"River Of Darkness" deals with Inspector John Madden and his attempts to solve a series of brutal crimes that have been occuring since WWI. I found the book well paced with interesting characters and a entertaining plot. However, I thought the book would delve into the psychological mind of the killer and detail why this person kills, but the story only touched on that aspect in some areas. The setting is great and it really gives you a sense of London just after the Great War. The motive of the killer is generic, but is presented in a unique way. Overall, a fine read well worth your time.

Rennie Airth's novel of a serial killer's harvest in the English countryside following World War I is as tightly written, well controlled and seamlessly plotted as anything I have read. This is one of those genre novels that goes way beyond what is needed to what is wanted in any novel: detail, intelligence, a compelling and beautiful love story, and a set of double-whammies at the end that leave the reader just about literally breathless. Airth's treatment of his characters, including the horrifyingly cool, bone-chillingly focused killer, is first-rate.

Airth transcends the cops-and-robbers camouflage, and the considerable bloodshed, in the story by virtue of his being, simply, one of the best serious--and popular--writers working today. I intend to watch carefully for the next one--and plan on a long evening of pleasure.

This Debut is set in 1921 Surrey. When a family and their servants are killed in their home in the Surrey countryside, Detective Inspector John Madden of Scotland Yard is assigned the task of finding the killer(s). The entire country is shocked at the multiple murders, a virtually unknown event at the time. Madden is baffled because he can't find a motive, the murderer left no clues at the scene and the press and his superiors are pressing for a quick arrest. With painstaking attention to every detail, Madden, slowly, but surely, begins to unravel the mystery of who killed the family. As the investigation proceeds, Madden has a sense of urgency because he becomes convinced that the killer(s) will kill again and soon.

This is an excellent read, even for those who don't care for procedurals as being too slow moving, because you'll find yourself staying up late to finish just one more chapter. Madden is a very interesting character - flawed because of his experiences during the Great War - but not so flawed as to be insensitive in either his investigation or his relationship with the other characters in the book. The plot is ever changing with several interesting twists and turns. While the history is present, it is not the main thrust of the story - the solving of the multiple murders before the killer(s) kill again is the story here. There are two engaging minor characters - Constable Billy Styles, assigned to his first murder investigation, and Helen Blackwell, the local doctor who is called in to verify that the family is dead. There is some talk that this is the first in a trilogy featuring these characters. One can only hope this is true.