Order of William Shaw Books
William Shaw is an English journalist and author. He is perhaps best known for his breakout novel, The Birdwatcher. His book Salt Lane has been optioned for TV. He is also known for the DS Breen and WPC Tozer series which is set in 1960s London.
Shaw got his start in writing as an editor of the post-punk magazine ZigZag, but later went on to write for such publications as the New York Times and The Observer. He was also named Amazon UK Music Journalist of the Year in 2003.
Publication Order of Breen and Tozer Books
| A Song From Dead Lips / She's Leaving Home | (2013) |    |
| A House of Knives / The Kings of London | (2014) | |
| A Book of Scars / A Song for the Brokenhearted | (2015) | |
| Play With Fire / Sympathy for the Devil | (2017) | |
Publication Order of DS Alexandra Cupidi Books
| The Birdwatcher | (2016) | |
| Salt Lane | (2018) | |
| Deadland | (2019) | |
| Grave's End | (2020) | |
| The Trawlerman | (2021) | |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
| Spying in Guru Land | (1994) | |
| Westside | (2000) | |
| A Superhero for Hire | (2004) | |
| 41 Places - 41 Stories | (2007) | |
If You Like William Shaw Books, You’ll Love…
The Birdwatcher is considered to be British crime fiction at its best. The book introduces us to South, a bright detective and birdwatcher, who holds a deeply buried secret: he may have killed a man. One day, a fellow birdwatcher is found murdered in his hometown and his world is flipped upside down. The victim is the only person that could connect South to his earlier crime which creates a bit of drama for South. A female sergeant has been sent from London to work with South on the case and he finds himself having to work two cases: to solve the murder of the birdwatcher and to protect his own secret.
The first book in the Breen and Tozer series is She’s Leaving Home. The book is set in 1968 London when a young woman has been strangled in St. John’s Wood. Detective Sargeant Breen is called to the case and she believes that the victim may be one of the Beatles fans who camp outside of Abbey Road, looking to get a glimpse of their heroes. Breen is a very old school detective and when he’s paired with the modern Helen Tozer on this case. The two make an interesting pair and the two really articulate the changing times.
Wonderful series: Breen and Tozer. And, beginning with The Birdwatcher he follows with Salt Lane and Deadland, where the protagonist is DS Alexandra Cupidi. Shaw is a fabulous writer. I can’t wait to read his next.