter, his friend and colleague. Despite their personalities, I found them both strong characters and I can't wait to know what happens next.

The idea behind the murders was unique and one of those I couldn't believe no one had written before. Smart, twisty and tragic! More than a "whodunit", this is actually a "why dun it". And watching Edmunds untangle the case was a fascinating experience. He was my absolute favorite character and I felt bad for him because he was constantly trying to prove himself. They weren't that nice to him and he was an amazing detective.

If you like police procedurals that are action-filled and actually different, do not miss this one! Ragdoll is the true definition of a real page-turner; bold and complex, and, ultimately, lots of fun.

I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Daniel Cole, and the publishers, Ecco and Trapeze, for this opportunity.

I adore reading of characters haunted by their past, and Detective 'Wolf' is as plagued as they come. After he assaulted a criminal, due to his perpetration and yet absolution of all crimes, Wolf was suspended from his post. When a new crime is uncovered, perfectly suited for his dogged expertise, he returns to work, despite the rumours and scandal.

The crime in question is the discovery of a corpse featuring six different body parts stitched together from the remnants of six different victims. This unusual and ominous crime sees Wolf and his partners, both business and personal, inexplicably caught up in this cacophony of intrigue.

This book is great as what it does and I feel it is only fair to lead with stating that: this is a good quality crime thriller. My three star rating is to acknowledge that fact.

And yet the reason it wasn't rated higher is simply because I feel I have read this before. I went through a phase, a year or two ago, where I read nothing but police procedurals and court room dramas. I thought I was ready to immerse myself back into the world, but I think I may have worn myself out for all eternity. Now, any books on this topic just feels like rehashing of something I have read before. The crime was unique and inventive but the characters and the setting were not. And, for that reason, I struggled to fully immerse myself in this. It's a shame and totally due to my own history with this genre, which is, I understand, completely unfair on the book.

One body but six victims, This is the way this gripping crime novel starts and it doesn't stop shocking and surprising you all the way to the very last page.

I loved this book. Filled with great characters- especially the self destructive Wolf. There is a dash of humour and a lot of action. An amazing debut- I really hope there is more to come from Daniel Cole. I really want to see more of these characters and see what other situations he puts them in.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for introducing me to this author.

A body is discovered with the dismembered parts of six victims stitched together like a puppet, nicknamed by the press as the 'ragdoll'. Assigned to the shocking case are Detective William 'Wolf' Fawkes, recently reinstated to the London Met, and his former partner Detective Emily Baxter. The 'Ragdoll Killer' taunts the police by releasing a list of names to the media, and the dates on which he intends to murder them. With six people to save, can Fawkes and Baxter catch a killer when the world is watching their every move?
The book starts out with startling humour, making me compare it to a Stuart MacBride book. However, this wasn’t subtle humour, but right there in your face and to be honest it almost put me off continuing. But I’m glad I did. The humour settled down and the story raced along, from one twist and turn to the other. You have to suspend reality a bit with regards to the characters and their actions and just enjoy the story for what it is – a rattling good read!

Detective William Fawkes is infamous. Recently reinstated to the police force, after a career destroying incident that ruined his marriage, his friendships and his mental health, Fawkes is still as violent and unstable as ever. When a body is found, compiled of six victims stitched together, the detective is assigned to the case. And if solving six murders wasn’t enough work to get on with the killer has also released a list of future victims to the media and the dates he plans to murder them. With the case having too many links to his past to be able to ignore Fawkes’ obsessive nature takes over, threatening to crumble the thin veneer of control he is hiding behind.
This is an interesting debut, combining gruesome murder with black humour. The characters are larger than life, incredibly flawed and all very likeable, especially the greatly underestimated Edmunds, a recent recruit from the Fraud Squad. It started life as a screenplay, and it is very cinematic, being filled with more victims killed in the most horrific ways than your average murder mystery. In places the dialogue, especially the snappy one-liners, feels better suited to TV than the page but overall the book works very well. It is fast-paced, exciting and unpredictable and is sure to garner many fans as a series.

This is an excellent read - definitely will be a must read for 2017!

At the start Daniel Cole mentions that this was originally destined to be a tv show and he was aiming for humour. At this point I almost didnt read it as som many crime writers get it horribly wrong when they also go for 'funny'.

Thank goodness I didnt as Daniel Cole has created the perfect blend of crime thriller and dark humour!

The characters are well developed and even down to the last chapter I still felt I was learning more about them... I really hope this does become the first of a series as I already fell invested in the characters and really want to see what direction they head in next.

The plot was fast paced and easy to read... lots of twists and turns to keep the reader of their toes. The concept is good and unusual. When you read as many of this style of books they can sometimes be repetitive but that was definitely not the case here.

Bring on book 2!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book had a lot of potential, however when it got to William 'Wolf" the detective I just couldn't take it seriously anymore. I don't like books with silly names and seeing as the name is very close to my own, it took away from the story, so I"m afraid I didn't manage to finish this.

Finally read this book and absolutely loved it! Was not expecting the ending, but the book did not disappoint with twists and turns till the very end! Highly recommend to crime and mystery lovers!

This book gripped me right from the very first page, and refused to let me put it down. I must admit I read this book very quickly, partly because of the blog tour schedule, but also because I was absolutely desperate to know what happens. This is detective fiction at its very best.

This book is fantastically well written, the plot is so well paced – there’s plenty going on, but enough mystery to keep you guessing about what’s going to happen next. The book is a race against time, the action ramps up the further you get into the story, and continually pulls you back in. You very much get thrown in at the deep end, and Ragdoll continually leaves you wanting to know more. The characters are superbly well written. Detective Fawkes – Wolf – is a really fascinating character. He doesn’t play by the rules and is determined to catch the killer. He’s very human, he’s flawed and doesn’t always do the right thing, and that makes the story so much more enjoyable.

Ragdoll really stood out for me. Not just because it’s a fun read and a really intense crime thriller, but it was also really funny. I saw previously the book was compared to the TV show No Offence, and I think that’s really apt. It’s funny and wonderfully written. I enjoyed reading it immensely, and highly recommend it to those that love high action mystery thrillers. This is the first book in the series, and I’m so glad there’s more on the way, I can’t wait to see what he has in store next.

Thanks for checking out my stop on the Ragdoll blog tour (and on publication day!) there are loads of great blogs also on the tour, hosting reviews and other interesting posts. Be sure to check them out below!

Daniel Cole’s debut novel, Ragdoll, intrigued me because it had not one but multiple victims, and I thought I’d enjoy seeing what the connections between them all were, that is, beyond the stitching that loosely connects the initial six.

The prologue of Ragdoll opens with the end of what appears to be a wholly unconnected case to the one you’re expecting to read, that of the Ragdoll victims and their killer, so this was a disconcerting start. However, as quickly becomes apparent, the two cases are inextricably linked, thanks in great part to Detective Wolf’s involvement in both.

Wolf’s character is interesting: he’s about as flawed and damaged as a person can get, while still holding down a job, and stretches the ‘detective with issues’ idea to new limits. He’s recently reinstated and working with a team of detectives you’ll be familiar with from other detective novels or television series: the usual suspects are all here, but given his nickname, it’ll probably come as little surprise that William Fawkes is most comfortable when operating as a lone wolf. I couldn’t quite see how he had ever appealed to his TV journalist ex-wife or why his former partner on the force feels drawn to him. He’s volatile and obsessive when working a case which leaves very little over for anything, or anyone else. Of all the characters, though, it’s Wolf and Edmunds, the recent transfer across from Fraud, who held my interest the most. Perhaps because they are both terrier-like when on a case. I did like the Scot, Finlay, too but found Vanita fairly insubstantial and Baxter almost too much of a stereotype in any number of ways.

Where Ragdoll works best is as the initial six victims and the reasons why they were chosen are identified, against the backdrop of their killer’s newly-announced timetable of murders, especially as it’s being covered on rolling news. This is where Ragdoll becomes a page-turner of a novel, as the reader tries to beat the team of detectives to see the connections, however tenuous, while hoping they can save this victim, and if not, the next, and so on. (The murders when they come, and some inevitably do, up the ante in terms of how gruesome and inventive they are when compared to the initial Ragdoll.) Besides all the usual imperatives to find the Ragdoll killer before they kill again, the team of detectives not only have a leak in their department to contend with but a vested interest in stopping him or her.
How much you enjoy Ragdoll will probably depend on how able you are to suspend disbelief and go with the story and where it and its characters take you. I went with it up to a point but found some of the detectives’ actions frustrating and the reveal clumsy and ultimately disappointing. That said, it’s an attention-grabbing first outing for ‘Wolf’ Fawkes and I do wonder where Daniel Cole will take him next.

I had this in both paperback and ebook format (the publisher provided the proof) so I never stayed away from the story for long. My heart still beats like crazy from the roller coaster story...

Ragdoll is Daniel Cole's debut novel. And wow, what a debut it is... Born from the idea of a tv series/show, this novel showcases Daniel Cole's writing talents from the outset.

4 years before the nation is gripped by the Police pursuit of the so called "Ragdoll killer", Detective William Oliver Layton-Fawkes (Wolf) is restrained and confined to a secure unit after attacking Naguib Khalid (the notorious "Cremation killer") on the final day of his murder trial.

Many think that Wolf shouldn't return to the Met, but his former partner Detective Emily Baxter is delighted to have her old friend and colleague reinstated. It isn't long before they are thrown head first into their first investigation.

A body has been discovered hanging from a ceiling in a macabre display in a building opposite Wolf's flat. But this is not just any old body. This hanging display feature has the dismembered parts of six different victims stitched together to make one 'body'. Earning the killer the "Ragdoll killer" moniker.

If this wasn't bad enough, the press, namely Wolf's ex-wife Andrea, have got themselves a list of six people, supposedly the killer's next victims - Along with the dates that they are to be murdered. The media frenzy that follows the release of the list supposedly is to help support the Met in their quest to catch the killer.

Their efforts to assist are laughable to say the least. Their motives purely selfish. Wolf and Baxter certainly have their work cut out for them and the media scrutiny isn't helping. Their priority to ensure the first person on the list is safe, is equal to that of finding and bringing the killer to justice.

Wolf is not the only detective on his team with a colourful past, and Ragdoll is full of some truly troubled detectives. Although the content is often dark, Ragdoll has some funny moments. But then I would imagine you'd have to have a pretty screwed up sense of humour to get through most days as a detective on this kind of case.

Ragdoll is a pretty perfect debut. My only disappointment was the ending - simply because I didn't want it to end. I really hope there is more to come from Wolf and Baxter.

It is grim, dark and horrific, I cringed and read it through my fingers- but couldn’t put this novel down.
I don’t normally ‘do’ gruesome and I don’t ‘enjoy’ reading about serial killers, but this book was different. It races along with a very strong plot, and unpredictable twists, as well as, surprisingly, humour.
The main character, Wolf, although troubled is very appealing, and his sidekick, Emily, has a proper role to play in the story.
Former paramedic Daniel Cole, writes with authority and credibility, and it comes as no surprise that this memorable debut has already been sold to a production company, as well as being signed up for a three book deal. I think we are going to be hearing a lot more about him in the future.