Goddard's 1997 book Beyond Recall was nominated for the Edgar Award Best Novel prize but lost out to Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark. Distinguished MP Edwin Strafford resigns at the pinnacle of his career, removing himself from the public eye. The woman he loves, and for whom he was willing to sacrifice everything, suddenly and coldly rejects him. All the reasons for his fall from grace are shrouded in darkness. Forgotten the title or the author of a book? Our BookSleuth is specially designed for you. Visit BookSleuth I have something to tell you. It is a life and death matter and it concerns the central question of your life that you have spent years slowly destroying yourself over. Also, this involves the Prime Minister and his family and I think someone is following me." At a lush villa on the sun-soaked island of Madeira, Martin Radford is given a second chance. His life ruined by scandal, Martin holds in his hands the leather-bound journal of another ruined man, former British cabinet minister Edwin Strafford. What’s more, Martin is being offered a job—to return to England and investigate the rise and fall of Strafford, an ambitious young politician whose downfall, in 1910, is as mysterious as the strange deaths that still haunt his family.

Past Caring - Historical Novel Society Past Caring - Historical Novel Society

The thing I loved the most about this book is that Goddard doesn't let himself be constrained by genre or genre expectations. There are so many different elements of this book that you wouldn't normally find together in one novel. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers but I was really impressed by this. The story actually felt more realistic due to this blending of different genres and tones; life doesn't abide by genre conventions after all. Why should distinguished Edwardian Cabinet minister Edwin Strafford resign at the height of his parliamentary career? Why does the woman he loves so suddenly and coldly reject him? Why, sixty-seven years later, should people go to such lengths - even as far as murder - to prevent the truth from being revealed? My favorite ever writer and I read 3 books a week from Lee Child to Ian Rankin to Mark Edwards to P James.All across the USA, people are showing up dead. The deaths don't appear to be connected in any way until one particular death occurs and gets the Secretary of Defense's attention. He arranges for a task force to investigate. PS such a refreshing change from the now dominant genre of crime novels with singular flawed police characters & obscenely violent crimes. Reply

Past Caring by Robert Goddard - Publishers Weekly Past Caring by Robert Goddard - Publishers Weekly

Robert Goddard is a true master storyteller. His normal format is to alternate between present day and past events which are interminably linked in some dark and mysterious way. This time he chose early 20th Century to set the scene. Famous politicians such as Lloyd George, Asquith, Churchill are in the story, brought to life by Goddard. I thoroughly enjoyed this long, convoluted, unpredictable and clever novel! It does not clearly fit into any genre as it includes elements of political wheeling and dealing, crime, war and romance. Condition: Near Fine. A first edition, first printing published by Hale in 1986. A near fine book without inscription in a very good unclipped wrapper with one small closed tear to the top corner of the front panel A lovely copy.

Bouchercon World Mystery Convention: Anthony Awards Nominees". Bouchercon.info. 2 October 2003 . Retrieved 1 March 2012. In summary a very clever writer who creates intriguing plots and interesting characters. Look forward to acquiring and reading more. I have just finished reading all Robert Goddard books except the last three that were published I thought they were all brilliant and really enjoyed reading them second time round

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Not a patch on “In Pale Battalions”, the only other book by Goddard I have read. An unlikeable narrator, a very complex plot, a femme fatale who is ludicrously brilliant and beautiful and sexy and bad news for our narrator. It was Goddard’s first book and has some good things in it in terms of the plot, but some of the characters are more than a little unbelievable. Oh, and there’s an embarrassingly bad sex scene too. The spring of 1977 found me, newly past thirty, a bad case of wasted talent in a largely waste city -- an unemployed, divorced ex-schollteacher of foundered promise and dismal prospect. Edwin’s memoir covers his time as a politician and his experiences of the women’s suffrage movement. I found this to be very interesting reading, though as it’s a time of history I don’t know much about I couldn’t comment on it’s historical accuracy. I didn’t find the characters in the book particularly easy to like, the majority of them are working to their own personal agenda and seem to have little trouble with doing whatever it takes to get to their goal. Many of the characters are however interesting, I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth, Edwin’s fiancée. Strafford himself, his family and his life’s many secrets and discoveries are by far more noteworthy and remarkable than the markedly tarnished Radford, whose flaws Goddard uses to make him credible if not altogether likable.This 1986 Booker prize-nominated novel is a rewarding reading experience. It’s Goddard’s first published novel, which makes the Booker feat even more impressive. The expert suspense-manipulation skills of a Daphne du Maurier romance meets a John le Carre thriller is how the New York Times reviewer put it.

PAST CARING one of the most gripping thrillers you’ll ever read PAST CARING one of the most gripping thrillers you’ll ever read

From a collection of more than 20 mystery thrillers, that will indeed enthrall and satisfy you as a lover of such genre, to unprincipled chicanery and unforgiven betrayals as well as unforgotten jealousy, are just but part of the infinite capacity of imagination and intrigues that Robert Goddard books will present to you. Basically, Robert novels and especially his thrillers do have a historical settings and elements staged in some provincial English towns and cities bringing in a number of plots twists.Plus, his books always involve the lead character, gradually unraveling a conspiracy which for a very long time been kept as a secret, and through means of historical documents like the diaries or simply by word of mouth testimonies that have been handed down from one individual to another.In a suspenseful, classy narrative that affords first-rate entertainment, a young English schoolteacher, Heather Mallender, vanishes on the Greek island of Rhodes. With her at the time was Harry Continue reading » A wonderful read…the satisfying climax weaves together the strands of past and present.…A poised telling of a complex tale.”— Publishers Weekly