false 456724 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg 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

]]> 456724 20 445278 book 1999 River of Darkness total:229|5:68|4:106|3:49|2:5|1:1| 229 922 342 48 43586 3.90 406 103 35964256 1646501 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.00 200 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

]]> 1999 5 2 false Wed Oct 22 14:08:18 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 22 14:09:36 -0700 2008 52335262 1711431 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Sat Apr 11 16:48:08 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 16:48:44 -0700 2009
Airth's Inspector John ...more...]]> 77559124 373260 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Wed Dec 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 12 10:52:31 -0800 2009 Mon Dec 14 10:28:57 -0800 2009 more...]]> 72161941 776307 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 5 0 false Tue Sep 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 16:17:28 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 11:49:13 -0700 2009 more...]]> 65985100 1480367 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Mon Aug 03 07:37:11 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 11 16:09:38 -0700 2009 more...]]> 63941138 957848 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 5 0 false Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 20:54:41 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 21:01:44 -0700 2009 more...]]> 75657130 733624 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Thu Oct 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 05:53:11 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 06:00:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 67170442 1090620 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 5 1 false Wed Aug 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 12 19:32:04 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 22:49:34 -0700 2009 Once
It's a psychological thriller rather than a mystery. Early on the...more...]]> 42565712 1344896 3475016 033037317X 9780330373173 2 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3475016.River_of_Darkness 3.50 2 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

]]> 1999 3 0 true Sat Jul 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jan 10 09:10:28 -0800 2009 Tue Jul 07 10:08:33 -0700 2009
It's the 1920's and England is still recovering from the aftermath of the War, with visible scars in the shape of missing sons and less obvious ones in terms of those who came home b...more...]]> 14531317 810550 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 3 0 false Sat Dec 28 00:00:00 -0800 2002 Mon Feb 04 10:28:34 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 04 10:29:38 -0800 2008 This novel had a lot of promise, and I suppose it did deliver the goods if you were in the market for a standard serial k...more...]]> 62519974 732970 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 3 0 false Mon Jul 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 14:14:22 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 13 02:19:22 -0700 2009 more...]]> 10956788 34677 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 24 08:43:22 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 24 08:50:56 -0800 2007 more...]]> 68435106 1891647 6643280 0143171003 9780143171003 1 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6643280-river-of-darkness 4.00 1
As darkly stylish as the best P. D. James, rippled with tension and resonant with historical atmosphere, River of Darkness marks the debut of a powerful new voice in suspense writing.

"It's the tactics and terrain, the morale and the characters that make the difference between an average thriller and one as good as this. Airth has balanced savagery and civilization neatly, and given civilization just the barest edge."--Christopher Dickey, The New York Times Book Review

"An edge-of-the-seat serial-killer thriller set against a skillfully evoked backdrop of war--wounded England. Compelling stuff."--Robert Goddard, author of the Edgar nominee Beyond Recall]]> 1999 4 0 false Fri Aug 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 06:11:59 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 06:24:51 -0700 2009 more...]]> 64409689 833252 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Sun Dec 20 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jul 21 13:52:41 -0700 2009 Sun Dec 20 01:26:25 -0800 2009 more...]]> 71035709 2247489 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 5 0 false Mon Sep 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 00:33:10 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 28 09:27:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 74084875 970705 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Tue Oct 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 10 11:14:57 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 10 11:18:26 -0700 2009 74617390 163427 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 5 0 false Sun Oct 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 08:48:31 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 19 07:09:44 -0700 2009 54823905 1913793 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun May 03 16:16:23 -0700 2009 Sun May 03 16:18:49 -0700 2009 76653432 2064352 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 5 0 false Tue Nov 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 19:46:27 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 19:47:58 -0800 2009 71370814 2735124 456724 0143035703 9780143035701 43 <![CDATA[River of Darkness (John Madden, #1)]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136m/456724.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174930136s/456724.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/456724.River_of_Darkness 4.03 229 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

]]> 1999 4 0 false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 15 20:35:22 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 15 20:37:07 -0700 2009 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=456724