Dying to Tell

by Robert Goddard

Lance Bradley, idling his life away in the little Somerset town of Glastonbury, suddenly receives a call for help from the eccentric sister of his old friend Rupert Alder. Rupe appears to have vanished without trace. Reluctantly, Lance goes to London, to discover that Rupe's employers want him tried for fraud. A Japanese businessman claims he has stolen a document of huge importance. And a private detective is demanding money for trying to trace, on Rupe's behalf, an American called Townley, who was involved in a mysterious death at Wilderness Farm, near Glastonbury, back in 1963. No sooner has Lance decided that whatever Rupe was up to is too risky to get involved in than he finds that he already is involved, and the only way out is to get in deeper still. Where is Rupe? What is the document he has stolen? Who is Townley? And what happened at Wilderness Farm nearly thirty years before that holds the key to a secret more amazing than Lance Bradley could ever have imagined? Dying to Tell is another classic Goddard intricate, fascinating and deeply satisfying to the very last page.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense

419 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

In 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.

Reviews

[Hannah]

Did not finish.

I do like Goddard's writing style, but must confess that there were too many characters for me to keep up with and the plot got somewhat convoluted for me. I will try a few more of his, since I might have picked up one that isn't his best.

[Thomas Stroemquist]

So, I took a break from this one to read an AMAZING draft version of a book by a fave author. Now I realize that I'm never getting back into this one, it was hard going as it was. Second Goddard on the DNF, did not see that coming. I do have a couple of his left and probably need to pick up another one to make sure it was just unlucky coincidence.

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
Listened to this book on audio.

Lance Bradley is idling away his life in the Somerset town of Glastonbury as usual when he receives a call for help from the eccentric sister of his old friend Rupert Alder. Inexplicably, Rupe has stopped sending the money that his dysfunctional siblings depend on.

Reluctantly, Lance goes to London to learn what he can, only to find that his friend has vanished.

His employers, a shipping company, believe he is guilty of a major fraud.

A Japanese businessman called Hashimoto claims he has stolen a document of life and death importance.

And a private detective who has been working for Rupert's trying to trace an American called Townley has been warned off by unnamed but immensely powerful interests.

No sooner has Lance decided that whatever Rupert was up to is too risky for him to get involved in than he finds that he already is involved, and the only way out is to get in deeper still.

Where is Rupert?

What is the document he has stolen, and where is it?

Who is Townley?

And what happened in the summer of 1963 that holds the key to a secret more devastating than Lance Bradley could ever have imagined?

Dying to Tell is a classic Robert Goddard mystery, intricate, compelling, and this time with a good number of red herrings, and a twist or two in the end of the tale that is, quite literally, sensational. I had to listen to it twice!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the usual elements of a RG book are here - the tragic, dysfunctional West Country family with which the hero reluctantly becomes involved; the chase through a series of picturesque cities around the world; helpful supporting characters who will either end up dead or turn the tables by pulling a gun on our hapless hero. And of course, a Big Secret of epic proportions.

So the only question is, how well does he juggle all the elements this time?

Plot and twists - pretty good. A bit linear, with not many surprises along the way, but a satisfying twist at the end. I was expecting Rupe to come back from the dead though, so was a little disappointed when that didn't happen. Enough action to stop it falling into the 'endless explanatory conversations' mode of some of his novels.

The Big Secret - one of his best. He convincingly integrates TWO classic conspiracy theories.

Writing style - passable. Too many chapters end with the hero drifting in a deep, dreamless sleep, despite his predicament, but at least the line "He shivered, and not from the cold..." is not included in this book. No cringeworthy sex scenes.

Overall, I think this is one of his better books, but not among the very best.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, this is the last of the books I have by this author. I bought a pack of them not having read anything of his before. I've enjoyed reading them, but reading them one after another I've been struck by how similar they are, how they follow the same lines, though you could probably say that for a lot of authors if you read their books back to back. The only niggle that I have with the books is that the plot is not allowed to unfold, you tend to get told the whole story as a monologue by one of the characters towards the 2/3 or 3/4 mark of the book, then the rest of the book is taken up with mopping up the consequences or in some cases killing a few more people. That's one of the things I quite perversely like, that the author is not afraid to kill off all and sundry, too many authors wouldn't shed much loved blood! Anyhow, enjoy these books, though one a month would probably be better than 10 in a month.

[Gurth Bruins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I think is that I am furious with the shitty type of reviews I see here. One gets a 'synopsis' of the plot giving a few names, so-and-so was in such and such a place, went here- or-there - NO INDICATION of what the book is really like whatsoever.

For me this book was a cultural revelation about the gentleness of the Japanese, whom I was indoctinated during world war 2 to regard as cruel and heartless.

Now this bloody review I see here is so uninformative that I can't even be sure this is the book I actually read, as others also mention Japan.

Damn and blast!

[Vic Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd love to say that my favourite author is one of literary history's great names, but it would be a lie. Robert Goddard so far has never disappointed me. I read his books in small doses in order not to run out of them. His stories are so full of twists and turns. I love his tendency to embed them in historical facts or events. He is, in my humble opinion, one of the best storytellers on earth.

[Deborah O'Regan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book not up to the usual standard I have come to expect from Robert Gooddard

[D.A. Fellows · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars. A quick enough read, and I have to score it in the middle of the road as I sit here trying to work out whether I really enjoyed it or not. Downsides...a kinda pathetic, borderline alcoholic main character who has literally nothing else to do with his life, who suddenly and randomly metamorphoses into a stand-up comedian whenever somebody pulls a gun on him. Another reviewer has mentioned the over-use of parentheses, and this is something I noticed too. I would have to re-read Goddard’s debut novel ‘Past Caring’ to double-check, but it’s my opinion that his style has changed dramatically since then. I remember long, flowing sentences, far more intrigue and much less reliance on yet another death to keep the story feeling interesting. Now, Goddard seems to write in. Short. Snappy. Sentences. And every line of dialogue feels like it’s...contrived. I don’t know. The plot was more or less fine, if unnecessarily convoluted, but the ending was so frying-pan-to-the-face abrupt that there is almost a sense of being cheated out of a proper ending. And although we learn the general nature of The Letter, I kinda wish we’d gotten to read it ourselves. All in all, it feels like the general downward trend toward mainstream commercialism of this great author is continuing.

[M.Z. Urlocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read nearly a dozen Robert Goddard novels. They are all good and some are excellent. This one is definitely above average. Yes, it is similar in premise (past historical scandal creeping up on present day), structure (gradual revealing of who is good, who is bad) and characters (ne'er do-well who redeems himself), but nonetheless, it's a definite page turner. If you are new to Goddard, it's a great way to start. For those who are already fans, it's not as good as say "In Pale Battalions" or "Out of the Blue" but it's still darned good. And there's a plot twist half-way through that was just incredible. I can't say more otherwise it would spoil the surprise. Highly recommended.

[The Villan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay read in the end. Interesting plot that started off good but then went into the realms of fantasy with two well documented historical events that became conveniently enter twined and supposedly connected and caused by an incest relationship. The moment Bradley just happened to read a personal ad in a newspaper that very week when he arrived in California was way too convenient and a poor segue to connect Bradley with the suspect Townley.

[Adrian Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lent to me by a friend who also loves "British murder mysteries". This guy who still lives in the village he grew up in is asked to find an old mate of his by the mate's sister. He travels around the world, where he immediately finds the next person who tells him exactly what his next step is, never any choices or contemplation of options. Although the story is not bad, the presentation was frustrating.

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lance goes searching for his friend Rupe who has disappeared. People keep getting killed for reasons we don't understand until finally we come to the point that we really don't care anymore, about Lance, about Rupe, or about any of the rest of the motley crew of characters. Nah, wish I'd read something else.

[Angie Swain]

I used to love Mr Goddard's early books - Past Caring etc. Now I keep hoping for a better plot with every book Mr Goddard writes. This one is particularly thin although Mr Goddard has added a new expression to the English language and one that I will use when I see his next new book - "YUH"

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of involved and weird. Takes you on a long journey, and at the end, you don't know if you appreciated it.

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's not often that I don't finish an audio book, but this one was just tedious.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh come on peeps. Goddard fan or not, this is absolutely a masterpiece of plot and character.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good listen. My nitpicks would be that it has a slow start and the author uses British phrases for his American characters.

[Water Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not perfect, but enjoyed it anyway. I’m surprised so many readers didn’t finish it at all - despite its various problems I tore through it in a day. It’s the kind of familiar mystery novel that you pick up in an airport bookstore. Nothing new here, but still good. It is old-fashioned in the sense that the storyline does not rely on forensics or gimmicks, but rather amateur sleuthing which is a nice change of pace from a lot of other detective fiction. It leans more toward the amateur sleuth genre. And of course, what would a mystery be without some vicarious travelling - from Somerset to Tokyo, Berlin, and California. It’s mainly set in Britain so if you’ve lived near South West England you may recognise the locations referenced in the book. Sometimes the pieces of the plot did fit too cleanly, but overall the story held my interest. My main issue wasn’t a plot problem but actually the lack of consistency with the main character who was described as 37 years old but alternately behaved like a reckless teenager and old man depending on the scene. As for getting answers in the end, while the twist is a good one, there’s not much expansion on it and you’re left to fill in the gaps. I prefer a more detailed denouement.

[Jen Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sister of his old college friend, Rupert Alder, approaches Lance Bradley and tells him that no one has heard from Rupe in months and would he please go to the city and look for him. This starts Lance on a long and dangerous search for Rupe that, surprisingly to Lance, includes fraud, murder, and a secret so big it spans four countries.
Unfortunately, I found this book pretty cool right up until the ending. We follow Lance as he gets deeper and more entrenched in the danger that Rupe got involved in. We follow clues all around the world and meet more and more people who were involved in an increasingly growing web of secrets and crime. The only thing is that the web got so big by the end, and the central secret was so huge, and so many characters were involved, that the end wound up coming off as a little silly to me.
For me, this was a classic case of good book, outlandish ending. Milling around between a 2.5 and a 3 star for me.

[Norman Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the weakest books by Robert Goddard that I've read. I regard him as a reliable author, and am willing to give his books a whirl when I come across one, but if this had been the first of his that I had read, I would not have gone back for more.

The plot was way over the top, one unbelievable incident after another. The resolution was just pulled out of a hat. The motivation of the friend, Rupert, for whom the protagonist is searching, is a red herring. The characters are not well developed. The dialogue, particularly the use of American slang, is not well done (I have never heard a person say "Yuh" for "Yes", but here, every American says it). ... and so on.

It is a fast-moving, action-packed story, but there are lots of those about. It will provide a certain amount of amusement, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plotted to the max with every detail slotting into place from the earliest to the last. Yes, there are plenty of coincidences as well: the right person turns up fairly often at the right moment, or the right bit of information appears just in time, or even, in some cases, the hero does a bit of deduction that's just a little beyond probability, but who cares? This is a whiz bang thriller, and probably the best book by this author I've read.
I like the main character: at least until things turn increasing on their heads for him, he has a great sense of humour, more optimism than he realises, and a surprising willingness to get involved in a mess for the sake of an old friend. And the book not only shifts from continent to continent but from the strange old world weirdness of the opening scenes to vastly different locales in Germany, Japan, the US, with ease.

[Sergej · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed the first page and several more, the ease of the narrative, the good humour, well-drawn characters, after the first 100 pages the joy was gone. And probably the last 50 pages dragged on and on though the action was aplenty.
At some point, and every reader has his own merit for this, the story lost every tough with reality. I still enjoyed an odd joke the urge to carry on was gone. Pity, as bought a couple more Goddards after the initial pleasurable reading. But maybe other titles are better.
What I really did not like was the disproportionate use of parenthesis. This made staggering reading. Very often I found the use of brackets superfluous, simple commas would have done better.
But - I am not the writer. Tastes differ.

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Goddard is one of my favourite mystery writers. I enjoy the period settings for novels, and the almost gentlemanly way of writing. The characters to me are always believable, and there are always plenty of twists and turns to keep you fully engaged.

This novel did not disappoint.

Our hero is basically guilt-tripped into helping a useless bunch track down an old friend (their brother) because they rely on said friend for money. Lance heads off, totally unaware of the troubles ahead. Along the way, he encounters friends and foes (the usual mix found in many a Goddard novel), and escapes deadly situations.

If you love a good mystery and period settings, this will be for you. Goddard is not everybody's cup of tea, but I think he is a brilliant writer.

[David Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale that rattles along while keeping everyone in the dark about the underlying secrets that result in multiple sudden deaths. The action moves from the quietude of Glastonbury via London, Japan and San Francisco before coming full circle to the wetlands of Somerset. Lance, the usual unfulfilled and unambitious protagonist, is tasked with searching for his best friend who’s reported missing by his sister and, with nothing better to do, Lance becomes involved with murder, mayhem and the possible links between world and national events of the year he was born - 1963. I recommend that you just allow the sudden twists and turns to wash over you while enjoying the writing and go along for the ride but stop short of having a drink every time Lance does.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up to 4. I enjoyed this book as an audio book, but I’m not sure I would have had the patience to actually read it. I thought it was very complex with a plot that covered a lot of territory. It was like the author couldn’t decide whether to concentrate on a train robbery, a family death or an assassination so he included all of them. I liked the reader.

Lance, shortened from Lancelot, rather naively started looking for his missing friend Rufe and found himself in all kinds of trouble in England, Japan and the U S. I’m not sure how he survived when so many around him were being killed, but he did.

[Nicky Warwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great adventure thriller from Robert Goddard.
Lance Bradley is quite happy with his ne’er do well lifestyle in the Gloucestershire countryside so he’s not too keen to see an old friends sister walk into the pub as he has a lunchtime pint.
Win is the eldest sister of Rupert (Rupe) Alder & she wants Lance to go & look for Rupe as he’s missed sending money to the family since August.
Lance has a halfhearted ring round & comes up blank so he decides he will just have to go to London to see if he can track Rupe down.
What he finds when he starts digging is a mystery that will see him travelling to Berlin, Tokyo & the USA in search of the truth

[Tarik Muftic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like Goddard's writing style and getting familiar with English expressions I have not heard before. However, reading two of his books in quick succession was not a good idea as the storytelling in two books I read is very similar. The book starts well but it becomes too unbelievable rather soon. There were many too many characters to follow up with maybe too many killings that were not necessarily supporting the plot. Twist at the end is great. I've enjoyed reading the both of Goddard’s books but may not repeat reading two in a month.

[K. Morral · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although the who-dunnit element is identified by half way through, and it becomes more of a how-dunnit, when-dunnit and why-dunnit and how to get of this mess plot line. It is broken into segments by location, of which there are several (London, Japan, America, Germany) and with lots of characters and scene jumping, it is a fairly complex read.

The tension builds early, and doesn't really ease until the epilogue. There are a few twists that are retained until the end but with two exceptions, they were fairly easy to identify.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Goddard, I was a little disappointed

I’ve read so many of Robert Goddard‘s books, and have loved every one of them. In fact whenever I am struggling with what to read next, I turn to Goddard to get me going again. Hence I was quite disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this book. Why? I’m not entirely sure. I found the various strands a little unlikely - from the Great Train Robbery to JFK. But maybe I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind. If you like Goddard, then give it a go, judging by the reviews I am definitely in a minority.