'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

This is going to be the longest week of Washington Poe's life...

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 guilelessly innocent civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw of course. Insanely brilliant, she's a bit of a social hand grenade. 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. Dark and dangerous and sexy as hell. It's true the caustic pathologist has never walked down the sunny side of the street, but has she gone too far this time? 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. Since her arrest she's only said three words: 'Tell Washington Poe.'

Meanwhile, a poisoner called the Botanist is sending the nation's most reviled people poems and pressed flowers. Twisted and ingenious, he seems to be able to walk through walls and, despite the advance notice given to his victims, and regardless of the security measures taken, he is able to kill with impunity.

Poe hates locked room mysteries and now he has two to solve. To unravel them he's going to have to draw on every resource he has: Tilly Bradshaw, an organised crime boss, even an alcoholic ex-journalist. Because if he doesn't, the bodies are going to keep piling up . . .

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 Nixon

Praise for M W Craven:
The Curator shortlisted for the VN Thriller of the Year 2022 & longlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger 2021

Dead Ground longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2022 & longlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 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

'Fantastic' Martina Cole

'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James

'A brutal and thrilling page turner' The Sun

'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series&a

'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
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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

'A brutal and thrilling page-turner' THE SUN

'Gleefully gory and witty, with a terrific sense of place' SUNDAY MIRROR

'Compelling' HEAT

*THREE BRAND NEW SHORT STORIES FROM THE WINNER OF THE CWA BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2019 AWARD*
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In The Killing Field, Poe and Tilly are having breakfast, wondering how to spend the rest of their holiday, when their presence is requested at a Cumbrian airfield. An airfield that, during the 2001 foot and mouth crisis, was known as the killing field . . .

In Why Don't Sheep Shrink?, a global pandemic forces Poe and Tilly to self-isolate together. Things don't go well. They're bickering and on the verge of falling out until Poe finds an old case file: a locked room mystery he's been mulling over for years. Step forward, Tilly Bradshaw . . .

Dead Man's Fingers sees Poe, Tilly and Edgar, Poe's English springer spaniel, enjoying a picnic at a nature reserve. When Edgar chases a rabbit, and Poe and Tilly chase after him, they stumble upon a twenty-year-old mystery, a mystery that couldn't be solved until now . . .

________________

Praise for M. W. Craven:

'Jaw-droppingly shocking and intense' Women & Home

'Pacy, gory and clever, this is our new fave troubled cop/eccentric buddy duo' Crime Monthly

'An intriguing, fast-moving mystery' The Times

'Superb' Daily Mail

'This series really is something special' Morning Star

'Atmospherically moody' Peterborough Telegraph

'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James

'Thrilling' Mick Herron

'Fantastic' Martina Cole

'Brilliantly inventive' William Shaw

'Gripping. Taut. Twisty' Imran Mahmood

'Mind-blowing' A.A. Dhand

'Twisted and terrifying, fresh and funny' Chris Whitaker

'Dazzling' Holly Watt

'Intelligent. Sophisticated. Intriguing' Mari Hannah

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

La fascinante y nueva entrega de la serie protagonizada por Washington Poe.

Por el autor de El show de las marionetas y Verano negro.

«Un thriller brutal y apasionante.» The Sun

«La mejor trama de misterio del año.» Morning Star

«Magistral e ingeniosamente sangriento, con un gran sentido de lugar.» Sunday Mirror

Si crees que sabes lo que va a pasar a continuación es porque estás exactamente donde él quiere que estés…

Es Navidad y un asesino en serie deja a la vista partes del cuerpo de su última víctima por todo Cumbria. Un extraño mensaje aparece en cada escena del crimen: # BSC6.

Washington Poe y Tilly Bradshaw, de la Agencia Nacional contra el Crimen, se enfrentan a un caso que no tiene sentido. ¿Por qué algunas víctimas fueron anestesiadas, mientras que otras murieron en una agonía espantosa? ¿Por qué su único sospechoso niega lo que pueden probar de manera irrefutable, pero admite cosas de las que ni siquiera eran conscientes? ¿Y por qué todas las víctimas se tomaron las mismas dos semanas libres del trabajo tres años antes?

Y cuando una agente del FBI caída en desgracia se pone en contacto con ellos, las cosas toman un giro aún más oscuro. Porque no cree que Poe esté lidiando con un asesino en serie en absoluto; ella cree que está lidiando con alguien mucho, mucho peor, un hombre que se hace llamar «el Procurador».

Y nada volverá a ser lo mismo. . .

Lo que se ha dicho sobre esta serie en España:

«Washington Poe, el nuevo enfant terrible de la novela negra. [...] Engancha desde el primer momento.» Juan Carlos Galindo, El País

«En El show de las marionetas, el misterio sobre el protagonista compite con el suspense de la trama.» La Vanguardia

«Una novela ágil, profesionalmente planteada y resuelta, en la línea de Connelly y, antes que él, de aquel Dashiell Hammett que inventó el género.» Juan Bolea, El Periódico de Aragón

«Washington Poe promete dar muchas satisfacciones a los amantes del género.» Negra y mortal

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.

TRES MARAVILLOSAS HISTORIAS INÉDITAS PROTAGONIZADAS POR WASHINGTON POE.

POR EL AUTOR DE EL SHOW DE LAS MARIONETAS,

GANADORA DEL CWA GOLD DAGGER AL MEJOR THRILLER DEL AÑO.

En «Campo de muerte», Poe y Tilly están desayunando, preguntándose cómo pasarán el resto de sus vacaciones, cuando su presencia es solicitada en un aeródromo de Cumbria. Un aeródromo que durante la crisis de la fiebre aftosa de 2001 se conocía como el campo de la muerte. . .

En «¿Por qué no encogen las ovejas?» una pandemia global obliga a Poe y a Tilly a aislarse juntos. Las cosas no salen bien. Discuten y están a punto de pelear cuando Poe encuentra un viejo expediente: un misterio en el que ha estado reflexionando durante años.

En «Dedos de muerto», Poe, Tilly y Edgar, el perro de Poe, disfrutan de un día de descanso en una reserva natural. De pronto se topan con un misterio de hace veinte años, un misterio que no ha podido resolverse hasta ahora .

Descubre al Detective Washington Poe. Oscuro, cínico, implacable; un hombre que vive en la soledad de una granja en la parte más desolada de Cumbria. Un hombre que incluso sus secretos guardan secretos. Él tiene un pasado que mantiene alejado y otro pasado que aún no conoce.

«Nada de lo que hayas leído te tendrá preparado para el único Washington Poe.» Keith Nixon