Main Characters
- John Madden: A war-weary detective with a brilliant mind but a heavy heart.
- Helen Blackwell: A country doctor who becomes Madden’s wife and anchor.
- Billy Styles: A young constable who learns the trade from Madden and eventually rises through the ranks.
John Madden Books
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| River of Darkness | 1999 | Buy |
| The Blood-Dimmed Tide | 2003 | Buy |
| The Dead of Winter | 2009 | Buy |
| The Reckoning | 2014 | Buy |
| The Death of Kings | 2017 | Buy |
| The Decent Inn of Death | 2020 | Buy |
The John Madden series is a hauntingly beautiful collection of mysteries set against the backdrop of a traumatized England. Beginning in the aftermath of the Great War, the books follow Inspector John Madden, a man as scarred by the trenches as the country he serves.
Airth weaves complex murder mysteries with profound historical fiction. The crimes Madden investigates are often rooted in the war’s legacy—vengeance, madness, and the secrets men brought back from the front. The series is as much an exploration of grief and healing as it is a police procedural.