Blog Tour – ‘The Puppet Show’ by M. W. Craven ~ @BethWright26 @LittleBrownUK @MWCravenUK
I am absolutely delighted to be back blogging. I really didn’t think I would miss it too much, but I did.
Today I am taking part in the blog tour for ‘The Puppet Show’, the first book in the Washington Poe series. Originally published in hardback and as an eBook last June by Constable, it is being released in paperback tomorrow the 24th January 2019. For those of you who like listening to books, you will be pleased to know that it is also available as an audiobook. I would like to say thank you to M. W. Craven for contacting me about ‘The Puppet Show’ and to Beth Wright for both sending me this book and inviting me to participate in the tour.
I will tell you my thoughts on this book in a moment. First though it’s time to tell you what its about.
Book Blurb
Welcome to the Puppet Show . . .
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 Review
Every now and then a book comes along that just totally blows your mind. I really needed to find my love for reading again without any pressure and ‘The Puppet Show’ succeeded in doing just that. For that I would like to thank the author.
I loved the cover of this book. The flames literally tantalised me to open it and delve straight in. Was I in for a treat or what! It had all the right ingredients; horrific murders, a serial killer, cryptic clues and great characters. This was such a gripping and at times grisly read with a dark sense of humour. There were a number of twists and turns throughout the story and the often quite short chapters just made it all the more exciting. I loved it, loved it, loved it.
Tilly Bradshaw really grew on me and before long she became one of my favourite characters. There was so much more to her than met the eye. Poe taking her along with him and Flynn to help with the investigation was one of the best things he ever did. She needed to get out of the office and in doing so it did her confidence the world of good. She was an absolute star throughout and surprised even me. I really liked Poe as well and the way he did his own thing despite being told not to. If he had a hunch about something he would follow his instinct. Quite often he would be on to something concrete. That is what made him such a genius. I was so pleased that some of his story came out as I was actually wondering about a couple of things.
Since finishing ‘The Puppet Show’ I have been having total withdrawal symptoms. I am really missing Poe and Tilly and I can’t wait to catch up with them in the next book in the series, ‘Black Summer’, which is out in June of this year. It’s torture I tell you having to wait!
‘The Puppet Show’ is definitely going on my list of top books this year.
If you are a fan of crime fiction then I really recommend you grab yourself a copy of this book.
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Hopefully by now you are running around the room screaming, ‘I have to read this, I have to read this!’. Well, as mentioned previously it is out in paperback tomorrow. It is available to pre-order from Amazon UK:-
Of course, if waiting a day is too much for you don’t forget you can get it now straight to your kindle. Here is the link:-
About M. W. Craven
M. W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle, running away to join the army at the tender age of sixteen. He spent the next ten years travelling the world having fun, leaving in 1995 to complete a degree in social work with specialisms in criminology and substance misuse. Thirty-one years after leaving Cumbria, he returned to take up a probation officer position in Whitehaven, eventually working his way up to chief officer grade. Sixteen years later he took the plunge, accepted redundancy and became a full-time author. He now has entirely different motivations for trying to get inside the minds of criminals . . .
The Puppet Show, the first in a two-book deal he signed with the Little, Brown imprint, Constable in 2017, was released to critical acclaim in hardback in 2018. It has been sold in numerous foreign territories and the production company Studio Lambert, creators of the award-winning Three Girls, have optioned it for TV. The sequel, Black Summer, follows in June 2019.
M. W. Craven is married and lives in Carlisle with his wife, Joanne. When he isn’t out with his springer spaniel, or talking nonsense in the pub, he can be found at punk gigs and writing festivals up and down the country.
Links
Website – https://www.mwcraven.com/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/MWCravenUK
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MikeCravenAuthor
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/m.w.craven/
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17850464.M_W_Craven
A Lover of Books 