Long Time Coming
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Review
"When it comes to duplicity and intrigue, Goddard is second to none."
"-- Daily Mail"
"-- Daily Mail"
Review
"When it comes to duplicity and intrigue, Goddard is second to none.""--Daily Mail
""[Robert Goddard's novels are] too good to gulp."--Stephen King
"[Robert] Goddard is a master of the sly double and triple cross." --"Seattle Times"
"From the Trade Paperback edition." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
""[Robert Goddard's novels are] too good to gulp."--Stephen King
"[Robert] Goddard is a master of the sly double and triple cross." --"Seattle Times"
"From the Trade Paperback edition." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 83 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
His best novel since 'Caught in the Light'(1998), certainly since 'Sight Unseen' (2005).This is the Robert Goddard of old, the Goddard who after three mediocre books in a row I was beginning to wonder still existed. In fact 'Long Time Coming'is such a return to form it makes you realise just how out of sorts his recent books have been.
Not publishing last year and clearly taking more time to write a longer and more complex novel has paid off. The Goddard hallmarks are here, the exceptional detail,intricate plotting, rich characterisation,twists and turns and a splendidly complex spiders web of a story,satisfyingly wrapped up without loose ends.
Set both in 1976 and 1940, the reader is taken on a journey back through time. Eldritch Swan is released from an Irish prison after 36 years. His imprisonment has been covered up. His nephew Stephen is even unaware of his exsistence until one day in early 1976 he turns up.Thus follows a train of events that takes the reader through a labyrinth plot concerning fake Picasso's, Irish politics and an elusive enemy. We see the story through Stephen's eyes as he struggles to deal with the errant uncle he never knew and the secrets that his life hold. We then alternate between 1976 and 1940 as the story weaves between Antwerp, London and Dublin as we learn about Eldritch as a young man and what led to his eventual incarceration.
Goddard has written few better novels than this. It is great to find him returning to historical fiction, even if it is somewhat recent.
This is the book I feel sure many Goddard readers, who like me, have read all of his previous 20 novels have been waiting for.
Not publishing last year and clearly taking more time to write a longer and more complex novel has paid off. The Goddard hallmarks are here, the exceptional detail,intricate plotting, rich characterisation,twists and turns and a splendidly complex spiders web of a story,satisfyingly wrapped up without loose ends.
Set both in 1976 and 1940, the reader is taken on a journey back through time. Eldritch Swan is released from an Irish prison after 36 years. His imprisonment has been covered up. His nephew Stephen is even unaware of his exsistence until one day in early 1976 he turns up.Thus follows a train of events that takes the reader through a labyrinth plot concerning fake Picasso's, Irish politics and an elusive enemy. We see the story through Stephen's eyes as he struggles to deal with the errant uncle he never knew and the secrets that his life hold. We then alternate between 1976 and 1940 as the story weaves between Antwerp, London and Dublin as we learn about Eldritch as a young man and what led to his eventual incarceration.
Goddard has written few better novels than this. It is great to find him returning to historical fiction, even if it is somewhat recent.
This is the book I feel sure many Goddard readers, who like me, have read all of his previous 20 novels have been waiting for.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have just finished reading this book and I have to say it was a welcome return to his previous superb standards. If you are a fan of Mr. Goddard you will not be disappointed. It contains an intelligent convoluted plot which keep you enthralled to the end.
Long may he continue to write!
Long may he continue to write!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Stephen Swan, an unemployed oil industry executive, teams up with his uncle, Eldritch Swan, who has just been released from a Dublin prison after 36 years. Today, for the purposes of the book, is 1976 and Stephen delivers the story in the first person. We switch back to 1940 very frequently, however, for a third person account of why Eldritch ends up in prison. Further story components include a Jewish war-time diamond-trader based in Belgium, missing Picasso paintings and the Irish position on participating in the war.
The classic Goddard ingredients are there : superb writing, a plot which lives off lies, deceit and coincidence, and a warm protagonist who struggles to unravel the mysteries he encounters.
I very much enjoyed this book but it did get too much for me at times. I felt intimidated by the number of characters and details to keep up with. And while I love Goddard's twists and turns I thought perhaps he over-played them in this instance. There were a couple of typos too, which is most unlike a Goddard book but not so unusual for Kindle versions of books, it seems.
Still, I feel sure I would have rated this book more highly if it wasn't written by Goddard and that my assessment may be slighlty harsh simply because I expect perfection from him and didn't see it this time. I suspect most new-to-Goddard readers will be enthralled by this mystery.
The classic Goddard ingredients are there : superb writing, a plot which lives off lies, deceit and coincidence, and a warm protagonist who struggles to unravel the mysteries he encounters.
I very much enjoyed this book but it did get too much for me at times. I felt intimidated by the number of characters and details to keep up with. And while I love Goddard's twists and turns I thought perhaps he over-played them in this instance. There were a couple of typos too, which is most unlike a Goddard book but not so unusual for Kindle versions of books, it seems.
Still, I feel sure I would have rated this book more highly if it wasn't written by Goddard and that my assessment may be slighlty harsh simply because I expect perfection from him and didn't see it this time. I suspect most new-to-Goddard readers will be enthralled by this mystery.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A trove of Picasso's...........
What could be better than a stolen trove of Picasso paintings and a bit of Irish history? Especially in a mystery written by Robert Goddard. Read more
Published 3 months ago by janebbooks
Disappointing ending
I'm one of those few readers who prefers Goddard's books after Sea Change.
Sight Unseen, Long Time Coming, Dying to Tell, are among my favourites. Read more
Sight Unseen, Long Time Coming, Dying to Tell, are among my favourites. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jorge A. Ferreira Pinto
Enjoyable diversion
Have read all and enjoyed almost all RG novels although I do think some of his earlier ones (eg Past Caring, Take No Farewell) are better than later ones. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Perfectionist?
Pittsy
I love reading Robert Goddard, I just keep turning the pages. Housework doesn't get done!! There's always tomorrow, when I've finished the book.
Published 9 months ago by M. Gaspare
Glad it's not just me!
I used to be quite an avid reader of Robert Goddard's books as he really can create a good story. However I stopped reading them about five back because I just couldn't stand the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. Fisher
Not one of Goddard's best
I really enjoy Goddard's style and have read over half a dozen but this isn't one of the best. His research for the book is certainly very impressive, but on this occassion doesn't... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Groucho
More like Long Yawn Coming
This is the first Robert Goddard I've read and I was initially hooked by an intriguing and pacey start to the plot. Read more
Published 14 months ago by J.I.S.
Long Time Coming
This story has a lovely pace to it and draws the reader in taking the reader on journey that covers a complicated plot, to untangle a web of deceit set against a convincing... Read more
Published 14 months ago by KayB
Try Goddard
If you haven't tried Goddard this is not a bad place to start.
Slow deliberate pace that unfolds a twisting and winding plot.
Slow deliberate pace that unfolds a twisting and winding plot.
Published 15 months ago by C. Taylor
Worth a read
I found the book to be enjoyable and pacey and read it pretty quickly, for me. Like others, I found there were a lot of characters to keep up with and felt little empathy with any... Read more
Published 16 months ago by G
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