Ragdoll by Daniel Cole- Book Review

At the writing of this review (June 12 2017) Ragdoll is only $1.99 on Amazon, which is well worth the price.

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.