River of Darkness: A John Madden Mystery (John Madden Mysteries) [Paperback]

Rennie Airth (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 31, 2005 | Series: John Madden Mysteries

Upon its original publication, River of Darkness awed readers who look for intelligent, well-plotted psychological mysteries. This “fine, frightening piece of work” (Kirkus
Reviews) introduces inspector John Madden who, in the years following World War I, is sent to a small village to investigate a particularly gruesome attack. The local police dismiss the slaughter as a botched robbery, but Madden detects the signs of a madman at work. With the help of Dr. Helen Blackwell, who introduces him to the latest developments in criminal psychology, Madden sets out to identify and capture the killer, even as the murderer sets his sights on his next innocent victims.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The main protagonist of River of Darkness is a Scotland Yard detective so damaged by his experiences during the First World War that his superiors worry about his ability to do his job. This may sound like Charles Todd's excellent series about Ian Rutledge, a shell-shocked cop from the same era. But Rennie Airth, a South African journalist who lives in Italy, has made his hero--Inspector John Madden--a somewhat different version of one of England's walking wounded. Madden is both gloomier (he lost his wife and young daughter to an influenza epidemic) and more pragmatic than the poetic, indecisive Rutledge.

Madden is sent to a town in Surrey where a local family has been massacred in what looks like a robbery gone wrong. He finds enough echoes of his recent battlefield experiences to conclude that the killer was just one man--most likely a former soldier using a bayonet. As for motive, it could well be perverse sexual passion, that "river of darkness" to which a psychologist introduces him. We meet the killer early on, watch him as he maintains a rigid control over every aspect of his life, then stare in horror as he periodically explodes into mad violence. Unlike Madden, this man has not been severely damaged or changed by the war; he has simply used it to channel and redirect his dark river. Airth's point--that survival comes in many shapes and sizes--gives a solid foundation to an impressive leap of imagination. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

So you thought British detectives had to focus on "the colonel in the drawing room with a candlestick" solutions? Newcomer Airth blasts that stereotype with this tale of serial murder set in post-World War I Britain, featuring the debut of Inspector John Madden, a veteran whose experiences in the trenches give him an edge in tracking and capturing the killer. Meanwhile, Dr. Helen Blackwell entices Madden to employ psychiatric theories shunned at the time by Scotland Yard to explain and predict the killer's behavior. Airth develops a situation that presages today's much-touted psychological profiling and serves to build an almost excruciatingly suspenseful plot. In addition, his deft handling of the emotional aftereffects of war gives the work an added sense of purpose. Fans of Thomas Harris will enjoy this book and can take heart in knowing that another Madden tale is already in the works.ANancy McNicol, Hagaman Memorial Lib., East Haven, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143035703
• ISBN-13: 978-0143035701
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I urge you all to get a copy and read it. October 17, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

River Of Darkness by Rennie Airth is set just after the first world war, in 1921. The story opens with the discovery of the horrifying stabbing of Colonel Fletcher, his wife and two of their staff. At first it looks like robbery, but Lucy Fletcher, the Colonels wife has her throat cut, and the robbery looks staged. Their child found under the bed is unable to speak.

When I first started reading it I found myself to some degree confusing Maddam of Scotland Yard with Inspector Rutledge of Scotland Yard, first introduced to us in `Test Of Wills', by Charles Todd.. Both men have served at the front, and both are now back at Scotland Yard considerably harrowed by their experiences, which is clear by their hollowed and general appearance of fatigue. But I soon found that the story in River Of Darkness overtook me, being more interesting than the person investigating. It is a powerful, complex and gripping tale.

Much of it is narrated by Billy Styles, a young constable eager to prove himself as a police officer. Also I found that the evidence of the effects of war more effective. Rennie Airth transports you back to that time. I really felt that I was there, some of the descriptions are vivid, and I felt for the people trying to put their lives back together. It is clear that with the great loses that this war incurred, everyone was touched in some way.

Apart from being a compelling read, this book is beautifully written, and unusual, in that we are to a degree conditioned that most times we know little about the murder victim, often we learn only about them until after they are a victim. To get to like a victim before they are murdered is rare and unexpected..

I urge you all to get a copy and read it.

Lizzie Hayes

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! A new, intelligent mystery. January 10, 2001

By K. L Sadler VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This was one of those accidental finds. Rennie Airth better be working on his next mystery with Madden as the protagonist, or I will be extremely disappointed. This book was definitely a work of art and of love. I am very curious to know about the member of Airth's family that he modeled Madden after. As always the British and now the South Africans write with class and intelligence, and it is nice to see a new detective in the manner of P. D. James' Adam Dagliesh. Like other readers I can easily see this being made into a movie or one of the Mystery series on PBS. The plot of this book is plausible, the characters are very well-drawn out, the involvement of World War I in shaping the minds and lives of those who live in England after the war understandable and obviously well-researched. This is probably the best new mystery and author I have read for at least two years. I hope to see more of him in the future. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Superior Police Procedural December 22, 1999

By R. Albin TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Historically based crime novels are popular. This is one of the best of this subgenre. Set in the more contemporary but still unfamiliar world of post-WW1 England, this book combines the police procedural with elements of the psychological crime novel. The story is told from both the prespective of the police and a psychopathic, but capable, serial killer. The period detail is convincing. The characters are drawn well, the plotting is superior, and the quality of writing very good. A very enjoyable book. I look forward to the sequel.