River of Darkness: The First John Madden Mystery - Rennie Airth

As rural England slowly emerges from the sorrow of World War I, a particularly vicious attack on a household in a small Surrey village leaves five butchered bodies and no explanation for the killings. A Scotland Yard inspector investigates. \nIt's the tactics and the terrain, the morale and the characters that make the difference between an average thriller and one as good as this.--The New York Times Book Review \nUpon 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.\n