This is going to be the longest week of Washington Poe's life... Detective Sergeant Washington
Poe can count on one hand the number of friends he has. And he'd still have his thumb left.
There's the guilelessly innocent civilian analyst Tilly Bradshaw of course. Insanely brilliant
she's a bit of a social hand grenade. He's known his beleaguered boss Detective Inspector
Stephanie Flynn for years as he has his nearest neighbour full-time shepherd part-time dog
sitter Victoria. And then there's Estelle Doyle. Dark and dangerous and sexy as hell. It's
true the caustic pathologist has never walked down the sunny side of the street but has she
gone too far this time? Shot twice in the head her father's murder appears to be an open and
shut case. Estelle has firearms discharge residue on her hands and in a house surrounded by
fresh snow hers are the only footprints. Since her arrest she's only said three words: 'Tell
Washington Poe.' Meanwhile a poisoner called the Botanist is sending the nation's most reviled
people poems and pressed flowers. Twisted and ingenious he seems to be able to walk through
walls and despite the advance notice given to his victims and regardless of the security
measures taken he is able to kill with impunity. Poe hates locked room mysteries and now he
has two to solve. To unravel them he's going to have to draw on every resource he has: Tilly
Bradshaw an organised crime boss even an alcoholic ex-journalist. Because if he doesn't the
bodies are going to keep piling up . . .
