Came across Shaw at a speaker event at the Firle Vintage Fayre. The plot sounded interesting and as it was located in an area close by it seemed worth investigating

The plot is centred around Romney Marsh and Dungeness – places we know well. He captures the remoteness but beauty well. His lead detective has recently transferred from the Met, and she has quite a back history with former colleagues, daughter and mother.

Dead bodies start appearing on the Marsh. Are the murders connected? The tension racks up and it becomes the cliche page-turner

The dialogue is excellent and the banter a good contrast to the dark going ons. Police procedure seems well researched too.

His plotting, interesting characters, dialogue, police procedure reminds me of the books about Inspector Grace down the road at Brighton. No wonder Peter James calls him a rising star.

This is a Shaw fire winner. Looking forward to the next book.

About Author

William Shaw‘s The Birdwatcher, set in Kent and Northern Ireland, longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, was hailed as “a contender for thriller of the year” in The Sun. His books have also been nominated for a Barry Award, the Golden Bullet, and the CWA Historical Dagger.