The BloodDimmed Tide Author:Rennie Airth ith the publication of the New York Times Notable Book River of Darkness, Rennie Airth established himself as a master of suspense. The Blood- Dimmed Tide, set in 1932, marks the return of the beloved Inspector John Madden, whose discovery of a young girl’s mutilated corpse near his home in rural England brings him out of retirement despit... more »e his wife’s misgivings. Soon he finds himself chasing a killer whose horrific crime could have implications far afield in a Europe threatened by the rise of Hitler. A riveting, atmospheric, multilayered mystery, this intense and intelligent tale more than delivers on the promise of Rennie Airth’s first thriller.« less
This has been one of the best mysteries I have read so far this year. Very well written and will keep you wanting to read more. You get a good feel of the time period that the story takes place in.
The second John Madden book recounts murders just as appalling as the first book. John is no longer a policeman so is not the focus of the story, although he becomes more involved as the investigation proceeds. I thought this book could have used a stricter editor; it's longer than need be, and there were pages of exposition about characters who were really peripheral at best that should have been trimmed. Also, although I don't remember this from the first book, the writer contorts time, starting out a chapter detailing events then going back a little in time to fill in details. It was needlessly confusing and irritating after a while. Still, I managed to finish it.