Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Blood-Dimmed Tide

The Blood-Dimmed Tide
WhidbeyIslander avatar reviewed on + 715 more book reviews


The second John Madden book recounts murders just as appalling as the first book. John is no longer a policeman so is not the focus of the story, although he becomes more involved as the investigation proceeds. I thought this book could have used a stricter editor; it's longer than need be, and there were pages of exposition about characters who were really peripheral at best that should have been trimmed. Also, although I don't remember this from the first book, the writer contorts time, starting out a chapter detailing events then going back a little in time to fill in details. It was needlessly confusing and irritating after a while. Still, I managed to finish it.