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bubbazuzu's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
The only reason this book got close to 3 stars is because I managed to finish it. The basic premise was a good one: seemingly random killings by seemingly random killers occurring simultaneously in the US and the UK. The first half was decent (a good solid 4); it slowed through the middle (maybe a 3) then just became dreck at the end. I mean, really? A detective working in fraud decides whether or not to abort the raid on a case he's not even involved in but just happens to be there on the sly? An agent with words ( still bleeding ) carved into his chest and a broken rib gets released from the hospital within 24 hours and is back on duty? I skipped over that last 20 pages just to get to the unsatisfying end.
And let's talk about the characters. Rouche and Edmunds were the only ones who I cared about at all. Curtis was a spineless ass kisser. Vanita and Lennox were publicity focused power hounds. Thomas was a doormat co-dependent. And Baxter? OMG! Absolutely one of the most irritating, self-centered, misanthropic, no-redeeming-value characters I've ever encountered. I've cared more about serial killers than I cared what happened to her. Truly.
And let's talk about the characters. Rouche and Edmunds were the only ones who I cared about at all. Curtis was a spineless ass kisser. Vanita and Lennox were publicity focused power hounds. Thomas was a doormat co-dependent. And Baxter? OMG! Absolutely one of the most irritating, self-centered, misanthropic, no-redeeming-value characters I've ever encountered. I've cared more about serial killers than I cared what happened to her. Truly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
rhodamack09's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted on StrupagI've been anticipating Hangman, the second novel in this series, ever since I read the first, Ragdoll, last year (you can find my review here.)
Hangman takes place some 18 months after Ragdoll. Wolf hasn't been seen or heard of since Baxter let him flee the Old Bailey courtroom. She herself is now Detective Chief Inspector Baxter, and is trying to get on with life, until two US Special Agents enter her London office. There has been a murder in New York and they have reason to believe it connected to the Ragdoll murders. The victim, whose chest was inscribed with the word "bait" shares the same name as Wolf - William Fawkes, and was strung up on the Brooklyn Bridge by a man bearing the word "puppet" on his chest.
Baxter isn't inclined to jump to conclusions, but when a second 'bait' and 'puppet' murder occurs in London, that once again connects to Ragdoll, she finds herself headed to New York with FBI agent Curtis and the British CIA agent Rouche to work on the case. While also unofficially roping in the only person she trusts, Edmunds, to help her from afar.
I don't want to give too much detail about this book. Like Ragdoll, this book is pretty dark, with some shocking and graphic scenes. Yet, Cole manages to lighten this subject matter with his humour, which most definitely appeals to me.
As Cole said himself of sequels (when referring to the film Home Alone 2) ...
In this instance, I think the New York sequel was every bit as good as, if not even better than, the original (Ragdoll).
We enter the story in an interview room with Baxter facing questions from multiple agencies, before we rewind a few weeks and follow the sequence of events that ultimately culminate in that questioning.
When I realised Wolf wasn't going to be the focus of this book, I was a bit nervous as Ragdoll was really all about him. I needn't have worried. Baxter is a fantastic, snarky character, suffering no fools - no matter who they may be. She's a bold, brilliant yet flawed character that really shines in this book.
Perhaps part of the reason she shines is Agent Rouche of the CIA. The interactions between the two are fantastic, making a great partnership. Rouche's story, his personality, along with his choice of inappropriate songs made me fall in love with his character.
It says a lot of Cole that I'm writing about his book which is filled with blood, mutilation, horrific scenes and a significant number of deaths, and I'm gushing about his characters and humour. For me, this is what made such dark subject matter so readable. It's truly an art, and one that Cole excels at.
I also liked that we got to check in with characters from the first book, particularly Edmunds who 'goes rogue' in the fraud department to help out his friend.
I know that this book won't be for everyone. There are scenes which are all too close to that witnessed in reality. But I love Cole's writing, the way he can make your stomach squirm with one sentence, then snort with laughter with the next. I truly look forward to the third book in this series - who knows what way things will turn next?!
Hangman takes place some 18 months after Ragdoll. Wolf hasn't been seen or heard of since Baxter let him flee the Old Bailey courtroom. She herself is now Detective Chief Inspector Baxter, and is trying to get on with life, until two US Special Agents enter her London office. There has been a murder in New York and they have reason to believe it connected to the Ragdoll murders. The victim, whose chest was inscribed with the word "bait" shares the same name as Wolf - William Fawkes, and was strung up on the Brooklyn Bridge by a man bearing the word "puppet" on his chest.
Baxter isn't inclined to jump to conclusions, but when a second 'bait' and 'puppet' murder occurs in London, that once again connects to Ragdoll, she finds herself headed to New York with FBI agent Curtis and the British CIA agent Rouche to work on the case. While also unofficially roping in the only person she trusts, Edmunds, to help her from afar.
I don't want to give too much detail about this book. Like Ragdoll, this book is pretty dark, with some shocking and graphic scenes. Yet, Cole manages to lighten this subject matter with his humour, which most definitely appeals to me.
As Cole said himself of sequels (when referring to the film Home Alone 2) ...
The first movie was, secretly, one of her all-time favourites, but she found the second an uninspiring imitation falling into the age-old trap of believing that by relocating to New York City, they would create a bigger and better sequel.
In this instance, I think the New York sequel was every bit as good as, if not even better than, the original (Ragdoll).
We enter the story in an interview room with Baxter facing questions from multiple agencies, before we rewind a few weeks and follow the sequence of events that ultimately culminate in that questioning.
When I realised Wolf wasn't going to be the focus of this book, I was a bit nervous as Ragdoll was really all about him. I needn't have worried. Baxter is a fantastic, snarky character, suffering no fools - no matter who they may be. She's a bold, brilliant yet flawed character that really shines in this book.
Perhaps part of the reason she shines is Agent Rouche of the CIA. The interactions between the two are fantastic, making a great partnership. Rouche's story, his personality, along with his choice of inappropriate songs made me fall in love with his character.
It says a lot of Cole that I'm writing about his book which is filled with blood, mutilation, horrific scenes and a significant number of deaths, and I'm gushing about his characters and humour. For me, this is what made such dark subject matter so readable. It's truly an art, and one that Cole excels at.
I also liked that we got to check in with characters from the first book, particularly Edmunds who 'goes rogue' in the fraud department to help out his friend.
I know that this book won't be for everyone. There are scenes which are all too close to that witnessed in reality. But I love Cole's writing, the way he can make your stomach squirm with one sentence, then snort with laughter with the next. I truly look forward to the third book in this series - who knows what way things will turn next?!
audrey_odry's review against another edition
3.0
J'avais beaucoup aimé Ragdoll, le premier volet de cette série. Hangman m'a semblé un peu moins bon. J'ai aimé cette lecture, mais n'ayant plus de souvenirs du tome précédent, j'ai parfois eu du mal à suivre les nombreuses références qui y sont faites. L'intrigue est intéressante et la narration donne envie de connaître la suite, néanmoins, l'enquête principale m'a semblé peu crédible du début à la fin.
mihai_cristinam's review against another edition
5.0
The second book of the thriller was so well writen. The caracters, the plot, everything was so well put. Loved every page of the book. It took me 4 days to finish it.
lizwhite25's review against another edition
5.0
Let me start by saying how much I loved the first book in this series, Ragdoll was an addictive fast-paced thriller, and if I am honest, I was worried that this book wouldn't live up to the outstanding start to this trilogy. I reviewed it in full here, but have to say it was refreshing to read a book that wasn't predictable, yet hung together plausibly. Again, just like that review, I really don't want to spoil it, so please enjoy, read the book, and appreciate that the lack of detail is intentional!
Cole has most definitely done it again with this one! The writing style of this guy is insanely readable, and makes for a truly page-turning read. Unlike the previous instalment, this book doesn't solely take place on UK soil, but hops across the Atlantic for some New York action, complete with CIA and FBI involvement.
Baxter is definitely back, and promoted, and is as entertaining and awesome as ever. Wolf, after the events of the first book, is not really featured too much (I won't say more for fear or spoiling the first) and as much as I liked him in the first instalment, I didn't miss him. Edmunds takes a more back seat role, featured more over phone conversations and short meetings. His friendship with Baxter has evolved and solidified to make them best friends in every sense (to the chagrin of his suffering partner Tia) and their trust and reliance on one another is a backbone of the story.
So, with these two taking a back seat, the story centres mostly around Baxter and her trans-Atlantic efforts to catch another murderer. Helping her are two officers from the USA, Rouche from the CIA and Curtis from the FBI. Barely going by their first names, Damien Rouche is a laid back and enigmatic character (who is possibly my favourite of this novel) whose dedication is unquestionable yet motives unclear. He is the butt of every name mis-pronunciation joke (it's Rouche like whoosh guys!), but is capable and follows Baxter in bending rules, and drinking more than they should. Elliot Curtis is much more straight laced and by the book. She is wary of the other two, but helps them as much as Lennox (her boss) will permit. She is hard working, and doesn't like to follow the less conventional path Rouche and Baxter set, which probably helps them stay on the straight and narrow(ish).
One thing that Cole does so well is write strong, normal, independent female characters. The men are as reliant on the women as the women are on the men. I have as much faith in the female characters to get the job done without it feeling forced, or the point of the piece. Many of the superior female character are women which is rare in a thriller, a rarity I am happy has been embraced. Yes, Baxter's boyfriend is a welp, but he fits well with her and embraces her in a way other writers would not have pursued.
The events in this book are somewhat unbelievable. I don't want to say that they're farcical or impossible, but I'd like to think that the events couldn't logistically happen as they do. That said, we're witness to some truly horrendous crimes that, in a world of terrorist atrocities and murder, really make you think about the lengths that people will go to but also how we and others cope in the wake of such events. I'm not sure if the bodies could or would be found where they are, or that the timelines and happenings could quite occur as they do, but they're written in such a way that it makes complete plausible sense in the context of the narrative, and is so gripping.
I, once again, don't think I predicted the ending as it happened. It's so refreshing to have a story that makes sense, yet hasn't been spoon fed to the point that it removes all thought. Cole relies on you retaining information and making necessary links for yourself, something that should be applauded in the modern day world of churned out thrillers. I read the last half of this book excitedly in 24hrs, I really struggled to tear myself away long enough to do something else, and declare it an absolute must read! It came out today, so pick up a copy!!
I can't wait for book 3 in this trilogy!!
Cole has most definitely done it again with this one! The writing style of this guy is insanely readable, and makes for a truly page-turning read. Unlike the previous instalment, this book doesn't solely take place on UK soil, but hops across the Atlantic for some New York action, complete with CIA and FBI involvement.
Baxter is definitely back, and promoted, and is as entertaining and awesome as ever. Wolf, after the events of the first book, is not really featured too much (I won't say more for fear or spoiling the first) and as much as I liked him in the first instalment, I didn't miss him. Edmunds takes a more back seat role, featured more over phone conversations and short meetings. His friendship with Baxter has evolved and solidified to make them best friends in every sense (to the chagrin of his suffering partner Tia) and their trust and reliance on one another is a backbone of the story.
So, with these two taking a back seat, the story centres mostly around Baxter and her trans-Atlantic efforts to catch another murderer. Helping her are two officers from the USA, Rouche from the CIA and Curtis from the FBI. Barely going by their first names, Damien Rouche is a laid back and enigmatic character (who is possibly my favourite of this novel) whose dedication is unquestionable yet motives unclear. He is the butt of every name mis-pronunciation joke (it's Rouche like whoosh guys!), but is capable and follows Baxter in bending rules, and drinking more than they should. Elliot Curtis is much more straight laced and by the book. She is wary of the other two, but helps them as much as Lennox (her boss) will permit. She is hard working, and doesn't like to follow the less conventional path Rouche and Baxter set, which probably helps them stay on the straight and narrow(ish).
One thing that Cole does so well is write strong, normal, independent female characters. The men are as reliant on the women as the women are on the men. I have as much faith in the female characters to get the job done without it feeling forced, or the point of the piece. Many of the superior female character are women which is rare in a thriller, a rarity I am happy has been embraced. Yes, Baxter's boyfriend is a welp, but he fits well with her and embraces her in a way other writers would not have pursued.
The events in this book are somewhat unbelievable. I don't want to say that they're farcical or impossible, but I'd like to think that the events couldn't logistically happen as they do. That said, we're witness to some truly horrendous crimes that, in a world of terrorist atrocities and murder, really make you think about the lengths that people will go to but also how we and others cope in the wake of such events. I'm not sure if the bodies could or would be found where they are, or that the timelines and happenings could quite occur as they do, but they're written in such a way that it makes complete plausible sense in the context of the narrative, and is so gripping.
I, once again, don't think I predicted the ending as it happened. It's so refreshing to have a story that makes sense, yet hasn't been spoon fed to the point that it removes all thought. Cole relies on you retaining information and making necessary links for yourself, something that should be applauded in the modern day world of churned out thrillers. I read the last half of this book excitedly in 24hrs, I really struggled to tear myself away long enough to do something else, and declare it an absolute must read! It came out today, so pick up a copy!!
I can't wait for book 3 in this trilogy!!
rcsebudbcy's review against another edition
5.0
I originally did not plan to continue this series after Ragdoll but I am SO glad I did! It was amazing, Cole did a great job with Hangman and I cannot wait to read more of his work. Probably one of the best thrillers I have read.
(Random thought: I can imagine this book being adapted to a really good movie
(Random thought: I can imagine this book being adapted to a really good movie
pawswithprose's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely amazing. Given the change from Ragdoll i wasn't sure if i'd enjoy this as much but i quickly realized i had nothing at all to worry about. This was such a well written story, i raced through it. Baxter was a brilliantly well written character and i loved her continued friendship with Edmunds, they are a wonderful duo and you can really see that they care about each other. Rouche was a great addition and i loved the dynamic between them as they tried to untwist the mystery. It was fast paced, exciting and i can't wait to read it again.
linda_edwards's review against another edition
3.0
I almost gave up with this. It started off good but as I got half way through it got rather boring. I'm glad I didn't give up because it soon picked up and became an interesting read.
shannonreadss's review against another edition
4.0
This book was horrific good, but there were some things I disliked. For example, the way Baxter's private life was described. I personally don't think it had to be that elaborate, I didn't have the feeling that it added something extra to the story. Furthermore, I experienced the ending as really confusing, especially when I think back of the prologue. However, the plot itself was so good, I really didn't see this coming. Hence, it had me hooked until the end of the story!