Search results for ""author m. w. craven""

'Fantastic' Martina Cole'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick HerronWelcome to the Puppet Show . . . A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of. Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it. As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive ...'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!' David Mark'Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read.' Michael J. Malone 'Nothing you've ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe' Keith Nixon

Read more less

The first thrilling Ben Koenig book from The Sunday Times bestselling author of Dead Ground and The Botanist, featuring a brand-new hero.Ben Koenig is nobody's hero . . . because he doesn't exist.Six years back Ben Koenig headed up the US Marshal's Special Operations Group. They were the unit who hunted the bad guys. The really bad guys. They did this so no one else had to.And then one day Ben sold his house, liquidated his assets and disappeared off the face of the earth. He told no one why and left no forwarding address. For six years he became a grey man. Someone you didn't remember. He drifted from town to town, from state to state, never visiting the same place twice. He was untraceable - officially, he no longer existed.But now his face is plastered across every television screen in the country. Someone from Ben's past is going to extraordinary lengths to find him and they don't care how they do it. They have a job for him, a revenge mission, one Ben won't be able to refuse.Because in the hellish heat of the Chihuahuan desert lies a town called Gauntlet. Some people in Gauntlet have a secret and they'll do anything protect it. And they know Ben is coming.They've killed before and they'll kill again.It's easy to dismiss Ben Koenig as just another drifter, someone you don't need to concern yourself about. But that would be a mistake. Because Ben has a condition, a unique disorder that means he is incapable of experiencing fear.And that makes Ben Koenig a different kind of animal . . .Praise for M W Craven:'Heart-pounding, hilarious, sharp and shocking, Dead Ground is further proof that M.W. Craven never disappoints. Miss this series at your peril.' Chris Whitaker'Dark and entertaining, this is top rank crime fiction.' Vaseem Khan, Author of the Malabar House series and the Baby Ganesh Agency series'M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today. Dead Ground is a cracking puzzle, beautifully written, with characters you'll be behind every step of the way. It's his best yet.' Stuart Turton'Fantastic' Martina Cole'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James'I've been following M.W. Craven's Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. Dead Ground is a fast-paced crime novel with as many twists and turns as a country lane. I can't wait for the next one.' Peter Robinson'Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!' BA Paris'A brutal and thrilling page turner' Natasha Harding, The Sun'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick Herron'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!'David Mark'A gripping start to a much anticipated new series' Vaseem Khan'Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read.' Michael J. Malone'Nothing you've ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe' Keith Nixon

Read more less

'This is high quality crime writing' A A DhandThe second dark and twisted thriller in the Avison Fluke series by M. W. Craven, the acclaimed author of The Puppet Show.Investigating how a severed hand ends up on the third green of a Cumbrian golf course is not how Detective Inspector Avison Fluke has planned to spend his Saturday. So when a secret protection unit from London swoops in quoting national security, he's secretly pleased. But trouble is never far away. A young woman arrives at his lakeside cabin with a cryptic message: a code known to only a handful of people and it forces Fluke back into the investigation he's only just been barred from. In a case that will change his life forever, Fluke immerses himself in a world of New Age travellers, corrupt cops and domestic extremists. Before long he's alienated his entire team, has been arrested under the Terrorism Act - and has made a pact with the Devil himself. But a voice has called out to him from beyond the grave. And Fluke is only getting started...Praise for M. W. Craven:'Dark, sharp and compelling' PETER JAMES'Fantastic' MARTINA COLE'Britain's answer to Harry Bosch' MATT HILTON'Thrilling' MICK HERRON'Brilliantly inventive' WILLIAM SHAW'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent' DAVID MARK

Read more less

MAJOR STREAMING NEWS TO COME'Koenig's insouciant style and sharp thinking pack a very hefty punch' The Times'A superb thriller that will have everyone gasping' David Baldacci'Badass and brilliant' Chris Whitaker'A blistering barnstormer of an action thriller, this demands to be read' Heat Magazine ' "Thrill-ride" gets tossed around a little too generously these days, but Craven has written one. A highly entertaining, brilliantly violent tale, full of unforgettable set-pieces' Peter Swanson'A superbly executed thriller with intelligence, wit, humour and rib cracking action' Amer AnwarFive million reasons why Ben Koenig had to disappear. Only one to bring him back . . .Ben Koenig is a ghost. He doesn't exist any more.Six years ago it was Koenig who headed up the US Marshal's elite Special Ops group. They were the elite unit who hunted the bad guys - the really bad guys. They did this so no one else had to. Until the day Koenig disappeared. He told no one why and he left no forwarding address. For six years he became a grey man. Invisible. He drifted from town to town, state to state. He was untraceable. It was as if he had never been.But now Koenig's face is on every television screen in the country. Someone from his past is trying to find him and they don't care how they do it. In the burning heat of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a town called Gauntlet, and there are people in there who have a secret they'll do anything to protect. They've killed before and they will kill again.Only this time they've made a mistake. They've dismissed Koenig as just another drifter - but they're wrong. Because Koenig has a condition, a unique disorder that makes it impossible for him to experience fear. And now they're about to find out what a truly fearless man is capable of. Because Koenig's coming for them. And hell's coming with him . . .Praise for Fearless:'Fearless is a terrific thriller, full of action, twists and turns and a very unusual hero' - Peter Robinson 'Blistering pace and all-out action, impossible to put down, impossible to forget. If you like Reacher, you'll LOVE this' - Chris Whitaker 'Adrenalin-fuelled plotting, hard-charging characters, and small-town evil... this is a thriller with all the right ingredients. And yeah, Reacher fans, you're gonna love this too' - Vaseem Khan'An absolutely stunning thriller, a total blast, and the most fun I've had speed-turning pages in ages.' - Simon Toyne 'If you haven't read any M. W. Craven yet, fix that immedi

Read more less

'Dark, sharp and compelling' PETER JAMES'Fantastic' MARTINA COLE'Britain's answer to Harry Bosch' MATT HILTON'If you haven't read M W Craven yet, now is the time to start' Abir Mukherjee______________________It's Christmas and a serial killer is leaving displayed body parts all over Cumbria. A strange message is left at each scene: #BSC6 Called in to investigate, the National Crime Agency's Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are faced with a case that makes no sense. Why were some victims anaesthetized, while others died in appalling agony? Why is their only suspect denying what they can irrefutably prove but admitting to things they weren't even aware of? And why did the victims all take the same two weeks off work three years earlier? And when a disgraced FBI agent gets in touch things take an even darker turn. Because she doesn't think Poe is dealing with a serial killer at all; she thinks he's dealing with someone far, far worse - a man who calls himself the Curator. And nothing will ever be the same again . . .Praise for Black Summer:'Truly mind-blowing' A. A. Dhand'A book that shines with tension, wit and invention' William Shaw'Washington Poe - a rising giant in detective fiction' Alison Bruce'A twisty thriller with a killer plot Ed James'I loved this book!' Jo Jakeman'One of the best British crime novels I've read in a long time . . . Simply an unputdownable page-turner' Nick Oldham'Grabs you from the very first page. A dark and brilliantly twisted crime thriller, bringing back the inimitable Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw' Colin Falconer'Dark and twisted in all the right places. Poe is a great mix of compelling, complex & charismatic, and well on his way to becoming one of the standout characters in crime fiction' Robert Scragg'In Tilly and Poe, MW Craven has created a stand-out duo who are two of the most compelling characters in crime fiction in recent years. They deserve to join the ranks of Holmes and Watson, Rebus and Clarke, Hill and Jordan . . .' Fiona Cummins'Dark, thrilling and unputdownable with sharply drawn characters that stride off the page' Victoria Selman'Gleefully gory and witty, with a terrific sense of place' Sunday Times

Read more less

''Mesmerising, macabre and magnificent. The Mercy Chair is truly terrifying, laugh-out-loud funny, and impossibly clever. Poe and Tilly are unstoppable'' Chris Whitaker''Washington Poe is a brilliant creation, from one of the finest and most inventive crime writers of today'' Peter James----Are you sitting comfortably? Then I''ll begin . . . Washington Poe has a story to tell. And he needs you to listen. You''ll hear how it started with the robber birds. Crows. Dozens of them. Enough for a murder . . . He''ll tell you about a man who was tied to a tree and stoned to death, a man who had tattooed himself with a code so obscure, even the gifted analyst Tilly Bradshaw struggled to break it. He''ll tell you how the man''s murder was connected to a tragedy that happened fifteen years earlier when a young girl massacred her entire family. And finally, he''ll tell you about the mercy chair.

Read more less

Poe's just hanging around on a Saturday afternoon...Dangling from a hook in a meat packing plant isn't how Detective Sergeant Washington Poe wants to spend his weekend. He's been punched and kicked and threatened, and when a contract killer arrives it seems things are about to go from bad to worse. He goes by the name of the Pale Man and he and his straight-edged razor have been feared all over London for twenty years.But Poe knows two things the Pale Man doesn't. Although it might seem like a hopeless situation, Poe has planned to be here all along. More importantly, a nerdy, computer whizz-kid called Tilly Bradshaw is watching his back. And now things are about to get interesting . . ._______________This is a short story, not a full-length novel._______________Praise for M W Craven:'I've been following M.W. Craven's Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. Dead Ground is a fast-paced crime novel with as many twists and turns as a country lane. I can't wait for the next one.' Peter Robinson'Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!' BA Paris'A brutal and thrilling page turner' Natasha Harding, The Sun'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick Herron'One of the most engaging teams in crime fiction' Daily Mail'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!'David Mark'A gripping start to a much anticipated new series' Vaseem Khan'Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read' Michael J. Malone'Nothing you've ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe' Keith Nixon'Beware if you pick up a book by M.W. Craven. Your life will no longer belong to you. He will hold you spellbound. Linda's Book Bag'Craven's understanding of the criminal world is obvious in this cracking read' Woman's Weekly'Breath-taking' Random Things Through My Letterbox'5 Stars... another fantastic literary experience and a welcome addition to the already brilliant Poe and Tilly series' Female First'An explosive plot, slippery twists and my fave new crime-busting duo...Fantastic!' Peterborough Telegraph

Read more less

Winner of the prestigious CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER AWARD 2022Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2022'Heart-pounding, hilarious, sharp and shocking, Dead Ground is further proof that M.W. Craven never disappoints. Miss this series at your peril.' Chris Whitaker 'Dark and entertaining, this is top rank crime fiction.' Vaseem Khan, Author of the Malabar House series and the Baby Ganesh Agency series'M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today. Dead Ground is a cracking puzzle, beautifully written, with characters you'll be behind every step of the way. It's his best yet.' Stuart Turton'Fantastic' Martina Cole'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James'You can taste the authenticity' Daily MailDetective Sergeant Washington Poe is in court, fighting eviction from his beloved and isolated croft, when he is summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Poe is confused - he hunts serial killers and this appears to be a straightforward murder-by-pimp - but his attendance was requested personally, by the kind of people who prefer to remain in the shadows.As Poe and the socially awkward programmer Tilly Bradshaw delve deeper into the case, they are faced with seemingly unanswerable questions: despite being heavily vetted for a high-profile job, why does nothing in the victim's background check out? Why was a small ornament left at the murder scene - and why did someone on the investigation team steal it? And what is the connection to a flawlessly executed bank heist three years earlier, a heist where nothing was taken . . .Praise for Dead Ground:'Unmissable' Sunday Express'I've been following M.W. Craven's Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. Dead Ground is a fast-paced crime novel with as many twists and turns as a country lane. I can't wait for the next one.' Peter Robinson 'Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!' BA ParisPraise for M W Craven:'A brutal and thrilling page turner' Natasha Harding, The Sun'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick Herron'One of the most engaging teams in crime fiction' Daily Mail 'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!'David Mark'A gripping start to a much anticipated new series' Vaseem Khan'Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read.' Michael J. Malone'Nothing you've ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe' Keith Nixon'Beware if you pick up a book by M.W. Craven. Your life will no longer belong to you. He will hold you spellbound.' Linda's Book Bag'Craven's understanding of the criminal world is obvious in this cracking read' Woman's Weekly'Breath-taking' Random Things Through My Letterbox'5 Stars... another fantastic literary experience and a welcome addition to the already brilliant Poe and Tilly series' Female First 'An explosive plot, slippery twists and my fave new crime-busting duo...Fantastic!' Peterborough Telegraph

Read more less

WINNER OF THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023'Mesmerising, macabre and murderously funny. The Botanist is M.W. Craven at his sinister best. I couldn't love this series more' Chris Whitaker'Another classy thriller from the king of Cumbrian crime' Paul Finch'I swear I'm one bad mood away from calling it black magic and going home . . .'Detective Sergeant Washington Poe can count on one hand the number of friends he has. And he'd still have his thumb left. There's the insanely brilliant, guilelessly innocent civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw of course. He's known his beleaguered boss, Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn for years as he has his nearest neighbour, full-time shepherd/part-time dog sitter, Victoria. And then there's Estelle Doyle. It's true the caustic pathologist has never walked down the sunny side of the street but this time has she gone too far? Shot twice in the head, her father's murder appears to be an open and shut case. Estelle has firearms discharge residue on her hands, and, in a house surrounded by fresh snow, hers are the only footprints going in. Since her arrest she's only said three words: 'Tell Washington Poe.'Meanwhile, a poisoner the press have dubbed the Botanist is sending high profile celebrities poems and pressed flowers. The killer seems to be able to walk through walls and, despite the advance notice he gives his victims, and regardless of the security measures the police take, he seems to be able to kill with impunity.For a man who hates locked room mysteries, this is going to be the longest week of Washington Poe's life . . .Praise for The Botanist: 'Unputdownable, gripping, clever and with a rich seam of trademark Craven humour running through it' Imran Mahmood'A sinful treat' Vaseem Khan'Fast, furious, and utterly enjoyable.' Keith NixonPraise for M W Craven:'Heart-pounding, hilarious, sharp and shocking, Dead Ground is further proof that M.W. Craven never disappoints. Miss this series at your peril.' Chris Whitaker'Dark and entertaining, this is top rank crime fiction.' Vaseem Khan, Author of the Malabar House series and the Baby Ganesh Agency series'M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today. Dead Ground is a cracking puzzle, beautifully written, with characters you'll be behind every step of the way. It's his best yet.' Stuart Turton'Fantastic' Martina Cole'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James'I've been following M.W. Craven's Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. Dead Ground is a fast-paced crime novel with as many twists and turns as a country lane. I can't wait for the next one.' Peter Robinson'Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!' BA Paris'A brutal and thrilling page turner' Natasha Harding, The Sun'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick Herron'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!'David Mark'A gripping start to a much anticipated new series' Vaseem Khan'Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read.' Michael J. Malone'Nothing you've ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe' Keith Nixon

Read more less

''Craven has unleashed Ben Koenig into the thriller world. Long may he raise hell in the pages.'' David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author''Perhaps for the first time, Jack Reacher has a convincing rival in the form of MW Craven''s Ben Koenig'' The Times-----The man who can''t feel fear is back, in a race against time to find the woman who knows a secret that could take down the world as we know it. When a shocking murder and abduction on the streets of London leads investigators to him, Ben Koenig has no idea at first why the highest echelons of the CIA would need his help. But then he realises he knows the woman who carried out the killings. Ten years earlier, without being told why, he was tasked with helping her disappear. Far from being a deranged killer, she is the gatekeeper of a secret that could take down the West, so for years she has been in hiding. Until now.<

Read more less

'Deeply layered, fiendishly clever and absorbing' Matt Hilton, author of the Joe Hunter seriesThe first gritty thriller in the Avison Fluke series by M. W. Craven, the acclaimed author of The Puppet Show.Detective Inspector Avison Fluke is a man on the edge. He has committed a crime to get back to work, concealed a debilitating illness and is about to be made homeless. Just as he thinks things can't get any worse, the body of a young woman is found buried on a Cumbrian building site.Shot once in the back of the head, it is a cold, calculated execution. When the post-mortem reveals she has gone to significant expense in disguising her appearance, Fluke knows this is no ordinary murder. With the help of a psychotic ex-Para, a gangland leader and a woman more interested in maggots than people, Fluke must find out who she was and why she was murdered before he can even think about finding her killer...Praise for M. W. Craven:'Dark, sharp and compelling' PETER JAMES'Fantastic' MARTINA COLE'Britain's answer to Harry Bosch' MATT HILTON'Thrilling' MICK HERRON'Brilliantly inventive' WILLIAM SHAW'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent' DAVID MARK

Read more less

''Craven has unleashed Ben Koenig into the thriller world. Long may he raise hell in the pages.'' David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author''Perhaps for the first time, Jack Reacher has a convincing rival in the form of MW Craven''s Ben Koenig'' The Times-----The man who can''t feel fear is back, in a race against time to find the woman who knows a secret that could take down the world as we know it. When a shocking murder and abduction on the streets of London leads investigators to him, Ben Koenig has no idea at first why the highest echelons of the CIA would need his help. But then he realises he knows the woman who carried out the killings. Ten years earlier, without being told why, he was tasked with helping her disappear. Far from being a deranged killer, she is the gatekeeper of a secret that could take down the West, so for years she has been in hiding. Until now.

Read more less

'A brutal and thrilling page-turner' The Sun'Compelling' Heat 'The best pure mystery plot of the year' Morning Star'Gleefully gory and witty, with a terrific sense of place' Sunday Mirror ______________________After The Puppet Show, a new storm is coming . . .Jared Keaton, chef to the stars. Charming. Charismatic. Psychopath . . . He's currently serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of his daughter, Elizabeth. Her body was never found and Keaton was convicted largely on the testimony of Detective Sergeant Washington Poe.So when a young woman staggers into a remote police station with irrefutable evidence that she is Elizabeth Keaton, Poe finds himself on the wrong end of an investigation, one that could cost him much more than his career.Helped by the only person he trusts, the brilliant but socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw, Poe races to answer the only question that matters: how can someone be both dead and alive at the same time?And then Elizabeth goes missing again - and all paths of investigation lead back to Poe. The gripping new thriller in the Washington Poe series from M. W. Craven, winner of the CWA Gold Dagger Award for best crime novel of 2019.*Longlisted for the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger 2020*Praise for MIKE CRAVEN'Dark, sharp and compelling' PETER JAMES'Fantastic' MARTINA COLE'Britain's answer to Harry Bosch' MATT HILTON'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent' DAVID MARK'Truly mind-blowing' A. A. Dhand'A book that shines with tension, wit and invention' William Shaw'Washington Poe - a rising giant in detective fiction' Alison Bruce'A twisty thriller with a killer plot Ed James 'I loved this book!' Jo Jakeman'One of the best British crime novels I've read in a long time . . . Simply an unputdownable page-turner' Nick Oldham'Grabs you from the very first page. A dark and brilliantly twisted crime thriller' Colin Falconer'Dark and twisted in all the right places' Robert Scragg'In Tilly and Poe, MW Craven has created a stand-out duo who are two of the most compelling characters in crime fiction in recent years' Fiona Cummins'Dark, thrilling and unputdownable' Victoria Selman

Read more less

WINNER OF THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023'Mesmerising, macabre and murderously funny. The Botanist is M.W. Craven at his sinister best. I couldn't love this series more' Chris Whitaker'Another classy thriller from the king of Cumbrian crime' Paul Finch'I swear I'm one bad mood away from calling it black magic and going home . . .'Detective Sergeant Washington Poe can count on one hand the number of friends he has. And he'd still have his thumb left. There's the insanely brilliant, guilelessly innocent civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw of course. He's known his beleaguered boss, Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn for years as he has his nearest neighbour, full-time shepherd/part-time dog sitter, Victoria. And then there's Estelle Doyle. It's true the caustic pathologist has never walked down the sunny side of the street but this time has she gone too far? Shot twice in the head, her father's murder appears to be an open and shut case. Estelle has firearms discharge residue on her hands, and, in a house surrounded by fresh snow, hers are the only footprints going in. Since her arrest she's only said three words: 'Tell Washington Poe.'Meanwhile, a poisoner the press have dubbed the Botanist is sending high profile celebrities poems and pressed flowers. The killer seems to be able to walk through walls and, despite the advance notice he gives his victims, and regardless of the security measures the police take, he seems to be able to kill with impunity.For a man who hates locked room mysteries, this is going to be the longest week of Washington Poe's life . . .Praise for The Botanist: 'Unputdownable, gripping, clever and with a rich seam of trademark Craven humour running through it' Imran Mahmood'A sinful treat' Vaseem Khan'Fast, furious, and utterly enjoyable.' Keith NixonPraise for M W Craven:'Heart-pounding, hilarious, sharp and shocking, Dead Ground is further proof that M.W. Craven never disappoints. Miss this series at your peril.' Chris Whitaker'Dark and entertaining, this is top rank crime fiction.' Vaseem Khan, Author of the Malabar House series and the Baby Ganesh Agency series'M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today. Dead Ground is a cracking puzzle, beautifully written, with characters you'll be behind every step of the way. It's his best yet.' Stuart Turton'Fantastic' Martina Cole'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James'I've been following M.W. Craven's Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. Dead Ground is a fast-paced crime novel with as many twists and turns as a country lane. I can't wait for the next one.' Peter Robinson'Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!' BA Paris'A brutal and thrilling page turner' Natasha Harding, The Sun'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick Herron'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!'David Mark'A gripping start to a much anticipated new series' Vaseem Khan'Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read.' Michael J. Malone'Nothing you've ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe' Keith Nixon

Read more less

Winner of the prestigious CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER AWARD 2022Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2022'Heart-pounding, hilarious, sharp and shocking, Dead Ground is further proof that M.W. Craven never disappoints. Miss this series at your peril.' Chris Whitaker 'Dark and entertaining, this is top rank crime fiction.' Vaseem Khan, Author of the Malabar House series and the Baby Ganesh Agency series'M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today. Dead Ground is a cracking puzzle, beautifully written, with characters you'll be behind every step of the way. It's his best yet.' Stuart Turton'Fantastic' Martina Cole'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James'You can taste the authenticity' Daily MailDetective Sergeant Washington Poe is in court, fighting eviction from his beloved and isolated croft, when he is summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Poe is confused - he hunts serial killers and this appears to be a straightforward murder-by-pimp - but his attendance was requested personally, by the kind of people who prefer to remain in the shadows.As Poe and the socially awkward programmer Tilly Bradshaw delve deeper into the case, they are faced with seemingly unanswerable questions: despite being heavily vetted for a high-profile job, why does nothing in the victim's background check out? Why was a small ornament left at the murder scene - and why did someone on the investigation team steal it? And what is the connection to a flawlessly executed bank heist three years earlier, a heist where nothing was taken . . .Praise for Dead Ground:'Unmissable' Sunday Express'I've been following M.W. Craven's Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. Dead Ground is a fast-paced crime novel with as many twists and turns as a country lane. I can't wait for the next one.' Peter Robinson 'Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!' BA ParisPraise for M W Craven:'A brutal and thrilling page turner' Natasha Harding, The Sun'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick Herron'One of the most engaging teams in crime fiction' Daily Mail 'A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!'David Mark'A gripping start to a much anticipated new series' Vaseem Khan'Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read.' Michael J. Malone'Nothing you've ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe' Keith Nixon'Beware if you pick up a book by M.W. Craven. Your life will no longer belong to you. He will hold you spellbound.' Linda's Book Bag'Craven's understanding of the criminal world is obvious in this cracking read' Woman's Weekly'Breath-taking' Random Things Through My Letterbox'5 Stars... another fantastic literary experience and a welcome addition to the already brilliant Poe and Tilly series' Female First 'An explosive plot, slippery twists and my fave new crime-busting duo...Fantastic!' Peterborough Telegraph

Read more less