by Rennie Airth
First published 2000
A brutal massacre shatters the peace of a Surrey village still healing from World War I. Five people lie dead, four killed with a bayonet, the fifth with her throat cut. Only a young girl survives, hidden beneath a bed. Scotland Yard dispatches Inspector John Madden to solve the case. Madden carries his own war wounds, psychological scars that help him recognize the killer's military precision and underlying madness. While local police assume a robbery went wrong, Madden sees darker motives at work. He partners with Dr. Helen Blackwell, a local physician who lost family to the war. Through her connections to a Viennese psychiatrist, they attempt to profile their suspect. As Madden uncovers previous murders with similar patterns, including one during wartime, a clearer picture of the killer emerges. Romance blooms between Madden and Helen as she encourages him to confront his traumatic memories. The investigation moves forward through methodical police work and lucky breaks while the killer prepares his next attack. The parallel timelines of hunter and hunted build toward a climactic confrontation that exposes the thin boundary between reason and madness.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, enemies-to-lovers, psychological-cat-and-mouse
Setting: Surrey, Vienna
Period: Post-World War I
600 pages · Hardcover · Thorndike Pr
Content warnings: graphic-violence, mental-illness