Reading a Poe and Tilly novel is like reuniting with old friends; banter, laughs and inside jokes aplenty. My favourite crime solving duo, a clever plot and fabulous twists, what more could you want?!
Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

The Final Vow is the latest book in the superb Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw series by M W Craven.

It picks up a little while after the previous book but don’t worry as this book works well either as a stand-alone or as a continuation of the series.

The plotting and characterisation are superb as always and there is always just another twist just around the corner especially when you think that you have it all worked out.

This series is my current favourite and The Final Vow is an exceptional additional. Don’t miss out in reading it.

I will never stop recommending this series!

Craven delivers again in The Final Vow. These books are so consistent, plot driven, pacy & humorous. Poe is still the curmudgeonly copper we know & love, Tilly is fiercely loyal & has intelligence so far beyond anything imaginable & we have Flynn trying to rein it all in while delivering some belting lines of her own. Craven also brings out a few old characters from previous books, which I love as the dynamics are already in place, so we don't need to know why Poe is the way he is with them.

Clever, action packed from the first page, darkly funny, this one even brought tears to my eyes (those happy ones where you realise as you're grinning your eyes are leaking).

***THE REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS***

if we stick to the main plot then it was really good although a bit far-fetched. my favourite scene was when they caught the killer. manipulating a manipulator was very satisfying to me!!!! and i love the characters. i’ve always loved them. well, the main problem with the book was that there were so many scenes that were irrelevant to the plot. because of that, this book felt dragged.

at least, Tilly was okay! 🥲 i knew the author was bluffing when he mentioned her death in the very first chapter but i was still scared but thankfully, it was really a bluff! 🥲

i received a newsletter in march saying there are going to be only two more books in the series ☹️ i’m sad about that. this is one of my favourite series because of the characters and i don’t want it to end.

The Final Vow by M.W. Craven is book 7 in the Washington Poe series. It is published on 14 August. Thank you to Little, Brown Books UK and Netgalley for the advance copy. The book opens with the shocking news of a murder by a sniper in Gretna Green, the 21st victim. It is suggested Washington Poe be brought in for the investigation. This doesn’t go down well as Poe doesn’t play well with others. Poe has been placed on other duties after the last case to recover. He is smelling very fishy and is pleased to leave these duties. This is such a wonderful series, which just keeps getting better. Brilliant characters that I have grown to love over the course of the 7 books in the series. Top of the list is Tilly and Poe. The humour is welcome and both Tilly and Poe excel at this, although with Tilly it is unintentional. Every time I start an M.W. Craven book I am drawn into the story as soon as it starts. They are exciting, funny, irreverent and gripping reads. I found myself putting the book down just to savour the story, the writing. There is such great scene setting and descriptive writing that puts you right in the story. What a beginning and what an ending. A brilliant read.

An absolutely sensational read, the Washington Poe series get better with every book and this one was stunning. It's a gripping read and the pace never lets up plus there are Tilly's wonderful analyses and the ongoing humour between the team. I raced towards the end as I couldn't put it down and then went back and reread from the mid point so that I could savour it all at my leisure. Perfect!

Oh my goodness, MW Craven knows how to well and truly grab a readers attention right from the start. Chills, spills, tears, blood freezing shock all in one go…
The U.K.’s most senior spy Alastor Locke, DS Washington Poe, Tilly Bradshaw and DCI Stephanie Flynn of the National Crime Agency are hunting the most prolific killer they’ve ever tried to apprehend. It’s the man in the ghillie suit, he’s stealthy, patient, lethal and deadly accurate. Over the course of the last six months he’s shot and killed 17 people. A 100% success rate if you could possibly class that number of deaths as a success. All die. One shot. He’s a lone wolf, the hardest kind of killer to catch. He is terrorising the UK to the extent that COBRA have assembled and they’re out of ideas – what a surprise. However, because Locke attends the meeting, he’s put the old gang back together again. As Stephanie puts it so beautifully, “it’s about ******* time”. All hail the National Crime Agency’s Serious Crime Analysis Section as they’re the dream team. Time to put this nightmare to an end.


That’s 7 for 7 at five stars for this utterly brilliant series. Consistency should be Mike Cravens middle name. I love these characters and there are some of the absolute best in crime fiction bar none. Curmudgeonly, loyal Poe whose circle of friendship isn’t wide but runs deep and the genius that is Tilly whose unfiltered honesty is quite simply a joy. All the characters we’ve grown to know and some to love are here, including Edgar, Poe’s dog, with the addition of Estelle Doyle’s ‘Uncle Bertie’. The author must’ve had great fun creating him, he’s a hoot. Utterly appalling but still a hoot..

How you can successfully combine dark humour (often LOL, sorry Mike) with a jet black plot I’ll never know! The author is a master of his craft and terrific one liners. I love how Poe utterly goes for it over the previous dismantling of said dream team. Go for the jugular Poe, oh he does. Should’ve known.

As for the plot, where do I start without giving it away? It’s very clever, mathematically clever at times but fret not, we’ve got Tilly, fabulous Tilly whose razor sharp mind will see the patterns. It’s as twisty as, as deadly as, as shocking as and totally immersive. It’s suspenseful and as tense as piano wire. It’s unpredictable, jaw dropping, mind blowing, action packed with threat levels at the max with a pace at MACH 1. It’s one of those novels I don’t want to finish yet I need to know.

So overall, I’d go so far as to say it’s another outstanding one. This pair are in a league of their own and I’d always want them on my side. I’ve no idea why the series hasn’t been snapped up for a TV/film but they’re missing a trick.

With thanks to NetGalley and a huge thank you to Little Brown Book Group for the early copy and to Mike Craven for continuing to deliver.

The Final Vow by M.W. Craven

A wedding is taking place,at the famous Gretna Green in Scotland . As the happy bride slips on her wedding ring , she is killing by shooting.
Random people in,random places are being killed by an obvious serial killer and so far is evading the police .
Cue Washington and Tilly , who are asked to assist in the hunt for the killer .
But can they help them ?

The author has wrote another complex novel with more twists and turns and moments that leave you wondering how he has managed to think up such a fantastic , gripping , edge of your seat book that keeps you guessing ( and getting it wrong ) til the end .

Keep writing Mr . Craven . !

The Final Vow is the fifth book is the Washington Poe series by M.W. Craven. This is an outstanding series and would be perfect for television. Two excellent characters, together with well thought out plots and perfectly paced. Washington Poe is a disgraced policeman who doesn’t hold back and fights crime with his side kick Tilly Bradshaw. Tilly who is a genius, but socially inept, having lived a very sheltered life. Together they make a formidable duo but also great entertainment for us readers.

In this latest novel, Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are hunting down a sniper who kills with chilling precision and vanishes without a trace. The story begins with a bride gunned down at Gretna Green moments after saying “I do.” To make matters worse, she’s victim number seventeen. There are no clear motives, no forensic leads and no apparent links with the locations. The police face a massive problem, an apparent unstoppable killer, with no clear motive or leads and a country in fear.

With nothing to go on and all investigations hitting brick walls, attention is turned to Poe and Tilly. They are asked to take on the case, hoping that their unconventional thinking and determination may get the result everyone else has failed to. The characters for me is the strength of both this novel and the series in general. Both very strong characters, likeable, yet both flawed and amusing.

The faceless killer is a calculated murderer with an 100% success rate is a very difficult challenge for the duo. I always look forward to reading this series and ‘The Final Vow’ did not disappoint. The intriguing plot and tension kept me hooked from start to finish. Lots of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes right to the very end.

This is an excellent read and well worth reading along with every other book in this series.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Washington Poe series is surely the best, most consistent British crime series of the era.

Tilly and Poe have never chased a killer like this before. England is in a state of fear because of a serial sniper, shooting victims all across the country, one shot, one kill, leaving nothing behind but a spent cartridge casing.

Full of shocks from the first chapter to the last. Full of the humour we’ve come to know and love from the Tilly and Poe double act. It moves apace, short chapters, always one more chapter. No dull moments.

Book seven in this this great series and it’s getting harder and harder to say ‘one of the best in the series’, but this is one of the best in the series, building on the characters, the cases, the shared histories that have gone before while keeping it fresh and vibrant.

Just brilliant! A definite contender for Crime Thriller of the year!

Read it as soon as you possibly can, but make sure you read the whole series in order starting with The Puppet Show.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK

I had to lie down in a dark room after turning the last page, actually I had to lie down quite a few times reading The Final Vow because Mike Craven is a cruel, cruel man! AND I LOVE IT!
The Final Vow is the seventh in the Washington Poe/Tilly Bradshaw series and you absolutely must read them all before this one – well you could read it as a standalone but you would be crazy to miss out on what has got to be the ultimate detective series in existence! There is a reason Mike Craven has won so many awards – his writing is simply outstanding!
As usual he opens with a bang, causing the heart in the mouth feeling we have come to know and love with this series, and within seconds I was hooked! While the storyline is heartstoppingly terrifying, it is also littered with humour and stuffed with sarcasm, courtesy of Poe and Tilly’s banter, there were oodles of snorty laughing moments throughout. There are a few appearances from characters who have featured in previous novels, some may cause you to squirm a little! I loved the inclusion of a certain wedding venues manager, not going to lie, I spat out my tea laughing with that one!
The novel is filled to the brim with tension and unease, I mean imagine not knowing if the next time you walked out your door, if it would be your last. There are twists and turns galore but as usual they are not predictable or boring, rather they are intelligent and slickly executed and they really do keep you on the edge of your seat!
Although Poe, Tilly and DCI Flynn were separated with the disbandment of their team at the end of The Mercy Chair, we see them reunited in The Final Vow as a sniper is at large across the UK indiscriminately shooting innocent people, I mean if you want anyone to hunt down an invisible assassin, the only person you would turn to would be Poe.
Although Poe is the main character in this series, readers were clear from the outset that Tilly was an integral part of what makes this series so relatable. The relationship between this unlikely pairing has got to be the best out there in the crime fiction world. While never explicitly stated, it’s fair to say that Tilly falls somewhere on the autistic spectrum, and Poe, well he’s rough, ready, cynical and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Yet they work like a dream and in the Final Vow, you really do see how much they mean to each other as Mike Craven puts them up a tree (or some very tall buildings!) and throws rocks at them! I did say he’s a cruel man, didn’t I!
There’s so much more I want to say, but I won’t, let’s just say there is darkness and light, terror and joy, tears and snotty laughter throughout, all skilfully wrapped up in a storyline that will have you glued to your reading spot until you’ve finished. And the ending, well let’s just say, as always Mike Craven leaves you praying there is going to be more!

Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!! A total page-turner and will keep you guessing with every page. Halfway through I thought I had figured it out and then BAM! The ending floored me.

I absolutely loved this!! You know it's an extraordinary story, when you don't want it to end… BRILLIANTLY DONE!!… I'm actually envious of anyone who is about to start the incredible journey of reading this amazing book!

It really was jaw-dropping and left me speechless. I don't know how any review I will write can do this book justice… A definite five star read.

I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bradshaw and Poe at their best - 5*

(I'm going to be honest... I've been refreshing NetGalley every month PRAYING this book would be an ARC and then PRAYING that I would be selected. Both occurred and now I'm one of the lucky ones who gets to read this book early.)

This book is a masterclass in twists and turns, but not to the point where you would get whiplash because the twists are so outlandish. No, these twists are clever. They are complex and detailed. I, of course, loved the originality of the murders and the background characters but theone thing that keeps me coming back for more...The relationship between Tilly and Washington. I love these two and they're the reason I'll keep coming back for more.

Mr Craven is a very naughty man. There. I had to get that out of my system. If you have seen any of the pre-release publicity for this book you will understand why. I think any fan of the series will be heading into this book with a mixture of excitement and total and utter trepidation, and for very good reason. What you may have seen really is true. It really is in the book. In the first handful of pages in fact. It means that within minutes of starting this book your pulse and stress levels will be at catastrophic heights, and, if it weren't for the fact that the book is full of Poe's inimitable humour, social ineptitude, and sarcasm, I'd say that it should come with a health warning. If you suffer heart complaints you may want to have medication handy regardless.

We join the story in the midst of the action so to speak. Following on from the harrowing and unforgettable events of The Mercy Chair, Poe's team has been disbanded and his current assignment ... well it leaves a lot to be desired. Much like Malcolm the Mountie, Poe is still destined to get his man, albeit by boat rather than by horse. Don't ask ... read and you will understand. But, his fate is soon to change, with Poe and his former boss, DCI Flynn, called back to their old jobs to help with a multi-agency task force whose sole focus is to hunt down a sniper who is indiscriminately targeting victims up and down the country. There is no logic to their choice of target, or none that the police can see, and it may be that there is only one team, perhaps even one person, in the whole country who is capable of finding that missing link ...

This book is packed with tension and threat and it is everything that you might have come to expect from a Washington Poe thriller. I was hooked from the very beginning, even if that whole opening sequence did give me palpitations. I love the blend of humour and intensity that typifies these books, and the legendary back and forth between Poe and, well, pretty much anyone he encounters, always brings a smile to my face. But it is his unlikely friendship with Tilly Bradshaw that has made this series the real treat that it is, which makes certain elements of this book all the more poignant, with particular sequence almost brining us full circle to events of The Puppet Show and the beginnings of this delectable pairing. There is a respect and tenderness in their friendship which is so heartening, and a whole heap of laughter as Poe fights against type to moderate his language, if not always his actions, in front of the slightly more innocent Tilly.

There are a number of names from Poe's past that make an appearance in this book, along with a couple of special guests who brought an additional smile to my face. There is a certain character, manager of one of the venues whose clientele are targeted by the sniper, whose appearance made me chuckle - if you know you know. There are also a couple of characters from the previous book who play quite an important part in the action, and the reason for which I would recommend that if you are new to the series, you at least read The Mercy Chair first. And, if you are a fan of M. W. Craven's collected works, then there is a more than familiar face from the Avison Fluke series who turns up in a somewhat unexpected way. As to whether they are now friend or foe ... well you will have to find that out for myself. But it was a very welcome appearance, and their character is more than a match for Poe's particular style of cynicism.

If there is one person who really made me smile though, it was Estelle Doyle's Uncle Bertie. What a hoot of a character he was. I don't know quite how he'd make a repeat appearance, but I really do hope he does. You'd be forgiven for thinking he was just going to be bit of an old duffer, given his initial attitude towards Poe and his seeming sense of entitlement, but he has hidden depths and I absolutely warmed to him.

Prepare for shocks, for heartbreak, for laughter, and for more than the odd surprise, as the author has thrown everything at this book and more. As for that ending ... well, that really does open up a whole world of possibilities. More books have been planned and I, for one (of probably many thousand) am totally here for that. Loved it.