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The Killer's Mark

(Washington Poe)

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The Killer's Mark

By: M. W. Craven
Narrated by: John Banks
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Every mark tells a story. This one ends in blood.

The next darkly funny thrill-ride of a book in the Sunday Times bestselling Washington Poe series.

'Tongue-in-cheek storytelling, a byzantine plot and brilliant characters, this is Craven at his darkest and best'' - Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail

'Dark, funny and twisty' - Lisa Howells, Crime Monthly

'One of the greatest duos in crime fiction' - Mark Sanderson, The Times

'Craven's trademark mix of dark humour and drama is so addictive it should come with a health warning' - Matt Nixson, Daily Express

A MONSTER. A MOTHER. A MURDER?


When Vice Admiral Boyer, RN (retd) died without leaving a will, his estranged daughter inherited his - not inconsiderable - estate. Called home to sort through his belongings, she found an AegisBox - a tamper proof safe within a safe designed to self-destruct if anyone without the code attempts to open it. Unable to walk away without the truth, she uncovered something so horrifying it launched the biggest investigation in the National Crime Agency's history. Five years later, Washington Poe is unwittingly, and unwillingly, sucked into its gravity...

Finally able to escape the authority they railed against, Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are enjoying their new jobs as private detectives or - as the sign on their door says - 'Gumshoes for Hire'. When a teenage girl walks into their office, looking for the mother she long believed to be dead, they agree to take the case. As Poe and Tilly investigate the girl's claims, they find themselves drawn into a murky world of trafficking, pornography and prostitution. Will they be able to help the girl find her mother, or will the dark forces at work, who will stop at nothing to protect themselves, get there first...



PRAISE FOR M. W. CRAVEN:

'A brutal and thrilling page-turner' - The Sun

'It's got everything. Everything' - Chris Whitaker

'Intelligent. Sophisticated. Intriguing.' - Mari Hannah

'One of the most memorable police officers we've encountered in a long time' - The Independent

'One of the best crime writers working today' - Stuart Turton

'Two of the most compelling characters in crime fiction' - Fiona Cummins

'A high-octane thriller that won't disappoint' - Guardian

'One of the best new detective duos in decades' - Abir Mukherjee

'So dark and twisty' - Elly Griffiths

'Twists and turns like a country lane' - Peter Robinson©2026 M. W. Craven (P)2026 Little, Brown Book Group Limited Crime Crime Thrillers Thriller & Suspense Funny Exciting Witty
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I’m a huge fan of Craven and the latest instalment of Poe and Tilly did not disappoint in the slightest. It’s also one of the few books that I absolutely insist on listening to instead of reading physically. The voice acting is excellent, even with some difficult accents in this particular plot. Now, I won’t be entirely biased and pretend that the accents were flawless, because they weren’t, but they’re were still distinguishable and, let’s be honest here, a damn sight better than I could even dream of doing! That aside, the voices of our favourites are exemplary. The timing is impeccable and the delivery is second to none!

As for the actual narrative, Craven continues his twists and turns we have become accustomed to and keeps you guessing at every turn. This is not as clever and intricate as some of his earlier work, but what this lacks in guile, it makes up for in constant action. The plot was both gut-wrenching and fulfilling. Much more emotional than previous episodes, but this just shows Craven’s versatility as a writer.

The only downside is I now have to wait another year for the more!

Outstanding in every aspect!

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Like a lot of the reviewers, the jury is out on the Esmeree character. The Poe series is always well written and John Banks is a wonderful narrator. My favourite character from another series appears and that made me very happy! Is it my favourite of the series? Honestly, no but that’s because I have re listened to the other titles several times and this didn’t quite grip me the same way. I will eagerly await the next in the series all the same :-)

The ‘crossover’ character was a joy to welcome back

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An interesting story with various twists and turns. Spoilt for me a little by being too far fetched and a little twee at the end.

intriguing plot

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Each book in the series just gets better and better. If you haven't started the series from book 1, I'd recommend every single one.

Love these books

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I do love the Washington Po books but I don’t like the girl. Her Americanisms were excessive and false. I liked the idea of Po and Estelle taking on a child-that’s a great idea but I don’t like the characterisation. The story was fine but I need more Tilly.

Always enjoyable

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