Salt Lane

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

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

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 - Barry Forshaw, Independent

Shaw’s talent for sensuous storytelling comes to the fore … Goes from strength to strength, while making it all seem effortless. - Daily Mail

The question of why a killer kills is always central. William Shaw delivers a perfect motive - Spectator, on The Birdwatcher

William Shaw makes his sentences sing - New York Daily News

Superb … an emotional intensity found only in the very best crime fiction - Sunday Times, on A Book of Scars

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

William Shaw has been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger, longlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year and nominated for a Barry Award. A regular at festivals, he organises panel talks and CWA events across the south east.

Shaw is the author of the acclaimed Breen & Tozer crime series: A Song from Dead Lips, A House of Knives, A Book of Scars and Sympathy for the Devil; and the standalone bestseller The Birdwatcher. He is writing a new crime series starring the character DS Alexandra Cupidi from The Birdwatcher, the first of which is Salt Lane. He worked as a journalist for over twenty years and lives in Brighton.