River of Darkness
- 544 pages
- 20 hours of reading
The award-winning first novel in this outstanding historical crime series featuring Inspector John Madden.
John Madden Series
This series follows a seasoned Scotland Yard detective, a man whose psyche was irrevocably altered by the horrors of World War I. Each case plunges him into the grimy underbelly of London, where he unravels intricate crimes while battling his own inner turmoil. The gritty realism and psychological depth of the protagonist make for compelling and atmospheric mysteries.
Recommended Reading Order
The Blood-dimmed Tide
- 340 pages
- 12 hours of reading
It is 1932 and John Madden, former Scotland Yard Inspector, is now a farmer in the peaceful Surrey countryside. However his peace is about to be shattered, for when a young girl goes missing, it is he who discovers her disfigured body hidden in a wood. Disturbed by what he has seen he is convinced the killer has struck before...When a second body is found, Madden's instinct is proved right - there is a multiple killer at large. Allying himself with his old colleagues, and against the wishes of his anxious wife, he immerses himself in one more case, and his insights into the personality of the man they are seeking are soon borne out. Self-taught in a world of secret agents, this psychopath is a master of reinvention who has been covering his tracks for many years. The investigation leads to Germany. The Nazis are on the brink of power. The killer has so far eluded the German police. And the mutilated bodies he has left in his wake are just a shocking foretaste of the horrors to come...
The CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Award shortlisted third novel featuring Inspector Madden, from the author of River of Darkness and The Blood-Dimmed Tide.
The Reckoning
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The fourth book in the much acclaimed Inspector John Madden series from the author of River of Darkness, The Blood-Dimmed Tide and The Dead of Winter.
The Death of Kings
- 320 pages
- 12 hours of reading
The fifth novel in Rennie Airth's outstanding Inspector Madden series set in post-war Britain.