Sight Unseen

I have read most of Robert Goes novels and always enjoy them. I think the multi layers of his stories are intriguing. This book does not disappoint. I wish he had made more of Avebury as it is such a fascinating place and that initially drew me into the story. Really, the location is irrelevant. Loved the twists and turns. An easy read, difficult to put down.

Goddard has thrown a curved ball with this plot. One in prison, one in hospital and one dead is only the middle of the story.. Our hero sorts out the threads of what is going on around him but it takes the author a little longer than usual to get there. As a result there are some sections which seem less relevant to the story and the overall book is not as sharp as some of Goddard's novels..

An intriguing foray into past prosaic politics encapsulates this multi-murder mystery to the point of no return. A very well-written drama has the hero continually chasing his tail before he sees the light!Harast

This was a book club read; could not put it down so do not start reading it if you have deadlines to meet! Its a quirky detective story with a historical thread running through it. It starts off with a student witnessing a kidnapping and a tragic hit and run accident whilst having a quiet drink in a country pub; an event that changes the lives of everyone who was present that day. Fast forward and the one time PhD History student, now widowed and estranged from his family, is reduced to conducting guided tours of Prague for the "Jolly Brolly" company when the detective from the kidnapping case catches up with him. Together they launch an unofficial investigation of a case that is supposedly solved, opening old wounds along the way, but both with powerful reasons for needing the truth. It is hard to work out who are the good guys and I was no where near guessing "who did it." Loved the writing so much I also bought In Pale Battalions by the same author which is, if anything, even better.

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A wonderful read. The settings were beautifully described. The plot was well constructed and well paced. As with all Goddard novels the twists and turns meant you couldn't put this book down. I have read a number of Robert Goddard novels and this one was of the same high quality. I highly recommend this book.

I live in Wiltshire and Marlborough and Avebury are two of my favourite places so this book was especially interesting to me . A typical Robert Goddard twist and turn ...you think you have sussed it and then he surprises you ! I love his books and can heartily recommend .

Another absorbing mystery from Robert Goddard. The plot stems from the kidnapping of a child and the death of her sister who is hit by the getaway van. A young man named David Umber is witness to the tragedy. Umber’s presence at the scene results in him meeting, consoling and later marrying Sally, the young nanny who is so devastated by what has happened to the children in her care. Sally gradually crumbles under her feelings of guilt and, some years later, after she and Umber split up, she commits suicide.Twenty years after the kidnapping, while Umber is working as a tour guide in Prague, he is visited by George Sharpe, the detective, now retired, who investigated the original incident. Sharpe has always been dissatisfied with the outcome of the case and wants to look into it again as an independent investigator. He persuades Umber to help him, and soon, in typical Goddard fashion, the plot begins to twist and turn in surprising directions. More people die, and Umber is forced to question whether Sally’s death really was suicide. Soon he realizes that there is a much deeper plot behind the series of tragedies.Umber’s quest takes him to a variety of locations, including the Isle of Wight, and in his search for the truth, he is forced to revisit the research project he was working on at the time of the heartbreaking incident that changed his life. As a result, he uncovers intriguing theories about secret royal marriages and alternate heirs to the throne. Like several of Goddard’s other mysteries, the plot becomes multi-layered, setting fascinating historical tidbits against the modern world of organized crime. While not my favourite of the Goddard novels, this one kept me thoroughly engaged and the outcome was certainly not one I could predict. Definitely a compelling read.

ogni nuovo romanzo va letto perchè diverso dal precedenteTrama in sospeso fino all'ultimoInglese facile anche per noi italiani

This book smacks of the Madeline McCann abduction, but it was written before she disappeared. I wonder if the perpetrator of the crime read this book?

Je ne me lasse pas de lire les (très) nombreux ouvrages de Robert Goddard. Spécialiste du roman d'investigation où tout s'effondre progressivement et la fin m'a laissé une nouvelle fois haletant.

Cet auteur donne toujours plaisir. Ces livres sont bien rechercés du point de vue historique et l'intrigue est toujours à la hauteur.