I loved this flawed novel so, so much.

Flawed? But why do you even include that word if you enjoyed it so much? Because the flaws in the story actually enhanced my reading experience. The story itself is supposed to be about a dangerous and deranged serial killer and the trauma and confusion he leaves in his wake for Detective John Madden to solve. This isn't about a Agatha Christie "perfect crime", this is about someone who has given in to some really horrible urges.

What sets "River of Darkness" apart from other books in this sort of period piece police drama is that it actually passes the Bechdel Test. YOU READ THAT RIGHT! A POST WWI POLICE DRAMA PASSES THE TEST! And they aren't even sex workers who are being preyed upon. Sadly, I think this is beyond the pale for a lot of the other books that "River of Darkness" would be connected to. Beyond that, there is even a female medical doctor who is trusted by her small community to care for them. It's progressive without being totally dislodged from the historic base.

When it comes to the crimes of the book, Airth has no problem discussing extreme violence. While it isn't so explicit that it will distract more sensitive readers, it does have some pretty scary images. It is not for the reader who prefers a clean shot murder. This is full of physicality that roots the reader in a terrible scene.

The psychology behind the crimes and the killer himself is extremely well done. But what blew me away in the psychological department had to do less with the killer and more with the detectives/towns people/random characters who are living a post WWI life. Many women are widowed or missing sons. Many men are disfigured or otherwise mentally scarred by what they encountered in the war.

Our hero, John Madden, is clearly psychologically effected by what he saw at the Somme. Although it is unclear if he has PTSD of some kind or not.

I highly recommend "River of Darkness" for anyone who its looking for a spooky but nonmagical murder mystery this Halloween season. And even the Halloween season has passed, read this one for your creepy self. You won't regret a page.

In many ways, I thought this book was flawed, but I still couldn't put it down, so I am giving it four stars for enjoyment level. I never really felt like I was reading a post World War I mystery, something was a bit off, but it was a fun read. I like that each book in the series jumps ahead in time. I am looking forward to reading more.

Really interesting and disturbing. I couldn't stop reading until the very end.

I got half way through the book and just did not care. I didn't care about the stories or the characters.

A mystery reminiscent of a English country lane, with sharp bends, meandering paths, and interesting views, that gets you exactly where you need to go.

Scotland Yard Inspector Madden solves the mystery of a terrible family massacre in post-WWI England.

I'm not normally a fan of thrillers. I really prefer a mystery, but I'll make an exception for this series. This is the first in the John Madden series, set in post WWI England. Madden is a former army officer still haunted by his experiences. Now he lives for his work as a Scotland Yard detective.

When a family in a country home is murdered, the police first expect that it's connected to a robbery. However, it becomes obvious that there is something else going on. We meet the murderer early on, but that increases the tension. A picture of a very disturbed and scary individual begins to emerge.

There's also some serious romance here as Madden meets Helen Blackwell, a physician, something that is very unexpected for that time. I am looking forward to reading more in the series.

Got halfway through, and gave up. He keeps introducing new characters into the story with no context, and I don't care enough to keep track of every one. Also, the writing is strangely flat and bloodless. Unengaging, I guess. Too much to read, too little time to waste on things that aren't interesting.

This novel is the first in a very long time to make me stay up reading long after I should have gone to sleep. I kept thinking that I would "just finish this chapter" but then I'd go right ahead and plunge into the next...and the next...until I finally had to make myself quit. Not that serial killers using military-like precision to dispatch their victims are the most pleasant bedtime story fare, but the story and the writing were so compelling that I was drawn in from the opening chapter. Robert Goddard, author of Edgar-nominated Beyond Recall, says, "Rennie Airth takes what seems to be a twenties drawing-room murder mystery and transforms it into an edge-of-the-seat serial-killer thriller. Compelling stuff."And he's quite right. The trappings of the Golden Age mystery are all there--lavish country houses, landed gentry, and the village bobby, but Airth has given it a wicked twist that produces a believable serial killer for the chosen time period.

It's difficult for me to believe that I enjoyed a book that stacks up 16 corpses, all killed in a very violent way. But I did. Inspector Madden and the supporting characters are vividly drawn with many facets to their complex personalities. Readers are given a strong sense of England in the aftermath of the Great War with men struggling to come to grips with their experiences on the battlefield and women adjusting to the changes wrought by the loss of nearly a generation of men and the scars (both physical and mental) that those who returned will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

I enjoyed getting to know Inspector Madden and Detective Constable Billy Styles. Madden takes Styles under his wing and tries to encourage the young constable without coddling him. This first book shows signs of a good working relationship developing between the two and I look forward to watching it progress in future installments. The mystery here isn't so very great--at least not in the whodunnit category. We know who the killer is from the beginning. The big questions are why does he kill and why does he kill in the manner chosen...and how many will be sacrificed before Madden and his team bring him to justice. ★★★★ for an excellent debut to a new series.

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