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.