Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol
I wouldn't call this a great book, but I would call it a fun book. There are a few leaps, a few head scratching moments, but overall it is a good mystery that will have the reader guessing a bit until the reveal.
Wolf and his partner Baxter were involved in a high profile case, where Wolf fixed some of the evidence to try to bring a killer to justice. Due to Wolf's actions, the killer was set free by a judge only to be attacked by Wolf in the courtroom. After Wolf's arrest, the killer, kills again and is caught red handed, Wolf was right the whole time, but due to his own desire for justice let a killer get the best of him, so it drives him a bit crazy.
This is how the book opens. The rest of book takes place several years later. Wolf and Baxter are once again teamed up because a body has been found, but it is no ordinary body. The body is made up of several different victims with the head of the body being the killer in Wolf's high profile case. The problem is no one knows who the other victims are.
At the same time, Wolf's former wife, receives a letter with a list of victims and dates. The dates are all in the future and the victims are still currently living. On the list, at the bottom, lies one name she knows well- Wolf's.
Thus begins the story of Ragdoll. It is not only a who did it, but who was it done to? Why the first set of victims and why the next set? How will they prevent people's deaths especially when they know who will die and when? This is part of the fun of Ragdoll.
The book has such a great premise and a great narrative with some detective story tropes- the slightly insane head detective, the partners who should have gotten together but didn't, the jealous ex wife, etc. The fun of knowing who the next victims were and the police trying to save them became part of the joy of reading the book and created moments of head scratching. One particular death seemed to have needed months of planning, but only happens within hours an example is two chemicals combine and are applied in a very strange way to kill one of the victims.
All that aside, it was a fun romp. I figured out one part of the who done it fairly early, but the good news is it is not the whole story. This is a great vacation/beach read that will entertain and bring about 400+ pages of fun. Enjoy the ride.
I gave this one 3.5 stars.
Wolf and his partner Baxter were involved in a high profile case, where Wolf fixed some of the evidence to try to bring a killer to justice. Due to Wolf's actions, the killer was set free by a judge only to be attacked by Wolf in the courtroom. After Wolf's arrest, the killer, kills again and is caught red handed, Wolf was right the whole time, but due to his own desire for justice let a killer get the best of him, so it drives him a bit crazy.
This is how the book opens. The rest of book takes place several years later. Wolf and Baxter are once again teamed up because a body has been found, but it is no ordinary body. The body is made up of several different victims with the head of the body being the killer in Wolf's high profile case. The problem is no one knows who the other victims are.
At the same time, Wolf's former wife, receives a letter with a list of victims and dates. The dates are all in the future and the victims are still currently living. On the list, at the bottom, lies one name she knows well- Wolf's.
Thus begins the story of Ragdoll. It is not only a who did it, but who was it done to? Why the first set of victims and why the next set? How will they prevent people's deaths especially when they know who will die and when? This is part of the fun of Ragdoll.
The book has such a great premise and a great narrative with some detective story tropes- the slightly insane head detective, the partners who should have gotten together but didn't, the jealous ex wife, etc. The fun of knowing who the next victims were and the police trying to save them became part of the joy of reading the book and created moments of head scratching. One particular death seemed to have needed months of planning, but only happens within hours an example is two chemicals combine and are applied in a very strange way to kill one of the victims.
All that aside, it was a fun romp. I figured out one part of the who done it fairly early, but the good news is it is not the whole story. This is a great vacation/beach read that will entertain and bring about 400+ pages of fun. Enjoy the ride.
I gave this one 3.5 stars.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
Click here to see my other reviews.I'm so freaking tired of the same crap over and over again when reading crime/thriller books. Is that genre so used up and impossible to create something new with? Why do you always have to go in the same track over and over again? This one was so hyped up and I saw so much good about it that I'm actually surprised that people have not reacted over how bland and badly written it is.
Here we have all the clichés, crammed onto 380 pages, which may I say, trees gave there life for. We have the unjust system of the government, politically large characters you hate, that dead beat cop who is an alcoholic and breaks every rule in the book. The falsely accused, the sceptical colleges, the ex-wife, the career driven people and off course in the middle, there is that one serial killer with a "personal" vendetta.
I'm so frustrated. All I wanted was a good crime book, that was not predictable and used up. I wanted something exciting with deep and interesting characters without all those stupid clichés you have literally read a couple of hundred times by now.
The story, plot and characters are just unpleasant and unlikable. There is nothing there for a crime lover like me. It is messy with too many POV and a cold, unimaginative setting. There was nothing warm. Nothing that I liked, could connect to or feel that it will get better. It is certainly not worth the hype.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In the beginning it was very much difficult to continue to read but around page 250 it started to get interesting and I liked the finale!
Ragdoll is a gruesome crime thriller perfect for fans of Chris Carter's Robert Hunter series. The story centers around Wolf Fawkes, who is an excellent main character. The crimes are unique and gory and the author constructs a web of mysteries that you will want to keep reading to solve. I found this one hard to put down. The story grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Perfect for fans of dark, twisty and macabre crime stories.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nach seiner Suspendierung wird Detective William Oliver Leyton-Fawkes, Wolf genannt, zu einem grausigen Fund gerufen. Sechs Körperteile von sechs Opfern sind zusammengenäht wie bei einer Flickenpuppe und an Fäden aufgehängt worden. Wolf dachte er hätte schon alles gesehen, aber dies übertrifft alles bisher Dagewesene. Gleichzeitig erhält seine Exfrau eine Liste, in dem weiteren Morde mit einem genauen Todeszeitpunkt angekündigt werden. Ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit beginnt, in dem der Mörder der Polizei immer einen Schritt voraus ist. Der letzte Name auf der Liste lautet: Detective William Oliver Layton-Fawkes…
Ragdoll ist das Thriller-Debüt des Autors Daniel Cole.
Mit seinem Thriller-Debüt ist dem Autor ein zum größten Teil spannender Thriller gelungen. Die Geschichte ist interessant und mal was anderes und konnte mich daher von Anfang an eigentlich für sich einnehmen. Die Morde sind ausgeklügelt und man bekommt ein gutes Gefühl für den Zeitdruck unter dem die Polizei bei der Jagd auf dem Mörder steht.
Die Charaktere haben es mir allerdings nicht so leicht gemacht, allen voran Wolf und seine Kollegin Baxter konnten mich nicht immer ganz überzeugen. Detective Leyton-Fawkes „Wolf“ wird hier doch sehr stereotypisch als einsamer Wolf gezeichnet, auch sein Verhalten war mir oft einfach zu überzogen, um realistisch im Polizeidienst zu wirken. Seine Kollegin Baxter, erfüllt auch das eine oder andere Klischee, das man wirklich mal gerne bei einem Ermittler weglassen könnte. Auch die Polizeiarbeit im Allgemeinen war in meinen Augen nicht immer sehr realistisch dargestellt und häufig hat man das Gefühl ganz London hat nur eine Handvoll Polizeibeamter, die alles machen.
Die Auflösung des Falles war für mich lange Zeit nicht vorhersehbar, was mir ausgesprochen gut gefallen hat, allerdings konnte mich der Showdown nicht so ganz für sich einnehmen.
Mein Fazit:
Ein spannendes Thriller-Debüt mit ein paar Schwächen, und mit Charakteren die ich nicht immer überzeugend fand.
Ragdoll ist das Thriller-Debüt des Autors Daniel Cole.
Mit seinem Thriller-Debüt ist dem Autor ein zum größten Teil spannender Thriller gelungen. Die Geschichte ist interessant und mal was anderes und konnte mich daher von Anfang an eigentlich für sich einnehmen. Die Morde sind ausgeklügelt und man bekommt ein gutes Gefühl für den Zeitdruck unter dem die Polizei bei der Jagd auf dem Mörder steht.
Die Charaktere haben es mir allerdings nicht so leicht gemacht, allen voran Wolf und seine Kollegin Baxter konnten mich nicht immer ganz überzeugen. Detective Leyton-Fawkes „Wolf“ wird hier doch sehr stereotypisch als einsamer Wolf gezeichnet, auch sein Verhalten war mir oft einfach zu überzogen, um realistisch im Polizeidienst zu wirken. Seine Kollegin Baxter, erfüllt auch das eine oder andere Klischee, das man wirklich mal gerne bei einem Ermittler weglassen könnte. Auch die Polizeiarbeit im Allgemeinen war in meinen Augen nicht immer sehr realistisch dargestellt und häufig hat man das Gefühl ganz London hat nur eine Handvoll Polizeibeamter, die alles machen.
Die Auflösung des Falles war für mich lange Zeit nicht vorhersehbar, was mir ausgesprochen gut gefallen hat, allerdings konnte mich der Showdown nicht so ganz für sich einnehmen.
Mein Fazit:
Ein spannendes Thriller-Debüt mit ein paar Schwächen, und mit Charakteren die ich nicht immer überzeugend fand.