The Blood-Dimmed Tide. (John Madden, Book 2). Rennie Airth. 2006. Some years have passed. John has married Dr. Helen Blackwell and retired from Scotland Yard. They have two lovely children and he is a “gentleman’ farmer. Much to Helen’s dismay, he is drawn into a sickening case involving the murder-rape of young girls. Suspense builds as the psychotic murderer remains elusive, but eventually they identify a possible suspect and are able to find him. In addition to being a fine suspenseful story, the book is filled with information about British life between the two world wars and it provides a beautiful picture of a loving family. What I liked is the picture of family friends developing healthy relationships with the Madden children. These books are much more than mysteries. There are only 5 in the series, and I have to force myself to “save” them and not read the next 3 all at once. ( )

I enjoyed the first volume in this series but not this one. Both were a bit slow paced and overly detailed for my liking, especially about the sensitivities around Scotland Yard taking over a crime investigation from the local, rural police, but I wasn't too bothered by that in the first volume as it was quite suspenseful and the character of the detective, John Madden, was interesting. Now, in The Blood-Dimmed Tide it is 11 years later (1932). Why let a good detective sit on the shelf for 11 years?? Anyway, he is married now with two kids and has taken up farming, having resigned from Scotland Yard. What is the point of side-lining him like this?? His wife does not want him anywhere near crime investigations. So, as a result, he is only on the periphery until near the end. This means we are stuck with a few quite boring Scotland Yard fuddie-duddies and a young local police man for the bulk of the book. For me, the plot was too convoluted and slow paced. Also, I have to confess that I find it hard to enjoy a crime novel involving the rape and murder of children, but this is more about me than the book. On the positive side, this author really knows how to create suspense as he did late in this one. Too bad there was so little suspense until about 80% through the book. ( )

Good book, well written. The subject matter was too creepy for my tastes. Will not get any others from this author. ( )

This is the second in Airth’s series of John Madden mysteries. "The Blood-Dimmed Tide" takes place a decade later than the first book in the series. Madden is no longer in the police force and is now a farmer. The search for a girl in which Madden discovers the body brings him in on the periphery of the case. And he keeps getting deeper and deeper into it although he and the police, who are relying on him, try to keep his involvement from his wife. Sussing out killers seems to be his calling in spite of trying to deny that side of himself.

As I was once again pulled into the suspense of the hunt for a killer, I realized what makes these mysteries so compelling. The author makes even the people who die well rounded characters with hopes and aspirations and ties to the people around. You just don’t know who will survive because the people that are written so you care about them, will not all make it to the end of the story. I hope that the Madden series continues for a long run

This is a book that I would wish to give more than 5 stars if it was possible. It is that good! This second book in the Inspector John Madden series is set in 1932, which is is some 14 years later than the first book in the series. John Madden has left the police force, married his physician wife Helen who we met in book one, and has a son and daughter of his own. He owns and operates a farm in south England in the Surrey area. Life is good for John and his family and Helen in particular, is very happy to have him away from the police and Scotland Yard. But John is thrust back into that life when he discovers the battered body of a young girl. In spite of Helen's best efforts John Madden is drawn into the manhunt for this particularly cold-blooded, sadistic killer. The search involves John's old colleagues from the yard to examine crimes in Europe in Germany and Switzerland as they try to track the history of their man. Airth's skills as an author are many and varied, and his method of writing is bold, clear and brilliant. His plots unfold with precision and scrupulous detail. This is a powerful series that really grabs its readers. My only objection is the length of the timelines of these books. The plots of each book have several years in between. I don't want this series to end quickly. I want lots and lots of books about John Madden. ( )

The second historical mystery featuring John Madden, now retired from Scotland Yard. The first, River of Darkness, took place in England in the years just after World War I. This book jumps to 1932. Madden is retired and living the life of a gentleman farmer with his doctor wife and their two children when a girl in the area goes missing. Joining the search for her, Madden is the one who discovers her brutalized body. Much as he knows his wife would prefer he leave detecting to the official authorities, he can't leave the investigation alone, but the book is told from multiple perspectives, including Madden's former Scotland Yard colleagues. The Whodunit is established fairly early on, a man well-trained in disguises, deceit, and losing himself who also possesses the urge to savage adolescent girls. The book is more than a mystery, being as much character studies and a look at the times as Europe faces troubling events occurring in Germany that could spill across those borders. Airth's writing is simple, yet elegant, and despite a penchant for telling his tale in what feels like forced flashbacks within each scene -- a chapter will start at point B, then quickly fill in info from point A -- that stylistic narrative choice didn't hinder my enjoyment. On to book three, The Dead of Winter! ( )

Second in a series featuring retired Scotland Yard inspector John Madden. In this installment,set between the two world wars, the Yard investigates a serial killer loose in the countryside. Interesting perspective on the whole "profile of a psychopath" thing because of the time-setting. Also it's always eye-opening to read about British coppers who go after the bad guys virtually unarmed and then anguish over breaking a child-killer's wrist in the course of apprehending him. A very good suspenseful read. ( )

Set in Rural Great Britain in the early 1930s. A police search for a serial killer.It got off to a slow start for me mainly because I had to work to understand the Brit dialog of 70 years ago. Once past the dialog problem the only minor annoyance was the difficulty getting a sense of the geography.That said... The overall story is interesting though predictable for the most part. It's interesting to read about police procedure from a time when police and criminals got around on foot and no one had cell phones! ( )

Like the first novel in the series, "River of Darkness", this is an excellent period police procedural. This one takes place a decade after "River", as war clouds gather over Europe in the early 1930's. As in the earlier book, the period atmosphere is brilliantly conveyed, and the characters are convincing. It's a tad less exciting, however, and Mr. Madden's perfection a tad more emphasized. ( )

Time has moved on. We are now 10 years after the staging of the first John Madden mystery, River of Darkness. It is 1932, Madden has been out of Scotland Yard for 10 years, married to Dr.Helen with two children, living in the country estate, working the land and happy with life. This alone put him in a small category of police detectives: a happily married, contented individual who has overcome his demons and griefs of the past. But his reputation holds strong and his instincts too and so he pitches in to help right away when a search is launched for a missing young girl. The fact that he finds her battered body wraps him into the mystery, partly out of professional interest and skill, and more largely from a desire to capture the madman responsible for the heinous crime. This novel engages more the activities of Chief Inspector Sinclair, Madden’s erstwhile superior and still friend, and Detective Sergeant Billy Styles whom Madden introduced to detective work in the earlier novel, also now a close family friend as they strive to identify a killer whom they realize has killed many times before and is likely to do so again.

Well written, with a good plot that moves well, a host of sympathetic characters and even a touch of the feeling of the gathering storm clouds in Germany. But I disagree with the jacket blurb quote to the effect that “Inspector John Madden will soon be as familiar to readers as Adam Dalgliesh or Inspector Morse”. So far at least, these novels do not have the depth and complexity of the characters of Dalgliesh or Morse, nor the variety in situations and cases. To be seen if Airth develops these things more deeply.

Nice feel for the period (pre WWII England)but story a little predictable and saccharine. ag

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/3229 ( )

because our detective has retired, this lacked the flow of someone who is in the middle of a police procedural. ( )

In 1932, former Inspector John Madden of Scotland Yard has returned to the bucolic countryside. The Maddens have purchased a farm in Surrey, where the Inspector, his wife, Helen, and their two children Rob and Lucy are living quietly together. When he first met Helen, a physician, John was a lonely widower and expected never to find happiness again.

Passing through Brookham, John and Helen run into Will Stackpole, a colleague from one of Madden’s former investigations into a series of brutal murders over a decade ago. Now a constable, Stackpole requests Madden’s help with the disappearance of a young girl. Madden and Stackpole discover the girl’s mutilated body hidden by a stream that runs near a tramp’s camp.

A man who has survived because of his instincts, Madden is increasingly concerned about the brutality of the crime and certain aspects that suggest the work of a serial killer. Deferring to the local authorities, Madden offers a cautionary word to Scotland Yard should their expertise be required. Other crimes of a similar nature are indeed uncovered, and the Yard takes over under the direction of Chief Inspector Angus Sinclair. Sinclair assigns Billy Sykes to help with the investigation. Both men are close friends of the Madden’s, featured in Airth’s previous novel, River of Darkness.

Coordinating with the Yard, Sykes works with Madden in the limited capacity Madden’s over-protective wife allows. Helen is still anxious about her husband’s health since the last case, when Madden was injured. The investigation throws a wide net, hoping to snag a serial killer with unhindered movement, possibly from continent to continent, camouflaged by his position and able to cover his tracks.

The country is still reeling from the Depression of the ‘30s, the brutal murders tracked by detectives who are also concerned with an evolving political climate, the entire mystery shrouded in the threat building in Europe where Jews are increasingly the target of random attacks. In the delicate balance of relations between England and Germany, the political ramifications are immense, Germany asserting itself, building up to the regime that will ultimately change the course of world history.

Airth melds the world of the serial killer with the current affairs of the 1930s with an implication that there is more afoot than meets the eye, a protected identity escaping through porous European borders. The killer is finally in their sights but, before the monster can be brought down, diplomatic complications arise, hindering the investigation.

As artfully written as River of Darkness, this book’s only disappointment is a lack of involvement by Madden, thanks to his wife; fortunately, other memorable characters are expanded to fill the void. The author’s incisive observations of human deviance and police procedure are joined in a taut thriller that brings back the menace of Hitler’s Germany in prose evocative of quieter times when even the threat of war captured every nation’s attention, and evil was easily identified. On the brink of great societal upheaval, this novel is an excellent portrayal of dedicated men caught in the crossroads of history. ( )

The sequel to River of Darkness succeeds just as well as the debut novel as the perfect place to spend some hours on a plane or a beach--pre-War England with a serial killer on the loose. ( )

a brilliant British mystery writer, most books take place between the world wars

The memory of the first John Madden book has also dimmed, so I can’t compare this to that. One thing that gets on my nerves is his wife; she just wants him to be a placid little stay-at-home, farmer type and he is not cut out for that. When a man has to sneak around behind his wife’s back to solve a crime and feel like he’s using his talents to their fullest – Houston, we have a problem. Why should she get to dictate how he lives his life in such a basic area? It’s obvious that he’s in his element when battling wits with a killer, why prevent that? Sure, it’s dangerous, but it’s also dangerous to let this fester until it becomes a marriage-breaker.

With that aside, I liked the police procedural quality of this book. There were some areas that I found suspect – like when someone brought in a forensics team. Were there forensics teams operating in rural England in the 1930s? Doubtful. But the rest of the reasoning and clue-finding rang true. Like the bit about the car and tracing its owner. The obvious suspect turned out not to be the killer, but that person pointed the way to the killer. The fact that the British government covered up years worth of crimes reminded me of the Vatican covering up theirs.

The portrayal of men out of work and the different paths their lives took was also interesting. On the one hand we had the typical vagabond type guy – mostly harmless and willing to put in a little work so he could buy his booze or whatever. At first a couple of these men were suspects, but there wasn’t a huge dragnet type effort made and the cops and citizens both seemed to respect these men’s ways of life. Then there was the more upright individual portrayed by Eddie – he lost his job after returning from the war and would do anything, even very hard labor, to support his family. He was earnest and forthright and I knew he was doomed – he’d either be framed as the killer or murdered by the killer. It was very sad when it turned out to be the latter – it was so final, no room for redemption.

No answers were given for the killer’s motives other than general psychosis or a twisted psyche. His torture of small animals as a child was mentioned and again I wondered if anyone would think of drawing a parallel. As far as I know, this general tendency of young psychopaths wasn’t borne out until the latter half of the 20th century. I’ll have to delve into some of my forensic texts to see if I can pinpoint this or the general accepted use of a CSI team.

Later; I did some cursory checking for this in some of my forensic casework books and found that while some scientific approach was taking place at the time (and even earlier), it was isolated in both technique and locale. Only larger, more publicized cases seem to warrant scientific investigation. Even then, only one or two techniques were used to pinpoint one or two aspects of the crime; identification of the victim seems to be the most prevalent. This leads me to believe that there could have been scientific analysis of this fictional crime at this place and time, but a team of scientists dedicated to solving crims (a CSI team) would have been highly unlikely. But, this is fiction after all so the liberty is not too extreme. ( )

A worthy follow-up to "River of Darkness". Rennie Airth's mysteries remind me of Charles Todd's, with both featuring Scotland yard detectives marked by World War I. Airth's are not quite as dark; his Madden has a spirited wife and (by the second book) a family. But in this book, World War II is already looming on the horizon . . . ( )

Didn't like it. ( )

Book 2 of John Madden trilogy ( )