You never know quite
what to expect when you crack open a novel from a new or new to you author. I
missed Daniel Cole’s, Ragdoll – so the
follow up, Hangman, it’s cast of
characters and storyline was totally new to me. When I delved in, there was a a
not unfamiliar chill that ran up my spine. I quickly concluded that it was the
same chill I felt when I cracked open Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon, the book that first introduced us to the Hannibal
Lecter character and the precursor to Silence
of the Lambs.
This is not to say that
Cole has copped a Lecter-like character as much as to say that he has spun a
twisted, psychological thriller that is intricate and engrossing, and is bound
to have you guessing every step of the way. Cole does a masterful job of
delivering devastatingly unexpected twists. Bodies begin to appear, strung up
in very public places, each etched with messages carved into their chests that
proclaim “Bait” or “Puppet.” The question gets posited, is the Ragdoll killer
back in action or a copycat, or is it a twisted new killer.
The carnage soon moves
from London to New York City with a kicked up element of terror. Irascible and
cranky, Detective Emily Baxter is back in a lead role in the investigation on
both sides of the Atlantic. This time she gets paired with a British expat –
CIA officer – Rouche, a mysterious character chock full of contradictions and
nuances. At points I was convinced that he was behind the growing body count
based on his loner quality. Cole plays out just enough of his personal life, to
make Rouche to be just the right amount of sympathetic.
The story plays out in
twists and turns, has Cole offers up red herrings and wrong turns as to who the
master of puppets really is. Things get ratcheted up with each step along the
way to the very frantic close. Even experienced mystery solvers and thriller
fans will be left second guessing their deductions. Cole even manages to
re-bait the hook and the end, for wherever the story is going next.
