The Halston Hotel, Carlisle
7.30pm, Thursday 13th August, 2026
Bookends is delighted to be a part of the launch event for the ever-popular, award winning author M. W. Craven’s latest novel.
Carlisle’s Halston Hotel welcomes Mike to discuss the eighth instalment of his bestselling Washington Poe series, ‘The Killer’s Mark.’
‘M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today…with characters you’ll be behind every step of the way.’ Stuart Turton
‘Fantastic’ Martina Cole
‘Dark, sharp and compelling’ Peter James
‘I’ve been following M.W. Craven’s Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. I can’t wait for the next one.’ Peter Robinson
Tickets are available here
Thursday 13th August, 7:30pm
The Halston Hotel, Carlisle
Bookends is delighted to be a part of the launch event for the ever-popular, award winning author M. W. Craven’s latest novel.
Carlisle’s Halston Hotel welcomes Mike to discuss the eighth instalment of his bestselling Washington Poe series, ‘The Killer’s Mark.’
‘M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today…with characters you’ll be behind every step of the way.’ Stuart Turton
‘Fantastic’ Martina Cole
‘Dark, sharp and compelling’ Peter James
‘I’ve been following M.W. Craven’s Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. I can’t wait for the next one.’ Peter Robinson
Please note: This is an e-ticketed event.
Your confirmation email acts as your ticket and we will also have the full list of all ticketholders on the night.
Copies of ‘The Killer’s Mark’ will be available to collect at the launch event.
Introducing bestselling crime writer M W Craven with the first book in a new series, all about lone wolf protagonist Ben Koenig.
Signed copies available
***Please write in the ‘Special Instructions’ box at the checkout if you would like Mike to write a specific dedication in your book**
Everyone is looking for Ben Koenig. Be careful what you wish for.
Ben Koenig is a ghost. He doesn’t exist any more.
Six years ago it was Koenig who headed up the US Marshal’s elite Special Ops group. They were the elite unit who hunted the bad guys – the really bad guys. They did this so no one else had to.
Until the day Koenig disappeared. He told no one why and he left no forwarding address. For six years he became a grey man. Invisible. He drifted from town to town, state to state. He was untraceable. It was as if he had never been.
But now Koenig’s face is on every television screen in the country. Someone from his past is trying to find him and they don’t care how they do it. In the burning heat of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a town called Gauntlet, and there are people in there who have a secret they’ll do anything to protect. They’ve killed before and they will kill again.
Only this time they’ve made a mistake. They’ve dismissed Koenig as just another drifter – but they’re wrong. Because Koenig has a condition, a unique disorder that makes it impossible for him to experience fear. And now they’re about to find out what a truly fearless man is capable of. Because Koenig’s coming for them. And hell’s coming with him . . .
As Mike lives in Carlisle, he very kindly calls into the shop and signs his books. This paperback edition of The Botanist is published on 24th November.
***Please write in the ‘Order Notes’ box at the checkout if you would like Mike to write a specific dedication in your book.
Bestselling crime writer M W Craven returns with the fifth installment in his Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw Cumbrian crime series
Detective Sergeant Washington Poe can count on one hand the number of friends he has. And he’d still have his thumb left. There’s the guilelessly innocent civilian analyst, Tilly Bradshaw of course. Insanely brilliant, she’s a bit of a social hand grenade. He’s known his beleaguered boss, Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn for years as he has his nearest neighbour, full-time shepherd/part-time dog sitter, Victoria.
And then there’s Estelle Doyle. Dark and dangerous and sexy as hell. It’s true the caustic pathologist has never walked down the sunny side of the street, but has she gone too far this time? Shot twice in the head, her father’s murder appears to be an open and shut case. Estelle has firearms discharge residue on her hands, and, in a house surrounded by fresh snow, hers are the only footprints. Since her arrest she’s only said three words: ‘Tell Washington Poe.’
Meanwhile, a poisoner called the Botanist is sending the nation’s most reviled people poems and pressed flowers. Twisted and ingenious, he seems to be able to walk through walls and, despite the advance notice given to his victims, and regardless of the security measures taken, he is able to kill with impunity.
Poe hates locked room mysteries and now he has two to solve. To unravel them he’s going to have to draw on every resource he has: Tilly Bradshaw, an organised crime boss, even an alcoholic ex-journalist. Because if he doesn’t, the bodies are going to keep piling up . . .
WINNER of the CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER AWARD 2022
SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE
**M W Craven is also happy to write personal dedications in his books. Please write any requests in the ‘special instructions’ box at the checkout**
Carlisle author M W Craven is back with the fourth installment in his award-winning Washington Poe crime series set in Cumbria.
Detective Sergeant Washington Poe is in court, fighting eviction from his beloved and isolated croft, when he is summoned to a backstreet brothel in Carlisle where a man has been beaten to death with a baseball bat. Poe is confused – he hunts serial killers and this appears to be a straightforward murder-by-pimp – but his attendance was requested personally, by the kind of people who prefer to remain in the shadows.
As Poe and the socially awkward programmer Tilly Bradshaw delve deeper into the case, they are faced with seemingly unanswerable questions: despite being heavily vetted for a high-profile job, why does nothing in the victim’s background check out? Why was a small ornament left at the murder scene – and why did someone on the investigation team steal it? And what is the connection to a flawlessly executed bank heist three years earlier, a heist where nothing was taken . . .
SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE
**M W Craven is also happy to write personal dedications in his books. Please write any requests in the ‘special instructions’ box at the checkout**
Carlisle author M W Craven returns with the third installment in his award-winning Washington Poe crime series set in Cumbria.
It’s Christmas and a serial killer is leaving displayed body parts all over Cumbria. A strange message is left at each scene: #BSC6. Called in to investigate, the National Crime Agency’s Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are faced with a case that makes no sense. Why were some victims anaesthetized, while others died in appalling agony? Why is their only suspect denying what they can irrefutably prove but admitting to things they weren’t even aware of? And why did the victims all take the same two weeks off work three years earlier? And when a disgraced FBI agent gets in touch things take an even darker turn.
Exciting news for all M.W. Craven and Washington Poe fans!
Available to pre-order for 2026. Signed and dedicated copies will be available. As ever, if you would like Mike to sign a message for you, please leave information in the ‘special instructions’ box at checkout.
The next darkly-funny thrill-ride of a book in the bestselling Washington Poe series. Further details to follow…
‘M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today…with characters you’ll be behind every step of the way.’ Stuart Turton
‘Fantastic’ Martina Cole
‘Dark, sharp and compelling’ Peter James
‘I’ve been following M.W. Craven’s Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. I can’t wait for the next one.’ Peter Robinson
This pre-order title will be shipped after the publication date 13th August 2026. If you are ordering other books alongside this title, the entire order will be shipped at the same time. If you wish to receive the other books sooner, please place them on a separate order.
Exciting news for Mike Craven and James Bond devotees: Mike is now an official James Bond author! For existing fans and a new generation of spy adventure readers, this is 007 like you’ve never seen him before.
Bond’s licence to kill has been revoked. His licence to teach has only just begun…
A new generation of young heroes, mentored by 007, have entered the Secret Agent Academy to see if they have what it takes to join the ranks of the Double O’s. Together with Bond can they defeat a deadly foe lurking in the shadows – and, more importantly, can they pass their exams?
*****Signed copies of this pre-order title will be available and Mike will happily dedicate copies too, just leave information in the ‘Special Instructions’ box at checkout.
This pre-order title will be shipped after publication date of 22nd April 2027. If you are ordering other books alongside this title, the entire order will be shipped at the same time. If you wish to receive the other books sooner, please place them on a separate order.
Signed copies available
**Book signed by M.W. Craven only**
Birds, Strangers and Psychos is a thrilling anthology that brings together the biggest names in mystery and crime fiction to pay homage to Alfred Hitchcock, the legendary filmmaker whose name is synonymous with suspense. Acclaimed editor Maxim Jakubowski curates 30 original short stories, each inspired by the mood, tension, and style that defined Hitchcock’s groundbreaking work. This anthology invites both emerging and established voices to reimagine the chilling atmospheres, twisted plots, and unforgettable characters of Hitchcock’s films, from Psycho and Vertigo to North by Northwest and The Birds.
Each author takes on the challenge of evoking the quintessentially ‘Hitchcockian’ elements that have captivated audiences for decades: ordinary lives interrupted by peril, psychological duels, and unexpected encounters that spiral into nightmares. The volume showcases an extraordinary blend of talent, including Lee Child, Denise Mina, Sophie Hannah, Vaseem Khan, MW Craven, Jeff Noon and S. A.Cosby and many more!
Just as Hitchcock adapted stories from literary giants like Daphne du Maurier, Patricia Highsmith, and Roald Dahl, Birds, Strangers and Psychos unites today’s literary stars to craft new suspenseful tales that are destined to thrill, haunt, and unsettle. These stories celebrate Hitchcock’s enduring influence, creating an anthology that serves both as a tribute and as a reminder of why Hitchcock’s legacy continues to loom so large in popular culture. This volume is not just a collection of stories – it’s an invitation to rediscover the artistry of suspense.
**Hand-signed copies by Mike Craven only available**
Mike will also write a personal dedication in your book. Please write in the ‘Order Notes’ box at the checkout if you would like Mike to write a specific dedication in your book.
For one weekend every July, thousands of readers descend on the historic English town of Harrogate, Yorkshire in pursuit of mysteries, mischief and murder. In Murder In Harrogate, ten of the world’s best known crime and thriller writers come together in honour of the world’s largest festival of crime writing, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. From a missing person case inspired by Agatha Christie’s infamous disappearance at the Old Swan Hotel to a murdered Macbeth to a vicious parkrun assault, these razor sharp stories are a testament to the festival’s rich history, stretching over two decades.
Curated and edited by former festival chair and award-winning author Vaseem Khan, contributors include Ann Cleeves, Mark Billingham, M.W. Craven, Elly Griffiths, Abir Mukherjee, Clare Mackintosh, Steve Cavanagh, Janice Hallett, Vaseem Khan, and Ruth Ware.
