{"product_id":"counterfeit-corpse-john-m-poignand-9798296154743","title":"Counterfeit Corpse: Detective Ward of England's Special Crime Division","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Shadow of War, a Detective Confronts the Ghosts of Justice\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the fog-laden landscape of 1950s Britain, a time of ration-book memories and burgeoning Cold War anxieties, John Poignand's ambitious novel, \"The Counterfeit Corpse,\" finds its footing. This is a story that wears the trench coat of a classic police procedural, but beneath it beats the heart of a complex moral thriller. The novel introduces us to Detective Inspector Michael Ward, a man of letters from Cambridge, and his nemesis a man of action from the back alleys of the London docklands, each wrestling with professional and deeply personal demons\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe plot begins with a chillingly dark premise: a headless body is found in the small Yorkshire town of Kettlewell, gruesomely displayed on a war monument. While recovering from a violent shootout and dealing with his complicated romance, DCI Ward is reluctantly pulled into the investigation. It's a testament to Poignand's storytelling that this gruesome discovery is only the starting point of a much more complex deception. Ward's sharp mind quickly leads him to realize that this isn't just a straightforward murder but a carefully staged act-a \"counterfeit corpse\" meant to serve as an alibi for the powerful London gangster, Johnnie Knight.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe novel's greatest strength lies in its dual character study. Ward is a compellingly modern protagonist adrift in a historical setting, a man whose sense of duty is constantly at war with his desires and a newfound, complex legacy. His antagonist, Johnnie Knight, is more than a simple villain; his violent present is given tragic weight by a backstory rooted in the horrors of the Blitz and the cruelty of the orphanage system, making him a fascinating and formidable foe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e John M. Poignand\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798296154743\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/06\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 308\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.91lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.65d","brand":"John M. Poignand","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47425646133503,"sku":"9798296154743","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_5f28d563-c3df-41b3-997b-a800bc7d8131.jpg?v=1761540650","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/counterfeit-corpse-john-m-poignand-9798296154743","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}