William Shaw has been a journalist, writing for the Observer, New York Times and Wired, among others. He has written over 10 crime novels and has been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger, longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and nominated for a Barry Award. His new series features DI Eden Driscoll, and is set in Devon.
I’ve always loved Shaw’s writing – the clarity of the prose and the terrific characterisation – but I think The Red Shore is perhaps his best yet -- Ann Cleeves William Shaw’s The Red Shore takes fish-out-of-water Met Detective DS Eden Driscoll to the windy shores of Devon and a case involving his vanished sister, a dark mystery powered by a wonderfully constructed relationship between Driscoll and the young nephew he never knew he had. Shaw proves, once again, that he is the undisputed king of seaside noir -- Vaseem Khan A gripping and wonderful thriller – and what a treat to know it is the first in a series -- Nicci French William Shaw is yet to write a bad sentence, and The Red Shore continues that remarkable trend. Expertly paced with beautifully drawn characters, William weaves a plot that’s twistier than a cramping snake into the stunning setting of a small Devon fishing town. Highly recommended -- M. W. Craven I loved it. A sucking rip-tide of a plot, a working-boat Devon setting so fresh you can taste the salt tang of the sea, a cast of spikily individual characters and, at the book's emotional heart, the original and captivating story of a bachelor uncle policeman and his vulnerable nine-year-old nephew thrown together by adversity. -- Simon Mason A deeply accomplished and satisfying thriller. The plot is pacy, the cast is compelling, the setting is sharp. By turns funny, sad, shocking – and always riveting -- Jo Furniss The Red Shore opens with a heart in the mouth moment and the pace never lets up. I fell in love with Eden and Finn – I hope there's more to come from them! Beautifully written against a background of the ocean, the characters are deftly drawn. It's a crime novel which tugs at the heart strings. Loved it -- Rachel Blok A welcome introduction to our newest crime hero: Eden Driscoll. Haunted with childhood trauma of his own, Eden is summoned to Devon where he discovers his estranged sister missing, and a nephew he never knew he had. Wonderfully evocative of the West Country, The Red Shore is full of suspense and mystery. A triumph! -- Sam Holland The Red Shore is an eerie, pacy thriller set in Devon. Plays like a movie in your mind as you read. ALL the emotions, characters to root for & truly, such great writing. Loved it! -- Helen Fields Tightly plotted with a rich setting and an eclectic cast, The Red Shore grabbed my attention from the beginning and didn’t let go. Eden Driscoll is the type of quietly steadfast detective that I’ll happily follow into more mysteries, and this book has the perfect balance of unsettling questions and rising action, with just the right dash of found family to round it out -- Kristen Perrin Immersive, atmospheric suspenseful and so heartwarming. In tune with the zeitgeist, William Shaw is at the height of his powers -- Lesley Thompson