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Washington Poe #4
Dead Ground
Dans le Cumbria, au nord-ouest de l’Angleterre, un pilote d’hélicoptère recruté à l’occasion d’un sommet international est retrouvé mort dans une maison close. On apprend bien vite que cet homme était un héros de l’armée britannique, capturé et torturé par une cellule d’Al-Qaïda en Afghanistan.
L’enquête n’aurait jamais dû être confiée à Washington Poe et Tilly Bradshaw, dont la mission au sein de la National Crime Agency est de traquer les tueurs en série. Mais les services secrets britanniques en ont décidé autrement…
Parce qu’en haut-lieu on sait que Poe sera imperméable à la pression et aux tentatives d’intimidation ? Ou pour des raisons moins avouables ? Et quel est le lien avec ce casse audacieux commis trois ans plus tôt par des individus portant les masques des différents James Bond ?
L’enquête n’aurait jamais dû être confiée à Washington Poe et Tilly Bradshaw, dont la mission au sein de la National Crime Agency est de traquer les tueurs en série. Mais les services secrets britanniques en ont décidé autrement…
Parce qu’en haut-lieu on sait que Poe sera imperméable à la pression et aux tentatives d’intimidation ? Ou pour des raisons moins avouables ? Et quel est le lien avec ce casse audacieux commis trois ans plus tôt par des individus portant les masques des différents James Bond ?
440 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2021
519 people are currently reading
4224 people want to read
About the author
M.W. Craven
48 books2,748 followersM. 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 981 reviews
May 9, 2021
The award winning MW Craven's latest addition to his moreish DS Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw, from the Serious Crime Analysis (SCAS) unit of the National Crime Agency (NCA), series has been eagerly anticipated, it is a fast paced and utterly riveting novel of retribution, looted antiquities and murders in the past and present. Poe is in court fighting not to lose his isolated Herdwick croft, being ably defended by the genius Tilly, only to be urgently picked up by MI5 operatives. Despite, or perhaps even because of his inability to follow orders, he and Tilly are to look into a gruesome murder that has national security implications for a international trade summit to take place at the heavily guarded Scarness Hotel. The pair are joined by FBI Agent Melody Lee, now vindicated and reinstated after events in The Curator, and representing American interests at the summit and MI5's Hannah Finch.
The victim is Oliver Bierman, an ex-military Brit hero living in the US, running a helicopter service with his partner, the American Patrick McDaid, flying in delegates to the summit. Strangely his body was discovered in a unprepossessing part of the town, in a temporary pop up brothel, how would a visitor unfamiliar with the area possibly know of its existence? His face has been bashed in by a baseball bat and the PM carried out by the esteemed pathologist, Estelle Doyle, reveals he was tortured horrifically prior to being killed. A ceramic rat stolen from the crime scene leads the team to a curious failed bank heist carried out 3 years ago by men in James Bond masks, nothing was taken, but left behind in one of the security boxes is a identical rat, along with the shot dead body of one of the robbers. Poe and Tilly find themselves facing one of their most challenging cases that including taking in deadly events in Afghanistan, a visit to Southampton, and a ruthless killer on the loose.
Once again Craven provides the usual thrills and spills galore, along with the trademark humour and banter between Poe and Tilly, now including Melody, and recurring characters such as Estelle Doyle. This is a compulsive read that had me turning the pages as quickly as possible, and I didn't stop until I reached the end. With twists and turns coming thick and fast, the complex plotting and the stellar characters of Poe and Tilly, particularly Tilly, guarantee that this crime read will become a favourite with fans, old and new. I loved it, although I admit to having a few niggles, like the over the top representation of teenager Emily, and I wasn't completely convinced by the final reveal either at the end. I am already looking forward with great anticipation to the next in the series! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
The victim is Oliver Bierman, an ex-military Brit hero living in the US, running a helicopter service with his partner, the American Patrick McDaid, flying in delegates to the summit. Strangely his body was discovered in a unprepossessing part of the town, in a temporary pop up brothel, how would a visitor unfamiliar with the area possibly know of its existence? His face has been bashed in by a baseball bat and the PM carried out by the esteemed pathologist, Estelle Doyle, reveals he was tortured horrifically prior to being killed. A ceramic rat stolen from the crime scene leads the team to a curious failed bank heist carried out 3 years ago by men in James Bond masks, nothing was taken, but left behind in one of the security boxes is a identical rat, along with the shot dead body of one of the robbers. Poe and Tilly find themselves facing one of their most challenging cases that including taking in deadly events in Afghanistan, a visit to Southampton, and a ruthless killer on the loose.
Once again Craven provides the usual thrills and spills galore, along with the trademark humour and banter between Poe and Tilly, now including Melody, and recurring characters such as Estelle Doyle. This is a compulsive read that had me turning the pages as quickly as possible, and I didn't stop until I reached the end. With twists and turns coming thick and fast, the complex plotting and the stellar characters of Poe and Tilly, particularly Tilly, guarantee that this crime read will become a favourite with fans, old and new. I loved it, although I admit to having a few niggles, like the over the top representation of teenager Emily, and I wasn't completely convinced by the final reveal either at the end. I am already looking forward with great anticipation to the next in the series! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
July 9, 2021
Deception
Dead Ground is the latest in the spellbinding crime thriller series from Mike Craven. It is such a joy to read a captivating thriller with two compelling characters in Tilly and Poe that are awash with depth, fascination, capability and humour.
I will return to give a more detailed glowing review when God gives me 54 hours in a day. I couldn’t remove this line considering the comments below, but here’s the full review.
...
Dead Ground follows The Curator in the series, a point often referred to in this story, so a bit of advice is to read that book beforehand if you want to understand certain background references.
With an international trade summit planned for Scarness Hotel in Cumbria, the security services from the US are in full preparation, when a partner of the helicopter firm they are using for transporting the political leaders, is found brutally tortured and murdered in a pop-up brothel in Carlisle. Not sure if this is related to the summit, an investigation is launched into determining the full exposure before the US services commit to participation. FBI agent Melody Lee, now reinstated after The Curator murder hunt (I told you it would crop up), requested Detective Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw from the Crime Analysis Unit with the National Crime Agency. Poe questions this request considering MI5 are all over this with their top agents, but the American’s want someone who will tell it as it is and will not be controlled by MI5 or UK government. Everyone will soon realise that Poe only operates as he sees fit:
The extent of the investigative plot starts with US and UK forces in Afghanistan years previous. A major incident saw the recovery of a military prisoner come war-hero, from certain execution by the Taliban, and the unfortunate death of the whole unit that saved him Tango Two Four from a suicide bomber on a mission they didn’t need to be involved in. The plot then delves into the local criminal underworld and activities surrounding the Summit. Mike Craven draws fascinating characters that wrestle with the many restrictions of the job, secrecy, ambition, personal relationships, especially with Tilly and Poe, and ego.
The plot underscores this as a multi-level mystery and a remarkable crime investigation in its authenticity, scope, and deviousness. But what really takes this story to an outstanding level are the characters that I love spending time with. Poe is a detective with fantastic insight and an ability to sense the manipulation of others and the recognition of the smallest of details that often become crucial in an investigation. Tilly is a real treasure, and over the series, we can see her develop from that shy, refrained, slightly autistic woman of serious intelligence (“as clever as Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair”), to someone who is now outspoken but retains that awkward social discourse and an inability to lie. The humour flows mainly from her and her brutally honest description of people and situations. Neither suffers fools gladly, but they have tremendous loyalty to each other. Mike Craven shared a scene with me back when the Puppet Show was just released, and it was great to see it delivered in this story – the scene is where Tilly is trying to explain Quidditch to Poe, and I can visualise that interaction with a rooted smile.
Dead Ground is a highly entertaining thriller from a master storyteller that is sharp and compelling as it blends the dark side of crime with humour. I can highly recommend this book, and I would like to thank Mike Craven, Little Brown Group, Constable and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.
Dead Ground is the latest in the spellbinding crime thriller series from Mike Craven. It is such a joy to read a captivating thriller with two compelling characters in Tilly and Poe that are awash with depth, fascination, capability and humour.
I will return to give a more detailed glowing review when God gives me 54 hours in a day. I couldn’t remove this line considering the comments below, but here’s the full review.
...
Dead Ground follows The Curator in the series, a point often referred to in this story, so a bit of advice is to read that book beforehand if you want to understand certain background references.
With an international trade summit planned for Scarness Hotel in Cumbria, the security services from the US are in full preparation, when a partner of the helicopter firm they are using for transporting the political leaders, is found brutally tortured and murdered in a pop-up brothel in Carlisle. Not sure if this is related to the summit, an investigation is launched into determining the full exposure before the US services commit to participation. FBI agent Melody Lee, now reinstated after The Curator murder hunt (I told you it would crop up), requested Detective Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw from the Crime Analysis Unit with the National Crime Agency. Poe questions this request considering MI5 are all over this with their top agents, but the American’s want someone who will tell it as it is and will not be controlled by MI5 or UK government. Everyone will soon realise that Poe only operates as he sees fit:
“They tried to keep him in their carefully contained box. Assumed they could point at what they wanted him to look at, shield him from what they didn’t. Which showed just how badly they’d misjudged him.”
The extent of the investigative plot starts with US and UK forces in Afghanistan years previous. A major incident saw the recovery of a military prisoner come war-hero, from certain execution by the Taliban, and the unfortunate death of the whole unit that saved him Tango Two Four from a suicide bomber on a mission they didn’t need to be involved in. The plot then delves into the local criminal underworld and activities surrounding the Summit. Mike Craven draws fascinating characters that wrestle with the many restrictions of the job, secrecy, ambition, personal relationships, especially with Tilly and Poe, and ego.
The plot underscores this as a multi-level mystery and a remarkable crime investigation in its authenticity, scope, and deviousness. But what really takes this story to an outstanding level are the characters that I love spending time with. Poe is a detective with fantastic insight and an ability to sense the manipulation of others and the recognition of the smallest of details that often become crucial in an investigation. Tilly is a real treasure, and over the series, we can see her develop from that shy, refrained, slightly autistic woman of serious intelligence (“as clever as Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair”), to someone who is now outspoken but retains that awkward social discourse and an inability to lie. The humour flows mainly from her and her brutally honest description of people and situations. Neither suffers fools gladly, but they have tremendous loyalty to each other. Mike Craven shared a scene with me back when the Puppet Show was just released, and it was great to see it delivered in this story – the scene is where Tilly is trying to explain Quidditch to Poe, and I can visualise that interaction with a rooted smile.
Dead Ground is a highly entertaining thriller from a master storyteller that is sharp and compelling as it blends the dark side of crime with humour. I can highly recommend this book, and I would like to thank Mike Craven, Little Brown Group, Constable and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.
January 2, 2022
What do you get when you read a Craven book?
A five-star plot, cracking storytelling, the perfect detective duo in Poe and Tilly, an abundance of suspense, thrill, and tension and a sprinkling of dry humour that is effortless and unforced.
Washington Poe is in court fighting eviction from his home when he is called to investigate the death of a man in a pop-up brothel. However, what initially appears a straight-forward case turns out to be a dangerous and complex plot that takes the story to Carlisle and the war in Afghanistan as the investigation reveals the man was tortured before being killed and an unusual calling card left at the scene. Not your typical pimp murder.
Craven grabs the reader from the opening pages and delivers a blockbuster of a story right to the end. I love this detective duo, Poe who is socially awkward whilst Tilly is considered and methodical but brutally honest with limited filters applied to what she says of others. Craven allows this duo to spark of each other with wonderful wit and humour that leaves you hanging off the dialogue and exchanges between this delicious duo.
Of course there is no shortage of twists and red herrings as Craven delivers another stunning book to add to the series.
A highly recommended addictive read
A five-star plot, cracking storytelling, the perfect detective duo in Poe and Tilly, an abundance of suspense, thrill, and tension and a sprinkling of dry humour that is effortless and unforced.
Washington Poe is in court fighting eviction from his home when he is called to investigate the death of a man in a pop-up brothel. However, what initially appears a straight-forward case turns out to be a dangerous and complex plot that takes the story to Carlisle and the war in Afghanistan as the investigation reveals the man was tortured before being killed and an unusual calling card left at the scene. Not your typical pimp murder.
Craven grabs the reader from the opening pages and delivers a blockbuster of a story right to the end. I love this detective duo, Poe who is socially awkward whilst Tilly is considered and methodical but brutally honest with limited filters applied to what she says of others. Craven allows this duo to spark of each other with wonderful wit and humour that leaves you hanging off the dialogue and exchanges between this delicious duo.
Of course there is no shortage of twists and red herrings as Craven delivers another stunning book to add to the series.
A highly recommended addictive read
December 30, 2021
Posting again as I learned my previous review had vanished.
I loved the previous books in this well-crafted and twisted series containing humorous conversations between the socially awkward, endearing, and unfiltered Tilly Bradshaw, a tech genius and the gruff, obnoxious loner, DS Washington Poe. They have a unique friendship and work for the Serious Crime Analysis unit(SCAS) of the National Crime Agency (NCA) and usually investigate complex serial killer cases. Unfortunately, this book did not keep me as engaged and did not rate it as highly as the previous three books. This has no relation to its quality or to its well-constructed plot. I rate books based on my personal enjoyment and don't much care for stories involving military history and crime, intelligence agencies, and confusion with characters first identified by their present assumed name and then to their original name.
It begins in court where Poe is in danger of losing his isolated croft, which has been identified as a heritage site. He is adeptly defended by Tilly when they are summoned by MI5 to investigate the death of retired war hero Oliver Bierman, a decorated British war hero who ran a helicopter company with an American partner. The company was hired to transport important guests to a heavily guarded luxury hotel for an international trade summit. Bierman's body has been discovered in a sleazy pop-up brothel, where he was horribly tortured and beaten to death. A ceramic rat was left at the crime scene and stolen by a member of the investigative team. Now working under MI5, Poe has a tendency to go against any orders and rules from above. He and Tilly are working alongside Melody Lee, an FBI agent sent to protect American interests at the trade conference and Hannah Finch from MI5.
An identical ceramic rat was found at the site of a bizarre robbery three years earlier. Men wearing James Bond masks broke into an empty safety deposit box, shot one of the gang members dead and left the rat ornament in the box.
Sounds complicated? This is only the beginning. I started to summarize the plot, but it made me dizzy.
The path leads to a government coverup of a past atrocity and deaths in Afghanistan involving British and American troops, an international smuggling ring of looted antiquities, an unknown, vengeful and crafty killer, old and new murders, cybercrime. and false identities. Can Poe trust those who have assigned him to this investigation? Somehow, I felt a loss of tension and suspense amidst so many twists, false dead-end trails, and complications. Recommended for Poe/ Tilly fans.
I loved the previous books in this well-crafted and twisted series containing humorous conversations between the socially awkward, endearing, and unfiltered Tilly Bradshaw, a tech genius and the gruff, obnoxious loner, DS Washington Poe. They have a unique friendship and work for the Serious Crime Analysis unit(SCAS) of the National Crime Agency (NCA) and usually investigate complex serial killer cases. Unfortunately, this book did not keep me as engaged and did not rate it as highly as the previous three books. This has no relation to its quality or to its well-constructed plot. I rate books based on my personal enjoyment and don't much care for stories involving military history and crime, intelligence agencies, and confusion with characters first identified by their present assumed name and then to their original name.
It begins in court where Poe is in danger of losing his isolated croft, which has been identified as a heritage site. He is adeptly defended by Tilly when they are summoned by MI5 to investigate the death of retired war hero Oliver Bierman, a decorated British war hero who ran a helicopter company with an American partner. The company was hired to transport important guests to a heavily guarded luxury hotel for an international trade summit. Bierman's body has been discovered in a sleazy pop-up brothel, where he was horribly tortured and beaten to death. A ceramic rat was left at the crime scene and stolen by a member of the investigative team. Now working under MI5, Poe has a tendency to go against any orders and rules from above. He and Tilly are working alongside Melody Lee, an FBI agent sent to protect American interests at the trade conference and Hannah Finch from MI5.
An identical ceramic rat was found at the site of a bizarre robbery three years earlier. Men wearing James Bond masks broke into an empty safety deposit box, shot one of the gang members dead and left the rat ornament in the box.
Sounds complicated? This is only the beginning. I started to summarize the plot, but it made me dizzy.
The path leads to a government coverup of a past atrocity and deaths in Afghanistan involving British and American troops, an international smuggling ring of looted antiquities, an unknown, vengeful and crafty killer, old and new murders, cybercrime. and false identities. Can Poe trust those who have assigned him to this investigation? Somehow, I felt a loss of tension and suspense amidst so many twists, false dead-end trails, and complications. Recommended for Poe/ Tilly fans.
January 30, 2023
Cuarta entrega de la serie protagonizada por el sargento Washington Poe y su compañera Tilly Bradshaw. Un thriller de manual, bien llevado y con buen ritmo. Puede decirse que M.W. Craven no defrauda.
Es entretenida y fluye bien. Capítulos cortos y ritmo ágil, marca de la casa Craven. No me enganchó de forma tan inmediata como las anteriores, pero cuando empecé a conectar los hilos, ya no pude parar de leer.
La trama es la más compleja de las cuatro. La investigación, bien conducida, va siguiendo líneas que a su vez conducen a otras, que se saben relacionadas, pero sin ver el nexo común. Poe va a tardar en encontrar la conexión, pero cuando lo hace todas las piezas encajan. El autor no se descubre demasiado pronto. Vi venir uno de los quiénes, aunque sin tener la más remota idea del cómo ni el porqué.
La pareja protagonista, como siempre lo mejor. En esta entrega es en la que más se asemejan al Poe y a la Tilly que conocimos en la primera de la saga. El sentido del humor de Poe y esa fina ironía que despliega siguen intactos. Tilly, igual de "Tilly" que siempre, no le va a la zaga.
Mi único pero, que el autor lo fía demasiado a las habilidades informáticas de Tilly. Incluso con las dotes que tiene, en algunos momentos la facilidad y la rapidez para hackear y disponer de un programa ad hoc resultan excesivas.
El desenlace trepidante. A tono con una novela que va in crescendo a medida que avanza. El giro final tiene un poquito de rizar el rizo para mi gusto, pero esto último no deja de ser una apreciación subjetiva.
En conclusión un thriller como mandan los cánones del género. Entretenido y bien desarrollado con el plus que le confieren una pareja protagonista carismática que se ha ganado la simpatía de los lectores. Recomendable para los amantes del género.
Es entretenida y fluye bien. Capítulos cortos y ritmo ágil, marca de la casa Craven. No me enganchó de forma tan inmediata como las anteriores, pero cuando empecé a conectar los hilos, ya no pude parar de leer.
La trama es la más compleja de las cuatro. La investigación, bien conducida, va siguiendo líneas que a su vez conducen a otras, que se saben relacionadas, pero sin ver el nexo común. Poe va a tardar en encontrar la conexión, pero cuando lo hace todas las piezas encajan. El autor no se descubre demasiado pronto. Vi venir uno de los quiénes, aunque sin tener la más remota idea del cómo ni el porqué.
La pareja protagonista, como siempre lo mejor. En esta entrega es en la que más se asemejan al Poe y a la Tilly que conocimos en la primera de la saga. El sentido del humor de Poe y esa fina ironía que despliega siguen intactos. Tilly, igual de "Tilly" que siempre, no le va a la zaga.
Mi único pero, que el autor lo fía demasiado a las habilidades informáticas de Tilly. Incluso con las dotes que tiene, en algunos momentos la facilidad y la rapidez para hackear y disponer de un programa ad hoc resultan excesivas.
El desenlace trepidante. A tono con una novela que va in crescendo a medida que avanza. El giro final tiene un poquito de rizar el rizo para mi gusto, pero esto último no deja de ser una apreciación subjetiva.
En conclusión un thriller como mandan los cánones del género. Entretenido y bien desarrollado con el plus que le confieren una pareja protagonista carismática que se ha ganado la simpatía de los lectores. Recomendable para los amantes del género.
August 26, 2021
It’s always such a pleasure when sitting down to read a crime thriller by M.W. Craven. His work is so detailed and fast-paced that the reader cannot help but be swept away. Back with another book in his primary series, Craven offers fans another crime thriller set in the north of England. Detective Sergeant Washington Poe wants nothing but the quiet life, but that’s been turned on its head and he faces eviction by the county. In the midst of the trial, Poe is called away to a local brothel, where a man has been bludgeoned with a baseball bat. Poe works with his partner, computer programmer Tilly Bradshaw, and they try to decipher what’s going on and why senior intelligenc officers care so much about the case. The deeper they dig, the less it makes sense, particularly a small trinket left at the murder scene, which can be traced back to a mysterious bank heist years before. Another great story that will keep readers hooked until the final reveal.
Detective Sergeant Washington Poe might love the fast pace work of police investigations, but he’s also a fan of the quiet solitude that a cottage in the country can provide. When Poe is brought to count and faces eviction, he calls on his partner, the socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw to defend him. While they appear to be making headway, Poe and Bradshaw are soon called away on a case in Carlisle.
When Poe and Bradshaw arrive, they discover it’s a brothel and the victim’s been bludgeoned with a baseball bat. While this has certainly been a murder, it does not reach the caliber of what Poe is used to working. It’s only when Poe and Bradshaw are whisked away to meet with British Intelligence that things begin making sense, though only slightly.
Discovering that the victim was former British military and had been hired to transport VIPs to a trade summit, the case takes on a new interest for Poe and Bradshaw. While nothing seems to make sense, a small ceramic rat that was left at the scene of the crime seems highly out of place. After some deep searching, Bradshaw traces it back to an old bank heist with an odd twist.
As Poe and Bradshaw dig even deeper, they learn of an old military group whose ‘mascot’ of sorts was a rat. It’s soon discovered that there’s so much more at play here, with the FBI and MI5 having their own interest in getting the case solved. That said, Poe and Bradshaw will stop at nothing until they reveal it all and bring justice to the man who was killed.
Who’s been targeting old military personnel and for what reason? Can Poe and Bradshaw catch the killer before it’s too late and more bodies pile up? Are there secrets that the Americans and British do not want revealed and has Poe inched his way a little too close to the truth for their liking? All this and much more in revealed in this whirlwind thriller that is sure to keep the reader guessing.
I’ve come to really enjoy the work of M.W. Craven over the past few years, as his writing is both quick and highly detailed. The stories never fail to impress, even if they can get a little complex as the web is woven. All that being said, fans never leave bored or with a case that is simple to solve. Rather, it’s a ride like no other, which will surely keep me coming back for more.
Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw do well as joint protagonists throughout this piece. There is much going on and it keeps the reader on their toes throughout, forcing them to experience the intense banter between the two. While Poe is slightly sarcastic and cold, Bradshaw is too literal for her own good and naive to the intricacies of nuance. Still, they work together masterfully to solve crimes and leave no stone unturned throughout the process.
Craven has added some wonderful supporting characters in the novel, some of whom are friendly faces, while others are new to the action. While many of these complement the protagonists well, it is the banter that they all have that helps enrich the reading experience. Poe is determined to get to the answer and will move anyone in his way, while Bradshaw is highly inquisitive and seeks the synthesise data completely. With pressures from all sides, there is no way to find a happy medium.
The story may not have been my favourite in the collection, but it certainly packed a punch. I was happy to get well into the novel and see what twists arose to steer the story in many directions. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of the narrative, which gained momentum where needed. The characters worked well to push the story along, travelling through the plot effectively. Craven mixes things up with chapter lengths, leaving the reader unsure what is to come and how things will progress throughout. Things did get a little chaotic with plot lines and tangential pasts that seek to connect to a larger puzzle. Still, I could not stop reading this piece and am pleased I took the time to devour this book in short order.
Kudos, Mr. Craven, for another winner. I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for series fans in the months to come.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Detective Sergeant Washington Poe might love the fast pace work of police investigations, but he’s also a fan of the quiet solitude that a cottage in the country can provide. When Poe is brought to count and faces eviction, he calls on his partner, the socially awkward Tilly Bradshaw to defend him. While they appear to be making headway, Poe and Bradshaw are soon called away on a case in Carlisle.
When Poe and Bradshaw arrive, they discover it’s a brothel and the victim’s been bludgeoned with a baseball bat. While this has certainly been a murder, it does not reach the caliber of what Poe is used to working. It’s only when Poe and Bradshaw are whisked away to meet with British Intelligence that things begin making sense, though only slightly.
Discovering that the victim was former British military and had been hired to transport VIPs to a trade summit, the case takes on a new interest for Poe and Bradshaw. While nothing seems to make sense, a small ceramic rat that was left at the scene of the crime seems highly out of place. After some deep searching, Bradshaw traces it back to an old bank heist with an odd twist.
As Poe and Bradshaw dig even deeper, they learn of an old military group whose ‘mascot’ of sorts was a rat. It’s soon discovered that there’s so much more at play here, with the FBI and MI5 having their own interest in getting the case solved. That said, Poe and Bradshaw will stop at nothing until they reveal it all and bring justice to the man who was killed.
Who’s been targeting old military personnel and for what reason? Can Poe and Bradshaw catch the killer before it’s too late and more bodies pile up? Are there secrets that the Americans and British do not want revealed and has Poe inched his way a little too close to the truth for their liking? All this and much more in revealed in this whirlwind thriller that is sure to keep the reader guessing.
I’ve come to really enjoy the work of M.W. Craven over the past few years, as his writing is both quick and highly detailed. The stories never fail to impress, even if they can get a little complex as the web is woven. All that being said, fans never leave bored or with a case that is simple to solve. Rather, it’s a ride like no other, which will surely keep me coming back for more.
Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw do well as joint protagonists throughout this piece. There is much going on and it keeps the reader on their toes throughout, forcing them to experience the intense banter between the two. While Poe is slightly sarcastic and cold, Bradshaw is too literal for her own good and naive to the intricacies of nuance. Still, they work together masterfully to solve crimes and leave no stone unturned throughout the process.
Craven has added some wonderful supporting characters in the novel, some of whom are friendly faces, while others are new to the action. While many of these complement the protagonists well, it is the banter that they all have that helps enrich the reading experience. Poe is determined to get to the answer and will move anyone in his way, while Bradshaw is highly inquisitive and seeks the synthesise data completely. With pressures from all sides, there is no way to find a happy medium.
The story may not have been my favourite in the collection, but it certainly packed a punch. I was happy to get well into the novel and see what twists arose to steer the story in many directions. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace of the narrative, which gained momentum where needed. The characters worked well to push the story along, travelling through the plot effectively. Craven mixes things up with chapter lengths, leaving the reader unsure what is to come and how things will progress throughout. Things did get a little chaotic with plot lines and tangential pasts that seek to connect to a larger puzzle. Still, I could not stop reading this piece and am pleased I took the time to devour this book in short order.
Kudos, Mr. Craven, for another winner. I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for series fans in the months to come.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
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A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
December 29, 2021
The dynamic duo of Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are back, the banter and rabbit hole disappearing dialogue between them just as brilliant as ever! This pair are amongst the absolute best out there in crime fiction today. No. Probably ever! This case is an especially difficult one, gritty, highly intriguing, complex, intelligent and totally engaging. It takes us into the shady world of politics and the intelligence services and what emerges is very believable. No disbelieve suspenders required here. Through really good humour Mike Craven intertwines a very good mystery thriller conundrum which Poe and Tilly have to decipher and you have no clue how it will end. It’s a thill a minute from start to finish. Most books in this genre have twists. Then there’s this authors twists and turns. Whole new level. It’s all delivered at a fast pace which keeps you on the edge of your seat. Tense? Oh yes. Suspense? Obviously!
Roll on June 2022. Why you may ask? Well, hopefully by then we’ll have ditched this miserable winter weather (you can never be sure what a U.K. summer will be like!) and kicked Omicron to the kerb. Oh and the next Poe and Bradshaw will be out. Sign me up now.
Roll on June 2022. Why you may ask? Well, hopefully by then we’ll have ditched this miserable winter weather (you can never be sure what a U.K. summer will be like!) and kicked Omicron to the kerb. Oh and the next Poe and Bradshaw will be out. Sign me up now.
November 10, 2023
Dode hoek van M.W. Craven is het vierde deel in de reeks rond Washington Poe en Tilly Bradshaw. Eerder las ik alle vorige delen al (incl. het kortverhaal Einde verhaal). Wat me bij Craven al eerder opviel dat het boek me ofwel heel sterk aanspreekt zoals bij Brandoffer en De curator het geval was, of dat het me helemaal niet/minder kan bekoren zoals bij Zwarte zomer. Ik was dus benieuwd wat deze Dode hoek ging geven. Het verhaal begon voor mij zeer verwarrend met een bankroof, zonder veel inleiding, een duiding van personages ontbrak voor mij. Nadien springen we naar een bordeel waar een dode man wordt aangetroffen en worden er namen en plekken genoemd waardoor ik even niet meer wist waar het verhaal heen ging. Ik begreep niet goed wat de man was overkomen, wat zijn achtergrond was,… Kortom ik was het noorden van in het begin al kwijt. Er gebeuren in het boek zoveel zaken, er worden heel wat begrippen uit het leger opgesomd waardoor het nog moeilijker werd om te volgen. Het feit dat Tilly ook nog eens overkomt bij mij als een kleuter, zorgde ervoor dat het boek een geworstel werd en dat ik er dus maar matig van genoten heb. Craven lijkt dus minder mijn soort van schrijver te worden. Normaal ging ik meteen na Dode hoek starten aan De botanist (deel 5 van deze reeks) maar door deze tegenvallende ervaring heb ik dat plan al snel opgeborgen. De botanist zal nog even in de koelkast gezet worden tot ik me over dit tegenvallende deel geplaatst heb. Voor Dode hoek kom ik niet verder dan 2,5 sterren.
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2023...
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2023...
December 2, 2025
Dead Ground by M.W. Craven
Synopsis /
Detective 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 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...
My Thoughts /
When the opening line goes like this –
The man wearing a Sean Connery mask said to the man wearing a Daniel Craig mask, ‘Bertrand the monkey and Raton the cat are sitting by the fire, watching chestnuts roast in the hearth.’
And then this –
The men wearing George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton masks stopped what they were doing to listen. Pierce Brosnan, with his headphones on and his laptop spitting out complex instructions, was oblivious to everything but the vault door and the Diebold three-keyed timer and combination lock in front of him. Roger Moore was outside in the van.
The first thing you do is check your kindle purchase to make sure you purchased the right book! But then you realise, that it's just the usual explosive, gripping start to a new Washington Poe novel.
Craven's understanding of the criminal world is, quite frankly, a little scary. Thankfully, these stonker like scenarios only apply to the pages within his novels. I shudder to think of these being let loose on an unsuspecting public!
In Dead Ground, Poe is in trouble……..again. I don't think he ever gets out of it, it's only the depth that varies.
Apart from the curious James Bond-esque beginning, the start of the novel finds Poe and Tilly in court. Poe is in a battle with the local council to save his beloved Herdwick Croft, which the council has petitioned to be returned to its original state – before all of Poe's modifications. If the Magistrate finds in favour of the Council, Poe will need to find a new place to live. However, moments before the Magistrate is about to deliver his final decision, two mysterious men enter the courtroom and both Tilly and Poe are whisked away to a backstreet brothel where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat.
Confused as to why he and Tilly were requested to be at the scene, it becomes even more of a mystery once Poe realises that all of the alphabet agencies seem to be involved. If only someone at the scene would fill him in!
Intelligence was like bacon: you could never have too much.
Casting an ever critical eye over the scene, Poe realises something is not right.
The path to solve this murder is complex and will take Poe and Tilly down some frightening rabbit holes. Ones that involve official military secrets, lies and cover-ups that carry deep political implications. The closer Poe gets to the truth the deadlier it gets.
This is a particularly tough one for Tilly and Poe – and they are having to negotiate their way through the mire of lies and cover up without the assistance of Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn, who is still out on medical leave.
This instalment has the same fast and furious pace as its predecessors in the series, and the story itself is well constructed and, as always, well executed. With Dead Ground, the author has stretched his characters to their absolute brainbox limits; but this reader had faith our duo would reign supreme.
Synopsis /
Detective 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 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...
My Thoughts /
When the opening line goes like this –
The man wearing a Sean Connery mask said to the man wearing a Daniel Craig mask, ‘Bertrand the monkey and Raton the cat are sitting by the fire, watching chestnuts roast in the hearth.’
And then this –
The men wearing George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton masks stopped what they were doing to listen. Pierce Brosnan, with his headphones on and his laptop spitting out complex instructions, was oblivious to everything but the vault door and the Diebold three-keyed timer and combination lock in front of him. Roger Moore was outside in the van.
The first thing you do is check your kindle purchase to make sure you purchased the right book! But then you realise, that it's just the usual explosive, gripping start to a new Washington Poe novel.
Craven's understanding of the criminal world is, quite frankly, a little scary. Thankfully, these stonker like scenarios only apply to the pages within his novels. I shudder to think of these being let loose on an unsuspecting public!
In Dead Ground, Poe is in trouble……..again. I don't think he ever gets out of it, it's only the depth that varies.
Apart from the curious James Bond-esque beginning, the start of the novel finds Poe and Tilly in court. Poe is in a battle with the local council to save his beloved Herdwick Croft, which the council has petitioned to be returned to its original state – before all of Poe's modifications. If the Magistrate finds in favour of the Council, Poe will need to find a new place to live. However, moments before the Magistrate is about to deliver his final decision, two mysterious men enter the courtroom and both Tilly and Poe are whisked away to a backstreet brothel where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat.
Confused as to why he and Tilly were requested to be at the scene, it becomes even more of a mystery once Poe realises that all of the alphabet agencies seem to be involved. If only someone at the scene would fill him in!
Intelligence was like bacon: you could never have too much.
Casting an ever critical eye over the scene, Poe realises something is not right.
The path to solve this murder is complex and will take Poe and Tilly down some frightening rabbit holes. Ones that involve official military secrets, lies and cover-ups that carry deep political implications. The closer Poe gets to the truth the deadlier it gets.
This is a particularly tough one for Tilly and Poe – and they are having to negotiate their way through the mire of lies and cover up without the assistance of Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn, who is still out on medical leave.
This instalment has the same fast and furious pace as its predecessors in the series, and the story itself is well constructed and, as always, well executed. With Dead Ground, the author has stretched his characters to their absolute brainbox limits; but this reader had faith our duo would reign supreme.
May 31, 2021
“Dead Ground” is the fourth in the ‘Poe & Bradshaw’ thriller series written by Carlisle born author M.W. Craven. I have adored this series since the first incredible book, “The Puppet Show” especially with location settings being in an area I live close to and can relate to. Although each book does work well as a standalone, I would recommend reading the books in order if possible, to benefit from how the working relationships link together and Poe’s history of living in Herdwick Croft, an abandoned and isolated shepherd’s croft. The author has created a superb duo in DS Washington Poe and socially awkward but computer genius, Tilly Bradshaw - working for the Serious Crime Analysis (SCAS) unit of the National Crime Agency. Their unparalleled relationship is one of the best I have ever read! Their banter and humour is just fabulous and lightens the somewhat brutal and vicious nature of most of the murders within the whole series. Tilly is like no other and her honesty, often inappropriate comments and unique personality is truly the holy grail of this series.
“Dead Ground” features Poe and Tilly being summoned to help investigate a case, that has possible implications in National Security. With the aid of FBI special agent Melody Lee and spook Hannah Finch, they begin to learn, what was at first identified as murder-by-pimp, has its heart in looted ancient antiquities and a tragic event in Afghanistan many years ago. The first chapter opens the book like an opening scene in a blockbuster movie and sets the tone for the story instantly.
I’d say it was impossible for this author to improve as his books continue to be published, setting the bar so high with “The Puppet Show” but he does and each book continues to surpass the last, with more intriguing and well crafted plot lines and the continuing development in Poe and Tilly’s working relationship.
Another 5 stars for a crime thriller in a series that I hope continues to grow in numbers and I’d highly recommend readers of this genre to seek this author out, if not already done so!
“Dead Ground” features Poe and Tilly being summoned to help investigate a case, that has possible implications in National Security. With the aid of FBI special agent Melody Lee and spook Hannah Finch, they begin to learn, what was at first identified as murder-by-pimp, has its heart in looted ancient antiquities and a tragic event in Afghanistan many years ago. The first chapter opens the book like an opening scene in a blockbuster movie and sets the tone for the story instantly.
I’d say it was impossible for this author to improve as his books continue to be published, setting the bar so high with “The Puppet Show” but he does and each book continues to surpass the last, with more intriguing and well crafted plot lines and the continuing development in Poe and Tilly’s working relationship.
Another 5 stars for a crime thriller in a series that I hope continues to grow in numbers and I’d highly recommend readers of this genre to seek this author out, if not already done so!
February 19, 2022
Disappointing 😞. I read in the Authors Notes that this book is his favourite of the series, but for me ,I thought it the weakest by quite some margin. Some of the regular characters, who are always excellent barely featured and new ones simply added nothing to the story, e.g ; Melody Lee who was totally pointless.
Tilly was pretty much reduced to providing Deus ex Machina style solutions to any problems that the team encountered.The plot didn't grab me either.
Don't get me wrong there were aspects of the book I did enjoy such as the humour and the relationship between Poe and Tilly but there just wasn't enough of them.
With Washington and Tilly ; I don't want thriller style international conspiracies. I want local criminals and psychopaths committing local murders in Cumbria!
A low three stars and I'll definitely be reading The Botanist when it's released.
Tilly was pretty much reduced to providing Deus ex Machina style solutions to any problems that the team encountered.The plot didn't grab me either.
Don't get me wrong there were aspects of the book I did enjoy such as the humour and the relationship between Poe and Tilly but there just wasn't enough of them.
With Washington and Tilly ; I don't want thriller style international conspiracies. I want local criminals and psychopaths committing local murders in Cumbria!
A low three stars and I'll definitely be reading The Botanist when it's released.
January 25, 2023
Cuarta novela de la serie Washington Poe, con una trama enrevesada que toma un cariz más político al verse involucradas distintas agencias gubernamentales.
Me ha parecido una narración amena, enrevesada y llena de giros en la que el humor aligera tanta tensión. El dúo protagonista continúa igual de carismático, aunque me parece que no brilla tanto en medio de tanto personaje.
Muy entretenida y totalmente recomendable, aunque no es la que más me ha gustado.
Me ha parecido una narración amena, enrevesada y llena de giros en la que el humor aligera tanta tensión. El dúo protagonista continúa igual de carismático, aunque me parece que no brilla tanto en medio de tanto personaje.
Muy entretenida y totalmente recomendable, aunque no es la que más me ha gustado.
September 29, 2024
Unos personajes a los que en estas alturas ya les tomaste cariño, muy bien dibujados y unos secundarios magníficos, una trama complejísima y llena de diferentes hilos que a veces hasta te liabas un poco, pero al final encajan todos divinamente, uno de esos finales que parece que se acabó, pero hay otro final posterior, que lleva a otro final posterior, que... en esta trama infinita que me ha encantado pese a algún salto mortal que otro. Realmente esta saga da gusto leerla. La mano que mece la cuna (Poe)
November 6, 2021
Kabillion reviews already so my only comments are:
1. Completely worth the wait
2. In a reading slump? Here's your cure.
1. Completely worth the wait
2. In a reading slump? Here's your cure.
February 5, 2023
7,75/10
Otra nueva historia de Tilly y Poe que he disfrutado como un gorrino. Creo que podría leerme 5 o 6 libros más de esta saga, si es que los escriben algún día, sin que se me hiciera pesada.
No tengo nada nuevo que aportar que no haya dicho ya en mis anteriores reseñas. Estamos ante más de lo mismo, ojo, en este caso esa expresión es positiva. Lo mejor vuelven a ser los personajes protagonistas, lo que unido al estilo narrativo tan directo de Craven y a una trama bien montada, hacen que sea una de esas lecturas que enganchan una barbaridad. Como he comentado no me canso de leer y mira que en algunos momentos parece que la fórmula se está agotando, pero sigues queriendo leer y leer, hasta terminar la historia, y una vez terminas, te quedas con ganas de más.
Solo le he visto un pero y por eso le he bajado un poco la nota con respecto al anterior, y es que el twist plot cerca del final se ve venir con antelación y claro, el impacto es menor y hubiera deseado que me sorprendiera más. Pero vamos, son ya cosas por ser tiquismiquis y pejiguero, que uno lo es un rato, para que negarlo.
En cualquier caso, novela a la altura de esta gran saga y que recomendaría leer a cualquiera que este al día con Poe y Tillie, si no es tu caso, pues háztelo mirar y dales una oportunidad, que yo creo que te disfrutarás estás novelas.
Otra nueva historia de Tilly y Poe que he disfrutado como un gorrino. Creo que podría leerme 5 o 6 libros más de esta saga, si es que los escriben algún día, sin que se me hiciera pesada.
No tengo nada nuevo que aportar que no haya dicho ya en mis anteriores reseñas. Estamos ante más de lo mismo, ojo, en este caso esa expresión es positiva. Lo mejor vuelven a ser los personajes protagonistas, lo que unido al estilo narrativo tan directo de Craven y a una trama bien montada, hacen que sea una de esas lecturas que enganchan una barbaridad. Como he comentado no me canso de leer y mira que en algunos momentos parece que la fórmula se está agotando, pero sigues queriendo leer y leer, hasta terminar la historia, y una vez terminas, te quedas con ganas de más.
Solo le he visto un pero y por eso le he bajado un poco la nota con respecto al anterior, y es que el twist plot cerca del final se ve venir con antelación y claro, el impacto es menor y hubiera deseado que me sorprendiera más. Pero vamos, son ya cosas por ser tiquismiquis y pejiguero, que uno lo es un rato, para que negarlo.
En cualquier caso, novela a la altura de esta gran saga y que recomendaría leer a cualquiera que este al día con Poe y Tillie, si no es tu caso, pues háztelo mirar y dales una oportunidad, que yo creo que te disfrutarás estás novelas.
December 31, 2021
Sadly this is the last published novel in the Washington Poe series and I will have to wait until June for the next book. This was classic Craven plot twists and misdirection again.
A high level trade summit is to take place at Scarness Hall in Cumbria. Christopher Bierman and Patrick Mcdade’s helicopter business has been contracted to shuttle VIPs around. Only Bierman is found dead in a former pop-up brothel a couple of weeks before the summit starts. Oh the clues in this case are so subtle and it’s not worth mentioning any of them because there are so many but one of these clues is an object identical to an object that was found at an armed break in 3 years ago at a private security box facility where one of the robbers had been shot dead. Only Poe would see the links and query the significance of that.
Most mysterious - so Sergeant Washington Poe and trusty sidekick Tilly are again called upon. DI Stephanie Fletcher has still not returned to work after the events of the previous book, The Curator. Poe is to liaise with promising young MI5 agent Hannah Finch and FBI Agent Melody Lee, back in good grace, is there to protect American interests. Security at the venue is tight!
Craven has delivered another darkly devious and tortuously twisty story here. Somehow it all began in Afghanistan 15 years ago when British troop carrier Tango Two-Four got hit by a roadside mine. Or did it? They say revenge is a dish best served cold and this one is out of the ice box. Watching (well, reading along) as Poe ponders the tiniest details and Tilly finds the unfindable data is an enlightening experience. I really hope there is much more to come from this pair. And, even better DI Flynn is ready to go back to work. I can’t wait for the next book!
A high level trade summit is to take place at Scarness Hall in Cumbria. Christopher Bierman and Patrick Mcdade’s helicopter business has been contracted to shuttle VIPs around. Only Bierman is found dead in a former pop-up brothel a couple of weeks before the summit starts. Oh the clues in this case are so subtle and it’s not worth mentioning any of them because there are so many but one of these clues is an object identical to an object that was found at an armed break in 3 years ago at a private security box facility where one of the robbers had been shot dead. Only Poe would see the links and query the significance of that.
Most mysterious - so Sergeant Washington Poe and trusty sidekick Tilly are again called upon. DI Stephanie Fletcher has still not returned to work after the events of the previous book, The Curator. Poe is to liaise with promising young MI5 agent Hannah Finch and FBI Agent Melody Lee, back in good grace, is there to protect American interests. Security at the venue is tight!
Craven has delivered another darkly devious and tortuously twisty story here. Somehow it all began in Afghanistan 15 years ago when British troop carrier Tango Two-Four got hit by a roadside mine. Or did it? They say revenge is a dish best served cold and this one is out of the ice box. Watching (well, reading along) as Poe ponders the tiniest details and Tilly finds the unfindable data is an enlightening experience. I really hope there is much more to come from this pair. And, even better DI Flynn is ready to go back to work. I can’t wait for the next book!
June 28, 2021
This is the 4th full length novel in this series and another excellent read. I love this series, especially the characters and I can’t get enough of it.
Detective Sergeant Washington Poe is interrupted from his court case and summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. The fact that Poe was requested personally by faceless seniors suggests that this is far from a straightforward murder. Poe and the socially awkward Tilly are put on the investigation but the deeper they dig the less sense it makes. Why does the victims background not check out and why was a small ornament left at the murder scene.
Great characters, intriguing plot and beautifully written making this an excellent read. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Detective Sergeant Washington Poe is interrupted from his court case and summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. The fact that Poe was requested personally by faceless seniors suggests that this is far from a straightforward murder. Poe and the socially awkward Tilly are put on the investigation but the deeper they dig the less sense it makes. Why does the victims background not check out and why was a small ornament left at the murder scene.
Great characters, intriguing plot and beautifully written making this an excellent read. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
December 12, 2023
These are my ratings for the Poe and Tilly series
1. The Puppet Show - 5 *
2. Black Summer - 4 *
3. The Curator - 3 *
4. Dead Ground - 2 *
I promise that the descending rating is not on purpose. This is how I truly feel about these books. I don’t need to have Tilly level of intelligence to predict what my rating of the next book would be (Yet to be released - Botanist). I hope statistics and probability prove wrong if ever I decide to read that book. Strangely, I want to read the next book because i have not yet given up on Poe and Tilly. Also I want to know if Poe found who his biological father was.
Now to the review of this book. This book has an average rating of 4.5 and still I find faults in this? Something must be really wrong with me.
The plot was interesting enough and kept me going for a while. But I find it problematic when MI5 and FBI have to ask local police to solve a crime (even if they belong to the specialized arm SCAS). In the end the secretive Mr Locke explains why he involved Poe, but I am not buying that.
MI5 should scrap the search engine they use. They couldn't figure similar crimes because they were searching for 'mouse' when the other crime had listed it as 'rat'. DUH!
While Tilly is still loveable, here she seemed to have grown up and lost her child-like innocence. I know, Poe is teaching her acceptable social norms, but since when did Tilly start understanding subtle hints? (which only a cunning adult would understand)
She even plays a lawyer defending Poe in a civil suit. I get that her research is meticulous and she can find anything in the cyber world, but actually arguing in the court? In the next book, she might even start flying. Come to think of it, there is mention of Tilly and her gang (mole people ) playing muggle quidditch with brooms and all. 🤦♀️
I lost it when at the end after the killer confesses, it didn't end there and went on to add few more twists.
Now the biggest problem - Am I the only one who found this disrespectful to the brave soldiers who served in Afghanistan? The root cause for the murders was explained in detail, but this was extremely far-fetched as I don't believe anyone can stoop to this level of depravity and it was physically not possible. My reasons in the comments (with spoilers).
I read the blurb or book 5 to be released in June 2022 - ''I swear I'm one bad mood away from calling it black magic and going home . . .''. I think my fault-finding meter might go overdrive if I read it.
1. The Puppet Show - 5 *
2. Black Summer - 4 *
3. The Curator - 3 *
4. Dead Ground - 2 *
I promise that the descending rating is not on purpose. This is how I truly feel about these books. I don’t need to have Tilly level of intelligence to predict what my rating of the next book would be (Yet to be released - Botanist). I hope statistics and probability prove wrong if ever I decide to read that book. Strangely, I want to read the next book because i have not yet given up on Poe and Tilly. Also I want to know if Poe found who his biological father was.
Now to the review of this book. This book has an average rating of 4.5 and still I find faults in this? Something must be really wrong with me.
The plot was interesting enough and kept me going for a while. But I find it problematic when MI5 and FBI have to ask local police to solve a crime (even if they belong to the specialized arm SCAS). In the end the secretive Mr Locke explains why he involved Poe, but I am not buying that.
MI5 should scrap the search engine they use. They couldn't figure similar crimes because they were searching for 'mouse' when the other crime had listed it as 'rat'. DUH!
While Tilly is still loveable, here she seemed to have grown up and lost her child-like innocence. I know, Poe is teaching her acceptable social norms, but since when did Tilly start understanding subtle hints? (which only a cunning adult would understand)
She even plays a lawyer defending Poe in a civil suit. I get that her research is meticulous and she can find anything in the cyber world, but actually arguing in the court? In the next book, she might even start flying. Come to think of it, there is mention of Tilly and her gang (mole people ) playing muggle quidditch with brooms and all. 🤦♀️
I lost it when at the end after the killer confesses, it didn't end there and went on to add few more twists.
Now the biggest problem - Am I the only one who found this disrespectful to the brave soldiers who served in Afghanistan? The root cause for the murders was explained in detail, but this was extremely far-fetched as I don't believe anyone can stoop to this level of depravity and it was physically not possible. My reasons in the comments (with spoilers).
I read the blurb or book 5 to be released in June 2022 - ''I swear I'm one bad mood away from calling it black magic and going home . . .''. I think my fault-finding meter might go overdrive if I read it.
June 20, 2021
Dead Ground is the fourth book in the wonderful Washington Poe series set in Cumbria, about a dogged Detective Sergeant with the National Crime Agency (Britain’s answer to the FBI) and his gifted but socially awkward analyst friend, Tilly Bradshaw. These books get a lot of hype in crime fiction circles, but once again, it is completely justified. I’ve read them all in order, and once more would say that while each stands alone, it is better to know the background. We listened to the audiobook on a return trip to Lake Taupō, narrated by the brilliantly versatile John Banks, and both enjoyed being able to concentrate on the intricate plot while the kilometres sped by.
Poe is in court to defend against his local council’s attempts to force him from his home, when he is detained by a pair of arrogant men in suits, driven to Manchester, and ordered to investigate the brutal murder of a man in a local brothel. His remit is usually serial killers, but the crime may have National Security implications, so he gets Tilly on the case, and she discovers a link to a safety deposit box robbery three years earlier, where nothing was taken and a dead body and a ceramic rodent were left behind by a gang of James Bonds. The more they learn, the less they understand, but attempts to warn him off the case only make Poe more determined to discover the truth.
The joy of this series lies in the combination of unusual plots, hilarious character dynamics, fascinating snippets of trivia and clever twists that mean you never know quite where Craven is leading you, but it all makes sense once you get there. This one has less action and more interviewing, aided by the fabulous FBI agent Melody Lee, from The Curator, and hindered by snippy secret service agent Hannah Lynch, and her boss, the Machiavellian Locke.
I loved the narrator’s range of voices - he manages female characters and various regional accents very well. We had it sped up to x1.3 which sounded fine, and got us through it quicker.
4.5 rounded up for the scrumptiously sarcastic Northern humour & banter/insults!
Poe is in court to defend against his local council’s attempts to force him from his home, when he is detained by a pair of arrogant men in suits, driven to Manchester, and ordered to investigate the brutal murder of a man in a local brothel. His remit is usually serial killers, but the crime may have National Security implications, so he gets Tilly on the case, and she discovers a link to a safety deposit box robbery three years earlier, where nothing was taken and a dead body and a ceramic rodent were left behind by a gang of James Bonds. The more they learn, the less they understand, but attempts to warn him off the case only make Poe more determined to discover the truth.
The joy of this series lies in the combination of unusual plots, hilarious character dynamics, fascinating snippets of trivia and clever twists that mean you never know quite where Craven is leading you, but it all makes sense once you get there. This one has less action and more interviewing, aided by the fabulous FBI agent Melody Lee, from The Curator, and hindered by snippy secret service agent Hannah Lynch, and her boss, the Machiavellian Locke.
I loved the narrator’s range of voices - he manages female characters and various regional accents very well. We had it sped up to x1.3 which sounded fine, and got us through it quicker.
4.5 rounded up for the scrumptiously sarcastic Northern humour & banter/insults!
March 4, 2023
Zona muerta
Otra buena novela de esta serie de Craven con sus personajes Poe y Tilly.
La cuarta ya, y con el estilo y funcionamiento claro. Un caso difícil, con muy pocas pistas , investigación laboriosa que conforme avanza se complica para llegar a un final siempre salpicado de giros y situaciones inesperadas.
Todo ello acompañado de lo habitual en la serie: el problema típico de Poe con algún superior, a él no le impone nada nadie. Las situaciones buscadas para poner en ridículo a Tilly debido a su supuesta ingenuidad. Luego, para compensar, la demostración de los conocimientos de Tilly en la informática, que más que conocimientos son poderes sobrenaturales sobre todo tipos de aparatos, sistemas y redes y a la vez, destacar lo zopenco (y orgulloso de serlo) que es Poe en este tema. Por no hablar del tema de la casa de campo que a este paso va a estar litigando toda la serie.
A mi parecer, las situaciones graciosas de Tilly para demostrar su ingenuidad tuvieron mucha gracia en los dos primeros libros pero en este no tienen gracia, ninguna. Pero cómo no va a saber lo que es un cheque!! Hombre ya!!
Pero vaya, que la novela es de calidad, bien escrita y muy elaborada la investigación y el final, que hay que leerlo con atención.
Otra buena novela de esta serie de Craven con sus personajes Poe y Tilly.
La cuarta ya, y con el estilo y funcionamiento claro. Un caso difícil, con muy pocas pistas , investigación laboriosa que conforme avanza se complica para llegar a un final siempre salpicado de giros y situaciones inesperadas.
Todo ello acompañado de lo habitual en la serie: el problema típico de Poe con algún superior, a él no le impone nada nadie. Las situaciones buscadas para poner en ridículo a Tilly debido a su supuesta ingenuidad. Luego, para compensar, la demostración de los conocimientos de Tilly en la informática, que más que conocimientos son poderes sobrenaturales sobre todo tipos de aparatos, sistemas y redes y a la vez, destacar lo zopenco (y orgulloso de serlo) que es Poe en este tema. Por no hablar del tema de la casa de campo que a este paso va a estar litigando toda la serie.
A mi parecer, las situaciones graciosas de Tilly para demostrar su ingenuidad tuvieron mucha gracia en los dos primeros libros pero en este no tienen gracia, ninguna. Pero cómo no va a saber lo que es un cheque!! Hombre ya!!
Pero vaya, que la novela es de calidad, bien escrita y muy elaborada la investigación y el final, que hay que leerlo con atención.
October 31, 2022
While the local government somewhat underhandedly tries to evict Washington Poe from the croft which he bought from a neighbor and painstakingly restored, Poe is approached by two men he takes to be from MI-5 or 6 or some other numeral, who rather convincingly ask him to accompany them without giving a reason. (Sorry for the incredible run-on sentence).
Poe accedes to their wishes and travels to an unnamed location that clearly is under the control of a British intelligence (no, that is not an oxymoron) unit. He finds out that a man has been murdered in a local brothel and MI-whatever strangely wants Poe to run the investigation. He, of course, refuses but is eventually persuaded that doing so would be his patriotic duty and generally in his best interest.
So Poe, his socially mal-adept computer genius Tilly, and an unwanted (by Poe) MI-whatever very outspoken and inexperienced, young woman pursue the case. As one might expect, the murder investigation leads to uncovering a far more dangerous and complex plot than anyone expected. Poe and Tilly along with their initially recalcitrant MI-whatever member proceed at full speed.
I have enjoyed each of Craven's Poe series books and this certainly was no exception. The plot was interesting, generally plausible, and quite engaging. There were enough twists to keep any reader in thrall. The characters were realistic although Poe's intransigence was occasionally a bit extreme, but, then again, that's what makes him Poe.
I am happy to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, English/Scottish cop investigation (I dislike the term ¨police procedural¨and prefer the more descriptive, to my mind, ¨cop investigation¨) but, as is generally the case, if you have not read any of the Washington Poe series you would be well-advised to begin with numero uno.
Fini
Poe accedes to their wishes and travels to an unnamed location that clearly is under the control of a British intelligence (no, that is not an oxymoron) unit. He finds out that a man has been murdered in a local brothel and MI-whatever strangely wants Poe to run the investigation. He, of course, refuses but is eventually persuaded that doing so would be his patriotic duty and generally in his best interest.
So Poe, his socially mal-adept computer genius Tilly, and an unwanted (by Poe) MI-whatever very outspoken and inexperienced, young woman pursue the case. As one might expect, the murder investigation leads to uncovering a far more dangerous and complex plot than anyone expected. Poe and Tilly along with their initially recalcitrant MI-whatever member proceed at full speed.
I have enjoyed each of Craven's Poe series books and this certainly was no exception. The plot was interesting, generally plausible, and quite engaging. There were enough twists to keep any reader in thrall. The characters were realistic although Poe's intransigence was occasionally a bit extreme, but, then again, that's what makes him Poe.
I am happy to recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, English/Scottish cop investigation (I dislike the term ¨police procedural¨and prefer the more descriptive, to my mind, ¨cop investigation¨) but, as is generally the case, if you have not read any of the Washington Poe series you would be well-advised to begin with numero uno.
Fini
April 18, 2023
4,5
Que ganas tenia de leer esta cuarta parte de esta serie de libros.. los anteriores me gustaron mucho, todos tienen esa trama “compleja” y esos personajes tan buenos.
.
Volverán los inspectores Tilly un genio de la tecnología pero socialmente torpe y Poe, solitario y desagradable que por lo general investigan casos de asesinos en serie.
.
Otra novela de Craven con una historia “oscura”, con pocas pistas pero que según avanzas todo va cuadrando hasta que queda bien hilado.
.
Para mi estos thrillers son de lo mejor, yendo al grano, con buenos personajes y con temas actuales poco comunes, no el típico thriller que se ve siempre y que acaba igual.
.
Que ganas tenia de leer esta cuarta parte de esta serie de libros.. los anteriores me gustaron mucho, todos tienen esa trama “compleja” y esos personajes tan buenos.
.
Volverán los inspectores Tilly un genio de la tecnología pero socialmente torpe y Poe, solitario y desagradable que por lo general investigan casos de asesinos en serie.
.
Otra novela de Craven con una historia “oscura”, con pocas pistas pero que según avanzas todo va cuadrando hasta que queda bien hilado.
.
Para mi estos thrillers son de lo mejor, yendo al grano, con buenos personajes y con temas actuales poco comunes, no el típico thriller que se ve siempre y que acaba igual.
.
June 6, 2021
In January 2021 I purchased the first book in the Poe and Tilly series, The Puppet Show. Why? Great title, decent cover and the first in a series of an author unknown to me. Valentines day 2021, my girlfriend buys me four books, two of which are Black Summer and The Curator (who says romance is dead?).
Now, here I am, June 2021 having had to wait for my pre order of Dead Ground, excitement building as it comes through the post the same day as I'm on an online book launch hosted by Lucy at Bookends Carlisle. This delayed my read, but was a great insight to the character that is Mike Craven.
The story picks up a few months after The Curator with Poe in court and Tilly alongside representing him. Poe is fighting to keep his house, however just as the judge is about to make his decision, Poe and Tilly are whisked away by some secretive agents to help solve a crime.
A man is found in a popup brothel, beaten badly by a baseball bat. Poe has concerns about why he and Tilly are requested to work this case, as he looks in to serial killers not isolated murders. As you'd expect, there is much more to it than it seems and Poe and Tilly unravel what they haven't been told and much more.
The novel features many of the characters from the previous three and new characters that have the potential to feature again.
Poe is much the same, a rule breaking detective, who is happier upsetting people than biting his tongue. There's two ways to get things done in Poe's mind, Poe's way or the wrong way.
Tilly is great, she is Poe's side kick. Academically brilliant, but hasn't had exposure to life. She could tell you the square route of an orange, but couldn't tell you how to peel it. The quirky, comic book loving character is up there with the best recurring characters in any book series.
In addition Victoria Hume, DI Flynn, Estelle Doyle, Jefferson Black and DS Jo Nightingale making appearances. The new characters however shine and bring the best out of Poe. First up, Hannah Finch, who started off as one of my favourite characters in this book, working against Poe in a tug of war battle. Finch brings out the best of Poe's arrogance as he knows for once that people want him for who he is. Then we have Alastor Locke, Hannah's boss, who I've been trying to think how he speaks. Is it Michael Caine or like someone from The Crown? Locke again challenges Poe in an attempt to steer him, but would you want to be the person directing Poe?
Both Finch and Locke have the chance to feature further, however featuring again is FBI agent Melody Lee. Remember her, from The Curator? She was being exiled to parts unknown for the apparent misdirection of a case in the States, similar to Poe's Curator case. Her misdirection was right and helped Poe solve the case, Part of her background, Craven jokes about, stating it was a bit of fun to see how she came across on the audio books. However, she plays a big role in this book.
This is a hard book for me to rate. I've so much love for the series, that I feel I could be biased in giving a higher score as a result. It sets up a brilliant story line that I hope Craven takes, although there is no point whispering my suggestion to him, as he is a writing machine with the fifth and sixth in the series already with his team mentioned in his acknowledgements.
I'd recommend this book to anyone, however I'd suggest you start at The Puppet Show so you can see the relationship between Poe, Tilly and Flynn develop. How they are in Dead Ground is not how they were initially, especially Poe and Tilly, where the loyalty works both ways. However, if you have picked this book up, read it as a standalone and then go back. The subtle mentions to the previous book give you enough background, without spoiling the others. I've now picked up the two books in the previous series with Avison Flute, as in the future I can see a potential cross over.
Now, here I am, June 2021 having had to wait for my pre order of Dead Ground, excitement building as it comes through the post the same day as I'm on an online book launch hosted by Lucy at Bookends Carlisle. This delayed my read, but was a great insight to the character that is Mike Craven.
The story picks up a few months after The Curator with Poe in court and Tilly alongside representing him. Poe is fighting to keep his house, however just as the judge is about to make his decision, Poe and Tilly are whisked away by some secretive agents to help solve a crime.
A man is found in a popup brothel, beaten badly by a baseball bat. Poe has concerns about why he and Tilly are requested to work this case, as he looks in to serial killers not isolated murders. As you'd expect, there is much more to it than it seems and Poe and Tilly unravel what they haven't been told and much more.
The novel features many of the characters from the previous three and new characters that have the potential to feature again.
Poe is much the same, a rule breaking detective, who is happier upsetting people than biting his tongue. There's two ways to get things done in Poe's mind, Poe's way or the wrong way.
Tilly is great, she is Poe's side kick. Academically brilliant, but hasn't had exposure to life. She could tell you the square route of an orange, but couldn't tell you how to peel it. The quirky, comic book loving character is up there with the best recurring characters in any book series.
In addition Victoria Hume, DI Flynn, Estelle Doyle, Jefferson Black and DS Jo Nightingale making appearances. The new characters however shine and bring the best out of Poe. First up, Hannah Finch, who started off as one of my favourite characters in this book, working against Poe in a tug of war battle. Finch brings out the best of Poe's arrogance as he knows for once that people want him for who he is. Then we have Alastor Locke, Hannah's boss, who I've been trying to think how he speaks. Is it Michael Caine or like someone from The Crown? Locke again challenges Poe in an attempt to steer him, but would you want to be the person directing Poe?
Both Finch and Locke have the chance to feature further, however featuring again is FBI agent Melody Lee. Remember her, from The Curator? She was being exiled to parts unknown for the apparent misdirection of a case in the States, similar to Poe's Curator case. Her misdirection was right and helped Poe solve the case, Part of her background, Craven jokes about, stating it was a bit of fun to see how she came across on the audio books. However, she plays a big role in this book.
This is a hard book for me to rate. I've so much love for the series, that I feel I could be biased in giving a higher score as a result. It sets up a brilliant story line that I hope Craven takes, although there is no point whispering my suggestion to him, as he is a writing machine with the fifth and sixth in the series already with his team mentioned in his acknowledgements.
I'd recommend this book to anyone, however I'd suggest you start at The Puppet Show so you can see the relationship between Poe, Tilly and Flynn develop. How they are in Dead Ground is not how they were initially, especially Poe and Tilly, where the loyalty works both ways. However, if you have picked this book up, read it as a standalone and then go back. The subtle mentions to the previous book give you enough background, without spoiling the others. I've now picked up the two books in the previous series with Avison Flute, as in the future I can see a potential cross over.
June 30, 2021
MW Craven has created a series that seamlessly blends plot, characterization and humor.The fourth book,” Dead Ground,” incorporates these elements and introduces new characters that add to the sizzle and tension of a serpentine plot.
The central attraction of the series is the relationship of Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw.Poe is a nonconformist detective who has a military background and an eidetic memory. He has a highly developed distrust of authority figures and has an imaginative interpretation of direct orders.Bradshaw is a socially awkward computer genius who probably registers on some scale of social dysfunction. She is sometimes childlike in her world view but harbors an innate goodness that meshes well with Poe.Together they are a formidable yet unconventional team that combines leaps of logic and technological virtuosity with a dash of humor and banter.
At the outset of the novel,Poe is in court battling to retain his Hardwick Croft.Tilly is his unconventional counsel.Before the session can conclude, Poe and Tilly are spirited away by shadowy members of MI5.There has been an unsavory murder that may have security implications for an important international trade summit that will be convened nearby. The unconventional talents of our protagonists are needed to assist a multiagency task force. A circuitous path leads them to a ceramic rat stolen from their crime scene. They must sift through a three year old failed robbery attempt, conflicts in Afghanistan, war profiteering and obscured identities.We become reacquainted with previous participants in their cases and are introduced to new,enigmatic players who might become reoccurring characters.
The dizzying plot is filled with the clever conceits that have delighted Craven’s fans.The dialogue sparkles and is laced with humor. The resolution will please the fans of this series. Nevertheless, I had one concern as I romped through this book.The characters of Poe and Tilly were fresh and unusual at the start of the series.After four books, they risk becoming caricatures of themselves. There is a tendency to assume that their amazing feats of intuition and technological wizardry will inevitably unravel any conundrum. Since both characters have hints of interesting backstories, I wonder if the author plans to flesh out their personalities a little further in upcoming books.For the moment, this caveat is just a niggling quibble.MW Craven has created an array of offbeat yet believable characters, breathing life into them while Poe and Bradshaw stand at the center of this dizzying swirl.Well done.
The central attraction of the series is the relationship of Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw.Poe is a nonconformist detective who has a military background and an eidetic memory. He has a highly developed distrust of authority figures and has an imaginative interpretation of direct orders.Bradshaw is a socially awkward computer genius who probably registers on some scale of social dysfunction. She is sometimes childlike in her world view but harbors an innate goodness that meshes well with Poe.Together they are a formidable yet unconventional team that combines leaps of logic and technological virtuosity with a dash of humor and banter.
At the outset of the novel,Poe is in court battling to retain his Hardwick Croft.Tilly is his unconventional counsel.Before the session can conclude, Poe and Tilly are spirited away by shadowy members of MI5.There has been an unsavory murder that may have security implications for an important international trade summit that will be convened nearby. The unconventional talents of our protagonists are needed to assist a multiagency task force. A circuitous path leads them to a ceramic rat stolen from their crime scene. They must sift through a three year old failed robbery attempt, conflicts in Afghanistan, war profiteering and obscured identities.We become reacquainted with previous participants in their cases and are introduced to new,enigmatic players who might become reoccurring characters.
The dizzying plot is filled with the clever conceits that have delighted Craven’s fans.The dialogue sparkles and is laced with humor. The resolution will please the fans of this series. Nevertheless, I had one concern as I romped through this book.The characters of Poe and Tilly were fresh and unusual at the start of the series.After four books, they risk becoming caricatures of themselves. There is a tendency to assume that their amazing feats of intuition and technological wizardry will inevitably unravel any conundrum. Since both characters have hints of interesting backstories, I wonder if the author plans to flesh out their personalities a little further in upcoming books.For the moment, this caveat is just a niggling quibble.MW Craven has created an array of offbeat yet believable characters, breathing life into them while Poe and Bradshaw stand at the center of this dizzying swirl.Well done.
September 29, 2023
Esta novela de la pareja Poe y Tilly me ha gustado mucho, con una trama diferente, vamos avanzando hasta descubrir los motivos del asesino que me han parecido diferentes a los que solemos encontrar en este tipo de novelas. La novela es adictiva como todas las de Poe y llega un punto donde ya no puedes parar de leer.
Sólo le pongo una pequeña pega, yo adiviné quién era el asesino un poco antes de que se supiese,
Lo que si que me pilló totalmente por sorpresa fué el giro final, ese si que no lo ví venir.
Sólo le pongo una pequeña pega, yo adiviné quién era el asesino un poco antes de que se supiese,
Lo que si que me pilló totalmente por sorpresa fué el giro final, ese si que no lo ví venir.
October 20, 2022
It’s not often I get completely hooked on a series, but the Washington Poe series (featuring the unforgettable Tilly Bradshaw) has me begging for more. Dead Ground is the 4th book in the series and it offers fans of lively paced murder mysteries a healthy dose of quick wit, sharp investigative skills and imaginative plotting.
Poe and Bradshaw are members of the Serious Crime Analysis (SCAS) unit of the National Crime Agency (NCA), essentially, homicide investigators. MI5 drags them into a murder investigation involving a helicopter pilot who was brutally beaten to death in a sleazy brothel. With an upcoming international trade summit in which he would be ferrying bigwigs to and fro, the death is seen as a security threat.
Their presence has been obtained at the request of FBI agent Melody Lee, last seen during The Curator murder investigation. She decided she wanted the best for this case, someone who won’t be intimidated by the authority of the highest UK government members and that’s Poe and Bradshaw.
The unsurprising result is an immediate tension between some members of MI5 and the pair from the police. It makes for some entertaining by-play as well as an opportunity for Poe to demonstrate just how obstreperous he can be.
In the early stages of the investigation we discover that the dead man had been held prisoner in Afghanistan and had suffered some of the most brutal treatment imaginable. He was saved by a UK team only days before he was due to be publicly executed only for that same team to be killed by a suicide bombing.
As Poe and Bradshaw begin to carry out their work it becomes clear that there are many layers to be uncovered and the complexity indicates a tightly woven plot that Craven has expertly crafted.
But it’s the interaction between Poe and Bradshaw that continues to make this series such a joy and it’s repeated again in Dead Ground. The dialogue is sharply witty, the banter is repeatedly on point and the continued development of Tilly from the socially clueless genius we met in The Puppet Show is fascinating to witness.
Dead Ground is a remarkable crime novel that goes out of its way to surprise and delight the reader. Not only do we get a strong police procedural mystery but the deceit and intrigue of the spy game is mixed in with the third sub-genre of the wartime thriller. All of this is put together to provide a compelling story that simply makes the Washington Poe series all the stronger.
Poe and Bradshaw are members of the Serious Crime Analysis (SCAS) unit of the National Crime Agency (NCA), essentially, homicide investigators. MI5 drags them into a murder investigation involving a helicopter pilot who was brutally beaten to death in a sleazy brothel. With an upcoming international trade summit in which he would be ferrying bigwigs to and fro, the death is seen as a security threat.
Their presence has been obtained at the request of FBI agent Melody Lee, last seen during The Curator murder investigation. She decided she wanted the best for this case, someone who won’t be intimidated by the authority of the highest UK government members and that’s Poe and Bradshaw.
The unsurprising result is an immediate tension between some members of MI5 and the pair from the police. It makes for some entertaining by-play as well as an opportunity for Poe to demonstrate just how obstreperous he can be.
In the early stages of the investigation we discover that the dead man had been held prisoner in Afghanistan and had suffered some of the most brutal treatment imaginable. He was saved by a UK team only days before he was due to be publicly executed only for that same team to be killed by a suicide bombing.
As Poe and Bradshaw begin to carry out their work it becomes clear that there are many layers to be uncovered and the complexity indicates a tightly woven plot that Craven has expertly crafted.
But it’s the interaction between Poe and Bradshaw that continues to make this series such a joy and it’s repeated again in Dead Ground. The dialogue is sharply witty, the banter is repeatedly on point and the continued development of Tilly from the socially clueless genius we met in The Puppet Show is fascinating to witness.
Dead Ground is a remarkable crime novel that goes out of its way to surprise and delight the reader. Not only do we get a strong police procedural mystery but the deceit and intrigue of the spy game is mixed in with the third sub-genre of the wartime thriller. All of this is put together to provide a compelling story that simply makes the Washington Poe series all the stronger.
June 3, 2021
Dead Ground is the fourth instalment in the DS Washington Poe series and it's every bit as riveting as expected. Poe and Tilly Bradshaw of the Serious Crime Analysis Unit of the National Crime Agency have joined forces again for this tale of revenge, murder and stolen heirlooms. Poe is currently in a court battle to save his beloved, sequestered Herdwick Croft and is being defended by tenacious Tilly when they are seconded by MI5 to investigate a grisly murder that has serious national security implications in relation to an important international trade summit taking place at the heavily guarded Scarness Hotel in which delegates from all over the world will be in attendance. Joining the two to form a team are FBI Agent Melody Lee and Hannah Finch, who is present to represent American interests at the summit and also a member of MI5. The murder victim is Oliver Bierman, a British Ex-military ex-pat currently living in the US, who was operating a helicopter taxi service with his business partner, Patrick McDaid. They were responsible for flying the delegates to the summit and his body was discovered in a strange and desolate part of town inside a pop-up brothel. His face had been smashed repeatedly with a baseball bat and once pathologist Estelle Doyle takes a look at him at the post mortem she finds he's been brutally tortured just before his death.
They also find a ceramic rat that had been on the windowsill but Finch had taken it from the crime scene. The rat leads them back to a bank heist from 3 years earlier by guys wearing James Bond masks. Oddly they took nothing but one of the robber's bodies was found shot dead and next to it was the same ceramic rat, both inside the security vault of the bank. The team find themselves in the midst of their most challenging investigation to date, and it'll take them from the States to Europe and the events happening in the Middle East. This is another scintillating addition to a brilliant series written by an award-winning crime writer who knows exactly how to provide the thrills and chills the reader desires. It makes for compulsive reading and the case is a complex one full of sabotage but the team's banter offsets the dark plot. The action never stops, there are no dull moments throughout and I admit I was flying rapidly through the pages. There are twists and turns aplenty and the plot is dramatic, intense and exciting, add to that characters who are exceptionally painted and you've got yourself a 5-star thriller/procedural. This will undoubtedly have long-time fans riveted but will also appeal to new readers too. A totally engrossing and compulsively readable story, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Roll on book five.
They also find a ceramic rat that had been on the windowsill but Finch had taken it from the crime scene. The rat leads them back to a bank heist from 3 years earlier by guys wearing James Bond masks. Oddly they took nothing but one of the robber's bodies was found shot dead and next to it was the same ceramic rat, both inside the security vault of the bank. The team find themselves in the midst of their most challenging investigation to date, and it'll take them from the States to Europe and the events happening in the Middle East. This is another scintillating addition to a brilliant series written by an award-winning crime writer who knows exactly how to provide the thrills and chills the reader desires. It makes for compulsive reading and the case is a complex one full of sabotage but the team's banter offsets the dark plot. The action never stops, there are no dull moments throughout and I admit I was flying rapidly through the pages. There are twists and turns aplenty and the plot is dramatic, intense and exciting, add to that characters who are exceptionally painted and you've got yourself a 5-star thriller/procedural. This will undoubtedly have long-time fans riveted but will also appeal to new readers too. A totally engrossing and compulsively readable story, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Roll on book five.
June 20, 2021
M.W Craven has done it again with Dead Ground the 4th book in the series.
Following on from the previous book Poe is at court with Tilly as he is facing eviction from Herdwick Croft. His boss Stephanie Flynn is on maternity leave.
Poe/Tilly join forces with the FBI and MI5 to investigate a grisly murder of a man who is beaten to death in a brothel. When they identify the victim, they find out he an ex-soldier now offering a helicopter service to delegates that are arriving at the Scarness Hotel for a trade summit. When they delve deeper Poe finds out more than he bargained for.
This is another compelling episode in the Washington Poe series. M.W. Craven is a master of his craft. It is cleverly written and professionally researched, and I just wanted to keep on reading. There had some great characters, and they are well developed. I also love the relationship that is developing between Tilly and Poe. Even though they are complete opposites they know each other and trust each other completely and get the job done. I also like the sarcastic humour between the two of them which made me laugh at times but also have serious side too. Cant wait for Book 5 The Botanist.
Following on from the previous book Poe is at court with Tilly as he is facing eviction from Herdwick Croft. His boss Stephanie Flynn is on maternity leave.
Poe/Tilly join forces with the FBI and MI5 to investigate a grisly murder of a man who is beaten to death in a brothel. When they identify the victim, they find out he an ex-soldier now offering a helicopter service to delegates that are arriving at the Scarness Hotel for a trade summit. When they delve deeper Poe finds out more than he bargained for.
This is another compelling episode in the Washington Poe series. M.W. Craven is a master of his craft. It is cleverly written and professionally researched, and I just wanted to keep on reading. There had some great characters, and they are well developed. I also love the relationship that is developing between Tilly and Poe. Even though they are complete opposites they know each other and trust each other completely and get the job done. I also like the sarcastic humour between the two of them which made me laugh at times but also have serious side too. Cant wait for Book 5 The Botanist.
June 10, 2021
DS Washington Poe & analyst Tilly Bradshaw return in their fourth entertaining adventure from author M W Craven. I absolutely love these two characters & Craven gives them some superb pieces of dialogue.
This time they are investigating the murder of a man who has been beaten to death in a pop up brothel. It appears to be a crime unworthy of their talent, but it soon transpires that things are not as simple as they first seemed.
M W Craven not only supplies a well crafted story, but he injects plenty of humour into the proceedings, even when Poe & Tilly attend a post-mortem.
Although Craven is an immensely talented writer Dead Ground lacks the build up in tension found in the previous Poe novels. However, the twists are wonderfully executed & there are plenty of them.
This Waterstones edition of the novel also contains an exclusive short story called Mondo Bizzaro, which is also an enjoyable read.
This time they are investigating the murder of a man who has been beaten to death in a pop up brothel. It appears to be a crime unworthy of their talent, but it soon transpires that things are not as simple as they first seemed.
M W Craven not only supplies a well crafted story, but he injects plenty of humour into the proceedings, even when Poe & Tilly attend a post-mortem.
Although Craven is an immensely talented writer Dead Ground lacks the build up in tension found in the previous Poe novels. However, the twists are wonderfully executed & there are plenty of them.
This Waterstones edition of the novel also contains an exclusive short story called Mondo Bizzaro, which is also an enjoyable read.
June 23, 2022
425 pages
110 chapters
This was fun, but far from being remarkable.
The writing was good, but I wasn’t crazy about the storyline. It was not gripping like the first two books.
Regardless, this is a fast read and the characters, Poe, Tilly and Estelle Doyle, make a terrific team.
I wished that Doyle had a bigger presence, as I found her participation too small.
I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment, although not so soon, but I do expect that it will be better than this one and the previous book.
110 chapters
This was fun, but far from being remarkable.
The writing was good, but I wasn’t crazy about the storyline. It was not gripping like the first two books.
Regardless, this is a fast read and the characters, Poe, Tilly and Estelle Doyle, make a terrific team.
I wished that Doyle had a bigger presence, as I found her participation too small.
I’m looking forward to reading the next instalment, although not so soon, but I do expect that it will be better than this one and the previous book.
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