Into the Blue

This was the first novel by Robert Goddard I read. After that, I was completely hooked. I rate Goddard as the best suspense novelist I've ever read. His plot twists are incredible; as a long-time reader, I'm used to being able to predict endings. It's depressing, really, how few can surprise me. Well, Goddard can! And his are true plot twists, all the information is planted early in the novel, but you can never quite see which little nugget of information will end up being the crucial one! Delightful! As for _Into the Blue_, I felt like I had visited Greece along with Harry. And Harry rates as one of the most likable characters in suspense fiction, too. Not all Goddard novels will hold the same interest, but they are all very well-plotted.

Goddard does it again! In this novel we meet Harry Barnett, a fiftish failure with a past. Harry's life is immersed in failure; its only positive aspect being Harrys unlikely friendship with Alan Dysart, an Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Defense. While house sitting at Alan's villa in Greece, Harry is drawn into a perplexing and bizarre puzzle involving the disappearance of a beautiful, young houseguest. These are only two of the several plot threads that textures this story and weaves it into compelling whole cloth. Goddard's writing invites you to walk in Harrys shoes as he attempts to utilize the one clue in his possession to solve a mystery whose pieces are scattered from Greece to England to Switzerland. You may think you have the solution.....but don't be too sure!!

It's gratifying to see Goddard, a best-selling author in Europe and Australia, get printed stateside - if you're not familiar with him, Into the Blue is a damn good place to start. Known for his layered, circular plotting that always twists and turns down corners you never expected, Goddard is one of the masters of the genre. The atmosphere in Into the Blue is tense and creeping, as the past weaves into the present with fascinating consequences (something he does in many of his novels). The story has so many elements it's difficult to remember them all - jealousy, corruption, blackmail, deception, and betrayal all collide as Harry Barnett struggles to learn the truth, finding out there is much more behind Heather Mallender's disappearance than he could have ever suspected. I'll leave it at that, for fear of ruining any surprises. I've always preferred mystery novels where the protagonist is not a policeman solving a case, but rather someone with a personal matter at stake, something he needs is desperately driving him forward. This tends to be the case with Goddard's novels, be it obsessed photographer Ian Jarrett from Caught in the Light, family man William Trenchard from Painting the Darkness (also a must-read, along with "In Pale Battalions"), or tough barfly Harry Barnett from this one. In some respects, Goddard shares some similarities to Hitchcock. Into the Blue's pace may be a bit slower than your standard airport mass-market thriller, and yet it never bores you, sucking you into a fascinating mystery....and by the time you're halfway through, it just flies ahead full throttle as the puzzle's pattern begins to show. And yet, just when you think you've figured it all out, a few more revelations hit you out of nowhere...it ends with tremendously satisfying surprises!

For intelligent, intricately plotted thrillers, no one beats Robert Goddard. I first discovered his work on trip to Australia. "Caught in the Light" made the 14 hour flight home go by in a blink. "Into the Blue" is the best work from one of the best popular fiction writers working today. Well-conceived believable characters, a plot so intricate you sometimes feel you need a map yet it all falls perfectly into place at the end, and a prose style that pulls you in. Read "Into the Blue" and you'll find yourself ordering all Goddard's books - he's that good and that addictive.

Into the Blue was the first book written by Goddard that I read. It is not the best of his novels but one of the best. Goddard fully develops characters and the plot is clear ,although takes many twists. Goddard makes the characters come to life, they are not the one dimensional characters that some authors develop. Goddard is one of my top 5 authors ranking 1 or 2. This book will hold your full attention to the end. After you read this book go and get Past Caring his best (hard to find). Most public libraries should have this book .