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Name To a Face
The brain-teasing new thriller from the “master of the clever twist.”
A sequence of extraordinary events over the past 300 years provides the links in a chain of intrigue, deceit, greed and
The loss of HMS Association with all hands in 1707.
An admiralty clerk’s secret mission thirty years afterwards.
A fatal accident during a dive to the wreck in 1996.
An expatriate’s reluctant return home ten years later. The simple task he has come to accomplish, shown to be anything but. A woman he recognizes but cannot identify.
It’s a conspiracy of circumstances that is about to unravel his life. And with it, the past.
A sequence of extraordinary events over the past 300 years provides the links in a chain of intrigue, deceit, greed and
The loss of HMS Association with all hands in 1707.
An admiralty clerk’s secret mission thirty years afterwards.
A fatal accident during a dive to the wreck in 1996.
An expatriate’s reluctant return home ten years later. The simple task he has come to accomplish, shown to be anything but. A woman he recognizes but cannot identify.
It’s a conspiracy of circumstances that is about to unravel his life. And with it, the past.
369 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2007
114 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Robert Goddard
109 books870 followersIn a writing career spanning more than twenty years, Robert Goddard's novels have been described in many different ways - mystery, thriller, crime, even historical romance. He is the master of the plot twist, a compelling and engrossing storyteller and one of the best known advocates for the traditional virtues of pace, plot and narrative drive.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
May 29, 2021
A mystery. A murder or two, possibly. A 300-year-old shipwreck and a ring. A civilian turned detective to work it all out. It can only be a Goddard book. As usual you’ll need to keep your wits about you when reading this as the story unravels and things tie together or not in some cases.
The Scilly naval disaster of 1707 is the starting point. Four Royal Navy warships are wrecked causing up to 2,000 sailors to lose their lives. One of those ships is HMS Association led by Sir Cloudesley Shovell. This is all true by the way. I had read ‘Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time’ and this details the accident as being one of the reasons that the solving of the longitude issue was brought to the fore. Sir Cloudesley is washed ashore and a local woman takes his ring. She removes his finger to get it. Have a read of Wikipedia about this. It is fascinating.
Back to modern times and a journalist, Kerry Foxton, has an accident while diving down to HMS Association with a businessman called Barney Tozer whose family has ties to the Georgian ring. Was it an accident? The civilian detective I alluded to at the beginning of the review is Tim Harding. Barney has a stake in the garden landscaping company Tim works for. Barney asks Tim a favour. It is this favour that spirals. I won’t go into anymore detail, but detective Tim is chasing all over Britain, France and Germany for answers to questions that keep coming up. He is playing a crazy version of whack-a-mole. One lead comes up and off he goes to London. Whack. Another lead and off to Lincoln. Whack. Another lead and off to Monaco…
I find that I have to take copious notes with a Goddard book to insure I keep track. The plot, as always, is convoluted but quite simple at the same time. I know that sounds a bit odd. It is all the twists and turns and red herrings that make it convoluted but when you look back at the real story it really is not. Unfortunately it does not work. It is a readable piece of fiction and I was always left wanting to know what was going to happen next but ultimately it is a bit of a let-down.
The Scilly naval disaster of 1707 is the starting point. Four Royal Navy warships are wrecked causing up to 2,000 sailors to lose their lives. One of those ships is HMS Association led by Sir Cloudesley Shovell. This is all true by the way. I had read ‘Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time’ and this details the accident as being one of the reasons that the solving of the longitude issue was brought to the fore. Sir Cloudesley is washed ashore and a local woman takes his ring. She removes his finger to get it. Have a read of Wikipedia about this. It is fascinating.
Back to modern times and a journalist, Kerry Foxton, has an accident while diving down to HMS Association with a businessman called Barney Tozer whose family has ties to the Georgian ring. Was it an accident? The civilian detective I alluded to at the beginning of the review is Tim Harding. Barney has a stake in the garden landscaping company Tim works for. Barney asks Tim a favour. It is this favour that spirals. I won’t go into anymore detail, but detective Tim is chasing all over Britain, France and Germany for answers to questions that keep coming up. He is playing a crazy version of whack-a-mole. One lead comes up and off he goes to London. Whack. Another lead and off to Lincoln. Whack. Another lead and off to Monaco…
I find that I have to take copious notes with a Goddard book to insure I keep track. The plot, as always, is convoluted but quite simple at the same time. I know that sounds a bit odd. It is all the twists and turns and red herrings that make it convoluted but when you look back at the real story it really is not. Unfortunately it does not work. It is a readable piece of fiction and I was always left wanting to know what was going to happen next but ultimately it is a bit of a let-down.
December 25, 2016
Well written as always, but this one was way too complicated to be as enjoyable as his best.
Experience tells us that many things said and done in a Goddard are not true or not what they seem. Since the background and explanations in this starts with shipwrecks in the 1700's and goes on and on. I had troubles enough keeping track - and considering that one or more of the many narrators are lying for non-disclosed reasons, I soon gave up a bit. Throw in a bit of insta-love and one too many culprits and we're left with one of the least memorable Goddard's, in my opinion.
Experience tells us that many things said and done in a Goddard are not true or not what they seem. Since the background and explanations in this starts with shipwrecks in the 1700's and goes on and on. I had troubles enough keeping track - and considering that one or more of the many narrators are lying for non-disclosed reasons, I soon gave up a bit. Throw in a bit of insta-love and one too many culprits and we're left with one of the least memorable Goddard's, in my opinion.
May 28, 2015
Goddard is getting tired!
I have enjoyed many of Robert Goddard's books, with their many unexpected twists and turns, but his writing has now got to the stage where I know what to expect. I persevered with this story, but had it been a TV film, I would have been out of my seat and off to bed half way through.
However, compared to a lot of the books in this genre, Goddard is still up there with the best. Perhaps it is unfair of me to make the comparison with his previous works, as those were all so good.
A landscape gardener on the Côte d'Azur is asked by one of his clients to go to Cornwall and bid for a family heirloom which is up for auction following the death of his (the client's) uncle. From that point, mystery, intrigue and deception unravel in typical Goddard style. The historical backdrop adds a lot of colour to the story, which never approaches believable. Uncharacteristically, many of the twists and turns are either too predictable or just too far-fetched.
An enjoyable enough book, if you can't find anything better to read on your holiday.
I have enjoyed many of Robert Goddard's books, with their many unexpected twists and turns, but his writing has now got to the stage where I know what to expect. I persevered with this story, but had it been a TV film, I would have been out of my seat and off to bed half way through.
However, compared to a lot of the books in this genre, Goddard is still up there with the best. Perhaps it is unfair of me to make the comparison with his previous works, as those were all so good.
A landscape gardener on the Côte d'Azur is asked by one of his clients to go to Cornwall and bid for a family heirloom which is up for auction following the death of his (the client's) uncle. From that point, mystery, intrigue and deception unravel in typical Goddard style. The historical backdrop adds a lot of colour to the story, which never approaches believable. Uncharacteristically, many of the twists and turns are either too predictable or just too far-fetched.
An enjoyable enough book, if you can't find anything better to read on your holiday.
October 13, 2009
Landscaper Tim Harding travels to West Cornwall at the request of Barney Tozer, one of his wealthy clients. His task is simple: attend an auction and purchase an antique ring of special value to Tozer’s family. Once Tim arrives though, he finds that there’s much more to the story than Barney has shared with him. First there is some suspicion regarding Barney’s involvement in a local diving accident years earlier (the girl slipped into a coma and never recovered). Then there is the complicated relationship among the various Tovers and the history of the ring itself.
Caught up in this mystery is a young woman who looks remarkably like the girl from the diving accident. Tim finds himself surrounded by people with secrets: every lie seems to have another lie behind it. His quest for the truth will take him back into English history and forward to dangers he can no longer avoid.
I liked the layered mysteries and overlapping schemes—Goddard does present an interesting puzzle. I felt that the characters had their less-believable moments but not enough to detract from the story. If you like your mystery with a dash of history and a sprinkling of mysticism, you’re likely to enjoy Name to a Face.
Caught up in this mystery is a young woman who looks remarkably like the girl from the diving accident. Tim finds himself surrounded by people with secrets: every lie seems to have another lie behind it. His quest for the truth will take him back into English history and forward to dangers he can no longer avoid.
I liked the layered mysteries and overlapping schemes—Goddard does present an interesting puzzle. I felt that the characters had their less-believable moments but not enough to detract from the story. If you like your mystery with a dash of history and a sprinkling of mysticism, you’re likely to enjoy Name to a Face.
April 23, 2012
I really wanted to like Robert Goddard. I read some of the blurbs of his books, and I thought, 'That sounds like a modern-day Agatha Christie premise!'
I very much like the idea of someone going the old route and writing mysteries, not gruesome murder/forensic investigative crime books, in this modern day, so I took this with me on a short holiday, hoping for some enjoyable reading and a bit of intrigue.
At the time, I enjoyed it well enough. The setup is simple - man has chosen quiet life after death of wife, benefactor sends him on shady mission to a place that brings back lots of memories of his wife, hijinks ensue. There is a 300-year-old mystery, plenty of 'I've-seen-you-somewhere-before' drama, lots of double crossing and leaving out of information, and a hefty dose of straight-up lying.
But the delivery of the protagonist's angst (it's been a couple of weeks and I actually can't remember his name) is so ham-fisted and the print is so large that I could never really sink into the story. I don't have anything in common with an early-middle aged widower who's having an affair of convenience with his boss's wife and constantly drearing about his old life/his new life/what shall I do? His dilemmas didn't interest me, his voice was uninspiring, and the once-promising plot petered out into ludicrous melodrama and soppy romance.
Reading this was like reading Peter Robinson writing Christie: all the sap and none of the humanity. I'd read another Goddard before I read another Robinson, but I'd read all Christie's books again before I did either.
I very much like the idea of someone going the old route and writing mysteries, not gruesome murder/forensic investigative crime books, in this modern day, so I took this with me on a short holiday, hoping for some enjoyable reading and a bit of intrigue.
At the time, I enjoyed it well enough. The setup is simple - man has chosen quiet life after death of wife, benefactor sends him on shady mission to a place that brings back lots of memories of his wife, hijinks ensue. There is a 300-year-old mystery, plenty of 'I've-seen-you-somewhere-before' drama, lots of double crossing and leaving out of information, and a hefty dose of straight-up lying.
But the delivery of the protagonist's angst (it's been a couple of weeks and I actually can't remember his name) is so ham-fisted and the print is so large that I could never really sink into the story. I don't have anything in common with an early-middle aged widower who's having an affair of convenience with his boss's wife and constantly drearing about his old life/his new life/what shall I do? His dilemmas didn't interest me, his voice was uninspiring, and the once-promising plot petered out into ludicrous melodrama and soppy romance.
Reading this was like reading Peter Robinson writing Christie: all the sap and none of the humanity. I'd read another Goddard before I read another Robinson, but I'd read all Christie's books again before I did either.
August 12, 2015
I can understand one of the reviewers below saying that Goddard is getting tired. His novels tend to have a certain style and structure that may wear on some readers after a few of his books. I found this happening to me after reading maybe three Goddard novels over the course of a few months with not enough variety from alternative books in between. I've now realised that I need a few months between each Goddard book and as I have nearly caught up with his production line it shouldn't be a problem.
Name To A Face is a typical Goddard novel. Tim Harding is sent on what seems like a relatively straightforward task that ends up being nothing of the sort. He bumps into a variety of characters, any of which might not be what they seem, and realises that his task is turning into a tangled web of smoke and mirrors... if that makes sense. Of course, everything is tied up to events in the past and there is lots of chasing around and digging to be done. The plot twists and turns and eventually comes to a conclusion. Typical Goddard, which is a good thing for me. I'll give him a rest until next year now.
Name To A Face is a typical Goddard novel. Tim Harding is sent on what seems like a relatively straightforward task that ends up being nothing of the sort. He bumps into a variety of characters, any of which might not be what they seem, and realises that his task is turning into a tangled web of smoke and mirrors... if that makes sense. Of course, everything is tied up to events in the past and there is lots of chasing around and digging to be done. The plot twists and turns and eventually comes to a conclusion. Typical Goddard, which is a good thing for me. I'll give him a rest until next year now.
February 3, 2008
I have read all of Robert Goddard's novels and since Into the Blue they have steadily deteriorated in to, what I can only refer to this book as, fantastical tripe. Goddard is labeled the master of the clever twist but nowadays he's just flogging a dead horse and should hang up his gloves and retire or find a new story recipe.
The protagonist that ends up getting sucked in to a web of deceit and lies spanning a few centuries just isn't working any more for me. In this particular case the whole thing falls apart because the main character could have just walked away at any point, he didn't have to do any thing at all and yet some unexplained drive forces him in to endangering himself at every opportunity, apparently moved like a pawn by other fringe characters.
Another minus is Goddard used to be very good at description of the surroundings and always picked interesting European based locations. Now he just glosses over in a few words when previously he would have used a paragraph.
I was not disappointed because I expected this book would be as average as it was.
The protagonist that ends up getting sucked in to a web of deceit and lies spanning a few centuries just isn't working any more for me. In this particular case the whole thing falls apart because the main character could have just walked away at any point, he didn't have to do any thing at all and yet some unexplained drive forces him in to endangering himself at every opportunity, apparently moved like a pawn by other fringe characters.
Another minus is Goddard used to be very good at description of the surroundings and always picked interesting European based locations. Now he just glosses over in a few words when previously he would have used a paragraph.
I was not disappointed because I expected this book would be as average as it was.
October 8, 2020
Well...
Honestly, it was a good book, I enjoyed it, although it's a little hard to forgive how the ending was a little disappointing.
The author has a great writing style, it could take a while until you get to absorb it but you easily fall in love with it and want to read more of his books. I gathered a lot of people think this isn't Goddard's best work and yet I still loved it. Maybe the ending wasn't the best because it felt like all that build up was so well thought out and so engaging and, naturally, I had expected much more. So everything up until chapter 45 was all great, and even the things that bothered me for a few minutes, when I thought about them they made sense and were justified. But then it gets, I don't know, a little tacky from there, in comparison to the rest of the book.
And, still, it wasn't a light read, it was rich in details and twists and historical facts that I'm a fan of so it's a book that sticks around with you for a while, which gives an overall delightful experience (but damn you, ending!! 😡)
Honestly, it was a good book, I enjoyed it, although it's a little hard to forgive how the ending was a little disappointing.
The author has a great writing style, it could take a while until you get to absorb it but you easily fall in love with it and want to read more of his books. I gathered a lot of people think this isn't Goddard's best work and yet I still loved it. Maybe the ending wasn't the best because it felt like all that build up was so well thought out and so engaging and, naturally, I had expected much more. So everything up until chapter 45 was all great, and even the things that bothered me for a few minutes, when I thought about them they made sense and were justified. But then it gets, I don't know, a little tacky from there, in comparison to the rest of the book.
And, still, it wasn't a light read, it was rich in details and twists and historical facts that I'm a fan of so it's a book that sticks around with you for a while, which gives an overall delightful experience (but damn you, ending!! 😡)
January 4, 2014
The story follows Tim Harding, who is asked by his friend and employer, to go back to Cornwall to bid on a family heirloom on his behalf. Introduce a mysterious housekeeper, a stolen ring, a possible murder, some old Cornish legends, a dodgy business deal, a real murder and a couple of kidnappings.
Hmmm, not sure what I think about this. The story is a convoluted and yet at the same time a bit one-dimensional. Extra strands and plotlines are constantly added without any real need for them and I got really annoyed after a while - a really good mystery to read is one where the reader gets to discover things before the characters, not just have them thrown at them within the space of chapter. In the end, there was so much going on and so many different things to wind up that I was kind of relieved to get to the end. And I suppose get to the end I did, mainly just to work out what was going through the author's head.
So, overall, an ok read, but a bit confused and disjointed, with characters seemingly dragged along for the ride. Not a book I'd rush to read again or have me searching for others by the same writer.
Hmmm, not sure what I think about this. The story is a convoluted and yet at the same time a bit one-dimensional. Extra strands and plotlines are constantly added without any real need for them and I got really annoyed after a while - a really good mystery to read is one where the reader gets to discover things before the characters, not just have them thrown at them within the space of chapter. In the end, there was so much going on and so many different things to wind up that I was kind of relieved to get to the end. And I suppose get to the end I did, mainly just to work out what was going through the author's head.
So, overall, an ok read, but a bit confused and disjointed, with characters seemingly dragged along for the ride. Not a book I'd rush to read again or have me searching for others by the same writer.
November 7, 2012
Tim Harding who originated from England, but now lives in Monaco, he runs his own landscaping business. He is asked by his friend Barney Tozer who is a tax-exile from the Penzance, to do him a favour and go to Cornwall, to retrieve a family heirloom, which his brother Gabriel had left as part of his estate, and was to be auctioned off alongwith all his contents of his home.
Tim thinks this is a straight forward thing to do for a friend, but little does he realise what he is to find out. The antique ring is stolen before the auction and Tim is drawn into a world of lies and secrets whereby everyone seems to know more than he does at every turn.
I am first-time reader of Robert Goddard, and I would say that it has been a good historical read
with a rich, engrossing and stimulating read with alot of twists and turns. The only negative I have to say about this book was the ending, which was poor and I felt a bit cheated.
Overall thou, Name to a face, is an intricately woven plot, which drew me in right from the very beginning.
Tim thinks this is a straight forward thing to do for a friend, but little does he realise what he is to find out. The antique ring is stolen before the auction and Tim is drawn into a world of lies and secrets whereby everyone seems to know more than he does at every turn.
I am first-time reader of Robert Goddard, and I would say that it has been a good historical read
with a rich, engrossing and stimulating read with alot of twists and turns. The only negative I have to say about this book was the ending, which was poor and I felt a bit cheated.
Overall thou, Name to a face, is an intricately woven plot, which drew me in right from the very beginning.
January 6, 2016
I picked this book up at a local book-exchange and welcomed the idea of reading an easy, intriguing mystery. I was sorely disappointed. I found the characters one-dimensional and not relatable at all. I didn't care what was happening to them or really believe the author's descriptions of them. The characters moved through the plot as if they had no agency of their own - new events just landed at their feet and they had to deal with them as they occurred. The story much too convoluted and contained many unnecessary diversions that only took away from the central plot. After the first few twists, the circumstances became unbelievable and tiring, and central themes were left unresolved or became suddenly unimportant. Overall, I'm glad I gave this author a try, but I will not be picking up another of his novels if I'm looking for a fun mystery.
August 5, 2013
Well, I had a significant hiatus from reading Robert Goddard books, but now I'm back at it, with my 19th one read in chronological order by published date.
This one's a good one. For a change, the main character is not a person who needs, or is looking for, redemption. Instead, he is portrayed as a chap who is intelligent, resourceful, loyal and persistent. He's confused and frustrated by all the deceitfulness going on around him, but he isn't stupid about it.
As usual, the plot is intelligent, the characters well done, the dialog very good, and there are twists (as are expected in a Goddard book).
Recommended.
This one's a good one. For a change, the main character is not a person who needs, or is looking for, redemption. Instead, he is portrayed as a chap who is intelligent, resourceful, loyal and persistent. He's confused and frustrated by all the deceitfulness going on around him, but he isn't stupid about it.
As usual, the plot is intelligent, the characters well done, the dialog very good, and there are twists (as are expected in a Goddard book).
Recommended.
July 15, 2019
I didn't like this book at all. Far too many conversations about historical events, lost interest very early on but I kept on reading to see if it got better.
Farcical that every single person that Harding wanted to meet with to discuss things with (and there was a lot), were readily available, didn't mind him turning up unannounced and were happy to disclose information to a complete stranger.
Too many characters, too many things to remember, but then when I got to the end I realised I didn't need to remember them.
I won't be reading another Robert Goddard book.
Farcical that every single person that Harding wanted to meet with to discuss things with (and there was a lot), were readily available, didn't mind him turning up unannounced and were happy to disclose information to a complete stranger.
Too many characters, too many things to remember, but then when I got to the end I realised I didn't need to remember them.
I won't be reading another Robert Goddard book.
January 28, 2025
Dit is weer een echte Goddard; wat een plottwist!
February 2, 2014
Goddard has quickly become one of my favorite authors. the beauty of his prose, the intricacies of his plots,and the complexity of his characters result in a compelling read that engages you fully while feeding your craving for his next book. I intend to read everything he writes.
October 22, 2013
I enjoy Robert Goddard's books. The plot is always intricate and the historical backgrounds intriguing.
March 1, 2024
I quite enjoyed this although I did find some of the twists took a bit of keeping up with.
July 13, 2018
Tim Harding is a landscape gardener working in Cote d’Azur. A nice guy, he’s smart, likeable and happy to give a friend a helping hand. Which is where it all starts to go wrong. One of his friends, an extremely wealthy business owner in Monaco, asks a favour: unable to attend himself, he’d like Tim to go to England and help his brother bid for a family heirloom, a not particularly valuable ring, being auctioned from the estate of a dead uncle. Simple enough? It would be, if the heirloom wasn’t shrouded in a mystery spanning several centuries. Tim agrees to go, despite having to face a few personal demons—his trip will take him close to where him and his wife holidayed shortly before she died, risking opening up a host of shelved emotions.
The story has at its heart an event that took place in the dim and distant past, which led to the shedding of blood then, and is still doing so now. Tim’s quest quickly turns from caretaking the purchase of the ring to embarking upon a journey to discover why no one is what they seem and what the death of a woman journalist in a freak diving accident has to do with it all.
With twists and turns aplenty, right from the off, you know there is more to the story of the ring than appears on the face of it. The characters and plot are so plausible, you are kept guessing all the way to the end as to who has done what, and why, and aren’t disappointed when you do get to find out.
I love Robert Goddard’s style of writing, cleverly appearing effortless, the scenes paint themselves clearly in your mind and the characters appear more real than some people I’ve actually met. Tim Harding’s character is written so convincingly that I felt privy to his most intimate thoughts, which is unusual for third person.
I loved this book.
The story has at its heart an event that took place in the dim and distant past, which led to the shedding of blood then, and is still doing so now. Tim’s quest quickly turns from caretaking the purchase of the ring to embarking upon a journey to discover why no one is what they seem and what the death of a woman journalist in a freak diving accident has to do with it all.
With twists and turns aplenty, right from the off, you know there is more to the story of the ring than appears on the face of it. The characters and plot are so plausible, you are kept guessing all the way to the end as to who has done what, and why, and aren’t disappointed when you do get to find out.
I love Robert Goddard’s style of writing, cleverly appearing effortless, the scenes paint themselves clearly in your mind and the characters appear more real than some people I’ve actually met. Tim Harding’s character is written so convincingly that I felt privy to his most intimate thoughts, which is unusual for third person.
I loved this book.
August 17, 2021
Whenever I start a Robert Goddard book I know I'm more than likely going to enjoy the story. And this didn't let me down. For me, it's Goddard almost at his best.
In this novel, Goddard expertly entwines the history of the shipwreck of the HMS Association and the theft of a ring. This only added to the story, and it actually makes me want to learn more about this event. I can only imagine the planning that went into this plot, to bring history into it and to keep the many threads from unraveling. It is so well crafted - the story only unearthing what it wants to at the time. Goddard truly is an exceptional writer.
Like many of his novels, the protagonist is an ordinary person thrown into whirlwind of mystery and deceit. There are a lot of twists and shady characters along the way, and as a reader you can't help but wonder who's telling the truth and when, since many of the characters spin lies into the truth as cunningly as a spiderweb. Goddard is a master at hiding the truth in the deceit - so much better at it that someone like Harland Coben.
Another thing I like about Goddard is the consistency in the narrator's voice, and that it changes to suit the novel. A number of authors don't know how to adopt different voices to suit different characters. I'm glad Goddard does.
In this novel, Goddard expertly entwines the history of the shipwreck of the HMS Association and the theft of a ring. This only added to the story, and it actually makes me want to learn more about this event. I can only imagine the planning that went into this plot, to bring history into it and to keep the many threads from unraveling. It is so well crafted - the story only unearthing what it wants to at the time. Goddard truly is an exceptional writer.
Like many of his novels, the protagonist is an ordinary person thrown into whirlwind of mystery and deceit. There are a lot of twists and shady characters along the way, and as a reader you can't help but wonder who's telling the truth and when, since many of the characters spin lies into the truth as cunningly as a spiderweb. Goddard is a master at hiding the truth in the deceit - so much better at it that someone like Harland Coben.
Another thing I like about Goddard is the consistency in the narrator's voice, and that it changes to suit the novel. A number of authors don't know how to adopt different voices to suit different characters. I'm glad Goddard does.
October 17, 2017
This was a pretty enjoyable read although I think it could have done with a little less complexity as by the fifth, eighth, nineteenth twist it was beginning to get a bit much and I found I cared less and less about the characters as time went on. Don't get me wrong, the story is good and I like how Goddard has combined historical events into the modern day mystery of the stolen ring and the real identity of those Harding meets while in Cornwall, it just went on longer than it really needed to. It almost felt like Goddard was determined to find a way to redeem certain characters so ended up weaving an overly complicated tale to do so.
September 7, 2021
When all is seemingly lost, there’s apparently no way out for the protagonist, Robert Goddard makes it happen. And it’s always plausible. He does it again and again in this excellent mystery that connects the theft of a centuries-old ring, a diving accident and a mysterious woman.
When Barney Tozer sends his a humble gardener, Tim Harding, to buy the ring at an auction, a chain of complex events starts. Tim’s determination to reveal the truth is unrelenting. There are unforeseeable twists and turns in a rich, rewarding and tantalising novel.
If you like John LeCarre, Robert Harris and Rory Clements, you’ll like Robert Goddard.
When Barney Tozer sends his a humble gardener, Tim Harding, to buy the ring at an auction, a chain of complex events starts. Tim’s determination to reveal the truth is unrelenting. There are unforeseeable twists and turns in a rich, rewarding and tantalising novel.
If you like John LeCarre, Robert Harris and Rory Clements, you’ll like Robert Goddard.
January 13, 2025
Standard Goddard fare. Bloke gets in trouble, then before you know it, he's in twice as much trouble and in no time at all ten times as much. Then, with a sudden bound, he's free and marries the heroine. It works for me every time. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the story is centred around a death on a dive trip and neither the author nor any of the proponents seems to know anything about diving. Why do people write about subjects they don't know about? I nearly forgot:- He always seems to mention somewhere I know in his stories. This time it was the village perchè of Eze. (That should be an acute accent.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2019
I found this book quite irritating. Readers want to be able to unravel the mystery. When everybody in a book turns out to be lying much of the time, the author is pulling the rug out from under the reader's feet. This also meant that the plot and relationships became far too complicated, as I kept having to re-calibrate what I thought I had learned earlier in the story. On top of which I found some of the dialogue bewildering. The ending came as no real surprise, and was a bit of a let-down. I tried hard to find positive things about it, but 2 stars is probably generous.
September 20, 2018
This is one of those mystery/thrillers that walks a fine line between entertaining the reader with a few unexpected plot twists and overwhelming her with too many. With what ends up as three separate crimes by three different perpetrators with three distinct motives the plot almost reaches that laughable level of incredulity. I doubt that the book has any staying power - I won't remember much of it in a month or so. Still, it was enjoyable while it lasted.
December 9, 2019
Fits the usual ticklist, ........brilliantly.
So the 'hero' is no saint as usual but his misdeeds are not so severe.
An historical element woven into a modern day journalists investigation. A few deaths and many twists and turns. As he has done before the main protagonist is in all scenes except the historical prologue and his acquisition of information for the reader is through conversation, reading documents and text message.
Thoroughly enjoyable excellence.
So the 'hero' is no saint as usual but his misdeeds are not so severe.
An historical element woven into a modern day journalists investigation. A few deaths and many twists and turns. As he has done before the main protagonist is in all scenes except the historical prologue and his acquisition of information for the reader is through conversation, reading documents and text message.
Thoroughly enjoyable excellence.
September 14, 2020
I read a lot of Robert Goddard back in the day, and pulled this one out for a second try. It was as complex as I remembered, with some great characters and well-drawn settings. I will say, however, that this time around the plot felt forced and a bit unbelievable, especially when the key bit of information is only dropped into the mix at the very end, which tends to make the armchair sleuth feel rather cheated. So, still a good read, but not one I am likely to pick up again.
March 24, 2025
A good read, with normal characters being caught up in an increasingly tangle web of deceit and murder. Great to have some historical facts and geography skilfully woven in to the story. I wish I hadn’t read some of the other reviews who were much harsher and said the plot was overly complicated. I would disagree and say it had just the right degree of complication. This is my first Robert Goddard and I keen to read more.
June 23, 2025
I've read a few of Robert Goddards books now and they tend to follow a well trodden path, the innocent patsy, the favour that becomes a huge conspiracy and everyone in the book is a liar except the main protagonist. Throw in a couple of Murders and there you have it.
Not unpleasant, still lots of action and twists but you just have to let the book take you along. The pots is more twisted than Christmas fairy lights when you get them out of the box...
Not unpleasant, still lots of action and twists but you just have to let the book take you along. The pots is more twisted than Christmas fairy lights when you get them out of the box...
June 10, 2019
Robert Goddard books are usually very entertaining yarns that are fast paced and great for reading on hols. This fell right into that category. Found it sitting on the book shelf and one afternoon later I'd finished. Doppelgangers, mystery past events leading to a murder and generally nefarious "goings on". I liked the characters, not very deep but enough to keep you interested and a good story
June 28, 2019
Air not oxygen!
Apart from the fact scuba divers have air in their tanks not oxygen this is one of Goddard’s better books...and I have read a few. It is paced well with not too many ‘wait and see in the next chapter ‘ moments and as I live in Penzance I am a little biased about part of the novels setting. A good plot with satisfying twists and turns. Well worth a read.
Apart from the fact scuba divers have air in their tanks not oxygen this is one of Goddard’s better books...and I have read a few. It is paced well with not too many ‘wait and see in the next chapter ‘ moments and as I live in Penzance I am a little biased about part of the novels setting. A good plot with satisfying twists and turns. Well worth a read.
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