I feel conflicted about this book. On one hand it is easy to read; on the other hand it felt too long with very few happenings.

Halfway through the book, John Madden still got nothing solid about the case. It may speak about his character not being really that good in his job or maybe about the author stretching things out.

I am hoping for a blowup in the ending. I am hoping that there is more to the killer than meets the eyes just to save the whole dragging that happens. I am waiting for madness! But there is nothing more what behavioral science has already told us.

I got the book because the plot is the aftermath of WW1 and this didn’t feel like it.

A well-plotted, compelling historical mystery...loved it!

Very good police mystery thriller with England between the wars backdrop. Nice romance. Very bad bad-guy. Interesting and mostly believable. Decent twist at the end.
you won't look at a gas mask the same way.

Rennie Airth's first book in the John Madden trilogy was exceptional!

More of a 'Whydunit" than a whodunit, the murderer's identity was revealed early on in the plot by having the narrative at times switch from the voices of the crime fighters with the criminal himself. It was a multi-layered novel with well-rounded characterizations.

The male protagonist is John Madden, a Scotland Yard inspector who is also a veteran of WWI. His personal tragedy of losing his wife and young daughter to influenza coupled with his time in the trenches have damaged his psyche and left him grave and despondent.

Set in a sleepy Surrey village, the crime is a particularly brutal one. A whole family have been murdered in their home by a bayonet wielding psychopath. Madden's experience in the military makes him particularly well suited to find the killer who he rightfully guesses is also ex-military.

The local doctor, who has strong views in the new field of forensic psychology, aids his endeavors. When they discover that another similar crime was committed, they realize that they are looking for a serial killer who must be stopped before more blood is shed. The character of Dr. Helen Blackwell is very strong. She is forward thinking, bright, caring and just the person who can heal the damages suffered by John Madden.

With well written red herrings and relentless suspense, this is a novel which invites positive criticism. The time period and sense of place are well portrayed and the descriptions stay with the reader long after the pages bearing them are turned.

The effect of WW I on the survivors continues to provide a reservoir of themes for authors of English detective novels. Charles Todd's (actually a mother-son team) Ian Rutledge, a Scottish detective is one example. Rutledge suffers from guilt-ridden hallucinations.

Airth's Inspector John Madden is even gloomier having lost his wife and daughter to the great flu epidemic. Madden is the lead investigator in a series of horrific crimes. In what appears to be an attempted robbery, an entire family has been massacred. Madden, following a search of nearby woods, discovers evidence that the family's home had been under observation for a period of time from a dugout that bore unsettling similarities to battlefield trench observation posts. Further evidence leads the police to suspect the work is just one man, a former soldier who kills his victims with a bayonet in the manner taught for use on the battlefield.

We experience some of the action through Pike, the killer's point of view, and realize that facing the memories of war and dealing with those traumas often takes a variety of mechanisms as Pike and Madden are contrasted. I hope this is the beginning of a series featuring Inspector Madden.

I didn't hate this book. It's a murder mystery set in post WW1. I'll start with the issues I had with it first and because of that, there will be spoilers.

There were almost too many police types in the story for me to keep straight. There were a few times I had to think which one was being talked about. Maybe that speaks more to the characters not being written strong enough.

The romance, such that it was. Maybe I'm just misunderstanding the times. I know a fair amount of history about the 20's and the need to change things after such a horrific war. Flappers, etc. I would imagine that people would be inclined to hook-up more quickly. But I didn't buy the romance unfolding as it did. I didn't get the feeling they were "fated" to be together. It just didn't seem believable, at least not in the short of time.

I also had the ending pretty well figured. We're told early on who it is, but the sort of twist at the end, didn't even give me pause.

This was a great read-a "one-sitting" read perfect for this stormy day. Someone here recommended it to me, but I can't remember who. Come out, come out whoever you are, so I can thank you!

This mystery set around Scotland Yard detectives is set just after World War I. Inspector Madden is a man who quit the force after his wife and infant daughter died from influenza. Then the war began and he enlisted. After the war, he returned to Scotland Yard at his old rank. Working on the case with him is young Constable Billy Styles, willing to learn but very green. Madden reports into Chief Inspector Sinclair.
The case this are dealt is a difficult one. A couple and their two servants have been killed in an apparant botched robbery. The only survivor is a young girl who is found hiding under a bed, not saying a word. While initial thoughts are of a gang attack, Madden is sure that it is only one man. He relies on his war experiences, and his contacts to get to the heart of the matter. Madden is willing to break the rules when it makes sense to do so, but is a man who cares about the victims and the survivors. As it becomes clear this is not a standalone case, the impetus to solve the case quickly to prevent further deaths grows.
This is a real page-turner and I thoroughly enjoyed the personalities of the men involved.

Why did I start reading this book again? It's not something I would normally read and the reasons are confirmed by reading this.

This book starts as a mystery and evolves into psychological thriller. It is set in England, post WWI and reminds me of watching a BBC mystery series. It just grows in intensity and for the last half of the book I couldn't put it down. Penguin publishes it...it has won or placed in several mystery awards. The author is from So. Africa and has just started writing this 3-part series, this book is the first, a 2nd has been published and he is working on the 3rd. I hope they bring it to BBC.