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Harry Barnett #2
Out of the Sun
When Harry Barnett is informed that his son has been hospitalized in a diabetic coma, he thinks there is some mistake. He doesn't have a son. But Harry soon discovers otherwise. David Venning, a brilliant mathematician working in realms of thought that only a handful of people on earth could even begin to compreh, is now susped somewhere between life and death.
The question of Harry's paternity is immediately resolved, but other, darker mysteries quickly intervene. David Venning's tragic condition appears to be either accidental or self-inflicted. But his precious notebooks are missing from the hotel room in which he was found. Two other scientists employed have died in suspicious circumstances. Harry is propelled into an arena of conspiratorial intrigue, brilliantly rered by Goddard's deft and atmostpheric prose. He journeys to Europe and the United States in search of the truth, in an effort to help the son that he's never met.
The question of Harry's paternity is immediately resolved, but other, darker mysteries quickly intervene. David Venning's tragic condition appears to be either accidental or self-inflicted. But his precious notebooks are missing from the hotel room in which he was found. Two other scientists employed have died in suspicious circumstances. Harry is propelled into an arena of conspiratorial intrigue, brilliantly rered by Goddard's deft and atmostpheric prose. He journeys to Europe and the United States in search of the truth, in an effort to help the son that he's never met.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1996
132 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
Robert Goddard
111 books874 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 107 reviews
January 20, 2016
“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.”― Niels Bohr
11 hours 55 mins read by Paul Shelley.Blurb: The presumably childless Harry Barnett, living a quiet, aimless life in Britain, receives an anonymous call informing him that his son, a brilliant mathematician, is comatose. Worse, the son's condition is probably not accidental. His notebooks are missing; people around him are dying under mysterious circumstances. Harry, introduced in Goddard's Into the Blue, finds a new sense of purpose with the discovery that he is a father, and he begins to investigate what happened and why. The answer lies under layers of deceit, greed, fear, madness, and genius and leads Harry into unexpected byways...
HAH - many have read this since I last did - it goes in the 'under 1000' shelf now. If I remember rightly, this does suffer middle of trilogy syndrome...LATER - ooo, how wrong I was in thinking this subsidiary, the passing of time can distort memory - I love the science conspirarcy here.
"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”― Isaac Asimov4* Into The Blue (Harry Barnett #1) (1990) - re-visit 2016
3.5* Out of the Sun (Harry Barnett #2) (1996) - re-visit 2016
CR Never Go Back
5* Past Caring (1986)
5* In Pale Battalions (1988)
3* Play To the End (1988)
4* Painting the Darkness (1989)
4* Take No Farewell (1991)
3* Hand in Glove (1992)
2* Closed Circle (1993)
3* Borrowed Time (1995)
TR Beyond Recall (1997)
4* Caught in the Light (1998)
4* Set in Stone (1999)
3* Sea Change (2000)
1* Dying to Tell (2001)
3* Days Without Number (2003)
3* Sight Unseen (2005)
2* Name to a Face (2007)
1* Found Wanting (2008)
TR Long Time Coming (2009)
TR Blood Count (2010)
WL Fault Line (2012)
3* The Ways of the World (The Wide World Trilogy #1) (2013)
WL Intersection: Paris, 1919 (2013)
TR The Corners of the Globe (The Wide World Trilogy #2) (2014)
WL The Ends of the Earth (The Wide World Trilogy, #3) (2015)
December 21, 2020
6 years after Harry Barnett, a middle-aged man who has rather let himself go, chased around Greece and England looking for a girl that had disappeared is back. This time finding out he has a 33-year-old son, Dr David John Venning, who is a brilliant mathematician but happens to be in a deep diabetic coma. Something strange is happening at the company that David used to work for, Globescope. Seems like Harry is going to have to turn detective once more.
My chief concern before starting this book is why would Goddard write another book with Harry? He is not really your Jack Reacher type. Admittedly I enjoyed ‘Into the Blue’ but it just seemed strange to bring Harry Barnett back. Has he just been shoe-horned into this due to the success of the last book? Maybe. Anyway, I gave it a go.
We follow Harry as he tries to work out the mystery around Globescope and why David is in a diabetic coma. It is a bit of an oddity this one but is mildly diverting. I was nowhere near as engaged as ‘Into the Blue’. All the same silliness is there but I just felt this one did not gel. Oh well.
My chief concern before starting this book is why would Goddard write another book with Harry? He is not really your Jack Reacher type. Admittedly I enjoyed ‘Into the Blue’ but it just seemed strange to bring Harry Barnett back. Has he just been shoe-horned into this due to the success of the last book? Maybe. Anyway, I gave it a go.
We follow Harry as he tries to work out the mystery around Globescope and why David is in a diabetic coma. It is a bit of an oddity this one but is mildly diverting. I was nowhere near as engaged as ‘Into the Blue’. All the same silliness is there but I just felt this one did not gel. Oh well.
July 6, 2021
Harry Barnett is an everyman; most certainly not the guy you'd chose from a group to be an investigator. He has a weakness for alcohol; hasn't done much with his life; and is content with working part-time in a gas station -- all of this for a man in his fifth decade.
But Barnett is also a guy with a heart and a conscience, someone you can trust with your confidences. He needs plenty of trust -- and faith in himself -- as he goes full steam ahead in trying to determine who gave his son an overdose of insulin, resulting in what looks to be an irreversible coma.
Poor Barnett has never known he was a father the thirty-some years his son has been alive. It is only now that the young man lies in hospital in a coma that Barnett learns the truth. He wonders if he'll ever meet the young man who shares his smile.
But Barnett is also a guy with a heart and a conscience, someone you can trust with your confidences. He needs plenty of trust -- and faith in himself -- as he goes full steam ahead in trying to determine who gave his son an overdose of insulin, resulting in what looks to be an irreversible coma.
Poor Barnett has never known he was a father the thirty-some years his son has been alive. It is only now that the young man lies in hospital in a coma that Barnett learns the truth. He wonders if he'll ever meet the young man who shares his smile.
February 7, 2010
I first met Goddards character Harry Barnett in the novel Into the Blue. He was a likable character, prone to misfortune and possessing a penchant for lifting a few "pints" at the local pub.
In Out of the Sun Harry discovers he has a 33 year old son, a math genius who has fallen into a insulin overdose induced coma. When it is discovered that all of his son's mathematical notes are missing, and that several other individuals who had been working on a project with him for a company known as Globescope have also been felled by fatal "accidents", Harry embarks on a dangerous campaign to save the son he never knew he had.
The plot of this novel is compelling, with lots continent hopping adventures and enough twists turns to fill a package of fusilli pasta. All of these keep the reader interested, however the mathematical "hyperdimensions" mumbo-jumbo and ultimate explanation for the murders was disappointing. (Perhaps "genius" is not what it's cracked up to be).
This is not the best of Goddards offerings, but his average offering is often a lot better than other writers best.
In Out of the Sun Harry discovers he has a 33 year old son, a math genius who has fallen into a insulin overdose induced coma. When it is discovered that all of his son's mathematical notes are missing, and that several other individuals who had been working on a project with him for a company known as Globescope have also been felled by fatal "accidents", Harry embarks on a dangerous campaign to save the son he never knew he had.
The plot of this novel is compelling, with lots continent hopping adventures and enough twists turns to fill a package of fusilli pasta. All of these keep the reader interested, however the mathematical "hyperdimensions" mumbo-jumbo and ultimate explanation for the murders was disappointing. (Perhaps "genius" is not what it's cracked up to be).
This is not the best of Goddards offerings, but his average offering is often a lot better than other writers best.
February 7, 2017
Robert Goddard is a very talented writer and I have enjoyed all of his books that I have read very much. This one is not his best but Goddard will definitely keep you guessing until the quite surprising ending. Looking forward to reading my next Goddard book very soon.
July 28, 2024
Marieke Rooijmans Dodelijk inzicht
Tom Kapteijns patholoog-anatoom heeft vreemde heftige dromen over een dode vrouw. Hij is niet meer gelukkig geweest sinds Linda niet meer bij hem is. Zijn therapeut Leonie verwijst hem door voor een ure controversiële virtual reality behandeling. Zal hij er daar achterkomen waarom hij droomt over deze vrouw?
3.25 ⭐️
Tom Kapteijns patholoog-anatoom heeft vreemde heftige dromen over een dode vrouw. Hij is niet meer gelukkig geweest sinds Linda niet meer bij hem is. Zijn therapeut Leonie verwijst hem door voor een ure controversiële virtual reality behandeling. Zal hij er daar achterkomen waarom hij droomt over deze vrouw?
3.25 ⭐️
March 1, 2017
Being a Robert Goddard fan, I was looking forward to this book since I’d loved Out of the Blue, his previous novel featuring Harry Barnett. I wasn’t disappointed. Out of the Sun proved to be another engrossing read. I preferred it to the previous Goddards I’d read, Found Wanting and Days Without Number, for although it also dealt with elusive quests for which people were prepared to kill, Out of the Sun had a much more dramatic impact than the other two. This was partly because the progression of the story seemed less contrived, but mainly because the quest was driven by the strong personal feelings of the protagonist. The other two books lacked that emotional intensity, Days Without Number being full of references to crusaders and Masonic orders, and Found Wanting so full of twists and turns that one could figure out the next step because it was predictable that there would be another about-face by the various characters.
However, in Out of the Sun, Harry Barnett is driven by the urge to help the son he never knew he had, and even though the plot deals with complexities of higher mathematics that are way beyond most readers’ comprehension, the characters and their relationships are interesting and easy to relate to. As a result, the book told a much more human story than the other two, even though the solution to the mystery does delve into the realms of fantasy. Out of the Sun isn’t the most upbeat read, especially given its depressing view of where mankind is heading, well summed up in the sentence: “He feared a widening gap between knowledge and the moral maturity of mankind.” In spite of this, the book ends on a note of optimism, which is very human, realistic and a satisfying conclusion to Harry’s story. Well worth a read for mystery lovers.
However, in Out of the Sun, Harry Barnett is driven by the urge to help the son he never knew he had, and even though the plot deals with complexities of higher mathematics that are way beyond most readers’ comprehension, the characters and their relationships are interesting and easy to relate to. As a result, the book told a much more human story than the other two, even though the solution to the mystery does delve into the realms of fantasy. Out of the Sun isn’t the most upbeat read, especially given its depressing view of where mankind is heading, well summed up in the sentence: “He feared a widening gap between knowledge and the moral maturity of mankind.” In spite of this, the book ends on a note of optimism, which is very human, realistic and a satisfying conclusion to Harry’s story. Well worth a read for mystery lovers.
November 7, 2024
Robert Goddard's mysteries are an easy read; that's why they are page-turners. The language is middle-of-the-road, effortlessly urbane, undifferentiated from the median decent middle-class Englishness such as to get by in modestly intelligent society and go unremarked apart from its ordinariness. Kind of like a shabby middle-aged man in a buff mac standing on the platform at the railway station: nobody really remarks him as standing out. Or bland milky 'coffee' from the station caff. But sometimes, especially when you have just finished a demanding book (The Concerto, Ralph Hill, 1952/1968, Pelican), you need something undemanding. This is rail station waiting fodder, and something to while away the time between destinations. A bit like the pastries sold at the platform kiosk: okay, passable; does the job. Filling a space and time before the next more demanding stage.
Or so I thought. Was I, like Harry, fooled by a deception as long as this book in being so disparaging of such superficial 'ordinariness'?
Thus our anti-hero, Harry Barnett. There's the nondescript name, the barely-noticeable shabbiness, the out-of-condition form that nobody wants to spend the eye on. Harry is Mr. Persona NonGrata personified. He presents no particular challenge, even to look away from. That's why he succeeds as an amateur sleuth, getting in to places and access to people who don’t see him as a challenge. The mystery is, why he was chosen as a protagonist when he is so, well, ordinary? He seems, like the text, to smoothly slide from one episode to the next with the volition of a well-lubricated ghost. And, as you near the end, that uncanny impression is not entirely inappropriate. In fact, it is central to the mystery.
Yet Goddard does bring a sort of informed eclecticism to his work, even if, here, it is advanced maths and physics, the mystery of superstring theory. Why it should bother anyone but mathematicians seeking the esoteric mysteries of hyper-dimensions or physicists seeking answers as to the homogeneity of the early universe is given, yet it forms the backdrop to the intrigue of this particular plot. Interesting? Not especially, of itself, because it is largely incomprehensible to non-mathematicians. At first it intrudes a bit like the perpetual grey days of Harry's life and middle London, a blanket of insubstantial nothingness. It is also something entirely out of place in his world, yet the only clues to why his newly found son, comatose from an insulin overdose, would be in such a state.
It gets somewhat melodramatic as it suddenly hurries along about a third the way through, melodramatic because we are by now meant to be invested in the plot and characters, yet they are at this stage so threadbare it is impossible to be. The chase is not so much a chase as an aside of petty fears, because the risk has not been developed enough. It skips pages, days and continents in order to relocate the plot. It should have been tense, packed into claustrophobia; instead it was a jump to the other side of the world in order to move the story on.
The plot, though, thickens, and drives the narrative from now on, and the central character of Harry Barnett is driven on by it, from Copenhagen to New York to Chicago to Dallas, and so on. The introduction of new characters helps blend in a little more verisimilitude, and we follow from city to city. (At least we're out of middle London). And the central ruse in breaking the mystery - and freeing a clutch of people in hiding from a series of 'unfortunate accidents' - is well enough built up to prime a moment of some suspense.
Goddard paints a picture of the expansive two-nations of the most advanced civilisation in the world with a series of brush-strokes that present a blandness of all that wealth and relative poverty that belies the urgency by which they dominate the world. For this is the '90s, and China is yet to emerge as the dominant economic superpower of the new century, itself still driving through that period of construction that marked the US at the turn of the previous century. China doesn’t get a mention. The States are still supreme.
But there is something strangely alienating about the way Harry's passage through them feels like a dead spider whirling inevitably down the plug-hole, echoes of Wilson's friend coming to that junction in the vast plains of the mid-West, the definitive land of nowhere, not knowing where his life is going, but which has brought him here, lost, alone, a damp leaf tossed by the wind that eternally whips across the endless flat expanse. But Wilson's friend has the promise of a future heralded by the symbolic pair of angel's wings on the back of a pick-up; Harry's has inept sham leading to inevitable doom in the pretence he is about to enact on behalf of his comatose son and friends written all over it. A small spider in a web of webs, 'Fall Guy' graffitied on his back.
Implausible events follow in a stilted yet not quite incredible series of set-backs which lead to the key moment of suspense, neatly handled if unimpressive in magnitude. Harry is still that little spider, but its tenacity and hunger for achieving its objective keeps it alive. And the narrative. It suspends just above disbelief because it doesn’t outreach his sense of smallness in a big and busy world. Harry, nondescript, yet now with a mission, drifts from one set-back to the next, sufficient to keeping the pages turning. And that, after all, is the key to a novel's success - as much as character, plot credibility and written style. These may all be middle-of-the-road, but they work together to keep the pages turning.
And, very late, there is a twist, like a fold in origami. The essential mystery continues, strings and theories for now but devices to hold together old newspapers which report on the seemingly victorious demise of one of four principal con-artists that character the book. But a fifth is hidden in the fabric of it all, like an extra dimension, all but invisible behind the distractions, the effect much like a conjuror's trick. Up until this point, I hadn't even added up the basic numbers, let alone the complex ones. I might have sat up and said, 'Clever buggar!' As it was, it was... almost.
Or so I thought. Was I, like Harry, fooled by a deception as long as this book in being so disparaging of such superficial 'ordinariness'?
Thus our anti-hero, Harry Barnett. There's the nondescript name, the barely-noticeable shabbiness, the out-of-condition form that nobody wants to spend the eye on. Harry is Mr. Persona NonGrata personified. He presents no particular challenge, even to look away from. That's why he succeeds as an amateur sleuth, getting in to places and access to people who don’t see him as a challenge. The mystery is, why he was chosen as a protagonist when he is so, well, ordinary? He seems, like the text, to smoothly slide from one episode to the next with the volition of a well-lubricated ghost. And, as you near the end, that uncanny impression is not entirely inappropriate. In fact, it is central to the mystery.
Yet Goddard does bring a sort of informed eclecticism to his work, even if, here, it is advanced maths and physics, the mystery of superstring theory. Why it should bother anyone but mathematicians seeking the esoteric mysteries of hyper-dimensions or physicists seeking answers as to the homogeneity of the early universe is given, yet it forms the backdrop to the intrigue of this particular plot. Interesting? Not especially, of itself, because it is largely incomprehensible to non-mathematicians. At first it intrudes a bit like the perpetual grey days of Harry's life and middle London, a blanket of insubstantial nothingness. It is also something entirely out of place in his world, yet the only clues to why his newly found son, comatose from an insulin overdose, would be in such a state.
It gets somewhat melodramatic as it suddenly hurries along about a third the way through, melodramatic because we are by now meant to be invested in the plot and characters, yet they are at this stage so threadbare it is impossible to be. The chase is not so much a chase as an aside of petty fears, because the risk has not been developed enough. It skips pages, days and continents in order to relocate the plot. It should have been tense, packed into claustrophobia; instead it was a jump to the other side of the world in order to move the story on.
The plot, though, thickens, and drives the narrative from now on, and the central character of Harry Barnett is driven on by it, from Copenhagen to New York to Chicago to Dallas, and so on. The introduction of new characters helps blend in a little more verisimilitude, and we follow from city to city. (At least we're out of middle London). And the central ruse in breaking the mystery - and freeing a clutch of people in hiding from a series of 'unfortunate accidents' - is well enough built up to prime a moment of some suspense.
Goddard paints a picture of the expansive two-nations of the most advanced civilisation in the world with a series of brush-strokes that present a blandness of all that wealth and relative poverty that belies the urgency by which they dominate the world. For this is the '90s, and China is yet to emerge as the dominant economic superpower of the new century, itself still driving through that period of construction that marked the US at the turn of the previous century. China doesn’t get a mention. The States are still supreme.
But there is something strangely alienating about the way Harry's passage through them feels like a dead spider whirling inevitably down the plug-hole, echoes of Wilson's friend coming to that junction in the vast plains of the mid-West, the definitive land of nowhere, not knowing where his life is going, but which has brought him here, lost, alone, a damp leaf tossed by the wind that eternally whips across the endless flat expanse. But Wilson's friend has the promise of a future heralded by the symbolic pair of angel's wings on the back of a pick-up; Harry's has inept sham leading to inevitable doom in the pretence he is about to enact on behalf of his comatose son and friends written all over it. A small spider in a web of webs, 'Fall Guy' graffitied on his back.
Implausible events follow in a stilted yet not quite incredible series of set-backs which lead to the key moment of suspense, neatly handled if unimpressive in magnitude. Harry is still that little spider, but its tenacity and hunger for achieving its objective keeps it alive. And the narrative. It suspends just above disbelief because it doesn’t outreach his sense of smallness in a big and busy world. Harry, nondescript, yet now with a mission, drifts from one set-back to the next, sufficient to keeping the pages turning. And that, after all, is the key to a novel's success - as much as character, plot credibility and written style. These may all be middle-of-the-road, but they work together to keep the pages turning.
And, very late, there is a twist, like a fold in origami. The essential mystery continues, strings and theories for now but devices to hold together old newspapers which report on the seemingly victorious demise of one of four principal con-artists that character the book. But a fifth is hidden in the fabric of it all, like an extra dimension, all but invisible behind the distractions, the effect much like a conjuror's trick. Up until this point, I hadn't even added up the basic numbers, let alone the complex ones. I might have sat up and said, 'Clever buggar!' As it was, it was... almost.
September 12, 2014
This is a typical Goddard - crime and intrigue all twisted together.
Harry discovers his son is in a coma in a hospital when a message is passed to him via his employer. Trouble is, Harry doesnt have a son. In true Goddard style of course, all is not what it seems and Harry's son is a member of a group of scientists who are all slowly dying in so-called accidents.
Harry is drawn in to the circle of corruption and big business, scientific research and murder.
Great book - slightly shorter than some of the other Goddards I have read but still worth a read!
Harry discovers his son is in a coma in a hospital when a message is passed to him via his employer. Trouble is, Harry doesnt have a son. In true Goddard style of course, all is not what it seems and Harry's son is a member of a group of scientists who are all slowly dying in so-called accidents.
Harry is drawn in to the circle of corruption and big business, scientific research and murder.
Great book - slightly shorter than some of the other Goddards I have read but still worth a read!
October 5, 2010
This should get at least 4 1/2 stars. Liked it even though it took a long time to get through. The main character, good old Harry Barnett, is so loveable. I will have to get to the next book that has him as the main character. He's a keeper especially the way that I picture him as the actor, John Thaw. The story was a little ponderous but good. The travels in the US were especially entertaining. Definitely pre-9/11 travel.
November 1, 2022
Another great story from this author who pens a brilliant plot. The central character whose life takes on new meaning when he learns about his seriously ill son he never knew existed.
Set in times before the days of mobile phones and instant messaging this takes him across the globe in search of answers to questions he doesn't understand. Something which could change everyone's lives in the future. Keeps you page turning to the end.
Set in times before the days of mobile phones and instant messaging this takes him across the globe in search of answers to questions he doesn't understand. Something which could change everyone's lives in the future. Keeps you page turning to the end.
June 10, 2012
So I now know who did it but how did they do it? I don't like it when my books cross genre. I didn't like the ending of 'Life on Mars' or Ashes to ashes' either (I know, on the goggle box not a book), as that went from being crime drama to spooky ghost story. So is this crime/drama or fantasy? But I'll continue reading the rest of his books that I have as they're good fun.
June 20, 2017
Harry Barnett isn't doing too well. He has a dead end job, drinks too much and has no family and few friends. But the news that he has a grown-up son, a son that is fighting for his life, gives his existence some purpose. He sets off on an incredible series of adventures. The background to this novel, set in the world of mathematics and physics, is very difficult to follow. But maybe that's the point; to put the reader in the same state of confusion as Harry. The writing is tight; the twists keep coming. I very much enjoyed thus thriller and didn't guess the ending.
November 4, 2018
3.5* I enjoyed this my first of this suthor. Easy writing style and enjoyable plot
November 16, 2018
Another solid story from Goddard, closely following the first novel in the series.
The storyline is compelling and interesting enough to keep you guessing until the end.
What Goddard does best is describing the underdog, without falling into the trap of suddenly providing our “hero” with up until now unknown talents. Harry is a middle aged man without much more than a stubborn determination to find the truth and he stays like that throughout the novels.
The storyline is compelling and interesting enough to keep you guessing until the end.
What Goddard does best is describing the underdog, without falling into the trap of suddenly providing our “hero” with up until now unknown talents. Harry is a middle aged man without much more than a stubborn determination to find the truth and he stays like that throughout the novels.
March 30, 2019
Okay, so I’m doing things round the wrong way. I am reviewing the second book in the Harry Barnett trilogy before the first one so forgive me but I want to give the book to a friend and Into the Blue is on my kindle, so that review can wait.
Let me start by saying, reading this book, I decided to go ahead and cast the lead in the Harry Barnett trilogy. You know, the shows they aren’t making of Robert Goddard books. I'm aware (as mentioned in a previous review) that they did make Into the Blue and Goddard hated it. Harry was played by John Thaw so (as a contrast) I believe David Haig from Killing Eve would be perfect as Harry. He could make him interesting enough for us to want follow him as the mysteries deepen; he could also portray the lack of ambition but on the other-hand the determination as well. And the drinking:
“Beer was a lover who never tired of Harry’s attentions, a friend who never turned him away. The slurred damn-it-all indifference he could summon up under its influence was his for the rest of the day, expanding with each pub he visited on his erratic route home, until, at his last port of call, even the barman’s reluctance to serve him did not dent his sang-froid.”
And this is where Goddard is very skilled. He picks up Harry Barnett several years after the events of Into the Blue but in Out of the Sun, Goddard doesn’t harp on them, as a lesser writer would, they are merely mentioned in passing. The premise in this novel is intriguing. Barnett suddenly discovers that he has a son who is not only a brilliant mathematician but in a coma as well. Quite a lot to take in.
Goddard is also clever enough to manage the tricky situation of writing about a character that is smarter than you. No mean feat! Goddard touches on hyper-dimensional science and gives us just enough information to suggest his characters (and therefore himself) know more when of course neither is possible. I was also impressed by the character of Dr Athene Tilson, a very realised creation.
This is another entertaining novel from Goddard. Highly recommended but I would suggest (despite my comment above) to read Into the Blue first. It is a great introduction to Harry Barnett and this is a very satisfactory follow-on.
Let me start by saying, reading this book, I decided to go ahead and cast the lead in the Harry Barnett trilogy. You know, the shows they aren’t making of Robert Goddard books. I'm aware (as mentioned in a previous review) that they did make Into the Blue and Goddard hated it. Harry was played by John Thaw so (as a contrast) I believe David Haig from Killing Eve would be perfect as Harry. He could make him interesting enough for us to want follow him as the mysteries deepen; he could also portray the lack of ambition but on the other-hand the determination as well. And the drinking:
“Beer was a lover who never tired of Harry’s attentions, a friend who never turned him away. The slurred damn-it-all indifference he could summon up under its influence was his for the rest of the day, expanding with each pub he visited on his erratic route home, until, at his last port of call, even the barman’s reluctance to serve him did not dent his sang-froid.”
And this is where Goddard is very skilled. He picks up Harry Barnett several years after the events of Into the Blue but in Out of the Sun, Goddard doesn’t harp on them, as a lesser writer would, they are merely mentioned in passing. The premise in this novel is intriguing. Barnett suddenly discovers that he has a son who is not only a brilliant mathematician but in a coma as well. Quite a lot to take in.
Goddard is also clever enough to manage the tricky situation of writing about a character that is smarter than you. No mean feat! Goddard touches on hyper-dimensional science and gives us just enough information to suggest his characters (and therefore himself) know more when of course neither is possible. I was also impressed by the character of Dr Athene Tilson, a very realised creation.
This is another entertaining novel from Goddard. Highly recommended but I would suggest (despite my comment above) to read Into the Blue first. It is a great introduction to Harry Barnett and this is a very satisfactory follow-on.
July 26, 2012
This is the 9th Robert Goddard book I've read in my quest to read all his books in chronological order.
In this book we see the re-emergence of Harry Barnett, the protagonist from an earlier book, Into the Blue. Harry is a complete reprobate who has a barely functional job, drinks to excess, and smokes continuously. However, for the second time, Harry is thrust into a complex and dangerous situation through no fault of his own, except for his own stubbornness and unwillingness to give up on his search, despite being overweight, prone to becoming out of breath easily, and continuing to drink to excess.
This book is different from the other Goddard books I've read in that the plot is centered around multiple dimensions, in the mathematical and physical sense. In fact, the author refers to advanced physical theories such as supersymmetry and string theory, which isn't bad for a non-scientific book published in 1996. I happen to be somewhat familiar with such theories, and the author doesn't go sufficiently into them to get into trouble, but he seems to have done his homework
Another piece of evidence that suggests the author has done his homework is when he refers to Harry drinking a Shiner Bock, when he's in Dallas. It just so happens that we have some guests from Texas at the moment who had introduced us to Shiner Bock (just the name; we can't get Shiner Bock in our area).
Goddard did his usual plot-twisting thing, but perhaps less unexpectedly as in earlier books. I did guess the final twist, revealed in the final two or three pages. However, even though his choice of multi-dimensions-based plot might have appealed to me as one with a physics background, I thought he had done much better with his previous more historically-based plots.
It's interesting that the last two books I've read of this series have been less satisfactory than his earlier books. I hope this is not a trend.
In this book we see the re-emergence of Harry Barnett, the protagonist from an earlier book, Into the Blue. Harry is a complete reprobate who has a barely functional job, drinks to excess, and smokes continuously. However, for the second time, Harry is thrust into a complex and dangerous situation through no fault of his own, except for his own stubbornness and unwillingness to give up on his search, despite being overweight, prone to becoming out of breath easily, and continuing to drink to excess.
This book is different from the other Goddard books I've read in that the plot is centered around multiple dimensions, in the mathematical and physical sense. In fact, the author refers to advanced physical theories such as supersymmetry and string theory, which isn't bad for a non-scientific book published in 1996. I happen to be somewhat familiar with such theories, and the author doesn't go sufficiently into them to get into trouble, but he seems to have done his homework
Another piece of evidence that suggests the author has done his homework is when he refers to Harry drinking a Shiner Bock, when he's in Dallas. It just so happens that we have some guests from Texas at the moment who had introduced us to Shiner Bock (just the name; we can't get Shiner Bock in our area).
Goddard did his usual plot-twisting thing, but perhaps less unexpectedly as in earlier books. I did guess the final twist, revealed in the final two or three pages. However, even though his choice of multi-dimensions-based plot might have appealed to me as one with a physics background, I thought he had done much better with his previous more historically-based plots.
It's interesting that the last two books I've read of this series have been less satisfactory than his earlier books. I hope this is not a trend.
September 9, 2013
Hmmmm, not really sure what to say about this novel. Well, the first thing I suppose, is that I did read it, although I can't say why. I tend to stop books that I'm not enjoying, but found myself reading on just to see how it all tied up.
When Harry gets a mysterious phone call saying his son is in a coma, he ends up chasing a number of conspiracies around the world, trying to get to the truth. Which is fine in itself - a great premise that had such huge potential. Instead, Harry luckily falls from one clue to another, even having a old acquaintance turning up out of the blue when he needs a wingman. I understand some of the reasons behind the actions of the scientists, but considering they are supposed to be so clever, I'm not sure they would have relied on Harry to sort out the mess.
And then there is the final protagonist and their motives. WTF?!?!? I am a huge fan of SF, but even I couldn't suspend belief enough here. Higher Dimension theory - well, ok, lets go with it. But I kind of got the impression that even the author was a little confused by the maths and by the fact that he was using it all as the hinge of his plot. Weird and Odd, but not in the good way that I like.
So overall, ok. Not one I would necessarily recommend, but if you genuinely had nothing else to read, give it a go.
When Harry gets a mysterious phone call saying his son is in a coma, he ends up chasing a number of conspiracies around the world, trying to get to the truth. Which is fine in itself - a great premise that had such huge potential. Instead, Harry luckily falls from one clue to another, even having a old acquaintance turning up out of the blue when he needs a wingman. I understand some of the reasons behind the actions of the scientists, but considering they are supposed to be so clever, I'm not sure they would have relied on Harry to sort out the mess.
And then there is the final protagonist and their motives. WTF?!?!? I am a huge fan of SF, but even I couldn't suspend belief enough here. Higher Dimension theory - well, ok, lets go with it. But I kind of got the impression that even the author was a little confused by the maths and by the fact that he was using it all as the hinge of his plot. Weird and Odd, but not in the good way that I like.
So overall, ok. Not one I would necessarily recommend, but if you genuinely had nothing else to read, give it a go.
September 4, 2014
A brilliant idea this book which I can't really tell you much about or it will spoil it. Harry Barnett finds he has a son and someone encourages him to find out more about why he is in a diabetic coma. He moves around the world and ends up discovering some fascinating modern dilemmas which sounded to be quite plausible and which his son was not only involved in but possibly masterminding. Although Barnett doesn't want his son to die and would like to get to know him, he realises the potential consequences of his research poses many moral dilemmas.
November 22, 2020
Not one of Goddard's finest. The plot is ludicrous and makes less sense as it goes along. Harry is one of Goddard's more disreputable main characters. He is supposed to be a down on his luck, overweight bloke, who drinks too much, and works in a service station. Despite this he still manages to get the (much younger, beautiful and more intelligent) girl. Infact, his success with women is the books biggest mystery! Harry's relationship with a son he never knew he had could have been an interesting central plotline, but that is never explored.
November 27, 2015
Another great Goddard story filled with his signature plot twists and suspensions. I love the way Goddard configures a sentence with a beautiful, lyric quality and a crisp clarity that hone his story. It was a perfect set - this and Into the Blue - for a vacation!
June 16, 2017
Probably not the best Robert Goddard book I've read but well written and good plot. It had a bit too much 'technical' speak for me, in fact, early on I almost put it down but persevered and, in the end, enjoyed it.
February 7, 2017
Another excellent read by Robert Goodard
February 14, 2022
I enjoyed this book mainly because of Goddard's writing style mixed with his creation of characters in unusual everyday locations. The central character is an aging unhealthy anti-hero who has no confidence in himself or others but who pursues a challenge to the end whilst being continually frightened. He drinks and smokes and has just enough cash to get by (although it is not really clear where this comes from other than the occasional donation). The plot is unusual to say the least, including his unknown son spying on him in Greece (the big link with Into the Blue) when he was the worse for wear and making a very bad impression. There are numerous characters who fade in and out of the novel leading to a typical Goddard unexpected finish, but there is also a hard to believe subplot around the power of mathematical theory to almost supernaturally control the world and create a new species of super-minds. If only Goddard had chosen a more credible and tangible theme around, for example, undoing a terrible invention. But these in my view are minor criticisms because on every page there are stand out paragraphs that really hit home, and I think this author is a master of the opening sentence for every chapter.
April 13, 2025
When Harry Barnett is informed that his son has been hospitalized in a diabetic coma, he thinks there is some mistake. He doesn't have a son. But Harry soon discovers otherwise. David Venning, a brilliant mathematician working in realms of thought that only a handful of people on earth could even begin to compreh, is now susped somewhere between life and death.
The question of Harry's paternity is immediately resolved, but other, darker mysteries quickly intervene. David Venning's tragic condition appears to be either accidental or self-inflicted. But his precious notebooks are missing from the hotel room in which he was found. Two other scientists employed have died in suspicious circumstances. Harry is propelled into an arena of conspiratorial intrigue, brilliantly rered by Goddard's deft and atmostpheric prose. He journeys to Europe and the United States in search of the truth, in an effort to help the son that he's never met.
The question of Harry's paternity is immediately resolved, but other, darker mysteries quickly intervene. David Venning's tragic condition appears to be either accidental or self-inflicted. But his precious notebooks are missing from the hotel room in which he was found. Two other scientists employed have died in suspicious circumstances. Harry is propelled into an arena of conspiratorial intrigue, brilliantly rered by Goddard's deft and atmostpheric prose. He journeys to Europe and the United States in search of the truth, in an effort to help the son that he's never met.
September 12, 2022
Never quite sure whether I like him or not. I feel Harry's a bit of a bore really; a drunk who chain smokes and yet manages to solve complex problems and overcome hurdles that few would encounter, yet alone conquer. It has nothing to do with working class roots, or blue collar background, it's just that Harry is a fairly unattractive character all round. The world's greatest under achiever suddenly becomes, well I'm not sure really. Certainly not anymore attractive but perhaps even a little long-winded; yes, at times quite long-winded.
I have the 3rd loaded, but not sure I will get to it. Life is too short to plough your way through average plots and characters and long winded scenes. Sorry!
I have the 3rd loaded, but not sure I will get to it. Life is too short to plough your way through average plots and characters and long winded scenes. Sorry!
February 27, 2024
It is a great book to script a mini-series, but it lacked meat. I am not sure if books cannot be over a certain number of pages to meet a price point so that editors must chop portions out or if the portions were never there that needed to be.
3 stars for the twisty plot with the interesting finale. It would have gotten 4 stars had it had more character development and a bit more historical perspective. Some portions should have been chopped to allow room for what would have upgraded its rating, but I would have to spoil to disclose.
Good, easy escape reading that you can put down and pick up again.
3 stars for the twisty plot with the interesting finale. It would have gotten 4 stars had it had more character development and a bit more historical perspective. Some portions should have been chopped to allow room for what would have upgraded its rating, but I would have to spoil to disclose.
Good, easy escape reading that you can put down and pick up again.
March 18, 2024
I'm not too sure if there is a typical Robert Goddard book but usually there's some poor sod who finds himself (the main protagonist has always been a man in every book I've read) mixed up in crime, mystery and intrigue often due to no fault of his own. This is my second book with Harry, a kind and honest man somewhat down on his luck, with a major drink problem and an indefatigable skill of managing to get himself mixed up in things that are way beyond his understanding. That through sheer determination and tenacity he manages to blunder and occasionally charm his way through to a resolution of sorts is the charm of the book and of Harry.
November 3, 2019
Middle aged hero!!
As always well written and satisfying. Harry the unlikeliest of hero’s returns again although it’s not essential to have read his previous adventures. It’s a complicated plot and it would be best read in less rather than more sittings to keep the complexities manageable. It only dropped the single star because it was written some time ago and technology has moved on meaning some of Harry’s predicaments are now unrealistic.
As always well written and satisfying. Harry the unlikeliest of hero’s returns again although it’s not essential to have read his previous adventures. It’s a complicated plot and it would be best read in less rather than more sittings to keep the complexities manageable. It only dropped the single star because it was written some time ago and technology has moved on meaning some of Harry’s predicaments are now unrealistic.
September 24, 2024
Known for is clever storytelling, this novel is not one of Goddard’s best. I found it longwinded and highly incredible with a cast of relatively poorly drawn characters. The concept of hyper dimensions is so obscure to the lay reader that this storyline is simply not engaging. There is no explanation why the mathematics of higher dimensions would be dangerous in the future and therefore the storyline (murders of several mathematicians) doesn’t make any sense.
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