Synopses & Reviews
Inspector John Maddenwho debuted in River of Darknessreturns in a gripping postWorld War II murder mystery
On a quiet afternoon in 1947, retired bank manager Oswald Gibson is shot in the head while fishing. In Scotland, a respectable family doctor is killed in the same
mannerand with the same gun. What is the connection? Scotland Yards Detective Inspector Billy Styles and local detective Vic Chivers are baffled until a letter from
Gibson is discovered that might shed some light on the casea letter concerning former Scotland Yard detective John Madden. Despite Maddens legendary memory, he has no recollection of meeting Gibson or any idea of what their relationship might have been. Madden is happily retired from police work, but agrees to help his former protégé Styles and the clues they uncover only deepen the mystery. When a third man is killed in a similar fashion, Madden and Styles find themselves in a race against time to find the killer before another man ends up dead.
A smart, intricately plotted mystery, this is the fourth title in the critically acclaimed and much loved John Madden series.
Review
Praise for The Reckoning:
“I have been a huge fan of Rennie Airths novels featuring John Madden since first reading River of Darkness, and had been eagerly awaiting The Reckoning—it does not disappoint. Airth is at the top of his game, engaging the reader with dense plotting, page-turning narrative and expert characterization. I absolutely could not put it down!”—Jacqueline Winspear, author of Maisie Dobbs
“The marvelous John Madden returns in a stunning new mystery—Rennie Airths The Reckoning will keep you pinned to the page to the very end!”—Charles Todd, New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries and the Bess Crawford Mysteries
“The Reckoning is about the comforts of redemption and forgiveness—and the impossibility of forgetting.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“[The Reckoning] delivers all the suspense and twisty plot turns that readers have come to expect from this popular series.”—Booklist
“[John Madden] is a compatriot of such understated sleuths as...Simon Serrailler, or of Adam Dalgliesh.”—The Spectator (UK)
Praise for Rennie Airth:
“Move over, Inspectors Alleyn, Dalgliesh, and Morse, and make room for John Madden in the pantheon of great, civilized English sleuths. With THE DEAD OF WINTER, Rennie Airth now carries us through the third of Maddens encounters with a killer sprung from a Europe at war with itself. Its safe to say that once youve read it, you will start longing for Maddens next case.” - Jane Kramer, The New Yorker
“Enter John Madden, protagonist of three fine novels…Madden is seamlessly admirable…In an era when our real-life heroes tend to have feet of thick, grubby clay, it can be bracing to spend time with a man who is naturally but not implausibly noble.” - The Washington Post Book World
“[Airths] meticulously detailed procedural mysteries are beautifully written…[he] has produced three novels that are well worth reading, and rereading, whenever were engaged in war.” - Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times
“One of the best mysteries in years.” - The Boston Globe
“Airth writes with arresting authority and compassion…a major talent.” - Chicago Tribune
“Its the tactics and the terrain, the morale and the characters that make the difference between an average thriller and one as good as this.” - Christopher Dickey, The New York Times Book Review
“A mystery thick with atmosphere and even psychoanalysis….Pay close attention to detail - the author did.” - Susan Hall-Balduf, Detroit Free Press
“Starts off as a genteel British whodunit but soon escalates into a suspense thriller…. However, Airths novel has an added psychological assurance and a tension-packed elegance. Its up there with the works of P. D. James and Ruth Rendell. High praise indeed.” - Pauline Mayer, The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Review
"Unnerving... from [a] richly textured background, Airth draws a vivid cast of full-bodied characters and a plot that satisfies." —
The New York Times Book Review
"Airth's first mystery, River of Darkness, was impressive enough to earn him several award nominations and much critical applause. [The Blood-Dimmed Tide] deserves the same treatment." —Chicago Tribune
Synopsis
"[Rennie Airth's] meticulously detailed procedural mysteries are beautifully written . . . well worth reading, and rereading." -Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
On a freezing London night in 1944, Rosa Novak is brutally murdered during a blackout. Scotland Yard suspects the young Polish refugee was the victim of a random act of violence and might have dropped the case if former police investigator John Madden hadn't been her employer. Madden feels he owes it to Rosa to find her killer and pushes the investigation, uncovering her connection to a murdered Parisian furrier, a member of the Resistance, and a stolen cache of diamonds.
Delivering the atmospheric writing and compelling characters that have already established Rennie Airth as a master of suspense as well as style, this long-awaited third installment in the John Madden series is historical crime writing at its best.
Synopsis
With 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 despite 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.
About the Author
Rennie Airth was born in South Africa and worked as a foreign correspondent for Reuters before becoming a novelist. He is the author of two other John Madden mysteries, River of Darkness, a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel and a Macavity Award for Best Mystery, and a New York Times Notable Book, and The Blood-Dimmed Tide. He lives in Cortona, Italy.