Past Caring

Product Information

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?

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

The novel is pervaded with a sense of unease. It's clear no one is what they seem to be and they all have hidden motives. This serves to keep the reader on her toes and kept me questioning most of the conclusions Martin draws about people. The one main character in the book that is exactly what he seems to be, is Edwin Stafford. Even his nephew Ambrose is more than the curmudgeonly drunk he seems when we meet him. The leading ladies in this book are one of its strengths; Elizabeth is awesome, such a strong and gentle woman, and Eve is such a delicious villain, living up to all the historical connotations of her name. Goddard's characters are well drawn and come to life, both the good and the bad; they all are coloured in shades of grey, only coming into full focus and shading at the end of the story. And even then, after I'd closed the covers, I found myself wondering about some of them. 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. Combines the expert suspense manipulation skills of a Daphne DuMaurier romance with those of a John Le Carre thriller.” New York Times Into the Blue was adapted for television in 1997 and starred John Thaw in the lead role of Harry Barnett. Robert Goddard was not impressed with the adaptation. In an interview, he said "The TV version of Into the Blue was a travesty of the story I wrote and I am determined that any future adaptations should be more faithful to the original".

Secondly, it is absolutely inconceivable that some with the capability to become home secretary at such a young age (or, indeed, at any age) would not have dug and pushed and prodded until he had found out his supposed crime. Martin is 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. 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. Set in 1919, Edgar-winner Goddard’s second James Maxted thriller casts the former English flying ace in the role of a double agent, ostensibly working for German spy master Fritz Lemmer, whom Max, Continue reading »

Past Caring by Robert Goddard | Waterstones

Firstly, it is all but inconceivable that the prior marriage could have been kept secret from the world at large, even without considering the behaviour of the two main actors: Elizabeth and Erwin. This breathless and unending case takes Max to London from far North of Scotland and all the way to Paris, where the world’s government are still but bartering over the spoils right in the aftermath of the Great war. The stakes here are so high and it is a matter of life and death to everyone involved. Past Caring is full of unforeseen surprises, a story of secrets and the far-reaching consequences of decisions made on a whim. J. Kingston Pierce (28 April 2011). "The Rap Sheet: Matching Edgars with Authors". Therapsheet.blogspot.com . Retrieved 1 March 2012.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 - Robert Goddard - Google Books

Goddard's seventh novel (after A Debt of Dishonor ) about two dapper English con men in the 1930s, gets off to a droll and snappy beginning. Aboard ship after narrowly escaping prosecution for a Continue reading » One of the rare books that gave me 'book daze' for several hours after it ended. A masterpiece of its kind - and an author who can seamlessly weave Hardy's poetry and Jacobean tragedy allusions into a brisk narrative without the blessedly unencumbered (and wiser for it) ignorati noticing a thing. Such a light touch you immediately trust the writer and allow a few suspensions of disbelief. Perhaps for me, that's my sign of a great book or a great 'read'. I'm forgiving and trustful and allow myself to be swept away rather than antagonistic and 'demanding' to be won over.

I’ve read Robert Goddard’s Long Time Coming which I also recommend. I am looking forward to reading more of his entertaining and thought-provoking novels. So far I’ve only read Borrowed time, Into The Blue and Out of The Sun but I’ve loved all of them. Great twisty plots, well researched and intelligently written, I’m looking forward to many more enjoyable reads Reply