The Puppet Show by M. W. Craven

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…

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The Washington Poe series by M. W. Craven is one that I’ve been aware of for a while, but never quite got around to reading.  I recently saw Ani at The Misstery‘s review of the latest novel in the series – The Mercy Chair – and duly added The Puppet Show to my list.  Stumbling across a copy, and needing something dark and gritty to read, I thought “why not?!”  I’m glad I did, because I absolutely loved it.  I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, Black Summer – I need more Poe and Bradshaw in my life.

Washington Poe is, like many, something of a troubled detective.  On suspension at the outset of the novel, he’s reinstated when his name crops up in an ongoing serial killer investigation – not as a suspect but as a potential victim.  It quickly becomes apparent that Poe is very good at what he does, looking at things from different angles to his colleagues.  He isn’t afraid to do what he thinks is right (to hell with the consequences) and he isn’t interested in currying favour with his superiors, happy to circumnavigate the chain of command when it suits him.  It makes him difficult to work with, but great fun to read about.  And he is, deep down, a good guy – he’s someone I’d want on my side in a pickle. 

For this investigation, Poe finds himself partnered with Matilda (Tilly) Bradshaw.  A mathematical genius, she obtained her first degree at the age of sixteen, but has led an incredibly sheltered life, and is socially inept as a result.  It’s not an obvious pairing, and yet Poe and Bradshaw soon hit it off and become friends.  I loved seeing Tilly grow and develop throughout the novel, starting to come out of her shell and develop some attitude, even as she picks up some of Poe’s bad habits.  And the two work very well together, with Poe delivering on the rogue detective front while Tilly offers up something different for the reader in her use of mathematics and statistical modelling to assist the investigation. 

The crime at the heart of The Puppet Show is also fascinating, although not one for those who prefer a cosier crime novel.  With a serial killer targeting older men who are seemingly unconnected, it’s a race against time to understand the killer’s motive, where they might strike next, and the relevance of the stone circles in which they burn their victims.  A high pace is maintained throughout as Poe, Bradshaw, and team try to follow the trail of breadcrumbs set out by the killer.  It’s a mystery I was happy to get lost in, and while I did have a lucky guess as to how the victims might have known each other, I wasn’t anywhere close to working out the reason for their selection or whodunnit.

I’m late to the party with this one, but highly recommend The Puppet Show to those who enjoy darker police procedurals / thrillers.

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Book 10 of 20 Books of Summer.