Found Wanting

A typical Goddard tale, weaving historical fact with fiction in real settings, this time as diverse as the Isle of Wight to Helsinki, with a hero thrown into a setting in which he has little experience. I always learn something from Goddard's historical facts and real locations with which he sprinkles his stories and find them enjoyable, this was no exception. The basis of the story is the fate of Anastasia, one of the Romanovs, who it is said, survived the massacre suffered by her fellow family members and whose existence was the subject of much international speculation. Goddard skilfully weaves in a visit by the Romanovs to Cowes in 1909, apparently witnessed by a relative of the hero, Richard Eusden's childhood friend Marty, who show more drags Richard into a search for the truth about Anastasia. Naturally others are equally keen to keep all the Romanov secrets well and truly buried... show less

A well-written tale of intrigue that plays with great style on the mystery surrounding the fate of the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia. Even if you've made up your mind on the matter (or don't think it matters at all!) Goddard's imaginative variation on the Romanov conspiracy theme provides enough action and plot twists to while away a wintry evening or two in a most satisfying manner.

One of my very favourite authors. I love the unexpected twists and turns in Robert Goddard's novels, the mystery and suspense, not to mention great characters and engaging writing style. His plots are a bit contrived so you have to assume that some people can get involved in complicated situations almost by accident. In this case, the protagonist is asked by an old friend to bring him a parcel from England to where he is staying in Europe - this is one of the far-fetched bits - but this seemingly innocent errand unleashes a complicated crime-ridden plot that keeps you turning the pages, lots of twists and turns to keep you engaged. Like most of his novels, this is a murder mystery where you follow the main character to its resolution. show more This is not a police procedural or a detective story but rather what might happen to an innocent bystander who got caught up in a friend's shady dealings. show less

Richard Eusden is a bored civil servant working at the Foreign Office in London and desperately wants some excitement in his life. Along comes Gemma, his ex-wife, to provide him with some. She has been tasked by her other ex-husband and Richard's life-long friend, Marty Hewitson, to deliver an attaché case to him in Brussels. Seeing as he hasn't seen Marty since he skipped the country while on bail, which Richard put the money up for, and add in the fact that Marty now has an inoperable tumour, Richard agrees and sets off on the errand that will forever change his life.

Richard finds out that the case holds documents that may bring to light the fate of the last of the Romanovs and that they could be worth a fortune. Betrayals and show more double-crosses abound in this country hopping twist of a story, passing though Belgium and onto Germany, Denmark and Finland. The scenery is excellent and it's a shame the story and characters don't match it. Still fairly readable though and the last hundred pages do fly by. show less

A civil servant (Richard Eusden) is drawn into helping his best friend, who is dying, deliver a simple errand. But nothing is as it seems in a Goddard novel and Eusden is soon trying to solve a mystery related to the Russian Royal Family.

The protagonist is like virtually every other Goddard hero: middle-aged, in a rut, romantically unconnected, unprepared for the challenges ahead, but then unexpectedly resourceful when times get tough. He will also find romance along the way. The ending is ambiguous and somewhat frustrating and left me leafing through previous chapters to see if I had missed a vital clue or obscure reference.

The classic Goddard trademarks are there, and the back story about the Romanovs is interesting, but somehow it show more just doesn’t seem to click.

I really enjoyed all of Goddard's earlier books, but I think the standard of his writing has fallen over the years. Whilst a reasonable read, this is not one of his best. show less

Generally speaking, it is a pretty good suspense book: it is good paced, interesting places, seems well researched, intriguing conundrum (based on a real life mystery the western world seemed quite obsessed about in various points in time), well written.

However, I was not pulled in - I did not get that 'can't-put-the-book-down' or the 'I-must-continue-reading-every-chance-I-get' feeling. It's why it took me about four months to read the book - I just forgot about it every time I put it down.

It may have been partly due to the fact that I, myself, have been curious about the Romanov's story and read about it a few months prior to purchasing the book. Problem was, in the last few years there was an advancement in the mystery, after a show more burial place have been discovered with bones of the two missing bodies of the Romanov's. I was left to wonder when the book was written in relation to that discovery - terrified it was written beforehand, I didn't really check it out (couldn't remember when the grave was found, and refused to look it up).
I hated the fact that the ending may have been marred for me, and I think it had something to do with me not really connecting to the book.

Of course, when I got to the end and this whole thing was referenced, I liked the book better.

Even if I disregard my personal conflict with the book, I still think the book was missing an emotional link for me that prevented me from really enjoying it. It was tepid for me.

I do like to point out, that my experience with suspense books is minimal, at best. It is not usually the genres I read, though I do like to enjoy it once in a while. Maybe enthusiasts for the genre will be able to appreciate the book more. show less

Goddard once again successfully intertwines historic fact with fast-paced fiction. This time the mystery of the last Tsar of Russia and his daughter Anastasia leads our hero, unassuming civil servant Richard Eusden, on a mad dash across northern Europe. Lots of mysterious villains and richly described locations alongside Goddard's customary plot-twists make this a really enjoyable read.