BLOG TOUR: Dead Ground (Washington Poe #4) - M.W. Craven

 

Detective 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 . . .

What did I think?

Brilliant!  What more can I say?  M.W. Craven has done it again: Dead Ground is another outstanding Poe and Bradshaw page-turner that had me gripped from start to finish.  It feels like Mike Craven has upped the ante with his fourth novel in this brilliant series by adding intricate layers of cleverness and complexity to the plot that really gave my old grey matter a good workout.

You could definitely read Dead Ground as a standalone as it's a mighty fine mystery thriller in its own right, however, it's the development of the characters throughout the series that sets it head and shoulders above other books in the genre.  Opening with a very unusual historical crime that seems to have a link with a present day murder the investigating agency calls upon Poe and Bradshaw to assist them.  Working with another agency has its challenges as information is not as free flowing as Poe would like, so it's just as well that Tilly has her own way of finding things out.

Reading the Washington Poe books in order shows the stunning character development that has taken place over the course of the series.  Poe's fiercely loyal relationship with Tilly Bradshaw is so protective that it's almost fatherly.  Tilly is so honest and naive that she is often the target of jokers and the way that Poe seems to have a sixth sense about such things taking place is awesome.  Tilly is lucky to have Poe on her side and vice versa as Tilly is an invaluable asset in solving crimes.  The pair usually work alongside DI Stephanie Flynn but Flynn is on maternity leave so the terrific trio are a dynamic duo in this instalment.

I loved the personal story involving Poe's home that had me fist pumping the air when he gets his day in court but like real life, it doesn't quite go to plan and he is forced to swap his court case for a murder case.  The murder mystery part of the book is simply outstanding and I had no idea what direction it was going in, surprising me at every twist and turn.  It's another standing ovation from me when I finished the book and realised just how clever it actually was.

Dead Ground is an exceptional novel; it's fast-paced, gripping and unputdownable (especially with little cliffhangers at the end of each chapter ensuring that you read 'just one more' chapter until there are none left).  With twists and turns that left me dizzy, M.W. Craven proves that he is the Master of Misdirection in this impossible to predict and action-packed novel.  So very highly recommended - both this novel and the whole series.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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The Curator (Washington Poe #3) - M.W. Craven

 

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 . . .

What did I think?

This book is AMAZING!  This series somehow keeps getting better and better, despite each book being absolutely brilliant in its own right.  I may be a bit late reading this one but there is method to my madness; you know the Poe and Bradshaw hangover you end up with when you finish the book because you just want more of them?  Well, I have timed it perfectly to go straight on to book 4 so that's my book hangover averted.

The Curator is simply brilliant from start to finish.  The trio of Washington Poe, Tilly Bradshaw and DI Stephanie Flynn is literary gold; they are fiercely loyal and would fight to the death for each other.  Although you can definitely read The Curator as a standalone, it's so much more rewarding when you have followed the characters through the previous books.  Tilly remains one of my favourite literary characters of all time; I just love how literal and honest she is and it makes me laugh every time she addresses someone by their full name, even people she knows well.

The plot is razor-sharp, completely awe inspiring and incredibly clever; I felt like I should have stood up and given M.W. Craven a round of applause at the end.  Take a bow, Mr. Craven!  There is no other crime series quite like this one and it's no wonder that readers (me included) get so excited when a new Washington Poe book is released.  The writing is gripping, vivid and as no-nonsense as Poe but it also has a sprinkling of dry humour despite the often gruesome subject matter.  Even the author's note and acknowledgements have Mike Craven's wonderfully dry humour woven through them, as I found out to my delight when I greedily devoured every single word of The Curator. 

The Curator is SO gripping that I almost burnt my chips!  I was so engrossed in the book and didn't even want to put it down for a minute so we ended up with some very crispy chips for tea.  This is top-notch crime fiction and it's definitely one not to be missed.  So very highly recommended and an easy full-house of stars for this outstanding book.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but will also be imminently purchasing a paperback for my collection.  This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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Black Summer (Washington Poe #2) - M.W. Craven

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.

What did I think?

Having absolutely loved The Puppet Show, the first book in the Washington Poe series, I wondered how M.W. Craven could possibly write a book good enough to follow it.  Well he's only gone and done it with Black Summer; a book that is as unputdownable as it is unforgettable, but more about that unforgettable part later.

I have to admit to being slightly disappointed that my favourite analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, didn't feature from the start but it's more realistic and in-keeping with Poe's solitary characteristics not to have them joined at the hip.  The compelling plot more than made up for Tilly's initial absence and what a plot it is.  It had me on the edge of my seat, scratching my head and admittedly holding back a bit of vomit at times.  It's so very clever and highly original that it keeps the reader on their toes and I decided to enjoy the ride and save the inevitable headache from trying to second guess the unguessable.

I don't want to give away any spoilers but I just have to mention the unforgettable part of the book for me.  It's all down to M.W. Craven's brilliantly vivid and descriptive writing and I now have my own proof that 'the book was better'.  The story in Black Summer revolves around a famous chef and there's a particular dish that is served to Poe which had my stomach heaving.  I paused to google it and found that the same dish had been featured in the TV show Billions.  Now I've seen and enjoyed every episode of Billions but could only vaguely remember the dish in question when I saw images from the episode.  M.W. Craven's writing is so exquisitely evocative that reading about something made so much more of an impression than seeing it on the screen.  Bravo Mr. Craven!

Black Summer is an outstanding follow up to The Puppet Show and it would read very well as a standalone too.  With a breathtakingly brilliant plot and characters that are second to none, Black Summer is an unmissable book.  Scooping a full house of stars, this is a very highly recommended book.

I chose to read an ARC in ebook format and then bought a paperback for my M.W. Craven collection; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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