The Puppet Show by MW Craven – review.

Description:

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…

My thoughts:

When a book opens the way this one did, you know it’s going to be a memorable read. It’s shocking, horrifying and the way the burning victim is described by Craven puts the reader right in the middle of the action. The questions have already formed. Why? Who could commit such an atrocity?

Investigator, suspended Detective Poe, is soon brought back from his peaceful life after finding himself at the heart of the case. I loved the Tilly/Poe partnership. The development of their friendship was brilliantly written. Tilly’s character is so distinctive too, making her totally memorable.

This novel is a rapid moving police procedural. The Lake District setting also made it a delight to read. I loved that it was set in this region. Having lived there in the past, I could imagine the landscape and the areas mentioned.

All in all, a fantastically plotted crime book, full of wow moments and tension! And the end, another big fat WOW!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Puppet-Show-Washington-Poe-Book-ebook/dp/B0784H9VV3/

Thanks so much for reading. 💟💟💟
Carla Kovach – author of Amazon and iBooks bestseller, The Next Girl.

https://www.facebook.com/CarlaKovachAuthor/