Oh I can't even begin to tell you how much I've been looking forward to this book and I'm delighted to say that it did not disappoint. Endgame is the third in the Detective William Fawkes (Wolf) series, following on from Ragdoll and Hangman. I don't know how Daniel Cole does it but each book seems do outdo the previous one, despite them all being brilliant in their own right.

Endgame grips the reader by the throat right from the start with a double whammy: an apparent suicide and the arrest of Wolf. Wolf is convinced his old mentor, Finlay, wouldn't have killed himself and he does a deal with the police commissioner, who happens to be Finlay's old friend Christian, to allow him to investigate what everyone thinks is an open and shut case. Bringing the gang back together, Wolf teams up with old pals Baxter and Edmunds and what a trio they make. The sexual tension between Wolf and Baxter is palpable, reminiscent of Ross and Rachel in a will they/won't they scenario. To complete the Friends analogy, I really like Edmunds who is a bit of a Monica in his dogged determination and organisation skills.

As Wolf investigates Finlay's death, he takes a closer look at Finlay's life. Roll back to 1979 with Finlay and Christian hailed as heroes in a drugs bust, but not everything is as it seems. Buried secrets don't stay buried for long, especially not when Wolf is on the case. It's like a game of chess and just when one player thinks they are about to call checkmate, the game is turned on its head. I loved all these twists and turns that kept my heart racing in my chest and my eyes racing down the page.

I think you could possibly read Endgame as a standalone but I really would recommend you read Ragdoll and Hangman first as it does have links to the previous books; so anyone picking up Endgame as their first Daniel Cole book will undoubtedly want to read the previous two books right away to see the full picture. The whole series is amazing, but Endgame is the cherry on top.

Daniel Cole writes so vividly and energetically that his words seem to fizzle and crackle on the page; it's so visual that I really wouldn't be surprised to see this series on tv in the future. Endgame is a blistering conclusion to the Ragdoll trilogy but I'm hoping it's not the last we've seen of Wolf and Baxter. As gripping as a vice, Endgame is an electrifying heart-in-your-mouth thriller; it has more thrills and stomach clenching moments than a rollercoaster and a waltzer merged together. Absolutely superb and definitely unmissable!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

Dass sein alter Freund und Mentor Finlay Shaw Selbstmord begangen hat, glaubt der Wolf nicht. Dabei deuten alle Indizien genau darauf hin, denn der Tote hat eine Pistole in der Hand und liegt in einem von innen verschlossenen Zimmer. William Fawkes, genannt der Wolf, geht für diesen Fall sogar ein Risiko ein, denn er wurde polizeilich gesucht. Aber er trotz dem Commissioner Christian Bellamy einen Deal ab. Er darf in diesem Fall ermitteln bevor er ins Gefängnis muss. Gemeinsam mit Emily Baxter versucht er herauszufinden, was geschehen ist. Doch es dauert lange, bis er auf eine Spur stößt.
Nach „Ragdoll“ und „Hangman“ ist dies der dritte Band der Reihe. Es ist wieder spannend, aber im Vergleich mit Ragdoll ist dieser Thriller meiner Meinung nach schwächer. Der Schreibstil ist auch dieses Mal wieder flüssig zu lesen, allerdings gibt es eine Reihe von Zeitsprüngen, die Aufmerksamkeit erfordern.
William Oliver Layton-Fawkes ist ein Mensch, der Schwierigkeiten an sich zieht. Trotzdem war er mir vom ersten Band an sympathisch. Auch seine Kollegin Emily Baxter gefällt mir.
Die Ermittlungen kommen zunächst nicht von der Stelle, doch dann entdeckt Wolf, dass der Tod mit Finlays spektakulären Drogenfund in Verbindung stehen könnte, der damals für Aufsehen gesorgt hatte. Doch wem kann man noch trauen?
Es blieb bis zum Schluss spannend. Das Ende beantwortet aber nicht alle Fragen.
Mir hat dieser Thriller gut gefallen. ( )