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.

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

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

'Intelligent. Sophisticated. Intriguing.' - Mari Hannah

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:

'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

Multi-award-winning author M.W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. He is an instant Sunday Times bestseller and, for his Cumbria-set Washington Poe series, a recipient of the 2019 Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger, the 2022 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the 2025 Fingerprint Crime Book of the Year. The series has now been translated into thirty languages and sold over one million copies. Instagram: @m.w.craven Twitter :@mwcravenuk Facebook: MikeCravenAuthor