The first thrilling Ben Koenig book from The Sunday Times bestselling author of Dead Ground and The Botanist, featuring a brand-new hero.

Ben Koenig is nobody''s hero . . . because he doesn''t exist.

Six years back Ben Koenig headed up the US Marshal''s Special Operations Group. They were the unit who hunted the bad guys. The really bad guys. They did this so no one else had to.

And then one day Ben sold his house, liquidated his assets and disappeared off the face of the earth. He told no one why and left no forwarding address. For six years he became a grey man. Someone you didn''t remember. He drifted from town to town, from state to state, never visiting the same place twice. He was untraceable - officially, he no longer existed.

But now his face is plastered across every television screen in the country. Someone from Ben''s past is going to extraordinary lengths to find him and they don''t care how they do it. They have a job for him, a revenge mission, one Ben won''t be able to refuse.

Because in the hellish heat of the Chihuahuan desert lies a town called Gauntlet. Some people in Gauntlet have a secret and they''ll do anything protect it. And they know Ben is coming.

They''ve killed before and they''ll kill again.

It''s easy to dismiss Ben Koenig as just another drifter, someone you don''t need to concern yourself about. But that would be a mistake. Because Ben has a condition, a unique disorder that means he is incapable of experiencing fear.

And that makes Ben Koenig a different kind of animal . . .

Praise for M W Craven:

''Heart-pounding, hilarious, sharp and shocking, Dead Ground is further proof that M.W. Craven never disappoints. Miss this series at your peril.'' Chris Whitaker

''Dark and entertaining, this is top rank crime fiction.'' Vaseem Khan, Author of the Malabar House series and the Baby Ganesh Agency series

''M. W. Craven is one of the best crime writers working today. Dead Ground is a cracking puzzle, beautifully written, with characters you''ll be behind every step of the way. It''s his best yet.'' Stuart Turton

''Fantastic'' Martina Cole

''Dark, sharp and compelling'' Peter James

''I''ve been following M.W. Craven''s Poe/Tilly series from the very beginning, and it just gets better and better. Dead Ground is a fast-paced crime novel with as many twists and turns as a country lane. I can''t wait for the next one.'' Peter Robinson

''Dead Ground is both entertaining and engaging with great characters and storyline. I loved this first dip into the world of Tilly and Poe!'' BA Paris

''A brutal and thrilling page turner'' Natasha Harding, The Sun

''A thrilling curtain raiser for what looks set to be a great new series'' Mick Herron

''A powerful thriller from an explosive new talent. Tightly plotted, and not for the faint hearted!''
David Mark

''A gripping start to a much anticipated new series'' Vaseem Khan

''Satisfyingly twisty and clever and the flashes of humour work well to offer the reader respite from the thrill of the read.'' Michael J. Malone

''Nothing you''ve ever read will prepare you for the utterly unique Washington Poe'' Keith Nixon