RIVER OF DARKNESS by Rennie Airth (Penguin)

I don't know how I missed this when it was first published (and nominated for the Edgar and Macavity awards), but at least I got a copy of the 2005 trade paperback verstion. In post-WW-I England, Scotland Yard is called to investigate a small village slaughter of a young family. Because a few items were taken from the house, one particularly inept inspector is intent on ruling it a robbery gone bad. Fortunately for justice, Inspector Madden and Chief Inspector Sinclair are on the case. Madden, like Charles Todd's Inspector Rutlege, is haunted by the recent war, and he is determined to get to the bottom of the gruesome killings. After hearing a Viennese doctor speak about the influences of the mind on one's behavior, Madden is convinced that the killer has a past that is worthy of exploration. RIVER OF DARKNESS caused me to neglect my daily activities and burn the midnight oil much too late!