In this second of Rennie Airth's books, almost ten years have passed and England is on the brink of World War II. The intriguing John Madden retired from Scotland Yard soon after the events of the first book to become not only a farmer but a father, having had two children with his wife, Dr. Helen Blackwell Madden. They live in the same house where she grew up (and where she was living in the first book) and, while the villagers are aware of Madden's previous profession, he has integrated completely and happily into his rural lifestyle. Until, that is, he and Helen stumble upon a gathering of people outside the home of one of the villagers and note the emergence of Will Stackpole, the village constable, from inside. Very familiar with Madden's investigative talents (see the first book again), Will quickly takes the couple aside and explains that a young girl is missing.Madden being Madden, of course, he cannot refuse Will's request for help, though always in his mind is the distress his involvement might cause for Helen after so nearly losing him during his last investigation (guess). With characteristic insight, Madden finds the girl's body, its mutilation setting off alarms in his head even as he leaves the scene in the hands of the Surrey police. At this point, Madden's presence recedes. There are questions and parallels rooted in his brain from the crime scene (such insight cannot be stoppered) but it is his mentor and colleague, Angus Sinclair, who finds records of other missing, mutilated girls, and struggles to uncover the identity of this particularly vicious serial killer. His search illuminates the inner workings of Scotland Yard and the convolution of pre-war intelligence work originating from the Foreign Office. A visiting detective from Germany provides political perspective about the impending power shift to the Nazi party and a personal perspective is presented through the efforts of Dr. Weiss, the Austrian psychologist who has been helpful in both books, to remove his family to safety. Sinclair also finds it helpful to discuss the case's development in periodic meetings with Madden whose own inquiries have yielded valuable information. Their several lines of investigation dovetail nicely and it is Madden himself, at the end, who puts it all together. Given almost equal time in this book is the society of transients that has been prevalent throughout the English countryside since the end of the first World War. They are a mixed group of emotionally wounded and disenchanted ex-servicemen who rely on seasonal work and the kitchen-kindness of various farms, Madden's own Highfield among them. Rennie Airth has tidily drawn a community on the edge of another war, though they themselves have barely noticed its encroachment. The world represented by these small English villages has already changed and many are finding it difficult to cope. In Yeats' words, "...the ceremony of innocence has drowned" and we are grateful, once again, for the sense of duty and raw intelligence embodied in John Madden to remind us that all is not lost.
Retired from Scotland Yard and living in the country, John Madden finds the body of a young girl brutally murdered along a stream. The murder of this young girl whose face has been obliterated haunts him. Soon he finds himself assisting his former detective coworkers in efforts to find who committed this atrocity. As the investigation unfolds, law enforcement officials discover that the murderer has moved from country to country. England is this latest environment in which he operates.As the number of murders increase so does the brutality of the crimes. The murderer targets his victims, studies the area, plans carefully and commits the crimes in a similar manner. Water must be available so he can wash the blood from his body and there must be a place to hide the body from authorities. It is Madden who realizes that the body he found is the first of others. He understands, too, that there are more to come unless the murderer is apprehended. Yet his wife, Helen, is concerned about his involvement. It was she who helped him recover from the stress of his earlier work and they made their home in a rural area away from the crimes of London. This mystery is well written within the parameters of what was known of the science of criminal psychology in 1932. I found Airth's novel a good, good read and recommend it to those who are interested in historical mysteries.
What do You think about The Blood-Dimmed Tide (2006)?
Former Scotland Yard Inspector John Madden makes his second appearance in this tale of horrific child murders. It is now ten years since his retirement and Madden is living the life of a gentleman farmer with his beloved wife and two children and trying to put the past behind him. For the reader to appreciate the demons that haunt him I would recommend that one read "River of Darkness" which is the first of the series which fills in the blanks about what makes him tick.Madden discovers one of the bodies near his home and his former police colleagues call on him to assist them as they search for a crazed murderer who leaves no clues. The trail leads to the highest echelons of the King's government and the possibility that the murderer has struck on the Continent as well as in England. The specter of the rising Nazi threat in Germany presents an added complication to the case.Airth weaves a good story and uses the history of the years immediately preceding WWII to advantage. Recommended.
—Jill Hutchinson
Rennie Airth does it again. It took me a bit longer to get into this second book about retired Scotland Yard inspector, John Madden, but the well-written plot soon becomes just as engrossing. Though Madden is retired, he becomes involved in a case when he discovers the body of a young girl. There are recognizable characters from Airth's first book, and it's like meeting old friends. Madden's part is limited, but his former associates use every chance they can to pick his brain. When they think they have solved the string of cases, a twist sends the Yard (and the reader) off on another search. Once again, Airth's description of the English countryside puts the reader there. I'm looking forward to the third book in this series, and hope Airth has written more books!
—Judy
The mutilated body of a young girl is found hidden in a wood by ex-Scotland Yard Detective Inspector John Madden. Her face has been brutally battered and she has been raped. Whilst the local police are concentrated on searching for a tramp known to be in the area at the time, Madden is not convinced this is a one-off opportunistic killing.THE BLOOD-DIMMED TIDE is the second book in a series based in the 1930's, incorporating now retired DI Madden and his wife, Helen. John Madden now works as a farmer and his wife has a local GP practice in the small village just down the road from where the girl's body is recovered. Scotland Yard, and Madden's old colleagues are bought into the investigation and more bodies are discovered far away from this location. The investigation moves from the local police and villages to a much wider area across England and into Europe with Scotland Yard taking responsibility and focus ultimately shifting to the Diplomatic Service.In this book John Madden discovers the body, has his doubts about the direction that the local police take and is ultimately in at the conclusion. Other than that, the investigation centres around the Scotland Yard team. The steps taken by the Yard detectives to identify a likely suspect were just a nice old-fashioned piece of strong detective work, without the availability of wiz bang forensics and resources that would be available in this day and age. The timeframe of the book sets it between the wars and there is a general feeling of menace with the build up towards the Second World War being felt in relations between England and Germany. The tramps and people's reaction to them adds a level of complexity.The plot showed attention to detail and, in particular, the Scotland Yard personnel were an interesting cast of characters. The old fashioned detecting method of solving a crime was a refreshing change and very well handled. The involvement of Madden and his wife seemed a little opportunistic, designed to keep them in the story to maintain the feeling of the series. Whilst everyone is aware that Helen Madden is very protective of her husband, a few times she was in danger of just being a carping spoilsport, but ultimately the only minor quibble is that the Scotland Yard team did most of the work and Madden got the final glory.
—Karen
