The Birdwatcher

DS Alex Cupidi Book 0

“I never do crime novels but it’s brilliant.” Jim Moir/Vic Reeves.

“The most gripping book I’ve read in years. William Shaw is, quite simply, an outstanding storyteller.” Peter May

“Superb description of a haunting, blighted landscape. His best book so far.” C. J. Sansom

“An astoundingly good crime novel.” Elly Griffiths

“A brilliantly constructed thriller, told part in flashback to his traumatic past, it’s utterly compulsive, written in sharp, unsentimental style, and with a wonderfully atmospheric storm-battered setting” Sunday Mirror

“What a pleasure it is when one discovers a writer who combines ironclad storytelling techniques with the linguistic finesse of more literary novelists. William Shaw is surely such a writer, a man whose command of narrative grips the reader by the throat from page one, and never lets go – but also allows every word to register with exactly the right amount of resonance. And that’s not to forget the idiomatic dialogue, which is another Shaw specialty . . . The Birdwatcher, it might be argued, is Shaw’s most accomplished (and most visceral) book yet . . . [The] unsparing treatment of the personality of South – and the dark drives that can lead people to murder – that is at the chilling heart of this book.” Barry Forshaw, Independent

“A fine, atmospheric, emotionally compelling thriller.” John Williams, Mail on Sunday

“A gripping plot, atmospheric setting, highly believable characters and dialogue you can imagine real people saying, make this a contender for thriller of the year” Sun

“Award-winning author Shaw delivers an outstanding stand-alone novel.” Library Journal

“Shaw (A Song for the Brokenhearted) has more than enough material there for a fine procedural, but he interweaves the present-day case with a more personal one. The action builds to a thrilling ending.” Publishers Weekly

One of the summer’s “Chilliest Thrillers”. “Shaw’s prose sinks its hooks in.” Entertainment Weekly

“Exquisite in every way. It’s a slow burn book that begins with a violent crime and ends explosively, with plenty of character development and all of the elements that we have come to love and expect in a police procedural story… the book should certainly bring additional attention to Shaw’s superlative work and undoubtedly will create a demand for more.” Bookreporter

“Fantastic.” Bookriot

“I liked its discreet, thoughtful prose. . . . By its theatrical but moving conclusion, The Birdwatcher has become an excellent read.” Charles Finch, USA Today

“Shaw crafts a delicious atmosphere.” Mystery Scene

Salt Lane

DS Alex Cupidi Book 1

SHE ALWAYS WENT TOO FAR

DS Alexandra Cupidi has done it again. She should have learnt to keep her big mouth shut, after the scandal that sent her packing – resentful teenager in tow – from the London Met to the lonely Kent coastline. Murder is different here, among the fens and stark beaches.

SHE WAS THE ONE WHO FOUND THE KILLERS

The man drowned in the slurry pit had been herded there like an animal. He was North African, like many of the fruit pickers that work the fields. The more Cupidi discovers, the more she wants to ask – but these people are suspicious of questions.

AND NOW IT WAS KILLING HER

It will take an understanding of this strange place – its old ways and new crimes – to uncover the dark conspiracy behind the murder. Cupidi is not afraid to travel that road. But she should be. She should, by now, have learnt.

Salt Lane is the first in the new DS Alexandra Cupidi series. With his trademark characterisation and flair for social commentary, William Shaw has crafted a crime novel for our time that grips you, mind and heart.

 

“A sharp eye for detail, turned on 21st-century phenomenon of people-trafficking. There are some touching moments in this vivid tale, which recognises that decent people don’t always behave well.” Joan Smith, The Times

“Shaw scores subtle political points in this atmospheric, state-of-the-nation thriller that, as always, features intricate plotting, realistic dialogue and believable characters. A modern crime master.” Simon Cooper, The Sun

“Detective Sergeant Alexandra Cupidi, a recent transfer from London to the coastal Kent police department, is having a hard time adjusting in William Shaw’s excellent Salt Lane… [It’s] a web of events that reverses readers’ expectations.” Tim Nolan, Wall Street Journal

“Salt Lane is taut, terrifying and timely; the emotional tension never slackens.” Val McDermid

“A fine police heroine emerges here… living in the shadow of the power station at Dungeness. It is a splendid backdrop for a troubled detective.” Mail on Sunday

“DS Alexandra Cupidi (introduced in The Birdwatcher) is complex, conflicted, and conscientious… Shaw’s rattling good writing will hold readers to the very end.” Publisher’s Weekly (starred review).

“Cupidi is a convincing character and William Shaw’s evocation of the unforgiving Kent landscape is very well done. All this, however, is secondary to the social commentary. This murder mystery has a message that comes over loud and clear.” Jessica Mann, Literary Review

“William Shaw is one of the great rising talents of UK crime fiction. This is his best book to date, instantly engaging, beautifully written with really well observed and rounded characters.” Peter James

“Brilliant. Atmospheric, immersive scene setting, highly engaging main protagonist and a superbly crafted plot, written beautifully.” Liz Loves Books

“Intriguing and atmospheric, Salt Lane covers tough topics with sensitivity, a dash of humour and above all, beautiful writing. I love the whole Cupidi family – mother, daughter and child. I don’t think there are any other crime novels I’ve read that are exploring this kind of family dynamic.” Susi Holliday

“Cupidi is one of my current favourite crime fiction police characters. Shaw writes female characters and tackles the issues around motherhood so well. A page-turning police procedural with a thoughtful, character-driven heart, an astounding sense of place, and a quirky sense of humour.” Julia Crouch, author of Her Husband’s Lover

“Gritty, hard-hitting crime rarely sits beside brooding atmosphere, flawless writing, and characters so real you could have a chat with them, but Salt Lane is that rare gem. A fabulous start to what I’m sure will be a must-read series.” Barbara Copperthwaite

“Tense and brutal . . . Intelligent, beautifully written and with an emotional resonance that stays long after the book is finished, this is a tight and compelling read that rewards the reader in spades.” Live and Deadly

“Stark beauty . . . The investigations raise issues important to 21st-century Brexit Britain – immigration, racism, sexism, poverty and inequality.” Literary Shed

“Evokes setting in every way possible – the darkness, the way of living on this land, the workers, illegal and otherwise, the land changing over the years, the rawness of the sea and the elements … it’s exposed, raw and hard to deal with at times, and all of this is also the essence of this very immersive read. This novel really shone for me as it weaves social commentary, great writing and unique observation of landscape into one neatly tied package.” Book Trail

“I loved this first book an unreasonable amount, I was so delighted by how good it was… there are so many layers and it’s so real…A great mystery and a great police procedural…two enthusiastic bird thumbs up.” Bookriot

“I discovered the novels of William Shaw last year, and read The Birdwatcher, and then a trilogy set in 1960s London featuring Detectives Tozer and Breen. There is now a fourth book in that series in my “to read” pile. And, you’ll find a very satisfying connection between that series and Salt Lane. These are both terrific series — I can say “read one and you’ll read them all” and feel entirely confident that you will agree.” Parry Sound North Star

 

Deadland

DS Alex Cupidi Book 2

YOU CAN RUN

The two boys never fitted in. Seventeen, the worst age, nothing to do but smoke weed; at least they have each other. The day they speed off on a moped with a stolen mobile, they’re ready to celebrate their luck at last. Until their victim comes looking for what’s his – and ready to kill for it.

YOU CAN HIDE

On the other side of Kent’s wealth divide, DS Alexandra Cupidi faces the strangest murder investigation of her career. A severed limb, hidden inside a modern sculpture in Margate’s Turner Contemporary. No one takes it seriously – not even the artwork’s owners, celebrity dealers who act like they’re above the law.

YOU CAN DIE

But as Cupidi’s case becomes ever more sinister, as she wrangles with police politics and personal dilemmas, she can’t help worrying about those runaway boys. Seventeen, the same age as her own headstrong daughter. Alone, on the marshes, they’re pawns in someone else’s game. Two worlds are about to collide.

Kent and its social divisions are brilliantly captured in Deadland, a crime thriller that’s as ingeniously unguessable as it is moving and powerful.

“Superb . . . Shaw handles diverse plotlines brilliantly, demonstrating his ability to write about contemporary events with keen intelligence.” Joan Smith, Sunday Times. Sunday Times Crime Book of the Month

“Another clever, thoughtful mystery from one of the best authors of Brit crime fiction’s new wave.” Simon Cooper, The Sun

“In the inventive and arresting Deadland, the outrageously rich haves of the art world and a pair of hopeless have-nots collide with murderous results. This tautly constructed thriller is the second outing of William Shaw’s DS Alexandra Cupidi, a Met detective turned Kent cop.” The Times

“Shaw has made the bleak and inhospitable Kent coastline one of the principal characters in his mysteries . . . Opens spectacularly“ Geoffrey Wansell, Daily Mail

“Delivering a great sense of place, well-drawn characters and a feisty heroine, this is highly recommended” Myles McWeeney, Irish Independent

“A thrilling climax that will keep you guessing until the end” Candis Magazine

“Sinister and divisive themes . . . Shaw is a master of characterisation . . . Totally believable” Jon Wise, Sunday Sport

“With pitch perfect characterisation, immersive storylines, a striking use of location, and accomplished writing and plotting, there is so much to enjoy in this series. Highly recommended.” Raven Crime Reads

“Shaw’s writing is dark and edgy, and this novel has a gritty realistic feel because of the way it deals in contemporary issues. The thing that makes it stand out the most is the level of social commentary Shaw revels in.” NBMagazine

Gravesend

DS Alex Cupidi Book 3

A BIZARRE DISCOVERY

An unidentified corpse is found in a freezer in the garage of an unoccupied house. DS Alexandra Cupidi is handed a case that is made even colder by no-one seeming to know or care whose body it is.

A HISTORIC CRIME

It becomes clear there is a connection between the crime and a skeleton uncovered underneath a housing development of Trevor Grey, a boy who went missing twenty five years earlier.

A BURIED LIFE

Digging deep into secrets that have long been concealed brings Cupidi to face a deadly conspiracy to hide these crimes. Her investigation is complicated by a secret liaison, a political cover-up and the underground life of Trevor Grey’s only friend.

With meticulously realised characters and a brooding setting, Grave’s End confronts the crisis in housing, environmentalism, historic cases of abuse and the protection given to badgers by the law. The third book in the DS Alexandra Cupidi series confirms William Shaw as one of our finest writers of crime fiction.

“Who would have thought that badger culls might figure in the plot of a crime novel? But then William Shaw has never been content to simply reheat familiar elements… Shaw never lectures; his major imperative remains ironclad storytelling and razor-sharp characterisation, both in evidence here.” Barry Forshaw, Financial Times. 

“As if Ian Rankin and Richard Adams teamed up to write a hugely entertaining crime thriller with a hard-hitting environmental message.” Mark Edwards

“A powerful, scary suspense mystery which had me swiping over pages at speed while savouring every word. This is a brilliant novel.” Lesley Thomson

“This is an ingenious, often moving and always powerful story, which brilliantly captures Kent and its social divisions and offers a realistic, if harsh, look at the inequalities of life in modern Britain.” John Cleal, crimereview.co.uk

“Shaw weaves a tidy yarn…” Jon Wise, Weekend Sport.

The Trawlerman

DS Alex Cupidi Book 4

NOMINATED FOR THE OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR
A SHOTS MAG BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘A WRITER AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME’ SUN

A DOUBLE MURDER

The naked corpses of Aylmer and Mary Younis are discovered in their home. The only clues are a note written in blood and an eerie report of two spectral figures departing the crime scene. Officer Jill Ferriter is charged with investigating the murders while her colleague Alex Cupidi is on leave, recovering from post-traumatic stress.

AN ELABORATE SCAM

The dead couple had made investments in a green reforestry scheme in Guatemala, resulting in the loss of all their savings. What is more disturbing is that Cupidi and Ferriter’s disgraced former colleague and friend Bill South is also on the list of investors and the Younis’s were not the only losers.

AN UNLIKELY KILLER

Despite being in counselling and receiving official warnings to stay away from police work Cupidi finds herself dragged into the case and begins to trawl among the secrets and lies that are held in the fishing community of Folkestone. Desperate to exonerate South she finds herself murderously compromised when personal relationships cloud her judgement.

Pacey, intense and riddled with surprising twists, The Trawlerman shows that deceit can be found in the most unlikely places. The brooding waters of the Kent coastline offer an ominous backdrop for this lively page-turner of corruption, mental health and the complexities of human connection.

“Shaw goes from strength to strength in this subtle and original series about clever but uneasy cop Alex Cupidi, whose beat is the weird and wild world of Dungeness . . . Authentic plots, an atmospheric setting and believable dialogue make this another Shaw-fire hit by one of Britain’s leading crime writers.” Simon Cooper, The Sun

“Shaw’s finely drawn copper, Alex Cupidi, is on enforced leave, trying to deal with lingering PTSD following a traumatic case. But trouble is never far away from her home on the wild Dungeness shore. Murder and fraud, fishing and family all come together in a terrifically atmospheric thriller mixing a twisting plot with a considered meditation on the lasting effects of close contact with violence.” John Williams, The Mail on Sunday

“Swallowed, hook, line and sinker. Lovely storytelling, deft and clever; and characters painted in all the colours of the sea and the sky. I didn’t want it to stop.” Val McDermid

“Quite simply a class act, the characters, setting, and plot fuse into the most readable and thrilling whole.” Liz Robinson, Lovereading.com Books of the Year 2021

BEST BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS 2021 “An atmospheric setting and believable dialogue.” The Sun

“The stress of being a police officer is a theme of Shaw’s absorbing series set on the Kent coastline. In The Trawlerman , DI Alexandra Cupidi is on sick leave with PTSD. The enforced inactivity allows her to make friends in the local fishing community, where she is drawn into a long-ago disappearance at sea. Despite stern warnings, she can’t keep out of an inquiry into the deaths of a much-liked local couple, who have lost their life savings in a scam. Shaw’s novels combine a strong central character with an atmospheric setting and original plots.” Joan Smith, The Sunday Times

The Wild Swimmers

DS Alex Cupidi Book 5

If only Alexandra Cupidi had turned south instead of north, she would have found the dead woman.

Instead it is her vulnerable daughter Zoë who stumbles across Mimi Greene’s lifeless body on the shoreline.

A regular wild swimmer with a group of close friends, it’s out of character for Mimi to have been swimming alone, especially in bad weather. D S Cupidi starts to suspect this is more than just an accidental drowning.

Meanwhile, her friend and colleague Jill Ferriter receives a mysterious letter from a man who claims to be her father. Steven Dowles has been in prison for the last twenty years, convicted of two brutal and senseless murders.

With Cupidi obsessed by the death of Mimi Greene, Jill must lean on Bill South to uncover the facts around Dowles’ conviction, revisiting old colleagues and criminals.

The Wild Swimmers is an explosive return to the DI Alexandra Cupidi Series, where the shores of the South Kent expose deadly secrets.

“William Shaw now rivals Ann Cleeves in the art of combining compelling mysteries with evocations of Britain’s landscape.” ★★★★★ Jake Kerridge, The Daily Telegraph

“Clever, understated and believable, Shaw’s atmospheric DS Cupidi books are one of the great British crime series” Simon Cooper, The Sun

“A skilfully constructed and thoroughly engrossing thriller” John Williams, Mail on Sunday

‘The writing and plotting are so good they sweep you on to the end” Literary Review

“A twisty, quirky and atmospheric policier” The Irish Independent

“The latest novel in William Shaw’s atmospheric series set on the Kent coast is full of keen-eyed observation, both of landscape and the perils of human relationships.” Joan Smith, The Times.

“A fast-paced, atmospheric thriller with red herrings and twists and turns along the way.” Candis

“An absolutely wonderful read. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.” Goodreads reader

“A gripping whodunnit peopled by the good, the bad and the ugly.” Saga Magazine

“So atmospheric!” Crime Monthly

“Loved it. Atmospheric, complex and satisfying – this is another hugely gripping instalment in my favourite police series.” Mark Edwards

“A twisty and delicious crime novel” Jaffareadstoo