I always start the new novel on December 1 st. I have a break for Christmas and then hit the computer. I aim to get it with my agent by late summer as invariably I’ll have December submission date. This gives us a chance to work on it before it goes to my editor. The draft I submit is never what ends up in the final book though. It goes through editing, line editing, copy-editing, desk editing and proofreading, and all this takes time. I’d say workwise, it’s the best part of a year to get from what’s inside my head to the finished product. Writing Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love Craven’s writing style and the way he builds a story. It works brilliantly for my personal tastes, and I often think you couldn’t write any of this differently. The balance of humour and sensitivity, with the fear and tension and a forensically plotted story, put Craven up there as a favourite crime / thriller writer.

Meet Detective Sergeant Washington Poe. Dark, cynical, ruthless; he lives a monastic existence in a shepherd’s croft on the most desolate moorland in Cumbria. Even his secrets have secrets. He has a past he keeps there and another past he doesn’t yet know about . . . With this book, its quite official that MW Craven is my go-to author and this one was so meticulously and smartly done, he's now upgraded from my go-to author to AUTOBUY author. Another intelligently plotted and brilliantly conceived thriller from one of my favourite crime / thriller authors, M.W. Craven. The standout for me in Craven’s books is the storytelling and the way Craven ramps up the tension, thrill, and anticipation, and maintains this to the last word. The layers he builds into the story are meticulously planned, the details and unveiling of evidence and insights into people is forensically plotted, and the characters he has created are likeable and perfectly ‘hinged’. Always a fan of M.W. Craven and his Washington Poe series, I raced to get my hands on the latest thriller. Each novel in the series has been highly unique and this was no exception. Someone is killing people through highly complex toxins, though the means by which they are administered remain the greatest mystery. Washington Poe and his team work to decipher what’s going on and how they can stay one step ahead of a killer given the moniker The Botanist. A chilling story that reads so easily, proving Craven’s superior abilities. Poe is a Detective Sargeant in the hinterlands of northern England. He, his everpresent brilliant digital genius and their boss, DCI Stephanie Flynn (who once worked for Poe, prior to his suspension for behavior inappropriate to his job. Now he works for her and everyone seems to find that very workable although there is a lot of kvetching. But that is largely because Poe is intolerant of many things, like those people who do not agree with him and he clearly does not suffer fools gladly so he frequently pisses off others.How could Poe have gotten it so wrong? Did he put away an innocent man – and worse yet, did his actions lead to years of misery for the young woman? Before he can get to the bottom of it, she goes missing again. Characters -- 3 stars -- there isn't much character development or interesting characterization; the characters are an interesting bunch, but most are based on cliche: a female scientist with the brain of a genius and zero social skills; a tough and lonely down-to earth policeman with troubled past; a sexy, mysterious and super-clever pathologist; an evil genius criminal etc. He had taken up a probation officer position in Cumbria and worked his way to become chief officer. Not long after that, he decided to go into it and become an author on a full-time basis. He now says that he has different motivations when it comes to trying to get into the criminal mind. His first book in the Washington Poe series, set in Cumbria, came out in 2018. The Puppet Show would then be awarded the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger in 2019. It has been since translated into over two dozen languages. 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.' I really enjoy M W Craven's Washington Poe series with its quirky characters, well-developed and quite clever plots, and quality but not ¨look how smart I am¨ writing. I suspect that I would enjoy having a beer with Craven and not talking about anything special.

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.

Nobody’s Hero – Ben Koenig 2 – US Version published 15.10.2024 – PRE-ORDER NOW!

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. The series was optioned for TV by Studio Lambert in 2017, a full year before The Puppet Show was published, and things are progressing nicely. However, because I know the actors the studio wants, that’s all I can see when I picture who would play Poe and Tilly. A notorious misogynist, Kane Hunt, reveals a death threat, a pressed dried flower and appalling poetry, prior to dying on a live TV talk show, he is found to have been poisoned. This is followed by the shamelessly corrupt and disgraced Tory MP for Sheffield East receiving the same type of threat, and despite being closely guarded, found dead in his bath. A far right social media commentator, monetising racism, claiming truth and facts are 'fake news', is isolated and closely monitored in hospital by both medical staff and the police, yet once again The Botanist manages to slip through the net. DI Stephanie Flynn, Poe and even Tilly struggle to find any leads, how is the botanist getting away with his crimes, he has surfaced out of the blue, how did he get to be so good? Surely he must have committed similar crimes before? In a twisted narrative a popular killer develops a cult following and Doyle is charged with murder, the pressure is on to solve 2 impossible time sensitive cases. The author is married to his wife, Joanne. The two live together in Carlisle. Michael enjoys going out with his springer spaniel or hanging out in the pub talking about nonsense. When he isn’t busy with that, he can be discovered at punk shows or writing festivals all over the country. 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.’

Poe, Tilly and Flynn make an engaging central trio, with the embattled Estelle playing more of a direct role towards the end of the narrative. Their quirky banter had me laughing out loud at times, despite the gritty subject matter. The intertwined mystery storylines are superlative, providing a robust structure that makes The Botanist a compelling read that’s hard to put down once started. As if that's not enough pressure on its own, there's also a bit of evidence that suggests Poe himself might be one of the next targets. As hard as it is I can’t share anything more about their findings and the progress in the cases but Poe and Bradshaw are at their best, both in the use of their deduction skills and the socially awkward banter between the two of them. I think it was the funniest out of all the novels so far because there were quite a few awkward remarks and I was happy not be in Poe’s shoes :-). I had no idea about the motive for either of the cases but I did come up with an idea for Estelle’s case which turned out to be the right guess. I guess my Miss Marple / Hercule Poirot switch was on and some logical thinking certainly helped. Even then it was too hard to figure out the rest and I was on pins and needles to be enlightened by Poe. As the series begins, DI Walsh has just been saved from a permanent suspension thanks to a transfer to the “Last Chance Saloon” crime unit. His first case involves a letter sent by a woman who was murdered 20 years prior. That letter brings new suspects into the picture, and DI Walsh and his colleagues will have to try to make sense of the very cold case if they're to bring the real culprit to justice. What’s more baffling than anything, Estelle has been in the house with her father and a sprinkling of fresh snow remains undisturbed. All the while, a mysterious poisoner has been sending high-profile celebrities poems and pressed flowers, explaining how they will die. Their deaths soon follow, though no one can explain how it happened. Enter Poe and Tilly Bradshaw, who begin deciphering the poems, as well as the means by which this poisoner, called ‘The Botanist’, has been completing the task. No amount of police presence or surveillance appears able to help victims, which makes the killings all the more troubling.In this book, Poe's friend Estelle Doyle appears to be guilty of her father's murder. All signs point to her guilt, but she's said just three words since her arrest: “Tell Washington Poe.” The Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw series follows the investigative adventures of two central characters working for the National Crime Agency's Serious Crime Analysis Section. The main character, Washington Poe, is a disgraced detective with intuition that's matched only by his issues with authority. He lives alone (aside from his dog) in a converted shepherd's croft on the desolate Cumbrian moorlands.