I loved The Puppet Show and put it straight in to my top three books read in 2018 so for me Black Summer, the second book in the Washington Poe series was one I had been waiting for!!

I love the team of Poe and Tilly and I was eager to catch back up with them, and delighted to see that they were again on top form in this story, they work brilliantly together and I love their interaction, Tilly is one of my favourite characters in all crime thrillers and I would love to give her a big hug, although I think she might just stand there looking awkward whilst I did it!

I loved this story, Black Summer is well crafted and it had me guessing right through to the end. Poe finds himself in a lot of trouble in this book and I was really keen to see how it would develop, what would happen to him? Could they get it resolved? Could Tilly rescue him? There are twists and turns and oooh and ahhh moments a plenty as the story starts to unravel as you race towards the end which I though was superb and very well done.

The author has a brilliant writing style and he brings the area and his characters to life clearly drawing on his local knowledge to make it a genuine and believable series. Personally I feel that this is fine to be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading both books if you do get an opportunity as they are both excellent in their own ways.

It is five stars from me, it is a cracking story, so well developed, plenty to keep me fully engaged and it is a truly addictive story - I adore Tilly and Poe and can't wait for the third book to be released in 2020, after the first two in the series it has a lot to live up too!! Very, very highly recommended!!

Black Summer by M. W. Craven is a sensational follow up to The Puppet Show. This story is packed with twists and turns and has great characters. Washington Poe’s relationship with his sidekick Tilly is brilliant and quirky. This series has the potential to run and run, I can see Washington Poe being an iconic character in years to come just like Ian Rankin’s John Rebus or Michael Connolly’s Harry Bosch. A truly brilliant book.

Wow, what a great read, I Read it immediately after finishing The Puppet Show, amazing characters, fantastic storylines.. What's not to like? Really hoping for more Poe and Bradshaw.

Black Summer is supremely visceral, expertly delivered, yet laced with a keen humour, and warm in the subtlest of ways. Beyond compelling, and brilliant to the point of outrageous. This will be massive.

I know one should end the book before reviewing it but when the book is good you cannot put it down and you miss not one but 4 bus stops it means that is book is amazing.
I can list all the possible positive adjectives but I only want to say that is a page turner that you won't be able to put down.
More to come.
Highly recommended.

It was one of Washington Poe’s most complex cases. A murder without a body. Poe was convinced that Jared Keaton, the celebrity chef, had murdered his own daughter. Despite the lack of a body, Elizabeth’s disappearance soon became a murder enquiry, and Keaton became Poe’s prime suspect. The case was successful, and Keaton began a life sentence in prison. But Elizabeth was never found…

… until six years later, when she walked into a library, where the police were holding a drop-in session. Elizabeth Keaton was alive. Jared Keaton was innocent. And Poe was wrong. And it seems things are going to get a lot worse for him very quickly indeed.

I reviewed The Puppet Show last week – an absolutely cracking book, apart from the brief bit about the testicles – because I had this lined up. It is so often the case that when books are praised as much as The Puppet Show seems to be, I end up disappointed by it to various degrees. For example, as much as I enjoyed Steve Kavanagh’s Thirteen, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all a bit silly. But The Puppet Show delivered on all counts – a well-plotted edge-of-the-seat thriller, coupled with a whodunit, plus a what-the-hell-was-going-on ideal. And while the villain’s plan is hugely complicated, it didn’t seem that way while reading it – just in hindsight. And that is the art of a great mystery/thriller writer – pulling the reader along with them without making them look over their shoulder during the ride.

But on to Black Summer. We’ve moved on a little from the end of The Puppet Show, but Poe finds himself dragged back to Cumbria by the Keaton case, bringing along Tilly Bradshaw, the probably-autistic analyst, now apparently Poe’s best friend (and vice versa) and heading up her own team of analysts. Oh, and Edgar the dog, he’s back too, even if he misses out on any really character development. Shame.

It’s nice to read about a maverick cop whose colleagues actually trust him, and who he trusts. Rather than keeping secrets and “going rogue”, he has a team around him that believe in him, and even learn to trust him after mistakes made during the Immolation Man case. Yes, Poe has issues, but they always play in support of the narrative, rather than replacing it.

And the plot is a cracker. With the reader kept guessing all the way through as to who is doing what to who, it’s a genuine page-turner, just like its predecessor.

If I had a niggle, I’d have liked to have seen a little more of Tilly in the narrative – the focus is always on Poe but Tilly seems in this one to be relegated to more of a supporting character, rather than almost a co-lead as she was in the first book. In that one, her relationship with Poe (and indeed almost everyone else) was still developing, whereas here she seems much more sorted and accepted. Hopefully next time round (and Book Three is on the way), she will get a little more development.

But apart from that minor niggle, this is just as outstanding as the first book. This has rapidly become my favourite new crime fiction series, so roll on Book Three! And presumably the author finding a third way of doing the testicle thing…

After reading The Puppet Show earlier in the year I have eagerly been waiting for the sequel and the return of Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw. When you love the first novel in a series so much there is always the fear that the second book may not live up to your expectation, but Black Summer didn’t disappoint, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it was even better. This book sees Washington Poe called back to Cumbria after the daughter of Celebrity Chef, Jared Keaton, whom Poe put away for her murder, suddenly turns up. Poe has questions to answer which get more complicated when Elizabeth Keaton goes missing again, and he finds himself a suspect in her disappearance. With the help of Tilly Bradshaw they have to investigate how a girl believed to have been murdered six years before can suddenly turn up alive and then disappear again. This is a fast paced, intelligent and thrilling read that can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend you read the first book to get more from the book and characters.

I was so happy when I picked this book up, being back in the company of Poe and Bradshaw felt like meeting up with old friends. Poe, as usual is in trouble and Tilly is the one who he trusts to help him. The relationship between Poe and Tilly is what makes these books so special for me, Poe is sarcastic, charming, dogged and anti authority which is what frequently lands him in trouble with his superiors. Tilly is a genius, highly educated, but has limited social skills that sees her make some wonderful faux-pas and give far too much personal information. Together they make a formidable team, there is a loyalty and respect between them, and their relationship is endearing like father and daughter. Their nemesis is Jared Keaton, charming, egotistical, and charismatic in character but also a psychopath who holds a grudge against Poe for putting him in Prison six years ago.

M.W Craven’s plot line is indisputably intelligent and gripping; it is definitely one of the best crime plot lines I have ever read. The twists, turns and complexity of the investigation in to Elizabeth Keaton’s murder/disappearance had me gripped and there is no way I could have guessed where this story was going or how it was going to be concluded. Set in the beautiful, but harsh at times Cumbrian countryside during a storm adds to the atmospheric feeling of this book, whilst also being a metaphor for the trouble Poe finds himself in.

Black Summer is one of the best crime thrillers that I have read in along time, and I am sure will be on my top ten reads of 2019. Not only does it have a complex, intelligent and fascinating plot but also characters with a depth to them, who bring out different sides to each others personalities, and feel personable. The intensity of the investigation is complimented by the humour, wit and sarcasm of Poe and Tilly that you won’t be able to help but laugh at. This is an amazing read, that had me gripped from the first page and had me on the edge of my seat by the finish; this is simply brilliant, amazing and fabulous!!! I can’t believe I have to wait another year for the next book in the series.

A fantastic follow on from the puppet show. Loved the way that each of the characters developed in this latest novel. Great storyline which was fast paced and intriguing throughout. Can’t wait for the next!

This is the second book in the Washington Poe series, following on from debut novel ‘the puppet show’.

Craven does not disappoint with this blistering follow up which finds Poe looking over a case he thought was long closed. This novel has it all - great prose, excellent characterisation (with Tilly being a highlight) and a truly excellent psychopath as the villain.

Highly recommended and 5* from me!

Five huge stars for this brilliant book.
Poe and Tilly are back and it felt like I was catching up with some great friends who I’d not seen for a while.
Poe calls Tilly and asks for help when a psychopath is about to be released from prison, as his daughter he was charged with murdering, has just been found.
Poe checks the blood tests and they all indicate it’s her - but how can it be?
Even Tilly is puzzled by this one and with the help of Flynn they get stuck in to researching how this has happened.
In the meantime someone has got it in for Poe and is making his life very difficult.
There’s a race against time at the end that will have you racing through the pages and holding your breath at the same time!
A brilliant read and I loved the way the story is brought together at the end and all the loose ends are tied up.
I also loved reading the acknowledgements and getting an insight into MW Craven’s world.
This is an addictive series made special by the characters and I can’t wait to read the next book.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back down into the LAke District…

The Puppet Show was good…..OMG this was super good. Dark, dark and dark some more. I devoured this on a rainy Saturday and if that rain didn’t add to the overall sense of darkness and gloom, I don’t’ know what did.

The premise was exciting from the off - a woman walks into a police station who everyone thought was dead. Washington Poe’s cold case literally comes back to haunt him and it’s his neck on the line this time.

In the time of Celebrity chefs…this novel also ticks the boxes as the case revolves around a story of murder in a celebrity kitchen. A posh restaurant in the middle of a nice cosy Lake District village sounds lovely doesn’t it? It’s the chef’s daughter who went missing and has seemingly now returned. When her blood test come back and confirms it’s her..the plot thickens…and then

There’s some very interesting science in this novel! Tilly Bradshaw, the brains behind the investigative duo creates some fascinating forensic scenes. I picture her like Abby Sciuto from NCIS and she’s just as quirky and memorable. She and Poe make a great team one of the best of the crime fiction world I think. The investigation is quite like any other I’ve read before and the stunning remote setting really adds to the dark undertones of the story. Add to that the myriad of flavours and textures of the restaurant setting and you have a feast for any criminal fiction fan.

If this novel were a dish it would have a rich base, dark chocolate layers of light and dark, hundreds and thousands of delicious moments and an undertone of chilli, spice and something otherworldly.

You’ll be left wanting more…..

Black Summer is the eagerly awaited second book in the Washington Poe series from Mike Craven. It is an outstanding return for Poe and his colleague, Tilly Bradshaw, in a thriller that is as captivating, dazzling and edgy as any crime mystery I’ve read this year. Poe and Tilly have such a wonderful partnership that exudes humour, loyalty and great personal charm. They are both highly capable investigators, but from different ends of the spectrum – Poe who plays by hunches and his gut feeling, and Tilly who is a remarkable data scientist who operates through logic. As outliers, they don’t always fit well with others but have an affinity and stubborn loyalty to each other.

Six years earlier, Washington Poe led on the conviction of celebrity chef Jared Keaton for the death of his daughter Elizabeth. Her body was never recovered but the amount of blood found in Jared’s kitchen confirmed the location and she couldn’t have survived that amount of blood loss. Poe assessed Keaton as a charismatic, talented, psychopath, and deemed him the manifestation of evil.

Back in present times a dishevelled woman walks into a police facility and claims to be Elizabeth and she’s been held captive for over 6 years, where she has been abused and malnourished. DNA tests prove beyond doubt, she is Elizabeth Keaton, and Jared Keaton was, therefore, convicted for a crime that didn’t happen.

With Jared Keaton being released from prison, the finger of blame is pointing towards Poe. With revenge and incrimination converging on Poe, he reacts the only way he can.

“It was time to stop messing about. He needed to play his wild card. His nuclear option. He unlocked his Blackberry, typed out a four-word message, and sent it into the ether. Four words Keaton couldn’t have planned for, Tilly, I’m in trouble.”

Tilly arrives without delay with her arsenal of computers, peripherals and software that just puts her in a zone where data patterns and data enrichment, provide insights that few can comprehend. Can the skill and resourcefulness of Poe and Tilly resolve the mystery and the looming threats from a psychopath and a legal system both seeking retribution?

In an atmosphere of uncertainty, the tension and menace mounts as Elizabeth disappears again and the criticism falls on Poe. Mike Craven does a masterful job in providing nonstop suspense and suspicion as his plot winds its way through a story that is full of hostility and apprehension. The characters continue to evolve and in particular, Tilly is maturing in her social etiquette, not completely, as this is still causing some light humour. She also has her own team of techie geeks back at the NCA supporting police investigations. I loved the personal battle Poe has with himself, moving from a position of pity and anger at his own past to acknowledging his responsibility and power to change his life. It is brilliant characterisations that draw a reader into admiring or being frustrated at the growth, or not, of a character.

I would highly recommend reading this book and I’d like to thank Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

What a great book. Read this straight after The Puppet Show and it was as good as that, if not better! The characters were already known and understood from the first book so it could get straight into the middle of the tale. The storyline then moved to the start, moving through to how the middle of the story had been arrived at and then took it through to a conclusion. Didn’t get to guess who had done it, which I always like in a crime novel, so really enjoyed this fast moving novel. I particularly like the easy writing style, which is descriptive and detailed enough, without being excessively detailed and flowery. Bring on the next in the series, surely there is more to follow!!

To say that Black Summer hooked me is an understatement. For four days straight, I made sure that my kindle was in constant reach, so I could squeeze in another chapter whenever I had a spare minute (and more often than not, when I should have been doing something else).

It’s hard to talk about the plot without revealing spoilers as M.W. Craven’s clever story twists and turns like stormy Cumbrian lane, but at its heart is an impossible crime that – for all the technology available to Special Crimes Unit sergeant Washington Poe thanks to his socially unaware sidekick Tilly – is solved by good old-fashioned Sherlockian detective work.

Fiendishly ingenious, the investigation is brought to life by a superb cast, including a villain worthy of Fleming and my new favourite character, the brilliant and eccentric Estelle Doyle, a pathologist who chooses her nail varnish by painting the toe nails of corpses. Along the way, we are treated to atmospheric descriptions, fine food and even some fascinating tidbits of trivia that I guarantee you’ll be telling your mates in the pub (but hopefully not a drinking establishment as seedy as the wonderfully drawn Dog as visited by Poe halfway through the book.)

While maybe not as dark as its predecessor, the second Washington Poe mystery is eminently binge-worthy.

Now, how long have I got to wait for the next?

Just finished this fantastic book! I thoroughly enjoyed readying more about Tilly and Poe from start to finish! The book starts in the middle of the story and then goes back to the start- the anticipation of how it gets to that point only adds to the urgency of the story. Loved it and highly recommend it!

Brilliant, full of suspense
Loved the description of the Lake District as its where I'm from.
Definately keen to read more from this author.

I didn't think this book could surpass the excellent debut of The Puppet Show. It however proved me wrong. The affectionate friendship between Poe and Bradshaw grows from strength to strength. for me they are the best duo since Val Mcdermid's Tony Hill and Carol Jordan books. We learn more about Flynn which is equally as interesting and endearing. The writing and story are gripping and thrilling from the start. I highly recommend this book and happily give it 5 stars. Roll on book 3.

So weirdly, I don't actually want to write this review.  I don't want to write this review because once I do, that's it.  My time with Black Summer has come to an end and I have to live with the fact that it's going to be another year (I mean, c'mon!  A year??) before I can get my mitts on book 3 in the series, The Curator.  A whole YEAR without Tilly and Poe.

Anyway, I digress.  Black Summer is the second book in M.W. Craven's Washington Poe series and it's published in hardcover and eBook today.  Wishing the author and Constable, the publisher, a very happy publication day!  I received a free eARC of Black Summer but this has in no way influenced my review.

Oh.My.Goodness.  I have been waiting some time (...a year, maybe?) for this second Washington Poe novel and it was absolutely outstanding!  I would even go as far as saying it's better than the brilliant The Puppet Show, which is no mean feat!  I couldn't put it down, nor did I want to.  Every spare moment, no matter how small, was dedicated to reading this utterly marvellous book.  I am addicted to Tilly and Poe.  You'd be crazy to not get yourself a copy of this book, which can be read as a standalone, but why would you buy just one when you can also immerse yourself in the superb The Puppet Show as well!

The first standout thing about Black Summer is that it's set within the culinary world and features a notorious three-Michelin starred celebrity chef, Jared Keaton.  I could be completely wrong but this felt like a fresh, new approach to me.  Something a bit different from the norm, which I loved. Keaton was found guilty of murdering his 18-year-old daughter, Elizabeth after Poe took the original investigation in a different direction.  With no body, very little evidence and a hastily washed away puddle of blood which was deemed 'incompatible with life' in the Bullace & Sloe kitchens, it came down to Poe's testimony to put Keaton away for the murder.  But now Keaton's 'dead' daughter has walked into Cumbria's Alston library and sought out the local police officer.  With the evidence confirming beyond a shadow of a doubt that the woman is Elizabeth and an irrefutable chain of evidence, it's down to Poe to prove against all odds that his gut was right all those years ago. Jared Keaton is a psychopath.

I love, love, loved Black Summer!  Can't fault it.  This is exactly the type of crime fiction I want to read; clever, addictive and completely memorable.  Something that sucks you in from start to finish and then leaves you in mourning because it's over and you want more!  I savoured every single word of this book and I can't recommend it highly enough.  So much so that it is destined to be part of my 'top books of 2019' list and certainly a strong contender for the top spot!

Tilly and Poe go from strength to strength and their relationship (in the platonic sense - thank goodness!) has moved on since The Puppet Show.  They're getting comfortable in each others company and it shows.  Tilly is less socially awkward but still a bright shining star in these wonderful books.  Poe is still, well...Poe - which I'm very glad about!  There are lots of brilliantly funny moments in Black Summer which I relished.  Little unexpected comments here and there which really added to my enjoyment of the novel.  Personally, I couldn't see how Tilly and Poe were going to dig themselves out of this one (and I'm not saying they do, by the way) but it helps to have an uber-intelligent geek at the helm, right?

Would I recommend this book? Ha! You have to ask? Absolutely.  This and The Puppet Show.  Both are absolutely brilliant pieces of crime fiction which readers of the genre cannot afford to miss!  Thrilling from start to finish, I am still suffering from a book hangover a couple of weeks after finishing this one.  Believe the hype, people.  It really is THAT good.  Impossible to put down, totally unmissable and head and shoulders above nearly everything else in the same genre.  Craven has created something incredibly special here and I cannot wait for more from Tilly and Poe.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Black Summer.  The above review is my own, very enthusiastic, unbiased opinion.

This was my first introduction of Cravens writing and it will surely not be my last. Where to start, well maybe the opening scene of intricately describing eating a small bird delicacy certainly had me drawn it that’s for sure. To be then followed up with an intriguing story of a psychopathic chef with such an egotistical opinion of himself you just have an instant dislike and repulsion for him, and to add to this he is serving time at our majesty’s service for brutally killing his daughter. Cue our lovely detective sergeant Poe (Washington) a likeable character and his partner in crime or shall we say partner in crime stopping, Tilly Bradshaw. For me the fantastic relationship/friendship between Poe and Bradshaw was integral to the whole story, for people to do absolutely anything to help, defend and protect that relationship just made me smile. I also loved Tilly’s “isms” her plain speaking and lack of filter on what comes out of her mouth made me chuckle. Overall the storyline, characters and plot of the story totally had me hooked, the story never let up and kept me interested for more, wanting to get to the bottom of the plot and seeing if my suspicions were correct or incorrect as it turned out. This was a great book and as a great book should left me wanting to keep reading (regardless of the fact I need to go do mundane things like go to work hahaha). Fantastically written well done M W Craven I will eagerly await for my next Poe/Bradshaw fix.

The eagerly awaited follow up to the huge hit novel The Puppet Show, this book was an absolute pleasure to read and review. Washington Poe, back to DS after a temporary stint as DI, is still working for the SCAS (Serious Crime Analysis Section) at the National Crime Agency in Hampshire, as is Tilly Bradshaw who is a profiler now in charge of her own section. Their colleague Stephanie Flynn is now a DI. Poe still has his home in Cumbria which he escapes to when he can and his spaniel Edgar stops at a neighbouring farm with a friend, Thomas Hume. Poe is just about recovered from the Immolation Man case and coming to terms with the truth about his parentage when he receives a call from Major Crimes Supt Gamble in Cumbria. And that can only spell trouble. Jared Keaton, the complete manifestation of evil according to Poe, was a celebrity chef convicted and serving life for the brutal murder of his daughter Elizabeth, although her body was never found and the conviction rested largely on Poe's testimony. The man was charming and a complete psychopath, and Poe had always been convinced of his guilt. So when Elizabeth Keaton suddenly appears at a remote police desk one day with all the evidence pointing to her being the genuine article, Poe is headed for a serious investigation and the strangest case he has ever been involved in. There is only one person he trusts to have his back in all this and the old team are reunited to uncover the real truth. And since Elizabeth has very quickly gone missing again, that is something that will take all they have. I loved the main characters and the interaction between Poe and Bradshaw was beautifully written, the "Tillyisms" giving some real laugh out loud moments in an otherwise gruesome tale. This is a partnership that demonstrates absolute trust and loyalty and is a joy, with Stephanie Flynn making a great third party. This book is everything I hoped for, with brilliant characters and a devilishly clever plot, and is perfect for those who enjoy a well crafted police procedural with a darker side.