I was delight to be given the chance to give an unbiased review of this new book Black Summer by MW Craven

Having recently read the first book in this series The Puppet Show I was already familiar with some of the characters. Washington Poe, Matilda Bradshaw (Tilly) and Stephanie Flynn.

This book can be read as a stand-alone novel although there a few references to the first book but this doesn’t affect the reading of this book. I personally prefer to read books in order so that I get to know the characters but that is just a personal preference.

The story begins with a pretty descriptive scene of a special bird being cooked in a specific way and then eaten whole although at first we don’t know who is sitting eating the bird and who is watching until a few minutes later police officers enter and arrest Washington Poe on the charge of murder. The story then goes back 14 days and we gradually find out what the plot is. A top chef with 3 Michelin stars and an ego to match has spent 6 years in prison for the murder of his daughter although a body was never found. Poe had been the one who had instigated the arrest on the evidence found and on profiling Keaton and finding him to be a psychopath.

Until one day a young woman walks into a library in a small town in the Lake District on the one day that there happens to be a police officer there as what they call a problem solver it’s a job the police officer has to do every forth Wednesday of the month this is due to there no longer being a local Bobby in every town and a shortage of police officers across such a wide area of The Lake District. The woman claims to be Elizabeth Keaton the daughter of chef Jared Keaton. She told the officers she had been kidnapped 6 years previously and had been held in a cellar and drugged. This leads to the investigation being opened and the possibility of Poe having been wrong all those years ago and Jared Keaton being released if the information is correct.

The story progresses as Poe doubts himself as to whether he had got it wrong. He visits Keaton in prison and gets the impression something else is going on and he suspects that something is going to get him into trouble. This is when he texts Tilly to ask for help.

The writing flows as does the plot there are twists and turns some red herrings some not and you are left guessing until the end how things are going to go. There was one bit that I picked up on and knew it was going to come up later but besides that one thing I was left guessing.

The thing I liked about this is that sometimes you read a book and they catch the person responsible and it ends so fast but with this book it’s not rushed it’s guided beautifully to a neat ending everything is tied up well.

This also isn’t your usual police station crime story as Poe,Bradshaw and Flynn all work for NCA the National Crime Agency and SACS serious Analysis Crime Analysis Section.

I loved the first book in this series and I love the second one as well as the drama involved and a few gruesome descriptive scenes there is also some humour throughout especially with Bradshaw who still has not learned full social skills although she has improved slightly from book one but this makes her endearing.

I’m sure there are more things to learn about the characters and I hope this series goes on but I probably have a wait for book number 3. Well done M.W.Craven you have become another of my favourite authors.

There is nothing I can criticise about this book it is so well thought out and written and certainly deserves 5 stars in my view

Having crowned 'The Puppet Show' the best book I've read this year, I had high hopes for 'Black Summer'. Too high perhaps. But I wasn't disappointed. Not in the slightest. My stilted writing in this review is testament only to how awed I am once again by M W Craven's outstanding literary abilities.
His characters are 4-dimensional in their believability, the plot is so tight with every question posed answered, the research is infallible, the grim and gory is perfectly juxtaposed with just the right amount of humour to keep it from venturing too far into darkness. Oh and Tilly and Poe being best friends... I'm not even ashamed to say I squealed when they were reunited. Tilly is my hero.
I can't praise this author, this series or this book enough. My only criticism is that it isn't even out yet and I need the next one, like, yesterday; I read this one too quickly and now I am adrift in a sea of despair! Keep going Mr Craven; I'm already counting down to book 3.

I have been eagerly awaiting this second instalment from Craven. I loved the character Washington Poe who was in the first book and the wonderful and weird Tilly Bradshaw. Well it didn't disappoint, the twists and turns in this book were just as good as in the first. It had me hooked from the start. Great thriller writer with wonderful characters and I for one can't wait for book three

Wow, what a book, a great police procedural read, well written with interesting characters and a great story line that will get you involved straight away.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and will definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Little Brown Book Group for giving me the opportunity to read this excellent book.

MW Craven proves that his stellar crime debut The Puppet Show was no fluke and then some with this sequel featuring the charismatic pairing of DS Washington Poe with his traumatic and haunting background and the unforgettable genius that is the endearing crime analyst, Matilda 'Tilly' Bradshaw, on the autism spectrum, at the National Crime Agency. In Cumbria, Constable Graham Alsop of the Neighbourhood Policing Team is a problem solver running sessions at the library for the community after budget cuts and the closing down of police stations in the area. A young woman in a dreadful state staggers in claiming to be Elizabeth Keaton, speaking of her traumatic experience of sexual abuse for years after being abducted. The only problem is that she is supposed to be dead, and her father, famous celebrity chef Jared, of the well known local Bullace and Sloe restaurant with its Michelin stars, is in prison, serving a life sentence for her murder.

The man responsible for Keaton's conviction was Poe, and he is urgently called back to Cumbria where he has a remote home, Herdwick Croft, and his dog, Edgar. Supported by Detective Superintendent Gamble, Poe returns to the scene of the crime, the Bullace and Sloe kitchen where evidence of heavy amounts of blood were found. Elizabeth Keaton has provided irrefutable blood samples that prove that she is who she says is, and Poe follows this chain of evidence to ensure that it has not been tampered with. Poe found Jared to be a cruel, and sadistic personality, hidden behind his public persona of a affable and charming man in public and on his TV shows, in fact Poe is certain the man is one of the worst psychopaths he has ever encountered. Jared's legal team have mounted a challenge to his conviction, Poe knows he is trouble when he meets Jared again, a man who is going to be free very soon. With Gamble suspended, DCI Wardle, his replacement. has Poe in his sights when Elizabeth disappears. With the net closing around him, Poe calls in Tilly, if anyone can counter the threats he faces, it's going to be her.

Tilly has grown in personal stature and confidence since we last saw her, she now runs her own team of IT nerds and geeks, and whilst she still makes unfiltered comments that disconcert and confound, she has learned to fit in a little more. DI Stephanie Flynn, gives up on trying to get Tilly to adhere to a dress code, understanding that this asset has to be managed differently and she does not get in the way when Tilly goes to help her good friend, Poe. In a complex and tangled investigation, it takes Poe and Tilly some time before they begin to see the chinks of light that allude to the murky truth. This is a fantastic read, entertaining, tense, suspenseful, full of comic humour and wit, and Craven, in Poe, and in particular, Tilly, indisputably has a winning set of protagonists whose relationship is a joy to observe. I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to the next one in this highly recommended series! Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

A really good follow up to The Puppet Show and this is developing into a very good series. Set in the Lake District, Poe and Tilly are reunited as they fight to clear Poe's name. Excellent and believable characters, a touch of humour and a very different plot. I highly recommend this book and the author, one to follow. My grateful thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC.

Wow, wow, wow!! I have been waiting so long for this follow up to The Puppet Show, but it was definitely worth the wait!

Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are back with a new case to solve. This time, six years after Poe helps to convict celebrity chef Jared Keaton for the murder of his daughter, despite the fact that no body was ever found, the daughter suddenly turns up and then disappears again. But is she who she says she is?

This is different to The Puppet Show in that it isn’t as gory, but it is such a clever story. I was wracking my brain throughout trying to work out what happened (a bit like Tilly), and when the truth was revealed it all fell into place. Mike Craven has certainly done his research, and I googled just to make sure!! The book is a real page turner with touches of humour to break the tension a little, and I read it in two sittings because it was impossible to put down. Sleep is overrated anyway!

But aside from the brilliant story, I was overjoyed to have Poe and Tilly back in my life. They are wonderful, totally believable characters. They make an odd pair of friends and colleagues – Poe the Luddite who can barely use a smartphone and brilliant Tilly with all her PhDs and quirky ways which make me giggle - but they just work!

This is by far my favourite book of the year and is a must read for any crime fiction fan. It deserves way more than 5 stars! And if you haven’t read The Puppet Show yet I would advise you to read that too. I can’t wait for the next in the series!

Thank you to the Mike Craven, Little, Brown and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a find! I love police procedurals and am delighted when I discover a new author of real merit.

This is the first Washington Coe book that I have read and it won't be the last. Tautly written, well plotted with excellent characters, I was drawn into this book from the opening chapter and the tension and excitement never diminished.

MW Craven is a real talent and I loved this book.

Highly recommended.

** spoiler alert ** I enjoyed the puppet show enormously,so when I got this book,I put aside what I was reading to get stuck in straight away.
It's an excellent second book,whilst I did think the immolation man case was referenced too much in first part of book,nothing was ever given away so you couldn't read it after this one.
The characters are still likeable,still individuals and still have their own way of doing things... luckily or else the case would never be solved.
Throughout the whole book I tried to figure how the murder could/could not have been done. The actual events were imaginative.
There was a ton of food talk here,made me think Mr Craven might have been watching Masterchef whist writing... but there were some moments that turned the stomach too.
All in all,a solid second book to the series. Enjoyable and kept me guessing the whole way through.
I had a completely different scenario to what happened in my mind.

As always Mike’s books are filled with well researched characters and plots. He writes some of the best crime thrillers I’ve ever read, with dark and compelling plots. Maybe Tilly has given him a hand!

The twist at the end was amazing and I for one didn’t see it coming at all. I just cannot praise him books enough, and would like to thank Mike, the publishers and netgalley for the ARC.

When is the next one out? Soon I hope.

I just finished black summer. It was a thrilling read. It had me chuckling, tense and grimacing in turn as I read the pages. The story just flows and there is no stopping. Was well worth waiting for. Congratulations Mr craven you are an excellent storyteller whose unique voice is what readers long to experience. Another gem.

Thanks netgalley for this opportunity to give you my feedback

I love discovering new writers. Taking a chance on Puppet Show and Mr Craven, I was introduced to Washington Poe and Tilly I absolutely adored this book and couldn't wait for his next. Black Summer is another brilliant book. Both Washington and Tilly are wonderful, believable characters. This is a book to read when you have several hours to devote to it, as you will want to keep reading long beyond bedtime! I can't wait to read the next book by this author and his interesting, well-written characters.

You are hooked following the case as closely as the police from the start. It really draws you in to the bleak setting of Poe’s home of Herdwick Croft, Cumbria where Bradshaw has to bring every advancement in technology to set up a personal incident room.
You engage with the main characters immediately it draws you in to a story that does not let you go until the end. The Bullace and Sloe restaurant is where it started. A daughter disappears, signs of a struggle with excess blood. A celebrity father charged, in prison for 6 years. When the daughter reappears is DS Poe being set up? You will not want to put this story down it will keep you gripped and guessing till the very end as all brilliant thrillers do. I eagerly await the next instalment with these charismatic characters. I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Another fabulous read from MW Craven. I have been waiting for this new thriller starring Washington Poe and Tilly, hoping it wouldn't disappoint. It certainly didn't; the pace, the plot, the characters, the location are all brilliant. How the 'blood problem' was solved is pure genius as is the final piece of 'evidence' that rocks the killer into a confession. Mr Craven has the ability to hook the reader from the first and make it impossible to not keep turning the pages. Completely brilliant!!

An absolutely amazing story. Just as good of not better as the first The Puppet Master. I love the two main characters. Such a great interesting investigative story.