by Rennie Airth
First published 2005
John Madden traded his Scotland Yard badge for a farmer's life in Surrey's quiet countryside in 1932. The peace shatters when he discovers a young girl's mutilated corpse hidden in the woods near his property. The brutal nature of the killing convinces Madden that this killer has struck before and will strike again. Unable to trust that the local police will pursue the right leads, the retired inspector launches his own investigation. Madden must draw on his years of criminal experience while racing against time to prevent another murder. His pursuit of the truth forces him back into a world of violence he thought he had left behind forever. The case becomes personal as Madden realizes the killer may be closer than he imagined, threatening everything he has built in his new life.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, retired-detective
Setting: Surrey, Scotland Yard
Period: 1932
341 pages · Paperback · Anthos
Content warnings: violence