#BlogTour-‘The Puppet Show’ by M.W Craven

This fabulous debut, ‘The Puppet Show’ by M.W Craven is published by Little , Brown and currently available as a hardback, eBook and audiobook, as well as a paperback from 24/01/19.

I am absolutely thrilled to be involved on the paperback blog tour, because this is a cracking series opener for Craven’s detective, Washington Poe, who has been compared to Harry Bosch -high praise indeed and totally deserved!

About the book

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..

Well….A detective in self imposed exile in the North of England, reluctantly being dragged back into a case that quite literally has his name written all over it.

Partnered with a vulnerable yet brilliant sidekick, a boss who doesn’t really want him there , a seemingly impossible to solve case and a ticking clock-so far, so formulaic, right?

WRONG ON EVERY COUNT!

From the moment that you meet the enigmatically named Washington Poe, in the middle of Cumbria with his spaniel, Edgar, you just know you are in for a thrilling ride.

NOTHING about this book is by the numbers, it is gruesome but never for grue’s own sake, very dark yet leavened by black humour that had me chortling, with the beating heart of a relationship between Tilly and Poe in the middle.

I am 100% #TeamTilly , she and Poe are brilliant creations and when they aren’t on the same page you find yourself waiting for them to be together again they crackle and spark throughout ‘The Puppet Show’ ,but it never becomes boring.

The landscape and scenery becomes a character of its own -it is so vividly rendered from page one that you know you are in the presence of a writer who is very familiar with the territory .He brings it to life so well that you can see the stones Poe uses to make his dry stone walls and the absolute isolation that the area brings.

The unique premise of the story leaves you wondering who are the puppets, how  are the police being manipulated, what is the motivation for Immolation Man and how long have Tilly and Poe got before someone else becomes a victim?

The book is heavy on details and I did need to go back a few times to re-read, but that is most probably on me as a dyslexic reader, it takes me longer to process some things over others.

In conclusion I would say that I learnt new words, new forensic techniques and if you don’t leave ‘The Puppet Show’ with a new found yearning to look at local stone circles , and take dodgy pictures of your copy in them (ahem) then it’s definitely worth reading again.

Washington Poe stands resolute like one of the featured stones-implacable, immoveable from his sense of justice ,impenetrable and wholly unlike anyone else. He is both part of a circle and also stands alone.

I LOVED it and the teaser chapter for Book 2 at the end,? Well that was just cruel!

Roll on June when ‘Black Summer’ is released!

Thank you so much to Beth Wright at ‘Little,Brown’ for letting me read this in return for an honest review.

About the author

M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle, running away to join the army at the tender age of sixteen. He spent the next ten years travelling the world having fun, leaving in 1995 to complete a degree in social work with specialisms in criminology and substance misuse. Thirty-one years after leaving Cumbria, he returned to take up a probation officer position in Whitehaven, eventually working his way up to chief officer grade. Sixteen years later he took the plunge, accepted redundancy and became a full-time author. He now has entirely different motivations for trying to get inside the minds of criminals . . .

M. W. Craven is married and lives in Carlisle with his wife, Joanne. When he isn’t out with his springer spaniel, or talking nonsense in the pub, he can usually be found at punk gigs and writing festivals up and down the country.

Twitter-@MWCravenUK

You can find all the latest news and forthcoming events at M.W Craven’s website-it is highly enjoyable with lots to read on it!

https://www.mwcraven.com/