Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023 Winner

It is our great pleasure to confirm The Botanist by M.W. Craven as the winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023

Written with characteristic hard-boiled wit, the fifth full-length investigation for DS Washington Poe combines a locked room mystery - where the chief suspect is one of Poe's colleagues - with a poisoner targeting the rich and famous. A brilliant blend of clockwork plotting and memorable characterisation, The Botanist confirms Craven as one of the finest thriller writers of his generation.