William Shaw (2)
Author of The Birdwatcher
For other authors named William Shaw, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Image credit: William Shaw
Series
Works by William Shaw
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Common Knowledge
- Gender
- male
- Short biography
- William Shaw works as a journalist and writer in the US and in the UK. One of his most noticeable[to whom?] works is the 1999 book Westsiders: Stories of the Boys in the Hood, which chronicles the attempts of a group of Los Angelenos to become successful hip hop artists.
He worked on Details magazine and remains a contributing editor there. For Details he spent a month in the Utah desert living with Stone Age survivalists, went undercover at cross burnings with the neo-Nazi Christian Identity Movement in Idaho, shot AK-47s with Zionist fundamentalists in upper New York State and spent a week staying at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center in Hollywood. He started his journalistic career as the Assistant Editor of the punk/goth magazine ZigZag. Since then his work has appeared in publications around the world, including The Times and The Independent. His first book, Travellers, was an oral history of Britain's New Age travellers. That was followed in 1994 by Spying in Guru Land, an account of a year spent as a member of several British religious cults.
His book, "Small Ads", based on his Observer column, appeared in 2005 as A Superhero for Hire.
His recent works include police mystery novels based in London in the 1960s; the main characters are Detective Sergeant Breen and Woman Police Constable Tozer.
Shaw's police novel Salt Lane (May 2018) is the first in a new series which features DS Alexandra Cupidi.[1]
William Shaw lives in Brighton. - Birthplace
- UK
- Places of residence
- Brighton, UK
- Map Location
- UK
Members
Reviews
The first four lines of The Birdwatcher are stunning. You know immediately that William South is a killer, but as you read and make your way around South's mind, you can't believe that he is. And then you learn more. And more. South is a completely sympathetic character in a vivid, atmospheric setting, tasked with finding a killer, and teamed with the questionable DS Alexandra Cupidi. I first learned about this book after reading the synopsis of Salt Lane and discovering that it was the show more second book in the Alexandra Cupidi series. I had a feeling that I definitely wanted to start at the beginning, so I got a copy of The Birdwatcher. I'm glad I did because I was only a few pages into the story when I knew that I was reading something very special.
It wasn't just about a mystery that keeps you guessing. It wasn't just about the remoteness and loneliness of a landscape that mirrored the mind of the main character. It was about a troubled teenage girl who proved to be the one person lonely William South could open up to. And it was about a totally infuriating lead investigator. As I read The Birdwatcher, I wondered if I really wanted to go on to read Salt Lane. You see, I couldn't stand Alexandra Cupidi. She's the type of "force of nature" that I want to head in the opposite direction from. Cupidi presumes much when it comes to William South. She commandeers his house and turns it into their base of operations, and she also turns him into a babysitter. It's almost as if she went out of her way not to endear herself to me. And it worked. But... she's a fine investigator.
I think William Shaw is a puppetmaster when it comes to storytelling. Keep your eye on him. I was completely drawn into his tale, and although the ending was inevitable, I loved the book, and nothing is going to keep me away from the second Alexandra Cupidi mystery-- not even Cupidi herself. show less
It wasn't just about a mystery that keeps you guessing. It wasn't just about the remoteness and loneliness of a landscape that mirrored the mind of the main character. It was about a troubled teenage girl who proved to be the one person lonely William South could open up to. And it was about a totally infuriating lead investigator. As I read The Birdwatcher, I wondered if I really wanted to go on to read Salt Lane. You see, I couldn't stand Alexandra Cupidi. She's the type of "force of nature" that I want to head in the opposite direction from. Cupidi presumes much when it comes to William South. She commandeers his house and turns it into their base of operations, and she also turns him into a babysitter. It's almost as if she went out of her way not to endear herself to me. And it worked. But... she's a fine investigator.
I think William Shaw is a puppetmaster when it comes to storytelling. Keep your eye on him. I was completely drawn into his tale, and although the ending was inevitable, I loved the book, and nothing is going to keep me away from the second Alexandra Cupidi mystery-- not even Cupidi herself. show less
I learned from reading William Shaw’s Alexandria Cupidi series that his fictional detectives are usually, to one degree or another, pretty flawed human beings. Shaw is, in fact, quite the master at creating policemen who vividly come to life on the page precisely because those flaws make the cops so easy for the reader to identify with. Now having just read Shaw’s debut novel, She’s Leaving Home (2013), it is apparent that using flawed heroes around which to build a series of books has show more been a William Shaw trademark from the beginning.
It is 1968, and DS Cathal Breen has been called to the St. John’s Wood section of London to investigate the discovery of an unidentified young woman’s body. Because the body has been found so near Abbey Road Studios, Breen believes the victim to be one of the dozens of Beatle fans who regularly hang around the area hoping to get a glimpse of the Beatles as they come and go from the studio. Now he has to figure out who she was and why someone left her naked body where it could be so easily be found.
As for Breen, being a policeman has never been an easy thing for him. Already an outcast of sorts among his fellow policemen and women, Breen has recently made things much, much worse for himself by running away and hiding from a crime in progress during which his partner was being physically held at knifepoint. This is not the kind of behavior that any policeman should expect ever to recover from, but Breen has been given one more chance to prove himself — if he is only up to it.
Breen spent several years caring for his aging father, even moving the older man into his own small flat toward the end of the man’s life. And now although his father is gone, Breen continues to act much older than his years and seems to have turned into a younger version of his own father. 1968, however, is a year during which everything seems to be changing and loosening up around him except for the ultra-conservative Cathal Breen himself. Then to Breen’s chagrin, rookie investigator Helen Tozer is assigned to Breen’s mentorship at a time when female investigators are still rare in the UK, and Breen finds himself changing in more ways than he ever imagined were possible. Helen Tozer is a rather free spirit who has eagerly adopted the societal changes that Breen continues to ignore, and she has a lot to teach her supposed mentor about the world around him.
Bottom Line: She’s Leaving Home is a first-rate debut novel in which William Shaw quickly proves that he will stand out from the crowd of today’s crime writers because of his memorable characters. The two investigations that Breen investigates in this one are both interesting and satisfying, but Beatles fans are going to find the St. John’s Wood murder investigation to be particular fun. George Harrison, who lives nearby, even makes a cameo appearance of sorts at one point during the investigation. Part of the fun, too, comes with the recognition that the novel’s title is also the title of a great Beatles song from the band’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. (Hint: check out the song lyrics if you get the chance.) But, the best news of all for readers who enjoy this one is that there are three other Breen and Tozer novels just begging to be read. show less
It is 1968, and DS Cathal Breen has been called to the St. John’s Wood section of London to investigate the discovery of an unidentified young woman’s body. Because the body has been found so near Abbey Road Studios, Breen believes the victim to be one of the dozens of Beatle fans who regularly hang around the area hoping to get a glimpse of the Beatles as they come and go from the studio. Now he has to figure out who she was and why someone left her naked body where it could be so easily be found.
As for Breen, being a policeman has never been an easy thing for him. Already an outcast of sorts among his fellow policemen and women, Breen has recently made things much, much worse for himself by running away and hiding from a crime in progress during which his partner was being physically held at knifepoint. This is not the kind of behavior that any policeman should expect ever to recover from, but Breen has been given one more chance to prove himself — if he is only up to it.
Breen spent several years caring for his aging father, even moving the older man into his own small flat toward the end of the man’s life. And now although his father is gone, Breen continues to act much older than his years and seems to have turned into a younger version of his own father. 1968, however, is a year during which everything seems to be changing and loosening up around him except for the ultra-conservative Cathal Breen himself. Then to Breen’s chagrin, rookie investigator Helen Tozer is assigned to Breen’s mentorship at a time when female investigators are still rare in the UK, and Breen finds himself changing in more ways than he ever imagined were possible. Helen Tozer is a rather free spirit who has eagerly adopted the societal changes that Breen continues to ignore, and she has a lot to teach her supposed mentor about the world around him.
Bottom Line: She’s Leaving Home is a first-rate debut novel in which William Shaw quickly proves that he will stand out from the crowd of today’s crime writers because of his memorable characters. The two investigations that Breen investigates in this one are both interesting and satisfying, but Beatles fans are going to find the St. John’s Wood murder investigation to be particular fun. George Harrison, who lives nearby, even makes a cameo appearance of sorts at one point during the investigation. Part of the fun, too, comes with the recognition that the novel’s title is also the title of a great Beatles song from the band’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. (Hint: check out the song lyrics if you get the chance.) But, the best news of all for readers who enjoy this one is that there are three other Breen and Tozer novels just begging to be read. show less
Being an unabashed cheerleader for William Shaw's standalone thrillers and his Alexandra Cupidi series, I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Red Shore, the start to a brand new Devon-set crime series. Wow! When my copy arrived from the UK, I jumped right in and was immediately hooked when I met Finn, a scared little boy alone on a boat at sea.
The Red Shore has an atmospheric setting (par for the course for Shaw) and a
fantastic mystery that kept me turning the pages-- and even thinking show more about it when I was forced to stop reading, but the characters bring this book to an entirely different level. Eden, seemingly satisfied with his life in London, yet unable to escape his unconventional childhood. Finn, a little boy who's scared to death by his mother's disappearance and wants nothing to do with this uncle he didn't know anything about.
While I was trying to figure out the mystery, I was constantly intrigued by the dynamics between Eden and Finn. I have to admit that I found Finn to be very mouthy and abrasive at first, but his circumstances made his behavior make sense, and I did gradually warm up to the little boy. (Hey, I'm childless, just like Eden.)
The Red Shore is probably the best book I've read in 2025, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Write faster, Mr. Shaw! show less
The Red Shore has an atmospheric setting (par for the course for Shaw) and a
fantastic mystery that kept me turning the pages-- and even thinking show more about it when I was forced to stop reading, but the characters bring this book to an entirely different level. Eden, seemingly satisfied with his life in London, yet unable to escape his unconventional childhood. Finn, a little boy who's scared to death by his mother's disappearance and wants nothing to do with this uncle he didn't know anything about.
While I was trying to figure out the mystery, I was constantly intrigued by the dynamics between Eden and Finn. I have to admit that I found Finn to be very mouthy and abrasive at first, but his circumstances made his behavior make sense, and I did gradually warm up to the little boy. (Hey, I'm childless, just like Eden.)
The Red Shore is probably the best book I've read in 2025, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Write faster, Mr. Shaw! show less
When I learned that one of my favorite authors, William Shaw, had written a thriller under the name G.W. Shaw, I had to get my hands on it. I was in the mood for murder and mayhem on the high seas, and Dead Rich delivered exactly what I needed. If this book had been available last year, I could probably have read it with less prejudice, but it didn't. Now I've read too many articles about Russian oligarchs having their yachts impounded and how many hundreds of millions of dollars these show more yachts cost to build. It's obvious from my reaction to this obscene display of wealth that I have quite a few serfs in the upper branches of my family tree.
The story in Dead Rich boils down to two characters: Kai and Erin. Kai, once a well-known name in the music industry, has had his dream fulfilled but is now resigned to watching it slip away. On the other hand, events in Erin's life have always prevented her from fulfilling her dreams. Her life has taught her to be wary and distrustful. From the first, I found myself holding back from Kai while finding myself completely on Erin's side.
Once things begin to go wrong on board the Zinaida, Dead Rich turns into a white-knuckle ride, and I loved every minute of watching Kai and Erin fight for survival. There may be serfs in my family tree, but there are also a few generations of sailors. I am of the opinion that a well-written tale of skullduggery on the high seas is one of the best kinds of locked room mysteries, and Shaw certainly delivers the goods. Dead Rich is my favorite escapist read of the year so far. show less
The story in Dead Rich boils down to two characters: Kai and Erin. Kai, once a well-known name in the music industry, has had his dream fulfilled but is now resigned to watching it slip away. On the other hand, events in Erin's life have always prevented her from fulfilling her dreams. Her life has taught her to be wary and distrustful. From the first, I found myself holding back from Kai while finding myself completely on Erin's side.
Once things begin to go wrong on board the Zinaida, Dead Rich turns into a white-knuckle ride, and I loved every minute of watching Kai and Erin fight for survival. There may be serfs in my family tree, but there are also a few generations of sailors. I am of the opinion that a well-written tale of skullduggery on the high seas is one of the best kinds of locked room mysteries, and Shaw certainly delivers the goods. Dead Rich is my favorite escapist read of the year so far. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 18
- Members
- 1,049
- Popularity
- #24,562
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 72
- ISBNs
- 161
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- 7
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