An invisible killer with a 100% success rate. No one is safe. Not even those closest to Washington Poe . . .
A shooting at Gretna Green. A bride is murdered on her wedding day, seconds after she slips on her new ring. It’s brutal and bloody but she isn’t the first victim and she won’t be the last. With the body count now at 17, people are terrified, not knowing where the sniper will strike next.
With the nation in a state of panic, the police are at a loss and turn to Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw – the only team who just might be able to track down a serial killer following no discernible pattern and with the whole country as his personal hunting ground. Can Poe and Tilly stop an unstoppable assassin, who never misses his mark and never makes a mistake? Or will he find them before they find him…
Book Info: 391 pages. Publisher: Constable. Publication date: 14th August 2025
My thoughts:
Without doubt this is one of my favourite series and I was thrilled to get an early copy of THE FINAL VOW, so my eternal thanks to MW Craven and his publishers.
This is the 7th books in this series featuring Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw and in my humble opinion, they keep getting better and better.
Do you need to read the books in order? ABSO-f*cking-LUTELY.
Can I cheat and read this one first? Whilst it does work as a standalone, it’s a far better experience if you read the series in order.
Can you remind me of the books in order please? Of course, The Puppet Show (2018), Black Summer (2019), The Curator (2020), Dead Ground (2021), The Botanist (2022), The Mercy Chair (2024).
I am now assuming that YOU have read the first 6 books, so I will continue with my thoughts on THE FINAL VOW.
This book is a masterfully crafted thriller that starts with the nation gripped by fear. A sniper is terrorizing the UK, striking without pattern and leaving no clues. The latest victim was a bride who was shot dead seconds after saying “I do” and the authorities are desperate. Enter Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw, the best double act since Morecambe and Wise. Brains, brawn, grit, determination and the best one-liners in crime fiction.
Craven continues to bring Poe & Bradshaw alive in the readers minds. Their chemistry is a joy to read. The banter is hysterical and their loyalty is unshakable. Whilst not as dark or disturbing as The Mercy Chair, this book reaches an emotional depth far more powerful which I found truly heart-breaking.
Another triumph for MW Craven and fans of gritty UK crime-fiction, morally complex heroes, and adrenaline-fueled mysteries will not be disappointed.
