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John Madden #5
The Death of Kings
From the critically acclaimed author, Rennie Airth, comes the fifth John Madden mystery, The Death of Kings. I have reason to believe that the jade pendant accompanying this letter is the same one that disappeared from Miss Portia Blake's body in August 1938 . . . Since the piece could not have been stolen by the man who was hanged for Miss Blake's murder, the question who else could have taken it? And why? 1949. An unsigned letter arrives on the desk of Chief Inspector Derry of the Canterbury police. Enclosed is a jade pendant, identical to the one that went missing from the body of Portia Blake, an actress murdered a decade previously. The case had been shut quickly at the time – the accused vagrant gave a written confession and was sentenced to the gallows - but in the police's haste to close the inquiry, the necklace was never recovered. Until now. Inspector Madden is asked to investigate the letter's worrying claims by his old friend, and former Chief Inspector, Angus Sinclair, who fears the wrong man may have been hanged on his watch. But with a world war separating Madden from the murder, the truth will not come easy . . .
383 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2017
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932 people want to read
About the author
Rennie Airth
17 books269 followersRennie Airth was born in South Africa and has worked as a foreign correspondent for Reuters. The first novel in his John Madden trilogy, River of Darkness, was published in 1999 to huge critical acclaim, was shortlisted for four crime fiction awards and won the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France. The sensational sequel was The Blood-Dimmed Tide, and The Dead of Winter forms the final part of the trilogy.
Currently resides in Italy.
Currently resides in Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
August 6, 2018
Another good novel with John Madden investigating in post-WW2 a murder which was comitted just before the war and for which an innocent person convicted. Rennie Airth's intrigue is good, however, this book didn't keep me on the edge of my seat.
February 5, 2017
Plodding entry in the John Madden series about the reopening of a years-old murder investigation for which a potentially innocent man was hanged. The story takes a while to kick in and, when it does, it goes in a rather predictable direction which I figured out pretty early on. The characters are likable and the writing is solid, but the story never truly grabs hold. My least favorite book in the series. I liked it but didn't love it. 2.5 stars bumped to 3 because of the writing and familiarity with the characters.
February 13, 2017
A new take on the Golden Age...
When retired policeman Tom Derry receives an anonymous letter enclosing a jade pendant that the writer claims belonged to a murder victim, he discusses it with Angus Sinclair, who had worked with him on the original investigation. Sinclair is worried – at the back of his mind he had always had doubts about the guilt of the man convicted and hanged for the crime. Not well enough to look into the matter himself, Sinclair asks his old friend John Madden to check things out.
Now in 1949, Madden is retired too, but he still has contacts in the force, not least Billy Styles who used to be his subordinate but is now a detective inspector. The murder took place back in 1938, when a small-time actress, Portia Blake, was a guest at a house-party. She went out for a walk in the woods, and her body was later discovered, strangled. A man with a previous conviction for attempted rape was in the vicinity and suspicion soon fell on him, and after interrogation he confessed. As a result, the investigation was quickly wrapped up and other possible solutions were never checked. So it's up to Madden to track down the people who were there that weekend, and see if anyone else had a motive...
I've always enjoyed the Madden books, and this is an excellent addition to the series. They are somewhat quieter and slower than most modern crime novels, relying on the quality of the writing and the carefully created post-war setting to carry them. There is most definitely a Golden Age feel to them, quite intentionally, I think, though they are at the more thoughtful end of the Golden Age, or perhaps in the slightly later tradition of PD James.
In this one, we have the country house party, a rather upper class list of suspects, a traditional style of investigation carried out mostly through interviews of the various people who were there at the time, and a restricted time period for the murder, making alibi an important feature. There is also a connection to the Chinese Triads through one of the suspects – a half-Chinese man from Hong Kong. Normally I'd run a mile from a story about the Triads – not my thing at all – but I'm delighted to say that, while it's an important element of the story, it's somewhat understated and isn't allowed to overwhelm the other features. At heart this is a traditional detective story, and the Triad storyline feels realistic within that.
In the last couple of books, I've lightly criticised the fact that much of the investigation is carried out off-stage, so to speak, with information being given to the reader via police officers talking to each other. I'm delighted to say this one doesn't take that approach – it goes back to the, in my opinion, much more satisfying style of Madden actually getting out and about and talking to people himself. This makes the characterisation of the suspects much better developed, which consequently meant I felt more invested in the outcome. It also allows for deepening of Madden's own character, since we see the investigation proceed from his perspective, though in third person.
The old regulars are here too – Angus Sinclair, curmudgeonly with gout, but his brain still sharp; Billy Styles, still faithful to his old mentor; Lily Poole, the lone female detective in this man's world. I've always liked the way Airth deals with Lily – she is strong and intelligent, but not feminist in the strident sense, and the sexism she encounters isn't ill-meant – just a true reflection of how things were back then. She realises it's an unfair world but does her best to progress within the existing rules rather than constantly kicking against them. And Airth always lets her have a major impact on the investigation without it ever feeling forced or unrealistic for the time. Madden's family is here too – his wife, Helen, able to cast some light on some of the suspects from her days as a society girl, and his daughter, Lucy, now a young woman, constantly sticking her nose in and gossiping about the case, but doing it all with a lot of charm.
The solution relies a little too much on Madden getting a sudden intuition, but otherwise it's both dark and satisfying. Airth includes the kind of class element that is so often present in Golden Age books, with the rather upper-class old school policemen tending to protect those of their own background; but he has Billy Styles comment on it, suggesting that winds of change are about to shake up the way policing is done in this post-war world. Altogether, an absorbing, rather slow-paced novel, but with excellent timing so that it holds the reader's attention throughout. This would work fine as a standalone, with enough background given to each of the regulars to let new readers understand how they relate to each other, but as with any series it's probably best to read them in order, starting with River of Darkness. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Mantle (Pan MacMillan).
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When retired policeman Tom Derry receives an anonymous letter enclosing a jade pendant that the writer claims belonged to a murder victim, he discusses it with Angus Sinclair, who had worked with him on the original investigation. Sinclair is worried – at the back of his mind he had always had doubts about the guilt of the man convicted and hanged for the crime. Not well enough to look into the matter himself, Sinclair asks his old friend John Madden to check things out.
Now in 1949, Madden is retired too, but he still has contacts in the force, not least Billy Styles who used to be his subordinate but is now a detective inspector. The murder took place back in 1938, when a small-time actress, Portia Blake, was a guest at a house-party. She went out for a walk in the woods, and her body was later discovered, strangled. A man with a previous conviction for attempted rape was in the vicinity and suspicion soon fell on him, and after interrogation he confessed. As a result, the investigation was quickly wrapped up and other possible solutions were never checked. So it's up to Madden to track down the people who were there that weekend, and see if anyone else had a motive...
I've always enjoyed the Madden books, and this is an excellent addition to the series. They are somewhat quieter and slower than most modern crime novels, relying on the quality of the writing and the carefully created post-war setting to carry them. There is most definitely a Golden Age feel to them, quite intentionally, I think, though they are at the more thoughtful end of the Golden Age, or perhaps in the slightly later tradition of PD James.
In this one, we have the country house party, a rather upper class list of suspects, a traditional style of investigation carried out mostly through interviews of the various people who were there at the time, and a restricted time period for the murder, making alibi an important feature. There is also a connection to the Chinese Triads through one of the suspects – a half-Chinese man from Hong Kong. Normally I'd run a mile from a story about the Triads – not my thing at all – but I'm delighted to say that, while it's an important element of the story, it's somewhat understated and isn't allowed to overwhelm the other features. At heart this is a traditional detective story, and the Triad storyline feels realistic within that.
In the last couple of books, I've lightly criticised the fact that much of the investigation is carried out off-stage, so to speak, with information being given to the reader via police officers talking to each other. I'm delighted to say this one doesn't take that approach – it goes back to the, in my opinion, much more satisfying style of Madden actually getting out and about and talking to people himself. This makes the characterisation of the suspects much better developed, which consequently meant I felt more invested in the outcome. It also allows for deepening of Madden's own character, since we see the investigation proceed from his perspective, though in third person.
The old regulars are here too – Angus Sinclair, curmudgeonly with gout, but his brain still sharp; Billy Styles, still faithful to his old mentor; Lily Poole, the lone female detective in this man's world. I've always liked the way Airth deals with Lily – she is strong and intelligent, but not feminist in the strident sense, and the sexism she encounters isn't ill-meant – just a true reflection of how things were back then. She realises it's an unfair world but does her best to progress within the existing rules rather than constantly kicking against them. And Airth always lets her have a major impact on the investigation without it ever feeling forced or unrealistic for the time. Madden's family is here too – his wife, Helen, able to cast some light on some of the suspects from her days as a society girl, and his daughter, Lucy, now a young woman, constantly sticking her nose in and gossiping about the case, but doing it all with a lot of charm.
The solution relies a little too much on Madden getting a sudden intuition, but otherwise it's both dark and satisfying. Airth includes the kind of class element that is so often present in Golden Age books, with the rather upper-class old school policemen tending to protect those of their own background; but he has Billy Styles comment on it, suggesting that winds of change are about to shake up the way policing is done in this post-war world. Altogether, an absorbing, rather slow-paced novel, but with excellent timing so that it holds the reader's attention throughout. This would work fine as a standalone, with enough background given to each of the regulars to let new readers understand how they relate to each other, but as with any series it's probably best to read them in order, starting with River of Darkness. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Mantle (Pan MacMillan).
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
June 16, 2024
There are many things to like about Airth's books. Madden and his colleagues are complex, interesting characters and good people, dedicated to helping victims and catching criminals. The suspects and witnesses are also wonderful characters, all a mixture of self promotion, practicality, and remorse. The plots are complex but realistic: here, a murder ten years ago is revisited because the inspectors who identified the suspect and sealed the case against him are now having second thoughts. Madden insinuates himself seamlessly: who else would his former boss, now retired, turn to? It's vividly 1949 and Britain is still struggling to recover from the war's disruption. Read it for the history, but also for it's well-structured mystery.
April 6, 2017
South African author Rennie Airth has written seven novels, five of which feature Detective Inspector John Madden. The Death of Kings is the fifth. Set largely in southern England in 1949, The Death of Kings brings John Madden’s story well into his retirement from Scotland Yard. He now makes his home in the countryside with his wife Helen and adult daughter Lucy.
Though retired, Madden has lost none of his taste for mystery. A request from his old friend and former boss, Angus Sinclair, reawakens his instincts as a detective and sends him out on an unauthorized investigation into an 11-year-old murder. A flashy young actress had been killed in the midst of a weekend-long party attended by “the Duke of Wales’ set.” Angus had closed the case in quick order. A wandering farmhand had confessed, been convicted, and later hanged. But Angus now fears that the wrong man had been punished for the crime. Since he’s immobilized with gout, he has asked Madden to take another look at the case.
The story’s setting, and the circumstances it describes, are worth the price of the book. Post-war England is a brilliant illustration of the folly of war. Four years after the end of World War II, London, Canterbury, and other cities still lie in ruins. The British Empire is breaking up. Severe rationing of meat, gasoline, and other goods is still in effect in England. Despite the democratizing effect of the war, and the efforts of the Labour Party, the traditional class distinctions are still very much in evidence. As a snapshot of post-war England, The Death of Kings works well.
The novel works reasonably well as detective fiction, too. For a time, the story appears to devolve into a simple whodunit. Guests at the posh party begin to come under suspicion. But then the tale becomes more complicated. Much more so. The suspense builds steadily. Even if you guess the culprit less than halfway through the book, as I did, you’re likely to enjoy the ride to the end.
Incidentally, the title, The Death of Kings, is from Shakespeare’s Richard II. But it’s difficult to see the connection with the story.
Though retired, Madden has lost none of his taste for mystery. A request from his old friend and former boss, Angus Sinclair, reawakens his instincts as a detective and sends him out on an unauthorized investigation into an 11-year-old murder. A flashy young actress had been killed in the midst of a weekend-long party attended by “the Duke of Wales’ set.” Angus had closed the case in quick order. A wandering farmhand had confessed, been convicted, and later hanged. But Angus now fears that the wrong man had been punished for the crime. Since he’s immobilized with gout, he has asked Madden to take another look at the case.
The story’s setting, and the circumstances it describes, are worth the price of the book. Post-war England is a brilliant illustration of the folly of war. Four years after the end of World War II, London, Canterbury, and other cities still lie in ruins. The British Empire is breaking up. Severe rationing of meat, gasoline, and other goods is still in effect in England. Despite the democratizing effect of the war, and the efforts of the Labour Party, the traditional class distinctions are still very much in evidence. As a snapshot of post-war England, The Death of Kings works well.
The novel works reasonably well as detective fiction, too. For a time, the story appears to devolve into a simple whodunit. Guests at the posh party begin to come under suspicion. But then the tale becomes more complicated. Much more so. The suspense builds steadily. Even if you guess the culprit less than halfway through the book, as I did, you’re likely to enjoy the ride to the end.
Incidentally, the title, The Death of Kings, is from Shakespeare’s Richard II. But it’s difficult to see the connection with the story.
February 24, 2017
This is a very sedate British murder mystery, post World War II. John Madden and family are working on moving out of inherited house so John can concentrate on being a farmer and his wife Helen can concentrate on being a doctor. The plan includes finding a rental flat in London for daughter Lucy to move to. In spite of these projects, John is asked to "look into" a 10-year old murder that his retired Scotland Yard Superintendent friend and neighbor is not comfortable about. "The trouble is this all happened ten years ago. The people who were in the house that week-end, staff and guests, are mostly scattered; and as you'll see from the file, some of them are dead." Someone had sent an anonymous letter with a necklace in the envelope and was attempting to have the murder of a young woman at a country house party investigated even though someone had confessed and paid the price for the crime by hanging. For this reason, as well as other active projects, John's new look at the crime was taken up slowly.
The pace was measured and allowed for a friendship to develop between John and the host of that ill-fated house party from ten years earlier. Helen also found a new friend in the efforts made to uncover the truth.
There is a great deal of family warmth exhibited by the Maddens, enjoyable to read - as well as interesting descriptions of conditions in London as a result of the bombings, rations and the attention given to Helen's Morris Minor.
There is slow but steady progress made by Scotland Yard, forced to reopen the case due to photographs that were sent to sensationalist newspapers. I find that I cannot describe those threads without giving away too much. I did describe this book as sedate, so I feel I had better admit that there are a couple of beheadings within these pages. You have been warned.
The pace was measured and allowed for a friendship to develop between John and the host of that ill-fated house party from ten years earlier. Helen also found a new friend in the efforts made to uncover the truth.
There is a great deal of family warmth exhibited by the Maddens, enjoyable to read - as well as interesting descriptions of conditions in London as a result of the bombings, rations and the attention given to Helen's Morris Minor.
There is slow but steady progress made by Scotland Yard, forced to reopen the case due to photographs that were sent to sensationalist newspapers. I find that I cannot describe those threads without giving away too much. I did describe this book as sedate, so I feel I had better admit that there are a couple of beheadings within these pages. You have been warned.
August 2, 2018
The Death of Kings (John Madden #5)
Rennie Airth
This is my third John Madden. He is now retired, but as a favor to an old friend, Madden looks into a potential miscarriage of justice. So He is back in harness, weighing possibilities, evaluating means and motive and personality, much as he has done in the other books.
Perhaps too much. Many of the characters are stereotypes. The dialog is predictable and gets more tiresome with time.
I remember liking the first in the series. The second was not quite as memorable. And now this. Time to give this series a rest.
Rennie Airth
This is my third John Madden. He is now retired, but as a favor to an old friend, Madden looks into a potential miscarriage of justice. So He is back in harness, weighing possibilities, evaluating means and motive and personality, much as he has done in the other books.
Perhaps too much. Many of the characters are stereotypes. The dialog is predictable and gets more tiresome with time.
I remember liking the first in the series. The second was not quite as memorable. And now this. Time to give this series a rest.
February 8, 2017
First Sentence: When she heard the stair creak beneath her foot, Portia stopped and stood frozen.
In 1938, at the estate of Sir Jack Jessup, a friend of the Prince of Wales, an actress is murdered. An ex-convict is arrested, confesses, and is hanged. But was he really the killer? In 1949, the reappearance of a necklace raises questions. Although the police aren’t interested in re-opening the case, former CI Angus Sinclair persuades his former Inspector, John Madden to pursue the investigation.
Although it’s been four years since Airth’s last book, he certainly hasn’t lost his touch. He also does an admirable job of catching readers, new and old, up with the characters, particularly of Madden and his family, and of the post-war period—“No matter how many times he visited Rotterdam…the sight of the devastation wrought by the German bombers in 1940 never ceased to impress…” A significant change brought about by the war was the introduction of the National Health Service.
Airth transports one to England by his descriptions of people and his dialogue. It is nice to have a protagonist with a solid family life—“Recently [his wife] had taken to wearing spectacles for reading and it was a source of wonder to Madden to see how a pair of simple horn-rimmed glasses perched on the end of her nose somehow added a new dimension to a face that had never ceased to hold him in thrall.”
There are excellent revelations and twists through the story, but so well and subtly done as not to feel at all contrived. An interesting shift, the explanation of an expression, and an evocative description all move the story forward nicely.
One can very much appreciate that all the police work well together. It is particularly gratifying that Lily, the female police officer who is a fairly new addition to the force, is treated with respect. That said, all the characters are fully developed and interesting.
When Airth does suspense, he does it well. The pace picks up significantly in the last third of the book when situations become dangerous and dramatic with red herrings nicely done. The reader is inclined to realize the guilty party just as Madden does.
“The Death of Kings” is a very good read from a very good author.
THE DEATH OF KINGS (Pol Proc-John Madden-England-1949) – VG+
Airth, Rennie – 5th in series
Viking – 2017
In 1938, at the estate of Sir Jack Jessup, a friend of the Prince of Wales, an actress is murdered. An ex-convict is arrested, confesses, and is hanged. But was he really the killer? In 1949, the reappearance of a necklace raises questions. Although the police aren’t interested in re-opening the case, former CI Angus Sinclair persuades his former Inspector, John Madden to pursue the investigation.
Although it’s been four years since Airth’s last book, he certainly hasn’t lost his touch. He also does an admirable job of catching readers, new and old, up with the characters, particularly of Madden and his family, and of the post-war period—“No matter how many times he visited Rotterdam…the sight of the devastation wrought by the German bombers in 1940 never ceased to impress…” A significant change brought about by the war was the introduction of the National Health Service.
Airth transports one to England by his descriptions of people and his dialogue. It is nice to have a protagonist with a solid family life—“Recently [his wife] had taken to wearing spectacles for reading and it was a source of wonder to Madden to see how a pair of simple horn-rimmed glasses perched on the end of her nose somehow added a new dimension to a face that had never ceased to hold him in thrall.”
There are excellent revelations and twists through the story, but so well and subtly done as not to feel at all contrived. An interesting shift, the explanation of an expression, and an evocative description all move the story forward nicely.
One can very much appreciate that all the police work well together. It is particularly gratifying that Lily, the female police officer who is a fairly new addition to the force, is treated with respect. That said, all the characters are fully developed and interesting.
When Airth does suspense, he does it well. The pace picks up significantly in the last third of the book when situations become dangerous and dramatic with red herrings nicely done. The reader is inclined to realize the guilty party just as Madden does.
“The Death of Kings” is a very good read from a very good author.
THE DEATH OF KINGS (Pol Proc-John Madden-England-1949) – VG+
Airth, Rennie – 5th in series
Viking – 2017
June 24, 2017
I enjoyed this. I read Airth's other four books about John Madden so long ago that I was worried I wouldn't be able to follow, but he has a nice way of reminding you what came before without bringing the current story to a halt, and I easily recognized most of the individual characters I had encountered in the previous books.
It's interesting to read a mystery that is not overtly historical fiction (like, say, The Yard, by Alex Grecian), but is nonetheless set in an earlier time. You have to keep reminding yourself of things like the exponentially slower modes of transportation and information dispersal. You also have to remember the inborn current prejudices of people at that time, in that place. It's a good reminder, though. We all need to get out of the habit of thinking that things have always been the way they are, and experience the way they used to be.
There were a few good red herrings in this, and although I began to suspect the truth before Madden got to it, it wasn't by much. Nicely done.
It's interesting to read a mystery that is not overtly historical fiction (like, say, The Yard, by Alex Grecian), but is nonetheless set in an earlier time. You have to keep reminding yourself of things like the exponentially slower modes of transportation and information dispersal. You also have to remember the inborn current prejudices of people at that time, in that place. It's a good reminder, though. We all need to get out of the habit of thinking that things have always been the way they are, and experience the way they used to be.
There were a few good red herrings in this, and although I began to suspect the truth before Madden got to it, it wasn't by much. Nicely done.
May 3, 2017
I was surprised to reach page 80 without becoming engaged as I have thoroughly enjoyed previous entries in this series. I persevered through part 1, which ends around the half-way mark, then, skimmed the rest. The slow pace combined with the rather plain writing left me feeling underwhelmed.
July 2, 2017
Another John Madden mystery from the wonderful Rennie Airth, but I felt this one to be too slow to keep me glued to the page and I found myself skipping a few pages of what I thought was inconsequential dialogue. Still, a decent old-style mystery.
May 16, 2019
I really liked the first book that I read in this series, but I have liked each of the subsequent ones less and less.
February 9, 2020
When a jade pendant turns up in the post, John Madden is asked by his old friend Angus to look into a case from before the war, when a man admitted killing a young aspiring actress and was hanged. Stirred into action Scotland Yard reluctantly agrees to take up the case. The trail leads to big business and connections with Triads and blackmail.
A lively plot, in the same fashion as the previous John Maddon cases, the plot begins to emerge but just as you begin to accept the inevitable, there is a twist leading to the real perpetrator. The characters are all quite believable if the civilians find themselves taken too much into trust by the police. Then again the police are at times slow on the uptake, a common ingredient in crime novels.
All round a good read if somewhat pedestrian. The series is perhaps running on borrowed time.
A lively plot, in the same fashion as the previous John Maddon cases, the plot begins to emerge but just as you begin to accept the inevitable, there is a twist leading to the real perpetrator. The characters are all quite believable if the civilians find themselves taken too much into trust by the police. Then again the police are at times slow on the uptake, a common ingredient in crime novels.
All round a good read if somewhat pedestrian. The series is perhaps running on borrowed time.
October 1, 2017
I like my mysteries to have a little bit of...mystery in them. This book had a title and jacket reviews promising a "page-turner" but it was all a lie. The book was so minutely over-explained that it felt like a chore to finish it, with characters so shallow and predictable I couldn't possibly care about them. The plot was painfully straightforward, and I was begging for some kind of twist, but by the time it was attempted, it had been so glaringly fore-shadowed there was no satisfaction.
February 5, 2017
Having enjoyed previous books in the Madden series, I looked forward to reading this one but did not enjoy it as much as the earlier ones...perhaps because the pace was rather slow and the result more predictable but it is still a worthwhile crime series and hopefully, the next one will be up to the standards set in the earlier works.
January 20, 2019
I've really enjoyed Airth's John Madden mysteries, but I enjoyed this one less than the others. I think it's because Madden lets his emotions get in the way of his investigative instincts. This shows up in small ways (telling his daughter about the course of investigation even after she's demonstrated that she isn't discreet) and large (). Obviously, this is deliberate on Airth's part, and it's a legitimate approach to explore how biases affect investigations. I think my disappointment is tied to my feeling that this may be the last Madden novel. Airth is in his 80s, and Madden is (probably) in his late 50s/early 60s (Madden's age is never given, but his debut, in River of Darkness, was in the early 20s, at the latest, and he probably was around 30 at the time--this book takes place in 1949). Airth's website refers to the John Madden "trilogy," suggesting that Airth didn't originally plan on The Reckoning and The Death of Kings, so I wonder how long he'll continue writing the series.
Like the preceding Madden novels, The Death of Kings has an international element--in this case, the Chinese Triads. It makes sense that the Madden mysteries would have this dynamic; WWI, WWII, and the UK's colonial efforts all would have made the world smaller for many Englishmen and given them opportunities for criminal behavior themselves or interactions with criminals from other countries. The Triad storyline is not as effective as the earlier international storylines are. Part of this is because it, ultimately, feels tangential. Another reason is that it is only one component of the story, whereas the international element in earlier mysteries is more central to the resolution. The impact is also lessened because of the "foreignness" of it all. Airth acknowledges the racism of the time (for example, some characters use racial slurs when referencing Chinese immigrants), but there is also a sense that the Chinese characters are "inscrutable." They aren't as fully realized as other characters.
The Death of Kings is structurally different from its predecessors. In the earlier mysteries, the Yard is called in to investigate a crime, and (after River of Darkness) Madden is consulted because of some connection to the crime (he finds the body, he has a connection to the victim). In this case, Angus Sinclair has questions about the validity of an old case that resulted in conviction and execution, and the Yard doesn't think the evidence is sufficient to re-open the investigation. So Madden does some private investigation as a favor to his friend and former superior officer. And he has no personal connection to the case.
Airth also breaks away from the pattern established in his earlier mysteries regarding the killer's identity. The break in the pattern would be fine if it didn't become so obvious to the reader (at least, this one) that Madden's ability to see "through" the facts is missing here. There's an assumption mentioned early that is unthinkingly accepted by everyone until the very end. I understand that Madden's reaction to certain characters is used to justify why he doesn't question the assumption, but I'm surprised that he doesn't question it at the outset, before he starts interviewing witnesses.
Like the preceding Madden novels, The Death of Kings has an international element--in this case, the Chinese Triads. It makes sense that the Madden mysteries would have this dynamic; WWI, WWII, and the UK's colonial efforts all would have made the world smaller for many Englishmen and given them opportunities for criminal behavior themselves or interactions with criminals from other countries. The Triad storyline is not as effective as the earlier international storylines are. Part of this is because it, ultimately, feels tangential. Another reason is that it is only one component of the story, whereas the international element in earlier mysteries is more central to the resolution. The impact is also lessened because of the "foreignness" of it all. Airth acknowledges the racism of the time (for example, some characters use racial slurs when referencing Chinese immigrants), but there is also a sense that the Chinese characters are "inscrutable." They aren't as fully realized as other characters.
The Death of Kings is structurally different from its predecessors. In the earlier mysteries, the Yard is called in to investigate a crime, and (after River of Darkness) Madden is consulted because of some connection to the crime (he finds the body, he has a connection to the victim). In this case, Angus Sinclair has questions about the validity of an old case that resulted in conviction and execution, and the Yard doesn't think the evidence is sufficient to re-open the investigation. So Madden does some private investigation as a favor to his friend and former superior officer. And he has no personal connection to the case.
Airth also breaks away from the pattern established in his earlier mysteries regarding the killer's identity. The break in the pattern would be fine if it didn't become so obvious to the reader (at least, this one) that Madden's ability to see "through" the facts is missing here. There's an assumption mentioned early that is unthinkingly accepted by everyone until the very end. I understand that Madden's reaction to certain characters is used to justify why he doesn't question the assumption, but I'm surprised that he doesn't question it at the outset, before he starts interviewing witnesses.
February 11, 2020
The Death of Kings is the 5th (and I thought final) book in English author, Rennie Airth's, John Madden historical mystery series. It seems that there will now be a new book in the series out in 2020. Oh well.
John Madden is a retired Scotland Yard inspector living an idyllic life in the English countryside with his beautiful wife, Helen, the local doctor. Madden is brought out of retirement (sort of) by his old boss, Angus Sinclair, also retired and living next door, and suffering from a bad case of gout. In his past Sinclair had investigated the murder of a young woman attending a house party of a wealthy businessman at his estate. A potential suspect had confessed to the murder and been executed. Ten years later, possible evidence is sent to the local cop who had investigated the murder as well, that might exonerate the accused.
Scotland Yard is reluctant to re-open the investigation but are prepared to let Madden do some initial investigation to see if there is further evidence to do so. Inspector Billy Styles, who had worked on a previous case with Madden, is assigned as a liaison and to help as well. As Madden begins to look into the old case, further evidence will appear that forces the Yard to expand its investigation. Detective Inspector Lily Poole and DS Jack Cross join the investigation.
The investigation revolves around the party and the people who either attended it or worked there. Madden develops a close relationship with the son of Jack Jessup, the wealthy businessman, Richard, who took over the business when his father resigned. As the investigation progresses, we are teased with an intro to a Chinese Triad who are heading to London for some reason. There are two main suspects; a friend of Richard Jessup, a rich gadabout, and a Chinese criminal, who had attended the party with the young woman who was murdered.
The journey we follow during the investigation is nicely constructed. We also get to spend time with Madden's daughter who is helping him close down the home of an aunt who had passed away and also is used as a sounding point during the investigation. The characters are all interesting; it's getting back together with Styles and Lily Poole and Angus. It's an enjoyable story but I have to say that I figured it out before the end. I was going to say that it's satisfying to scrub another series off my growing list of series but I guess I'll have to enjoy the next one too. (3.5 stars)
John Madden is a retired Scotland Yard inspector living an idyllic life in the English countryside with his beautiful wife, Helen, the local doctor. Madden is brought out of retirement (sort of) by his old boss, Angus Sinclair, also retired and living next door, and suffering from a bad case of gout. In his past Sinclair had investigated the murder of a young woman attending a house party of a wealthy businessman at his estate. A potential suspect had confessed to the murder and been executed. Ten years later, possible evidence is sent to the local cop who had investigated the murder as well, that might exonerate the accused.
Scotland Yard is reluctant to re-open the investigation but are prepared to let Madden do some initial investigation to see if there is further evidence to do so. Inspector Billy Styles, who had worked on a previous case with Madden, is assigned as a liaison and to help as well. As Madden begins to look into the old case, further evidence will appear that forces the Yard to expand its investigation. Detective Inspector Lily Poole and DS Jack Cross join the investigation.
The investigation revolves around the party and the people who either attended it or worked there. Madden develops a close relationship with the son of Jack Jessup, the wealthy businessman, Richard, who took over the business when his father resigned. As the investigation progresses, we are teased with an intro to a Chinese Triad who are heading to London for some reason. There are two main suspects; a friend of Richard Jessup, a rich gadabout, and a Chinese criminal, who had attended the party with the young woman who was murdered.
The journey we follow during the investigation is nicely constructed. We also get to spend time with Madden's daughter who is helping him close down the home of an aunt who had passed away and also is used as a sounding point during the investigation. The characters are all interesting; it's getting back together with Styles and Lily Poole and Angus. It's an enjoyable story but I have to say that I figured it out before the end. I was going to say that it's satisfying to scrub another series off my growing list of series but I guess I'll have to enjoy the next one too. (3.5 stars)
March 28, 2017
Reading a John Madden again feels like visiting an old, dear friend. We are comfortable with one another and allow lots of leeway and little criticism. This Madden mystery was not very mysterious although it was interesting to watch it develop. I'm afraid I figured it out very early and watched for Madden to pick up on it. Lovely to see Lucy and Helen again. Please don't stop writing, Mr. Airth!
May 29, 2021
While one could read this and perhaps other books in this series and enjoy the mystery as it is solved, I think that the history and personality of former Inspector Madden adds so much more enjoyment. Things move slowly as gradually the truth comes out. This particular case has some twists that made me want to keep reading.
December 24, 2024
In 1938, a beautiful actress visiting an English country house is murdered in the woods. A man is quickly arrested, makes a confession to police, then recants it. But he's convicted anyway, and sent to the gallows.
Eleven years after actress Portia Blake was murdered on a country estate, an anonymous letter and a flawed jade pendant make retired Chief Inspector Angus Sinclair wonder if the wrong man was hanged for the crime on his watch. Too laid up with gout to travel, he asks his former subordinate John Madden, also retired, to persuade Scotland Yard to reopen the case. Madden begins the tedious process of tracking down the people who were present that fateful weekend, and quickly realizes that there was much more going on than the police realized.
Yes I got my John Madden fix with him being the center of the investigative force in this novel. I also got to catch up with Billy Styles, Lillie Poole and Lucy Madden which was a joy in itself. True to form I was surprised at the end but well pleased with the outcome for all.
Eleven years after actress Portia Blake was murdered on a country estate, an anonymous letter and a flawed jade pendant make retired Chief Inspector Angus Sinclair wonder if the wrong man was hanged for the crime on his watch. Too laid up with gout to travel, he asks his former subordinate John Madden, also retired, to persuade Scotland Yard to reopen the case. Madden begins the tedious process of tracking down the people who were present that fateful weekend, and quickly realizes that there was much more going on than the police realized.
Yes I got my John Madden fix with him being the center of the investigative force in this novel. I also got to catch up with Billy Styles, Lillie Poole and Lucy Madden which was a joy in itself. True to form I was surprised at the end but well pleased with the outcome for all.
August 9, 2025
I have a few strong opinions about this book...
For starters, the story itself was fine. Frankly, the idea was what convinced me to give it a two stars instead of one. One thing that bugged me was that the case was all encompassing. Which, fair. It is a murder mystery novel but you mean to tell me that NOTHING else goes on during the book? Every scene was someone talking about the case. I found it very repetitive and eventually exhausting. These are supposedly people, they should have other things that go on other than this sole murder. Especially for a man who is no longer apart of the force...
Speaking of Madden... wow, I don't think I've ever been more annoyed at a character. It drove me up the wall that John Madden was made out to be this brilliant man that everybody loves. He doesn't have a single flaw and he is over glorified. It made his character seem super static and it drove me insane that he could never possibly make a mistake. I just had to roll my eyes every time someone complimented him. Everyone was always like, "oh John said that? I guess that's facts then. He could never possibly be wrong!" The only one to ever do that in the book was Billy Styles, and that was at the very end when Madden was explaining his theory about Richard Jessup. I thought it was brilliant that someone was finally defying him but then Billy just "comes around" in the epilogue.
Lucy - Holy shit. Is that really what you think girls do when no other guys are around? When Lucy initially meets Lily Poole (who I liked at the start but just turned out to be just as glorified as Madden), she instantly grabs her hand and runs her up to the bathroom to put makeup on her...? Like, okay? She seemed so great at the start, actually smart and probably had the most human-like qualities like clothing design and the fact that she was getting ready to start her own life. Then that happened and I lost all respect. It drove me up the wall. That kind of stuff doesn't happen. Especially when a cop (male or female) comes to your door, ready to listen in on a phone call from someone who is talking to your father's primary suspect. UGH.
I also found the ending to be very predictable. I will admit, I didn't expect Richard to kill himself (which I believe he did) but I knew that he was most likely the murderer. They focused on Stanley Wing and Rex Garner too much and tried way too hard to pin it on one of them.
I think the thing that made me the most upset was that in the end it was never solved. You build up and build up but then nothing. You leave it on John's opinion and that's what was supposed to be a satisfying ending? The whole reason I continued to read until the end was to see if I was right about Richard but I barely got that.
I really didn't know what to expect when I read this book. I got it from Chapters for 2.99 or something. I thought the story sounded great but I was disappointed. It was work to get through this one.
For starters, the story itself was fine. Frankly, the idea was what convinced me to give it a two stars instead of one. One thing that bugged me was that the case was all encompassing. Which, fair. It is a murder mystery novel but you mean to tell me that NOTHING else goes on during the book? Every scene was someone talking about the case. I found it very repetitive and eventually exhausting. These are supposedly people, they should have other things that go on other than this sole murder. Especially for a man who is no longer apart of the force...
Speaking of Madden... wow, I don't think I've ever been more annoyed at a character. It drove me up the wall that John Madden was made out to be this brilliant man that everybody loves. He doesn't have a single flaw and he is over glorified. It made his character seem super static and it drove me insane that he could never possibly make a mistake. I just had to roll my eyes every time someone complimented him. Everyone was always like, "oh John said that? I guess that's facts then. He could never possibly be wrong!" The only one to ever do that in the book was Billy Styles, and that was at the very end when Madden was explaining his theory about Richard Jessup. I thought it was brilliant that someone was finally defying him but then Billy just "comes around" in the epilogue.
Lucy - Holy shit. Is that really what you think girls do when no other guys are around? When Lucy initially meets Lily Poole (who I liked at the start but just turned out to be just as glorified as Madden), she instantly grabs her hand and runs her up to the bathroom to put makeup on her...? Like, okay? She seemed so great at the start, actually smart and probably had the most human-like qualities like clothing design and the fact that she was getting ready to start her own life. Then that happened and I lost all respect. It drove me up the wall. That kind of stuff doesn't happen. Especially when a cop (male or female) comes to your door, ready to listen in on a phone call from someone who is talking to your father's primary suspect. UGH.
I also found the ending to be very predictable. I will admit, I didn't expect Richard to kill himself (which I believe he did) but I knew that he was most likely the murderer. They focused on Stanley Wing and Rex Garner too much and tried way too hard to pin it on one of them.
I think the thing that made me the most upset was that in the end it was never solved. You build up and build up but then nothing. You leave it on John's opinion and that's what was supposed to be a satisfying ending? The whole reason I continued to read until the end was to see if I was right about Richard but I barely got that.
I really didn't know what to expect when I read this book. I got it from Chapters for 2.99 or something. I thought the story sounded great but I was disappointed. It was work to get through this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2017
8/1938, Portia Blake (actress) had been murdered at the grand Kent estate of Sir Jack “Black Jack” Jessup (1/2 oriental).
The Canterbury PD had arrested Owen Norris (hop picker, farm worker), convicted, put in prison & later executed him for Portia’s murder.
1949, DCS Charlie Chubb DI was discussing the past murder case with DI Billy Styles & John Madden (retired DI, Scotland Yard, Metropolitan PD).
Tom Derry (retired DCS CID) it seems had acquired a necklace that everyone assumed had once belonged to Portia.
The closed case was reopened & the investigation began again.
What happened to Rex Garner?
Is Mr. Stanley Wing (Liang, Triad gang member) a suspect?
Will Portia’s murderer every be brought to justice?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; MakingConnections; Penguin Random House LLC.; (Viking Books); AUCP; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
The Canterbury PD had arrested Owen Norris (hop picker, farm worker), convicted, put in prison & later executed him for Portia’s murder.
1949, DCS Charlie Chubb DI was discussing the past murder case with DI Billy Styles & John Madden (retired DI, Scotland Yard, Metropolitan PD).
Tom Derry (retired DCS CID) it seems had acquired a necklace that everyone assumed had once belonged to Portia.
The closed case was reopened & the investigation began again.
What happened to Rex Garner?
Is Mr. Stanley Wing (Liang, Triad gang member) a suspect?
Will Portia’s murderer every be brought to justice?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written who-dun-it murder mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great who-dun-it murder mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; MakingConnections; Penguin Random House LLC.; (Viking Books); AUCP; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
March 13, 2021
I like this series. The characters are good, but don't overwhelm the mystery elements of the stories, and the mysteries hold my attention. This entry in the series is a bit disappointing. In my view, a good police procedural/detective novel/mystery involves the steady unravelling of the mystery by the investigators uncovering clue after clue, until it all comes together and the perpetrator and his/her motive is finally revealed. Unfortunately, in The Death of Kings, there isn't a real development of clues. There's a lot of speculation and efforts to create a theory of what happened from events, both historical and current, but little progress in solving the crime until the very end. And I kind of figured out the ending a little more than halfway through the book--not because of clues but rather by trying to figure out where the story would go.
May 26, 2021
2nd reading: I read this three years ago but I didn’t recognize it until the very ending. This was a really good book for a light read, and a good mystery. I loved the characters. I haven’t really liked the characters in many of the books I’ve read lately, so this was a real treat. And it has a lot of twists and turns in terms of how people relate to each other, but it’s all plausible which I like. I will definitely be reading more of this author
Original: A good book. I knew who the murderer was from the moment he “entered the stage”, as it were. And I had to re-read quite a few of the characteristic run-on sentences to be sure of their meaning. But it was still a very good book, very interesting plot.
Original: A good book. I knew who the murderer was from the moment he “entered the stage”, as it were. And I had to re-read quite a few of the characteristic run-on sentences to be sure of their meaning. But it was still a very good book, very interesting plot.
February 5, 2021
I’ve read other books by Airth which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. This was not a favorite. The plot seemed a bit forced and although I guessed the conclusion it was somewhat trite. All f the other action in the story seemed somewhat superfluous and added as filler. Sorry Rennie.
June 12, 2017
This was disappointing: predictable, too long, and a sad example of John Madden's lack of judgment, based upon the facade that someone with a title can so easily maintain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2020
It was an interesting story and surprised me at the end, but I am not sure how the title fits the tale.
February 2, 2017
I received an ARC of "The Death of Kings" by Rennie Airth to read andreview through Goodreads.
"The Death of Kings" harkens back to the investigative procedural mysteries of British crime writers of the past. The is no "noir" to it. No tough -guy smart talk, no dark street down which we watch the lone hero walk. There is a body, in fact more than one as the story evolves, but no gore; all such un-genteel action happens offstage and out of the reader's view. What there is a a puzzle to be solved by dogged, persistent police work, and being English policemen, the investigation is performed diffently, so as not to make too much of a fuss. Nevertheless, the reader finds himself getting involved, as clues are unearthed, people questioned and their answers sifted and weighed.
The book begins in 1938 when Portia Blake, a glamorous, slightly "daring" young woman is strangled. She had a accompanied a man to a weekend get together at the country home of his former business associate, John Jessup.
Everything-well mostly everything- went as usual that evening, but the next morning, Sunday, Portia went for a walk from which she never returned. An intinerent farm laborer was soon arrested, convicted, tried and executed for the murder. Then ten years later, the policeman who investigated the crime, now a retired chief inspector, received an anonymous letter saying you hung the wrong man and in the envelope was "proof"- a pendant Portia was wearing and which was not found on the murderer, or anywhere else.
The retired CI, fearful an innocent man was sent to the gallows, calls on his friend, also a retired cop, John Madden, to follow up with a discrete investigation into the letter's implications.
There then unfolds the substance of the book as Madden begins his questioning everyone still alive from that pre-war party. It is interesting for the reader to know the facts as the police got them. That is the book's strong point. The reader sees what the police see, know what hey know and nothing is held back. There are no Lord Peter Whimsey or Hercule Poirot moment when the ratiocination by the " little grey cells" leads to the assembled suspects being surprised with the unveiling that only Madame Furnley knew of and had access to the secret passage, etc........
No cute author's tricks here. Rather the reader accumulates a theory of the case, weighing evidence and lies until the possible suspects are reduced to the one. And when the big reveal comes, one can be satisfied that it could only have been that person. Hah..thought I was going to let it slip, did you?
The fun in "The Death of Kings" is watching it all unfold before your eyes .
In sum, the book is not compelling nor exciting, rather than it is interesting. The character of John Madden, as well as the other major protagonist are nicely drawn. The reader has a good feeling of life in drab, constricted 1948 Britian where every city street still shows gaping bomb craters, and where witnesses lie dead, a casualty. The author keeps faith with the time in that police science was primitively and communication, even by telephone, was at times uneven.
So, do not expect to be blown away or riveted to your reading chair. You will not be upset by sexual acrbatics( though liaisons do play a part in the story) nor repelled by gore, though a few heads do get detached. Honestly, I can see " The Death of Kings" being presented on Masterpeice Mystery one day with a suitable grey-haired , somewhat dishelveled familar actor digging out the truth of the Mystery of PortiaBlake and the Jade Pendant.
"The Death of Kings" harkens back to the investigative procedural mysteries of British crime writers of the past. The is no "noir" to it. No tough -guy smart talk, no dark street down which we watch the lone hero walk. There is a body, in fact more than one as the story evolves, but no gore; all such un-genteel action happens offstage and out of the reader's view. What there is a a puzzle to be solved by dogged, persistent police work, and being English policemen, the investigation is performed diffently, so as not to make too much of a fuss. Nevertheless, the reader finds himself getting involved, as clues are unearthed, people questioned and their answers sifted and weighed.
The book begins in 1938 when Portia Blake, a glamorous, slightly "daring" young woman is strangled. She had a accompanied a man to a weekend get together at the country home of his former business associate, John Jessup.
Everything-well mostly everything- went as usual that evening, but the next morning, Sunday, Portia went for a walk from which she never returned. An intinerent farm laborer was soon arrested, convicted, tried and executed for the murder. Then ten years later, the policeman who investigated the crime, now a retired chief inspector, received an anonymous letter saying you hung the wrong man and in the envelope was "proof"- a pendant Portia was wearing and which was not found on the murderer, or anywhere else.
The retired CI, fearful an innocent man was sent to the gallows, calls on his friend, also a retired cop, John Madden, to follow up with a discrete investigation into the letter's implications.
There then unfolds the substance of the book as Madden begins his questioning everyone still alive from that pre-war party. It is interesting for the reader to know the facts as the police got them. That is the book's strong point. The reader sees what the police see, know what hey know and nothing is held back. There are no Lord Peter Whimsey or Hercule Poirot moment when the ratiocination by the " little grey cells" leads to the assembled suspects being surprised with the unveiling that only Madame Furnley knew of and had access to the secret passage, etc........
No cute author's tricks here. Rather the reader accumulates a theory of the case, weighing evidence and lies until the possible suspects are reduced to the one. And when the big reveal comes, one can be satisfied that it could only have been that person. Hah..thought I was going to let it slip, did you?
The fun in "The Death of Kings" is watching it all unfold before your eyes .
In sum, the book is not compelling nor exciting, rather than it is interesting. The character of John Madden, as well as the other major protagonist are nicely drawn. The reader has a good feeling of life in drab, constricted 1948 Britian where every city street still shows gaping bomb craters, and where witnesses lie dead, a casualty. The author keeps faith with the time in that police science was primitively and communication, even by telephone, was at times uneven.
So, do not expect to be blown away or riveted to your reading chair. You will not be upset by sexual acrbatics( though liaisons do play a part in the story) nor repelled by gore, though a few heads do get detached. Honestly, I can see " The Death of Kings" being presented on Masterpeice Mystery one day with a suitable grey-haired , somewhat dishelveled familar actor digging out the truth of the Mystery of PortiaBlake and the Jade Pendant.
May 22, 2022
3.5/5 stars. This was a strange book, because for the most part, I really enjoyed it, even though it’s more or less the same as the previous couple, which I criticised. To name just a couple of my old grievances: lots and lots of conversations, and the author’s peculiar penchant for starting in the middle of a conversation and then rewinding and then moving forward again. But it just felt like the right book at the right time for me: a mystery in the truer sense of the word, rather than a new character dropping dead every 20 pages (until the end when it did get that way).
And it’s the ending that’s made me feel weird. What was Madden thinking here? To be taken in by Jessup throughout the book shows a naivety, dare I say a stupidity, that one wouldn’t expect of such a celebrated retired detective. And then to compound his silliness he basically letting him get away with it is unfathomable. I’m all for moral grey areas, but Madden decides to pervert justice for a guy who either killed or caused the killing of four people, one of them simply to cover up an affair he’d had. Even after Madden figures it out, he says he still “admires” the man. Erm, what? Is he in denial here? Madden understandably carries a lot of war baggage, after all that was his defining characteristic from the very beginning. But it seems here that he lets a calculated killer escape justice simply because he also served. Other war-torn characters in previous books were not afforded the same luxury, so perhaps Madden’s bromance with Jessup had something to do with this.
Also, one thing that was never cleared up: if Jessup killed Portia, why the heck did randomer Owen Norris confess?
And it’s the ending that’s made me feel weird. What was Madden thinking here? To be taken in by Jessup throughout the book shows a naivety, dare I say a stupidity, that one wouldn’t expect of such a celebrated retired detective. And then to compound his silliness he basically letting him get away with it is unfathomable. I’m all for moral grey areas, but Madden decides to pervert justice for a guy who either killed or caused the killing of four people, one of them simply to cover up an affair he’d had. Even after Madden figures it out, he says he still “admires” the man. Erm, what? Is he in denial here? Madden understandably carries a lot of war baggage, after all that was his defining characteristic from the very beginning. But it seems here that he lets a calculated killer escape justice simply because he also served. Other war-torn characters in previous books were not afforded the same luxury, so perhaps Madden’s bromance with Jessup had something to do with this.
Also, one thing that was never cleared up: if Jessup killed Portia, why the heck did randomer Owen Norris confess?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2024
‘Yes, but what’s bothering Angus now is whether this man Norris was in fact guilty. Or was the wrong man sent to the gallows?’
On a hot summer day in 1938, Miss Portia Blake, an actress is murdered on the Kent estate of Sir Jack Jessup, close friend of the Prince of Wales. The murder provides an instant headline in the papers, but the confession of a local troublemaker swiftly brings the case to a close. However, in 1949, the reappearance of a jade necklace worn by Miss Blake raises questions about the murder.
Was the man convicted and executed the decade before guilty?
In 1949 John Madden is given the challenge of tracking down who was present at the house party. And given that the timeframe for the murder is quite narrow, each guest’s alibi will be important. If the executed man did not murder Portia Blake, who did and why? And why has the jade necklace reappeared now?
This is the fifth book in the John Madden series and unfolds at a slower pace. The investigation will take John Madden from the English countryside and the streets of London into the criminal underworld of the Chinese Triads.
Angus Sinclair, Billy Styles and Lily Poole all make an appearance, as does Madden’s wife Helen and daughter Lucy. While I’d recommend reading the novels in order because of the character development, this novel could be read as a standalone. While this is my least favourite novel in the series so far, I enjoyed it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On a hot summer day in 1938, Miss Portia Blake, an actress is murdered on the Kent estate of Sir Jack Jessup, close friend of the Prince of Wales. The murder provides an instant headline in the papers, but the confession of a local troublemaker swiftly brings the case to a close. However, in 1949, the reappearance of a jade necklace worn by Miss Blake raises questions about the murder.
Was the man convicted and executed the decade before guilty?
In 1949 John Madden is given the challenge of tracking down who was present at the house party. And given that the timeframe for the murder is quite narrow, each guest’s alibi will be important. If the executed man did not murder Portia Blake, who did and why? And why has the jade necklace reappeared now?
This is the fifth book in the John Madden series and unfolds at a slower pace. The investigation will take John Madden from the English countryside and the streets of London into the criminal underworld of the Chinese Triads.
Angus Sinclair, Billy Styles and Lily Poole all make an appearance, as does Madden’s wife Helen and daughter Lucy. While I’d recommend reading the novels in order because of the character development, this novel could be read as a standalone. While this is my least favourite novel in the series so far, I enjoyed it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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