Hangman – Fawkes and Baxter Series Book #2

Author: Daniel Cole
Genre: Thriller, Crime Fiction
368 pages
Publisher: Trapeze, 2018

Synopsis
A body is found hanging from Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, the word ‘bait’ carved into the chest.

In London a copycat killer strikes, branded with the word ‘puppet’, forcing DCI Emily Baxter into an uneasy partnership with the American detectives on the case, Special Agents Rouche and Curtis.

Each time they trace a suspect, the killer is one step ahead. With the body count rising on both sides of the Atlantic, can they learn to trust each other and identify who is holding the strings? Or, will it be too late?

My review
Hangman by Daniel Cole is the second book in the Fawkes and Baxter trilogy. Cole maintains the gritty, dark, and brutal style of the previous installment, and this book is definitely not for the faint of heart. This is macabre at its best if you love chilling serial killer thrillers packed with drama and action.

With Wolf no where to be found, the storyline in Hangman focuses on Emily Baxter, Wolf’s colleague and friend from the first novel. Baxter is a compelling character and I enjoyed getting to know her better. She’s deeply flawed and honestly, a bit of a mess. To balance Baxter’s abrasive personality is her developing relationship with the very likable Edmunds. I found their relationship added a depth to Baxter’s character where otherwise it may have been too one-note. I was also glad to meet a few new characters, especially the mysterious and Zen-like CIA agent, Rouche.

The plot was meticulously crafted and the pacing was spot on. It was hard to find a stopping point so I stayed up way too late at night to finish.

Hangman is a fast-paced, dark, and brutal novel. Cole is a fantastic writer and does an exceptional job creating suspense and keeping the plot moving at breakneck speed. I had to suspend disbelief throughout much of the story, but this is fiction and Cole clearly writes for entertainment – and, I was thoroughly entertained! I do feel that Ragdoll was slightly better but Hangman is a solid thriller and I was addicted from start to finish. I can’t wait to see what’s waiting for me in Endgame, the next installment in the series and the conclusion of the trilogy.

My recommendation: read it!