After losing his wife and child to influenza, Inspector John Madden joined the service and lived through the horrors of WWI. He's now resumed his job with Scotland Yard and is sent to investigate the murder of an entire family in Surrey. There are items missing from the home, so it is initially judged as a robbery gone wrong, but John quickly sees through the surface and realizes the intent of the intruder was murder from the beginning. When he discovers the injuries were caused by a bayonet, they realize they may be seeking a former soldier. While investigating, the gloomy Madden meets Dr. Helen Blackwell and the two form an instant bond.

I enjoyed reading about the time period, and the procedures used to narrow suspects were brilliant. Through much of the book the main character John Madden was gloomy and depressed. Other than the fact of his being haunted by the war, not much effort was made in the way of character development. I will have to read the next book to see if this is corrected. The character of Helen Blackwell, while perfectly nice, was a bit too modern for my taste. She's definitely not a woman of her time. I enjoyed reading about Billy Styles, the young cop eager to prove himself who is recruited as Madden's assistant. Overall there is a lot to recommend this book, with only a few minor problems.