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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
A little over a year ago I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing a book called Body Breaker written by Mike Craven (that's Mike Craven as in M.W. Craven, if you were wondering what odd tangent I was meandering off at!), and it was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. I pretty much fell in love with Craven's protagonist, DI Avison Fluke. Then I heard Mike was about to release a new book called The Puppet Show, featuring a brand new detective with a brand new publisher (to Craven, that is). Now I openly admit, I was intrigued. After all, what crime fiction fan wouldn't be? Particularly when I heard the main character of The Puppet Show is called Washington Poe (what a name! Where does this author get inspiration from for his character's names? He appears to err on the unusual which is a rather splendid thing IMHO). Then, as if by magic (I pressed a button on NetGalley) a copy of The Puppet Show arrived on my Kindle and the deal was sealed. Washington Poe and I were destined to meet...
And truth be told, I flipping love him as much as I love DI Fluke. Craven certainly knows how to write and develop a character to the point where they jump off the page at the reader. I was smitten from early on; particularly as we meet Poe after he has shunned modern life and is living with his loyal pet dog, Edgar, in a semi-converted shepherd's croft in the middle of nowhere (for 'nowhere' read Cumbria or the Lake District! Please don't hurt me Cumbrians, it does sound pretty vast, lonely and desolate from Craven's illustrative descriptions and I've never visited ). Suspended from work following his last (bodged) case and awaiting the result of an internal investigation and an IPCC inquiry, Poe has pretty much decided that his past is very much behind him and that his future lies in Herdwick Croft with Edgar, and the sheep. But that was before Cumbria's latest serial killer, The Immolation Man made matters personal. Whether he wants to or not, Poe must return to the Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS) and to a case that could easily be the death of him.
I have a bit of a thing for serial killer novels. They're my favourite, particularly if they are a smidge on the gory side as well (which this book is). I also thoroughly enjoy books which make you think the plot is heading one way and then totally flip things over and make you gasp in surprise when you end up somewhere you didn't expect (which again, this book did). Another thing I love is a cast of well-written, individual, stand out characters who all add something to the story (yup, that's The Puppet Show). I loved this book.
As I've mentioned Washington Poe's supporting cast it would be rude to ignore them. First and foremost, Tilly Bradshaw is a shining star and will appeal to nerds far and wide. Her intelligence and her awkwardness are a delight to read and I hope she makes future appearances with Poe as her sidekick! Beleaguered DI Stephanie Flynn is now her ex-bosses boss (!) which makes things somewhat tricky between her and Poe at times. He's a little reckless and likes to follow the evidence anywhere, whereas Flynn likes to play by the book. I would LOVE to read a prequel to The Puppet Show and see the dynamic between the two of them before Poe was demoted from DI to DS and Flynn was promoted. Not dropping any hints here, Mike...
Would I recommend this book? I would, most definitely. If you're a fan of crime fiction, if you can stomach a drop of blood or a pool of melted human fat (OK, it is a little grisly in places and you may need a slightly stronger stomach than I've alluded to in this paragraph, but for me I loved the gruesome touches to this book. Plus the author provides a wealth of information about burns and the effect of fire on a human body) then you will enjoy this well-written, engrossing crime thriller. I struggled to put it down and I'm left wanting more Washington Poe and more Tilly Bradshaw. I can't wait for the next instalment.
Five out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of The Puppet Show. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
And truth be told, I flipping love him as much as I love DI Fluke. Craven certainly knows how to write and develop a character to the point where they jump off the page at the reader. I was smitten from early on; particularly as we meet Poe after he has shunned modern life and is living with his loyal pet dog, Edgar, in a semi-converted shepherd's croft in the middle of nowhere (for 'nowhere' read Cumbria or the Lake District! Please don't hurt me Cumbrians, it does sound pretty vast, lonely and desolate from Craven's illustrative descriptions and I've never visited ). Suspended from work following his last (bodged) case and awaiting the result of an internal investigation and an IPCC inquiry, Poe has pretty much decided that his past is very much behind him and that his future lies in Herdwick Croft with Edgar, and the sheep. But that was before Cumbria's latest serial killer, The Immolation Man made matters personal. Whether he wants to or not, Poe must return to the Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS) and to a case that could easily be the death of him.
I have a bit of a thing for serial killer novels. They're my favourite, particularly if they are a smidge on the gory side as well (which this book is). I also thoroughly enjoy books which make you think the plot is heading one way and then totally flip things over and make you gasp in surprise when you end up somewhere you didn't expect (which again, this book did). Another thing I love is a cast of well-written, individual, stand out characters who all add something to the story (yup, that's The Puppet Show). I loved this book.
As I've mentioned Washington Poe's supporting cast it would be rude to ignore them. First and foremost, Tilly Bradshaw is a shining star and will appeal to nerds far and wide. Her intelligence and her awkwardness are a delight to read and I hope she makes future appearances with Poe as her sidekick! Beleaguered DI Stephanie Flynn is now her ex-bosses boss (!) which makes things somewhat tricky between her and Poe at times. He's a little reckless and likes to follow the evidence anywhere, whereas Flynn likes to play by the book. I would LOVE to read a prequel to The Puppet Show and see the dynamic between the two of them before Poe was demoted from DI to DS and Flynn was promoted. Not dropping any hints here, Mike...
Would I recommend this book? I would, most definitely. If you're a fan of crime fiction, if you can stomach a drop of blood or a pool of melted human fat (OK, it is a little grisly in places and you may need a slightly stronger stomach than I've alluded to in this paragraph, but for me I loved the gruesome touches to this book. Plus the author provides a wealth of information about burns and the effect of fire on a human body) then you will enjoy this well-written, engrossing crime thriller. I struggled to put it down and I'm left wanting more Washington Poe and more Tilly Bradshaw. I can't wait for the next instalment.
Five out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of The Puppet Show. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
I really liked it! Story kept me on the edge of my seat. Rated 4 stars as I found the writing sometimes a tad stilted. But overall very good!
Keegi tapab jõhkralt inimesi ja jätab sellega teateid. Sellega seoses on vaja välja otsida töölt kõrvaldatud uurija Washington Poe (jah, ta on inimestest eemaldunud ja kareda häälega, aga hea südamega, kuidas sa küll teadsid???). Ja anda talle neurodivergentne side-kick. Lugu ise on muidugi tore mõistatus, aga ma ei salli selle hüsteerilist ameerikalikku mastaapi (kuigi UK-s), ebarealistlik ja tüütu. Tegelased on pigem toredad, aga koos looga on see kõik liiga üle pingutatud. Nii palju pole vaja. Müsteerium ise on muidugi hästi kokku keerutatud. Kuulan ilmselt järgmist ka kui ette jääb, aga kui olete krimilugudes väga valivad, siis selle võib ka vahele jätta, midagi ei juhtu.
Ääremärkus hinnangutest: arvustasin just mõned hetked tagasi [b:We Know You Remember|56470418|We Know You Remember (High Coast, #1)|Tove Alsterdal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612738511l/56470418._SY75_.jpg|88095035], mille leidsin olevat täitsa korralik, kui vaid veidi nõrga peategelasega. Hinnangud jäid sellel 3-4 vahele. Nüüd on ees Nukumäng, mis oli täitsa võrreldav, aga nõrk veidi teistel põhjustel, aga samas siin 4.33 hinnanguga. Ja üldsegi on Horsti raamatud mõlemast peaajagu üle.
I truly have no idea how this won an award, or how it has such high ratings. I was so excited to start reading but cannot even get past Chapter 11.
Absolutely loved this book, bit of a slow start but then it gets so good! Loved Poe and Bradshaw, especially Bradshaw! Brilliant twist and even though i figured who it was the book kept me interested as it told the history of why. Highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good crime thriller
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars
Different name tropes are a big pet peeve….
Different name tropes are a big pet peeve….
Excellent read. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Characters developed really well. Plenty of twists in the story too. Can't wait till next book later this year
This was an interesting police procedural set in the UK. I liked the additional of Tilly, the genius data analyst.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced