Dead Ground

Product Description 'Fantastic' Martina Cole'Dark, sharp and compelling' Peter James'A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series' Mick HerronDetective 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 . . .Praise for M W Craven:'A brutal and thrilling page turner' Natasha Harding, The Sun'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 Book Description A dark and twisted crime novel, this is the eagerly anticipated follow up to The Curator. From the Inside Flap 'This is the best of the lot so far, the pair's personalities now thoroughly bedded in with both writer and regular readers, the characters leaping off the page and assuming an almost corporeal presence' - The Quietus'A rising star on the British crime scene' - Canberra Weekly'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'Miss this series at your peril' - Chris Whitaker'Intelligent. Sophisticated. Intriguing. Poe and Bradshaw are a memorable duo no crime fiction fan should miss' - Mari Hannah'One of the most enjoyable detective teams since Reginald Hill's heyday' - Morning Star'An intriguing, fast-moving mystery' - The Times'Fantastic!' - Martina Cole'Brutal and thrilling' - The Sun'A superbly plotted, witty, violent thriller' - The Tablet'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' - Fiona Cummins'A book that shines with tension, wit and invention' - William Shaw'Gleefully gory and witty, with a terrific sense of place' - Sunday Mirror'So dark and twisty!' - Elly Griffiths'Compelling' - Heat 'Thrilling' - Mick Herron'The writing is silky smooth and the plotting is ingenious, but it is the characters that leap off the page and engage the reader' - Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine'Britain's answer to Harry Bosch' - Matt Hilton'Twisted and dark and I loved it' - Simon Toyne'In Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw, Craven has created one of the most charismatic crime fighting duos of recent years' - Vaseem Khan From the Back Cover Silence and secrets ... and a ceramic rat Detective Sergeant Washington Poe is in court, fighting eviction from his beloved 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 murder-by-pimp - but his attendance was requested personally, by the kind of people who prefer to remain in the shadows.As Poe and programmer Tilly Bradshaw delve deeper into the case, they are faced with seemingly unanswerable questions: despite being heavily vetted for a hig