The Botanist: a gripping new thriller from The Sunday Times bestselling author (Washington Poe)

Winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023. Detective Sergeant Washington Poe has few friends: civilian analyst Tilly Bradshaw, Detective Inspector Stephanie Flynn, his neighbour Victoria, and pathologist Estelle Doyle. When Estelle's father is found shot twice in the head, evidence points to her—firearms discharge residue on her hands and only her footprints in the snow surrounding the house. After her arrest, she speaks only three words: "Tell Washington Poe." Simultaneously, a killer dubbed the Botanist by the press is targeting high-profile celebrities, sending them poems and pressed flowers before striking. Despite police precautions and advance warning to victims, the killer appears to operate with impunity, seemingly able to bypass all security measures. For a detective who dislikes locked room mysteries, the week ahead will test Poe as he navigates both cases.