It’s no secret to regular visitors to Linda’s Book Bag that I am a huge fan of M.W. Craven’s Washington Poe books. Consequently, when the latest book in the series, The Killer’s Mark, arrived in surprise book mail I was genuinely thrilled and there may have been* shouting in glee. I’m not quite sure who sent The Killer’s Mark, but thank you so very much! 

(*there was)

It’s my pleasure to share my review of The Killer’s Mark today and you’ll find my reviews of the other books in the series here. 

The Killer’s Mark is published by Constable on 13th August 2026 and is available for pre-order here. 

The Killer’s Mark

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

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. Faced with the choice of walking away or opening it, she opted for knowledge over silence and 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 well…

Finally able to escape the authority they once 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 has 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… 

My Review of The Killer’s Mark

Poe and Tilly have a new private investigator business.

I have a feeling The Killer’s Mark is going to be impossible to review because I absolutely do not want to give away spoilers. As soon as I had read the Prologue I knew this was going to be an extraordinary book. It is. It also confirms my suspicions that M. W. Craven is both terrifyingly skilled and possibly a little unhinged – in the best possible way – as no ordinary mind could construct this kind of plot. 

As ever with a Poe and Bradshaw book the pace is blistering, the short chapters refuse to let the reader step away from the narrative because, not only do they add momentum, they are so gripping with those trademark hooks at the end of each one that it’s impossible not to want to read on. The twists, the balance between keeping the reader informed and withholding just enough to have them completely ensnared in the narrative thrums through the pages. The trademark visceral nature of the story, the wit, humanity and technological science with which we are so familiar in a Washington Poe book are wonderfully resonant and yet feel fresh and vibrant within The Killer’s Mark. The main characters might be familiar but there is nothing repetitive or derivative in the storytelling. M. W. Craven is innovative and mesmerising with an assured sense of detail that is utterly convincing. 

Indeed, alongside a plot that is insanely intricate, brilliantly constructed and mind-blowingly entertaining, there is some fabulous character development here. If you’ve not read another of the Washington Poe books, there is enough of Poe’s past exploits referenced to give a rounded picture, but in The Killer’s Mark, he is given a slightly more tender trait so that his humanity is both presented more fully and tested to the limit. What I loved even more this time is that Tilly is becoming adept at her own deviousness too. The balance of familiarity and progression is so appealing. Add in the teenage, angst-ridden, foul mouthed Esmeree to the mix and the combination is both explosive and fascinating.

I’m aware I’ve said nothing at all about The Killer’s Mark – deliberately so as I really, really don’t want to spoil the read for others. However, one aspect I am willing to spoil is that the Epilogue, particularly the final sentence, made me cheer, but you’ll need to read the book to find out why!

Regardless of my inability to review it, I thought The Killer’s Mark was excellent. I absolutely adored being back with Poe and Tilly. I loved the attention to detail, the evident thorough research that has gone into making this another authentic and pulse elevating narrative, and the masterful storytelling which all add up to another roller-coaster ride. Don’t miss this one because it’s brilliant and if you haven’t read the other seven books in the series you are really missing out!

About M.W. Craven

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 degree in social work. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. The Puppet Show, the first book in the critically acclaimed, best-selling Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw series, was published by Little, Brown and went on to win the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger in 2019. Black Summer, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Gold Dagger as was book three, The Curator. Dead Ground won the CWA Steel Dagger in 2022 and book five, The Botanist, won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2023. Dead Ground and 2022’s The Botanist were both Sunday Times bestsellers. The series has now been translated into twenty-seven languages. Fearless, the first thriller in the new US-set, Ben Koenig series, was published in June 2023 by Flatiron Books in the US and by Little, Brown in the UK. Fearless will soon be a major TV series.

M.W. Craven lives in Carlisle with his wife, Joanne. When he isn’t talking nonsense in the pub, he can usually be found at punk gigs and writing festivals up and down the country.

For further information, visit Mike’s website or find Mike on Instagram, Bluesky, X @mwcravenuk and Facebook.

My huge thanks to Kate at Canelo for sending me a surprise copy of The Residency by C D Major. Having loved C D Majors books under her other pen names (see my reviews here) I was thrilled to receive it and it is my pleasure to share my review of The Residency today.

The Residency will be published by Canelo on 13th August 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Residency

Life in London is hard for Ginny as a single mother barely scraping by. Once she was a promising artist with a glittering future ahead. On a whim, she applies for an artist’s residency – all expenses paid – and is astonished to be accepted.

Soon, Ginny is on a boat to a remote Scottish island, her daughter by her side. But was she too hasty, attracted by the promise of security and a chance to make art again? Locals she meets are tightlipped about the man who is Ginny’s benefactor, but she senses underlying fear. Her contract contains odd rules about avoiding the gallery at the vast property where she is living, and there is an undeniable eeriness to the place. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she could hear whispers, and that the people in the paintings were changing overnight…

By the time Ginny realises what a grave mistake she has made, she is stranded. Accepting the invitation has sealed her fate and the only way to survive is through escape – or sacrifice.

An atmospheric gothic suspense novel to send a chill down your spine and keep you reading late into the night. 

My Review of The Residency

With a slightly disabled daughter, and a violent partner about to be released from prison, Ginny is determined to escape her London poverty.

Crikey. What a fabulous read. I loved The Residency even as I found it creepy and unsettling. It would be difficult to discover a more perfect exploration of being careful what you wish for and of the concept that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

The plot of The Residency would make a fantastic film or television series. There are chilling moments aplenty, but the real skill comes through the gradual build up of tension, the weird behavior of the inhabitants of the remote Scottish island and the way in which Ginny realises that an evil is lurking that is far more powerful than the fears sparked by creaking floorboards and strange aromas. I thought it inspired to have the dated events from Philip’s past because they mean the reader has an understanding of him that Ginny doesn’t realise, adding to the sense of danger and the pressure of feeling. The reader becomes as controlled by Philip and as unable to assist Ginny as the other residents on the island. Her first person account adds to this sense of danger.

The island setting of The Residency is brilliant because it lends a claustrophobic, locked-room feeling. As the residents become less friendly, and Ginny becomes more isolated, there’s a real sense of doom that is enhanced by the technique of condensed sentences at the ends of chapters that compel the reader on through the narrative. The house where Ginny and daughter Isla are accommodated is right out of the tradition of gothic horror with dark oppressive corridors, strange smells and noises, an attic and a literal locked room so that C D Major manipulates the reader into feeling unsettled even when seemingly innocent events are taking place. 

Ginny might be a talented artist, but she is also a modern woman. Her fierce protection of Isla illustrates a mother’s love and the complications of her life in London as a single parent with an abusive criminal for a partner are very modern concepts. Transporting her to an all expenses paid artistic residency on a remote island is, therefore, attractive to her and all the more powerful because the reader realises this will not end well – especially with the underlying supernatural evil aspect rippling through the art work, the island and the house, but I’m not going to say more and spoil the read. Not all Ginny’s actions are rational, altruistic and benevolent, but these aspects make her all the more appealing.

Themes in The Residency are fascinating, engaging and explored with aplomb. Family rivalry, parental love (or lack of), control and fear on many levels pulsate through the story. I found them so convincing. 

I thought The Residency was a corker of a read. I found it creepy, engaging and unnerving. If you want a fantastic gothic thriller to keep you up at night, read The Residency as I thoroughly recommend it. Oh – and remember, when given an attractive offer, always read the small print!

About C D Major

C.D. Major writes suspenseful books inspired by strange true stories. Alongside her thrillers she writes big love stories as Cesca Major, rom coms under the pseudonym Rosie Blake and emotional women’s fiction as Ruby Hummingbird. 

For further information visit Cesca’s website and follow her on X @CescaMajor, Facebook, Bluesky and Instagram. 

I owe huge thanks to Emily Midorikawa for ensuring I received a copy of her debut novel A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing. I was unable to share my review earlier as I was away, but it’s my pleasure to have my review today. 

You’ll also find Emily appearing here on Linda’s Book Bag on several occasions. 

Published by Bonnier imprint Manilla on 23rd July 2026, A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing is available for purchase through the links here.

A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing

Anna has never met anybody like Loll: a British hostess at the Moonglow bar in the Japanese city of Osaka. With her blonde wigs and shimmering dresses, Loll cuts a mesmerising figure. But Anna is troubled by the secrets Loll hides; the identity of her best client with shadowy links to the city’s crime underworld; and the sight Anna witnesses one afternoon: Loll teetering on the edge of a railway track, caught in the deafening rush as a train hurtles by.

Whereas Anna has come to Osaka to learn more about her half-Japanese heritage, Loll has no clear reason for being there and no easily discernible past. And so when she disappears, there are only the barest clues as to where she might have gone. Soon Anna is thrown onto a trail that will take her into the darkest corners of the neon-choked metropolis – hidden, forbidden places from which those who know the city best warn her to stay away.

My Review of A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing

Anna has arrived in Osaka, Japan, to take up an English teaching post.

What a fabulous novel. Intelligently written, intense and intimate, A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing is such an absorbing read. 

Essentially, the plot revolves around the developing friendship between Anna and Loll, or Charlotte, or Charlie depending on the person with whom Loll is interacting and the persona she is portraying. That may sound simplistic, but this novel is multi-layered and fascinating so that it mesmerises the reader.

Firstly, there is the most exquisite glimpse into all facets of Japanese life, from etiquette, through levels of society and daily behaviours to organised crime and corruption. Emily Midorikawa puts flesh on the bones of our half-known Japanese facts, correcting assumptions, and providing real insight as she weaves her spell binding tale. The sense of place in Osaka is vivid, realistic and authentic so that it is as if the reader is accompanying Anna as she moves round the city. Work, nightlife, food and so on all add texture and interest. I adored this aspect of the story.

One of the elements that is so effective in this beautifully written narrative is the layering of Anna’s first person story with traditional fable and factual extracts so that there’s an almost dreamlike film noir atmosphere. This makes A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing fascinating. It feels part memoir, part thriller, part coming of age and part cinema in its execution. I found myself almost hypnotised by the writing and think there is something for every reader to appreciate here.

Anna herself is as much a hybrid as the structure. Working in Japan where her absconded mother has lived since fleeing England and abandoning Anna and her father when Anna was nine, it’s as if Anna has greater unacknowledged Japanese culture in her DNA than she realises, and yet she remains other, an outsider. She doesn’t fit in well with the other young people and is rather a spare part in the school where she works. As a result, her friendship with Loll feels all the more absorbing and obsessive so that when Loll disappears, it is as if Anna has lost part of herself as well as her friend. 

Loll is wonderful; in turn glittering, brittle, fragile, mysterious and unreliable. In the same way the crane woman of Japanese fable creates the highest quality fabric for her husband, so Loll’s presence adds glamour and sparkle whenever she enters a room. Rather like a shooting star, she fascinates but feels fleeting and transient. She’s such a complex character that I found it hard to decide if I loved or loathed her. I could not decide if I actually trusted and applauded her reasons even when she behaved most duplicitously. I found this such an absorbing part of the book. 

The themes of A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing are so engaging. There’s a sensitive exploration of identity – not least because we never really know which Loll we might be witnessing – of cultural heritage and belonging, of family dynamics, mental health and of fierce loyalty in friendship. I think A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing is a novel that rewards multiple readings in order to appreciate fully Emily Midorikawa’s dexterity in creating her narrative. 

I loved A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing. It’s a sophisticated presentation of friendship, and the way we never truly understand ourselves, let alone others. It explores belonging, family and identity utterly compellingly, illustrating how, sometimes, letting go is the one action that can save us. I finished the narrative feeling I had been treated to a text of true quality and craft and I thoroughly, thoroughly, recommend A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing. 

About Emily Midorikawa

Emily Midorikawa’s debut novel, A Tiny Speck of Black and then Nothing, is published by Manilla Press. She is also the author of two group biographies, Out of the Shadows: Six Visionary Victorian Women In Search of a Public Voice (Counterpoint Press) and A Secret Sisterhood: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf, cowritten with Emma Claire Sweeney (Aurum Press, UK; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, USA).

Emily is a winner of the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize. Her journalism has been published in the Daily Telegraph, TIME, The Times (of London) and the Washington Post.

You can find out more about Emily on her website. She’s also on X @EmilyMidorikawa, Bluesky and Instagram.