Endgame Review | Daniel Cole

The Ragdoll series by Daniel Cole has been a chilling yet gripping read. The crimes have made you flinch while you root for the heroes, hoping for a happy ending – if such things exist in books like this. Today’s review is on Endgame, the final in the trilogy!

Publisher: Trapeeze | Date: 2019 | Genre: Thriller

Plot: A locked room. A dead body. A secret that went to the grave.

When retired police officer Finlay Shaw is found dead in a locked room, everyone thinks it’s suicide. But disgraced detective William ‘Wolf’ Fawkes isn’t so sure.

Together with his former partner Detective Emily Baxter and private detective Edmunds, Wolf’s team begin to dig into Shaw’s early days on the beat. Was Shaw as innocent as he seemed? Or is there more to his past than he’d ever let on?

But not everyone wants Wolf back – and as his investigation draws him ever deeper into police corruption, it will not only be his career on the line – but the lives of those he holds closest as well… 

Endgame Review

Ragdoll and Hangman have the most chilling crime scenes I’ve read: they made me squirm. It was with that in mind that I approached Endgame, wondering what depths it would go to.

I didn’t expect to laugh my entire way through this book!

Plot

There is a death – and the fact it’s one of the characters who has been present from the beginning makes it touching. But the way it’s written – the dialogue and the glimpses into the characters’ minds was refreshingly entertaining. I don’t think I’ve heard the characters so clearly as this crew: the dialogue is natural and wry, adding an element of humour that I don’t remember from the first two books.

Something to note is that I made a mistake of not reminding myself of the previous two books. There were a few interactions and character situations that lost some of their impact because I couldn’t remember how they ended up there: their relationships; personal struggles; traumatic events survived etc all create the depths to the characters and I couldn’t recall all of them.

Quite in the mood to watch some unsuspecting idiot get tackled to the floor by five bored DPG officers, Wolf turned to see who they were talking about, which only made life easier for the five bored DPG officers, who proceeded to tackle him to the floor accordingly.

Endgame by Daniel Cole

Characters

The plot is engaging and intriguing. But it’s the characters that make this series. Wolf is back – a wanted man but with one last chance to solve the suicide/murder of his old mentor. Wolf still blunders into everything, heart on his sleeve and refusing to back down when the odds are stacked against him.

Baxter is struggling to adapt to a “normal” life, seeking the thrill even when off on sick leave. Edmunds quietly works away in the background, connecting the dots in an unobtrusive manner. Saunders and “Tech Guy” Joe are the supporting act, there when more people are needed to handle a scene rather than developing themselves.

Rouche also plays a part – but he was the one character whose back-story I couldn’t remember. I liked his character, but not recalling how he ended up in such a dangerous predicament undermined a few key moments.

The narration switches between all of the characters – sometimes quite rapidly with just a paragraph dividing them. It gives the novel a fast pace and helps increase the tension: there are moments when you know a character has found something but the narration moves on before you ever find out what. It means the reveals are neat and tidy – surprising but not jaw-dropping because everything falls neatly into place.

Tension/Pacing

The reveal happens relatively early in the book. It’s not so much of a who-dun-it, but a how do they bring the guilty party to justice when they seem untouchable and can block them at every turn. It kept me gripped – the reveal happens before you can figure it out for yourself and then you spend the remainder of the book willing the good guys to have a break through so they can prove it.

Final Thoughts

A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining final book. The ending is perhaps a little cliché, but the characters deserve it. Endgame is tense, engaging and has several laugh out loud moments.

A definite recommendation!

Are you into thrillers? Does this sound like your sort of book?

Also in the series:

• Book One: Ragdoll
• Book Two: Hangman

Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram