Description
‘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 Nixon
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
Anna Kierczynska –
How do you review a masterpiece?
Ok, I’m going to try to list all of the things I loved about the book without spoilers. Bear with me. It’s not an easy job!
There’s one crime sub-genre that I love to read the most, it’s a locked room mystery. The unexplained and impossible at first, with a clever and simple resolution. Mike put TWO locked room mysteries in one book. It’s the best combo I could have hoped for!
I’m totally #TeamTilly but the other character that I find fascinating, hilarious and incredibly smart is Estelle Doyle. Seeing her and Poe interacting, being into each other and pretending they’re not is super cute. I’ve been waiting for several books for them to get together… but then Estelle is arrested for murder!!! On suspicion of killing her own father! Poe like a knight in shining armour will do everything to help her.
Tilly, my lovely dear girl made me giggle, snort and laugh out loud. If you’re like her in real life, let’s be friends! I’d love to have a Tilly in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of her. One of the best writing creations.
And the killer! It was one of the very few times I was actually hoping the murders will be successful. I know I shouldn’t be rooting for the bad guy, but when you read what kind of people he kills… you’ll understand! Obviously, he committed even worse crimes to get to the point of being completely successful, and that was a pure evil. 100% against it.
The way how the murders were committed was truly smart. I don’t even want to think was is the author’s browsing history. I wonder if the certain searches might have triggered some alarms 😉
On a serious note, I appreciated how the topic of alcoholism was treated. It shows the problem and the illness, and how the determination and the good medication and treatment can help people.
Oh, and I’m in it. But as you can see there are many other things that made it the best book I’ve read this year, and one of the best I’ve ever read in my life.
Tracey Harriman –
The Washington Poe/Till Bradshaw pairing in this series of books, is joyous!
Without a doubt, for me, this unconventional duo even tops Holmes and Watson (yes, I really did just say that!)
The characters are all, always, very richly fleshed out. You’re not left wanting more, because Craven gives you everything. It would be easy to say the books are character driven, but actually, the plots are just as engaging. I want to know how the plot is going to play out just as much as I want to know if Tilly Bradshaw ever did sell her toenails (read the book to see what I’m talking about). I want to know how Poe solves the cases. I want to know how they were done. But I want to be kept guessing until the end.
This is book 5.
Each of the previous books have had me pining for the next in the series. This is absolutely no exception. In fact, this is the best so far.
Laugh out loud moments are guaranteed with this one. As are moments of warmth and love. Will you be on the edge of your seat? Well, I was!
There is so much to feel when reading this book. Craven takes the whole range of human emotions and delivers them in a nice little package.
Book 6? Yes please!