Sunday, 17 May 2026

The Puppet Show by MW Craven

Description from Amazon:

A serial killer is burning people alive in the Lake District's prehistoric stone circles. He leaves no clues and the police are helpless. When his name is found carved into the charred remains of the third victim, disgraced detective Washington Poe is brought back from suspension and into an investigation he wants no part of . . .

Reluctantly partnered with the brilliant, but socially awkward, civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw, the mismatched pair uncover a trail that only he is meant to see. The elusive killer has a plan and for some reason Poe is part of it.

As the body count rises, Poe discovers he has far more invested in the case than he could have possibly imagined. And in a shocking finale that will shatter everything he's ever believed about himself, Poe will learn that there are things far worse than being burned alive ...

 

I had never heard of this author before and I’m always sceptical when covers tell you about awards authors have won because I find a lot of them never live up to the expectation created in my mind. However, this was a fantastic book.

 

Poe’s character is really well written. You have to admire his tenacity and his willingness to do the wrong things for the right reasons. I loved the way he was incorporated into the narrative and the pushes in directions to get him to places. However, Tilly was an awesome character! Definitely on the spectrum, filled with loyalty and a fierceness that worked brilliantly with Poe’s ideals, her addition to the story created a side to it that added the genius and doggedness. If you are squeamish, be warned that there are scenes describing the burning bodies.

 

The plot itself took you one way and then another and layers were added at each turn. It took a while to get to the ultimate message, but the journey kept me turning page after page. And just when you thought the book was over, Poe added something right at the end that was a game changer. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!



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