by Rennie Airth
First published 2006
Inspector John Madden has settled into quiet retirement in rural England when he discovers a young girl's mutilated body near his home. Despite his wife's concerns, Madden cannot resist returning to detective work. The brutal murder draws him back into active investigation as he pursues a killer whose crimes may reach beyond England's borders. The year is 1932, and Europe faces growing threats as Hitler rises to power. Madden must connect the local horror to larger dangers spreading across the continent. His pursuit becomes a race against time as the implications of the murder expand far beyond what initially appeared to be an isolated crime. The investigation tests both Madden's detective skills and his commitment to the peaceful life he built with his family.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, family-secrets, race-against-time
Setting: England, Europe
Period: 1932
352 pages · ebook · Penguin Group
Content warnings: violence