This post was originally published 10th September 2019.

Looking for an unforgettable Tuesday night? I’ve got you covered! Endgame is the perfect date for a sleepless night!

Title: ENDGAME (Fawkes and Baxter #3)
Author: Daniel Cole
Publisher: Trapeze
Date of publication: 5 September 2019
Format: uncorrected proof
Source: Publisher

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…

The explosive new thriller from the Sunday Times and international bestseller, perfect for fans of Fiona Cummins and Helen Fields.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to read Endgame. I knew the author by name but had yet to taste his writing. When I opened my proof copy, I was greeted by Daniel Cole himself telling me to read the two previous books in the trilogy to get the full experience of Endgame. I usually prefer to read series in order, but once in a while I ignore the urge to go back to the start. Not this time. So I ran and bought the books.

Two days later, I was back to EndGame, 100% ready, and completely addicted.

Endgame tugs at all the thread left hanging after Ragdoll and Hangman.

*hesitates at the threshold of this review wondering how she is going to talk about this novel without spoiling anything*

You see, series are great because they give you time to explore lives and characters throughout different plots. Your opinion might change during the course of a book. You find yourself becoming more comfortable in the company of protagonists you have time and multiple opportunities to connect to. We all agree on this. Well, the Fawkes and Baxter series takes all of this, wraps it in a ball, and kicks the ball towards the sky. Never have I encountered an author with such a talent for creating a casting so beautifully dysfunctional, so hilariously normal, so tragically human.

All three books are linked. Not by the awful events occurring in them, but by how it influences the characters and pushes them, closer, farther apart, in a macabre dance with death and danger. Endgame wouldn’t be so powerful without the groundwork neatly executed by the two bullets that are Ragdoll and Hangman.

William ‘Wolf’ Fawkes is back. He is not bearing gifts and wearing a Hawaiian shirt. The death of his close friend and retired cop Finlay Shaw has shaken the world he’s left months ago and made Wolf leave the shadows.

A dead body. A Gun. A locked room. If I really loved the mystery, I loved even more the fact that there is more than one locked door in this book!

The impact of Finlay’s death forces the old team to work together again. Wolf reunites with Baxter and Edmunds, and if the dynamics are always on the move, the foundation of their relationships is as strong and loyal as ever. And that’s just what they need as Wolf is convinced his old friend has not committed suicide, despite what the appearances seem to prove.

Wolf is used to launching grenades in nests and annoying people in his (always obsessive) quests for the truth. If he clearly has all the qualities to be the next model for an ad about anti-heroes, he is more than this. Some of us chase butterflies and put them in jars. Daniel Cole captures all the grey of the world and pours it into a character whose blood is anything but red. Wolf is not the bad guy you fall for when your parents say you shouldn’t. Wolf isn’t the perfect partner every cop dream of. Wolf won’t ever win the gold medal for his communication skills. Nope. Wolf is a loner with a cascade of issues and a bit of bad luck.

Baxter? I could write a novel about her! Wait… Daniel Cole already did it! Unique and charmingly rough, I believe I have never met such a great character before. She is not defined by her relationship with Wolf, despite it being a factor in many decisions both take. Emily Baxter is her own woman, and she knows it!

Endgame allows everyone to test their abilities to give back his honour to a dear friend…

But could Finlay have killed himself? Everything points this way. When the digging starts, evidence piles up and the doubt dwindle by the page! Wolf’s absolute conviction that the old man would never abandon them is the only thing that prevents the case from closure. I’ll admit I questioned his motivation, wondering if he wasn’t simply in pure denial. But…

But a series of events mixed with intriguing flashbacks giving the reader a different insight on Finlay’s life trigger a bloody and cracking domino fall!

What on earth???

I had gotten used to the author’s writing as I had devoured his novels in two days, so I thought I would be more difficult to surprise.

Hahahahaha. What a fool.

Surprise doesn’t even cover it. I bumped my head on the roof of the Endgame car every time Daniel Cole took unexpected turns. You better have a steady stomach and a mug of tea nearby because this book is THE DEAL.

Humour, animosity, weird situations, dangerous seconds, brains working overtime… Endgame doesn’t do dark without a spark of wit, neither does it bet on its characters to fly through the pages without sweating. This is a brilliant book with an original tension that is entirely the result of the amazing mind of an author who write the most explosive crime entertainment.

Do yourself a favour, grab your copy! Amazon

I would like to thank Tracy Fenton @CompulsiveReaders for inviting me to be part of this tour. My deepest apologies for the post being published as private, resulting in a delay.