The Puppet Show is a brilliantly twisted, horrifically wonderful serial killer thriller where the killer and thriller is totally outdone by the imaginative, engaging and purely emotionally resonant characters.

Ok so we do have a mystery that is intriguing, compelling and utterly riveting whilst being totally hair clutching scary if you stop to just think about it for a moment – but then we have Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw – the best literary duo since, well, I don’t know when but a long time. Poe is fascinating, a rogue to out rogue Jack Bauer in 24 whilst doing it for all the right reasons of course, whilst Tilly is socially awkward yet highly intuitive and super intelligent. She says what she thinks when she thinks it and see’s the nuance that nobody else catches. Together their developing friendship and working relationship gives “The Puppet Show” an edgy, vibrant feel that raises it above any other thriller of this nature you’ll read at the moment.

The author has such an eye for both plot and character development, you fall into this book and live in it’s pages – there are plenty of gorgeous little twists if you are into that sort of thing and the ending is terrifyingly edge of the seat. I loved every single moment of it, the settings are vivid and alive, the characters pop, even the peripheral ones and it is unpredictable and highly highly entertaining.

I have literally nothing bad I can say about this one. Go get it. Don’t worry – you’ll survive. Probably….

HIGHLY recommended. More please.

Oh my! I think I have a rival for my other favourites in Washington Poe. he is just everything I need in a main character. And, if he wasn't enough to make this one of my favourite books of the year so far (out of 132) I also learned a new punctuation mark! Oh and the story was a bit cracking too!
So, we have a serial killer operating in the Lake District. Someone is burning bodies at stone circles and leaving the police no clues. Until that is civilian analyst Tilly Bradshaw uses a forensic technique on the third victim which uncovers a message; Washington Poe. What exactly does the killer want with a cop who is currently suspended for his part in a case going a bit south? But, with nothing else to go on, he is welcomed (coerced) back to the force and joins in the investigation; reluctantly! Partnered with Tilly and under the supervision of his old DS - now DI, Stephanie Flynn, can Poe find the pattern that links the victims and, hope above hope, find and stop the killer before the body count rises further?
What I liked best about this book, apart from the excellent plotting, was the main characters and the team that they become. Tilly has Aspergers and consequently is a bit naive and green initially. She never leaves the office let alone travels. It was wonderful to see her grow through the book as she came out of her shell a bit. Poe is the stereotypical maverick cop with a blatant disregard for the rules but with a strong sense of justice. Actually, that description doesn't really do him justice. He is so much more than that but I am going to leave you to discover him as the author intended and make your own mind up. Back to Tilly and Poe though, well, they were a bit chalk and cheese initially but they rubbed along well and developed more than just an understanding of each other. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that they were actually good for each other. By the end of the book I had a strong feeling that I was going to miss them.
I've also mentioned that the plot was excellent but it was also very well executed. Yes, I did have an inkling of who was what but the why evaded me for a while. I am not even sure why I was drawn to this person but then I do read an awful lot of this genre book so I guess I just have a nose for things. This did not in any way impede my overall enjoyment of the book by the way; far from it as there was so much more to the book than just a simple whodunnit.
And that ending. Oh My Goodness. There's gonna be some fallout!
I'd be very surprised if this book doesn't end up in my top five for the year and I really can't wait for the next one. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This is a good story, well told but what sets it above the many others in this genre is Poe and Tilly. They are definitely an odd couple but a good example of something being greater than the sum of its parts. I believe this is the first book in a series and that makes me very happy and hopefully it’s a long series.

MAJOR SPOILERS

4.5 stars
I think Washington Poe is going to be a character I follow for a long time.
He bends the rules,goes his own way,kind to others and is willing to admit he might not be best judge of character... as you have to when you're only friend is a serial killer.
I believe this is the first book,but there's enough references to past that make it feel like there's previous books... I wish there were.
A gripping enough story of someone taking old men and setting them alight,it unfolds nicely thanks to Poe and his slightly comical friend Tilly.
Enough clues were dropped to guess some plot lines,but not the complete story.
A very good read.

This is a truly fabulous dark thriller, a debut from M.W Craven which I sure is going to be a bestseller for 2018.
The characters are well written and you can connect to them on all levels. I loved the relationship between Tilly and Poe, they bounce off each other and come from different lives. Poe is an old school deceptive that like to bend the rule and Tilly is police staff, who is socially awkward and loveable all in one. I believe this duo will have many adventures to come and will become the most loved new characters of this year.
The plot was fast paced and focused on the hunt for a nasty killer who burns his victims, set around the Lake District, the killer pulls Poe and the team into some pretty gruesome murders.

I really enjoyed this high octane, unique crime thriller. The story is centred around The Immolater, a serial killer who sets fire to his victims and burns them to death. Washington Poe and sidekick Tilly Bradshaw set out to uncover the identity of the perpetrator. Both Washington and Tilly are fantastic characters, both vey different but with a great rapport. Tilly especially is a very endearing character. The story is very well written and I raced towards the end to find out whodunnit. A great read with twists and turns galore. I'd love to read more featuring the Poe & Bradshaw duo.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Mr Craven for the opportunity.

You can always tell if a piece of crime fiction is special and MW Craven's debut marks the arrival of a gifted and natural crime writer with a bright future ahead of him. Set in the sparsely populated Cumbria with its numerous stone circles, Washington Poe, has settled into and fixing up his recently acquired croft, suspended as a DI in the National Crime Agency after being mired in scandal in his last case. He has no intention of returning to his job, but his name has been found carved in the burnt body of the latest victim of the serial killer dubbed 'The Immolation Man' by the media along with the number 5. DI Stephanie Flynn, the woman who replaced him, and the NCA want him back working the case. Overcoming his initial reluctance, he cannot resist trying to find out why the killer is targeting him, and returns to the NCA. He is demoted to DS, working under Flynn, and partnered with SCAS crime analyst, Tilly Bradshaw.

One of the main highlights of the novel is Tilly, an Asperger's afflicted young woman, the best analyst in the NCA. She has 2 PhDs from Oxford, with remarkable abilities when it comes to statistics, data, computer skills and programming, pattern recognition and more. She is naive, innocent, having been sheltered from the world, takes everything literally, has problems adapting to situations and is targeted by bullies. Tilly is shunned, obsessive, a gaming aficionado, has the habit of saying the unexpected, unaware it may be unacceptable, breaking social norms and expectations on a continual basis. Watching her relationship develop with Poe is a true joy, both poignant and comic, she becomes considerably more resilient, coming out of her shell as she and Poe bond. Poe is unmanageable from the point of view of his superiors, relentless as he pursues the killer, ignoring the obstacles and people standing in his way in his search for the truth. He has some very dark corners within his personality that make him a compelling and charismatic central character.

This is a novel that takes in the worst that humanity can do, a killer that has spent years planning his revenge on those complicit in not only destroying his life, but those of others. You cannot help but feel for the killer, facing insurmountable problems when it comes to getting redress through the corrupt judicial system and up against powerful forces intent on preventing the truth emerging. Poe is shocked to discover just how personally close to him the case emerges to be. Everything about the novel is brilliant, the twists, the plotting is exceptional and I am hoping we see the return of Poe and Tilly as soon as possible. This is a superb, entertaining, full of twists and tension, an utterly mesmerising thriller that I recommend highly! You will be missing out if you do not read this. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for and advance copy of The Puppet Show, a police procedural set in Cumbria, featuring DS Washington Poe of the National Crime Agency.

When Tilly Bradshaw, a civilian analyst with the NCA, discovers Washington Poe's name etched into the burned corpse of the third victim of The Immolation Man he is recalled to duty from suspension and together he, Tilly and DI Stephanie Flynn travel to Cumbria to support the local investigation.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Puppet Show which is a very assured and well crafted début. It centres around the hunt for the Immolation Man who is killing seemingly random rich, elderly men so Poe and his colleagues are starting with a wide open field which they gradually reduce as more evidence and facts become apparent. I like this kind of novel with a single point of view where the reader knows what they know and no more. I identified the killer early on through gut feel rather than any smart reading of the clues so had no idea of motive or means. It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the novel in the slightest as he is well organised and cunning and has so many twists and so much misdirection in his repertoire that I was turning the pages furiously. I also like the planning and pacing of the novel where little by little the bigger picture emerges. I was very struck by the crispness of the writing and the use of technology in the opening chapters but while the technology stays the crisp sharp lines of the narrative get subsumed by the plot as the excitement ramps up.

The plotting is complemented by strong characterisation with Poe, Flynn and Bradshaw making a formidable team. Poe is the maverick, instinctual ideas man, Flynn the manager who reins Poe in and gives him something to kick against and Bradshaw, the naïve, socially inept but brilliant analyst, obviously on the spectrum because nobody else could have her personality. She provides the humour although I'm not sure how realistic her personality is. The novel revolves around Poe from his ability to see past the obvious to his doggedness and desire for justice. For the reader he is very likeable but his disregard for regulations and unerring ability to upset every copper he comes in contact with make him a very unpopular character with his colleagues.

The Puppet Show is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

THE PUPPET SHOW by Mike Craven

I really don’t know what to say about this book, except it was absolutely fabulous. The twists and turns were like being at Belle Vue on their rollercoaster.

I read a lot of crime, and some of it just leaves me cold, but mike seems to do his research so thoroughly and with such depth that you feel like you’re there with the characters. The scenery and the settings are almost haunting, I’ve been to the Lake District many times as a child and can remember its beauty vividly.

Without spoiling the story I was so pleased with the end, he left nothing undone and I was so thrilled. I do hope mike continues with these characters, I just love Tilly and how she’s opened up throughout the book and Flynn.

Washington Poe is an unusual name. Washington Poe is an unusual character. Washington Poe is a new name in crime fiction

The Puppet Show by M W Craven is the first book in the new Washington Poe series and is an excellent page turning crime thriller.

The twists and turns keep coming as the story moves along at a rapid but enjoyable pace.

The main characters of Poe, his assistant Tilly and his boss Steph are well formed but you can see how they have room to grow in future stories.

This is one series that I will be looking to follow

Washington Poe is definitely one to follow

OMG,,, What a book.!!!
The Puppet Show is a thrilling murder mystery that will most definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the very end.
Absolutely loved the central characters, especially Tilly. And you can't help but love how Washington stands up for her. I had to devour this book in one sitting, and found myself holding my breath on more than one occasion.
Will definitely be reading more from this author.
Thankyou to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel and a huge thankyou to M W Craven for writing what would have to now be one of my favourite books.

Good Lord , Detective Poe is an interesting character isn't he?

This was a great read, full of twists and turns and a very frightening killer. Detective Poe is amazing, a well developed character who I am eager to read more of!

"The Puppet Show" is a skillful, dark and gripping murder mystery by M.W. Craven set in in and around the ancient moorlands and stone circles of Cumbria. A serial killer is setting people alight, alive in the stones circles, he leaves only one clue on the third victim, he carved the name of Washington Poe onto his victim, who is currently on suspension from the NCA, with no other options, they have no choice but to bring him in on the case. Steph Flynn, Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are sent to Cumbria to set up base to investigate and offer help to the local police. With the body count rising and no closer to figuring it out, Poe and Tilly (who is a socially awkward super brain analyst... loved her!) set about uncovering clues that only Washington is meant to see and interpret.

Just when you think you are getting closer to the truth and figuring it out, BAM another twist to completely throw you out, wonderfully written and well thought out, what you guess will certainly be wrong!!! I know I was!!

When the mystery surrounding the serial killer is solved and in an unbelievable shocking twist, it leaves Poe with more questions about his own personal life, his family, everything he thought he knew.

I really enjoyed the friendship that built up with Poe & Tilly, she really came out of her shell with him to guide her and although completely different worked brilliant together.

Word to the wise: DO NOT READ THE OPENING PARAGRAPH IF ABOUT TO EAT!!! #notforthefainthearted!!!

I really look forward to reading more about Poe and what lies in store for the future!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and of course M.W. Craven for an advanced preview of this spectacular book in exchange for my honest opinion.