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Extracts

Panic Room by Robert Goddard

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Features

Writing life: Robert Goddard

The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction

Robert Goddard's first novel, Past Caring, was an instant bestseller. Since then, his books have captivated readers worldwide with their edge-of-the-seat pace and their labyrinthine plotting. He has won awards in the UK, the US and acrossEurope and his books have been translated into over thirty languages. In 2019, he won the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest accolade, the Diamond Dagger, for a lifetime achievement in Crime Writing.

The unmissable new novel from the author of the BBC ‘Between the Covers’ book club hit, The Fine Art of Invisible Detection 
 
'The world's greatest storyteller' GUARDIAN 
'One of the finest crime writers of any generation' DAILY MAIL 
'Our finest practitioner of the double-cross plotting' MICK HERRON 
_______ 
 
Umiko Wada never set out to be a private detective, let alone become the one-woman operation behind the Kodaka Detective Agency. But so it has turned out, thanks to the death of her former boss, Kazuto Kodaka, in mysterious circumstances. 
 
Keen to avoid a similar fate, Wada chooses the cases she takes very carefully. A businessman who wants her to track down his estranged son offers what appears to be a straightforward assignment. Soon she finds herself pulled into a labyrinthine conspiracy with links to a twenty-seven-year-old investigation by her late employer and to the chaos and trauma of the dying days of the Second World War. 
 
As Wada uncovers a dizzying web of connections between then and now, it becomes clear that someone has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the past buried. Soon those she loves most will be sucked into the orbit of one of the most powerful men in Tokyo. And he will do whatever it takes to hold on to his power... 
 
The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction is another tour de force from the cunning mind of master storyteller Robert Goddard. Spanning seventy years, it takes the reader on a head-spinning journey of twist and counter-twist which keep you guessing until the final pages. 
_______ 
 
Readers love Robert Goddard: 
 
***** 'Guaranteed and satisfying escapism' 
***** 'Twists and turns right up to the last page' 
***** 'Edge-of-the-seat stuff' 
***** 'Fresh and inventive' 
***** 'The master of twists and suspense ... sublime' 
***** 'Scintillating and wickedly twisty' 
***** ‘If Stephen King has taken it to a baseball game, I'm going to read it’

This is the Night They Come For You

Highly original and very good indeed...a delightful double act, crunchy dialogue, strong action scenes and provocative historical aperçus.

Goddard writes amazing novels of mystery/suspense. His new one is magical and the title is simply the best

A pulse-pounding, breathless crime thriller, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz's Hawthorne series, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike series and LJ Ross's Alexander Gregory thrillers 
 
'Truly ingenious' The Tablet 
Goddard sprinkles head-turning double-crossing with delightful by-play between his two leads' Times 
'Fast-paced, beautifully crafted with some excellently drawn characters... engages from start to finish' Choice Magazine 
'Goddard writes amazing novels of mystery/suspense. His new one is magical and the title is simply the best' Stephen King 
__________________ 
 
On a stifling afternoon at Police HQ in Algiers, Superintendent Taleb, coasting towards retirement, with not even an air-conditioned office to show for his long years of service, is handed a ticking time bomb of a case which will take him deep into Algeria's troubled past and its fraught relationship with France. 
 
To his dismay, he is assigned to work with Agent Hidouchi, an intimidating representative of the country's feared secret service, who makes it clear she intends to call the shots. They are instructed to pursue a former agent, now on the run after twenty years in prison for his part in a high-level corruption scandal. But their search will lead them inexorably towards a greater mystery, surrounding a murder that took place in Paris more than fifty years ago. 
 
Uncovering the truth may be his responsibility, but Taleb is well aware that no-one in Algeria wants to be reminded of the dark deeds carried out in the struggle for independence - or in the violence that has racked the nation since. Before long, he will face a choice he has long sought to avoid, between self-preservation and doing the right thing. 
 
And, ultimately, the choice may not even be his to make. 
 
The new novel from Robert Goddard, THIS IS THE DAY THEY DREAM OF, is available for pre-order now. 
________________________________ 
 
Praise for Robert Goddard 
 
'The world's greatest storyteller' Guardian 
'One of the finest crime writer of any generation' Daily Mail 
'Our finest practitioner of double-crossing plotting' Mick Herron

The thrilling BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick

The Fine Art of Invisible Detection

...the plot unwinds with a deceptively light touch that does not falter ... genuinely entertaining [with an] explosive finale

One of the finest crime writers of any generation, Goddard here exercises all of his elegant, understated style and meticulous eye for detail...Goddard at his impeccable best: do not miss it.

A fascinating and satisfyingly complex mystery with dark tones..Wada is a superb character... very enjoyable.

Top-class action packed storytelling

A deftly plotted page turner from this much loved author'

Mixes gentle character comedy with an alarming body count and pounding suspense... Goddard manages to pull it off perfectly.

'In the smartest of prose and with a stunningly fast-moving plot, Goddard brings us the heroine we've been waiting for. Umiko Wada is an unexpected joy: unassuming and tenacious, inventive and brave. If The Fine Art of Invisible Detection isn't the first in a series, then it jolly well should be!'

Lesley Kara, bestselling author of The Rumour

'If it wasn't written by Robert Goddard, you'd say 'Alexander McCall Smith meets Robert Goddard' because few people are as brilliant at plots as he is - or the broad, sweeping, twists and turns that we never see coming - that final epilogue-ultra-twist was really clever...It's an incredibly courageous move on Robert's part and it's worked in spades. . Wada's a perfect new character: intelligent, wryly funny, unhampered by domestic concerns and completely unswerving once she's set her mind on something.  I sincerely hope she turns up again - often.'

Manda Scott, author of A Treachery of Spies, Sunday Times Thriller of the Month and McIlvanney Prize winner

Robert Goddard's first novel, Past Caring, was an instant bestseller. Since then, his books have captivated readers worldwide with their edge-of-the-seat pace and their labyrinthine plotting. He has won awards in the UK, the US and acrossEurope and his books have been translated into over thirty languages. In 2019, he won the Crime Writers&rsquo; Association&rsquo;s highest accolade, the Diamond Dagger, for a lifetime achievement in Crime Writing.

'One of the finest crime writers of any generation' Daily Mail 
'He's the high priest of plot ... deftly woven, but also beautifully written ... I loved it' Mel Giedroyc 
_______________________________ 
 
Umiko Wada has recently had quite enough excitement in her life. With her husband recently murdered and a mother who seems to want her married again before his body is cold, she just wants to keep her head down. 
 
As a secretary to a private detective, her life is pleasingly uncomplicated, filled with coffee runs, diary management and paperwork. 
 
That is, until her boss takes on a new case. A case which turns out to be dangerous enough to get him killed. A case which means Wada will have to leave Japan for the first time and travel to London. 
 
Following the only lead she has, Wada quickly realises that being a detective isn't as easy as the television makes out. And that there's a reason why secrets stay buried for a long time. Because people want them to stay secret. And they're prepared to do very bad things to keep them that way... 
 
A pulse-pounding, breathless crime thriller, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz's Hawthorne series, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike series and LJ Ross's Alexander Gregory thrillers. 
 
The new Umiko Wada novel from Robert Goddard, THE FINE ART OF UNCANNY PREDICTION, is available now. 
_______________________________ 
 
What readers are saying: 
 
'5 stars' 
'Guaranteed and satisfying escapism' 
'Edge-of-the-seat stuff' 
'The master of twists and suspense... sublime'

One False Move

ONE FALSE MOVE is classic Goddard, a twisting mystery that quickly becomes a heart-stopping thriller...

In One False Move, [Goddard] is at the peak of his powers

What value can be put on a human mind? 
 
How Joe Roberts does what he does is a mystery. He has a brain that seems able to outperform a computer. To a games company like Venstrom that promises big profits if his abilities can be properly exploited. So they send Nicole Nevinson to track him down and make him an offer too good to refuse. 
 
But Venstrom aren’t the only people interested in Joe. His current boss, a shady businessman, is already making serious money out of Joe’s talents and isn’t going to let him go without a fight. And then there are other forces, with still darker intentions, who have their own plans for him. 
 
Almost before she knows it, Nicole’s crossed an invisible line into a world where the game being played has rules she doesn’t understand and where no-one can help her win. 
 
But win she must. Because the battle now isn’t just for Joe’s mind, it’s for Nicole’s life.

Panic Room

PANIC ROOM is Robert Goddard at his best. A sliver of a mystery kicks off a juggernaut of a thriller. Layers of secrets, half-truths and lies must be peeled back to reveal what really lies within.

Is this his best yet? For years Robert Goddard has been my go-to guy for a certain kind of storytelling, full of easy charm blended with sinister menace, and propulsive pace with twisty plotting

Splendidly serpentine and immaculately plotted, this is thriller writing at its very best

Robert Goddard has been writing imaginative first-class thrillers for nearly 30 years . . . Panic Room is an absorbing example of his superior storytelling, an excellent read

This is a tense read, fill of characteristic Goddard twists

As always, Goddard can be relied upon to entertain

A well-constructed page-turner of a thriller that’s very hard to put down

‘Is this his best yet?...Full of sinister menace and propulsive pace with twisty plotting’ Lee Child 
 
WHAT REALLY LIES WITHIN? 
 
High on a Cornish cliff sits a vast uninhabited mansion. Uninhabited except for Blake, a young woman of mysterious background, currently acting as housesitter. 
 
The house has a panic room. Cunningly concealed, steel lined, impregnable – and apparently closed from within. Even Blake doesn’t know it’s there. She’s too busy being on the run from life, from a story she thinks she’s escaped. 
 
But her remote existence is going to be threatened when people come looking for the house’s owner, rogue pharma entrepreneur, Jack Harkness. Soon people with questionable motives will be asking Blake the sort of questions she can’t – or won’t - want to answer. 
 
WILL THE PANIC ROOM EVER GIVE UP ITS SECRETS?

(The Wide World - James Maxted 3)

The Ends of the Earth

The Wide World series sees James 'Max' Maxted, war pilot and man of action, searching for answers about his father's death, and finding all the danger and adventure he should have waved goodbye to at the conclusion of the hostilities of WW1. What will Max find at the end of the road?

The thrilling climax to Robert Goddard's bestselling adventure trilogy, The Wide World

Robert Goddard was born in Hampshire and read History at Cambridge. His first novel, Past Caring, was an instant bestseller. Since then his books have captivated readers worldwide with their edge-of-the-seat pace and their labyrinthine plotting. The first Harry Barnett novel, Into the Blue, was winner of the first WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award and was dramatized for TV, starring John Thaw. His thriller, Long Time Coming won an Edgar in the Mystery Writers of America awards.

LIES. 
SECRETS. 
REVELATIONS. 
1919 – The truth has never been in such short supply 
 
Ex-flying ace James ‘Max’ Maxted’s attempt to uncover the secret behind the death of his father, Sir Henry Maxted, has seemingly ended in failure – and his own death. 
 
Unaware of Max’s fate, the team continue to pursue their only lead, travelling to Japan in search of a mysterious prisoner held by Sir Henry’s old enemy, Count Tomura. Once there, they encounter former German spymaster, Fritz Lemmer, now rebuilding his spy network in the service of a new, more sinister cause. 
 
The quest Max embarked on in Paris will reach its dizzying end at Tomura's castle in the mountains of Honshu - and the full truth of what occurred thirty years before will finally be laid bare…

Robert Goddard

One of the finest crime writers of any generation.

Goddard writes amazing novels of mystery/suspense.

The mind-bending sequel to the Times Thriller of the Year bestseller, This is the Night They Come for You. 
 
'The world's greatest storyteller' Guardian 
'Our finest practitioner of the double-cross plotting' Mick Herron 
‘Splendidly serpentine and immaculately plotted, this is British thriller writing at its very best’ Daily Mail 
__________ 
 
Trouble has a way of finding those those who spend most of their time trying to avoid it. Or so it appears to Superintendent Taleb, whose attempts to wind his career down to an unobtrusive retirement are once again in jeopardy. 
 
When delegated a television interview to discuss a thirty year old political controversy, his instructions are clear enough: whatever you say, do not rock the boat. But an inexplicable urge in the moment to tell the truth lands him in dangerously hot water. It also reopens some decades wounds which will bring him to the forefront of an investigation he is keen to avoid. 
 
Whether he likes it or not, the past is coming for him. And the past in Algeria is venomous, vengeful and relentless, quick to consume the unwary traveller. He will soon find himself staring down the barrel of a long buried mystery, which looks likely to add him to its lengthy roster of victims. 
 
This Is the Day They Dream Of is the scintillating sequel to the critically acclaimed This Is The Night They Come For You, which introduced the world-weary Taleb and his always resourceful colleague Agent Hidouchi of the Algerian Secret Service. Together they must navigate the country’ treacherous history to save themselves from its perilous present. 
_________ 
 
Praise for This is the Night They Come For You 
 
'Truly ingenious' The Tablet 
'Goddard sprinkles head-turning double-crossing with delightful by-play between his two leads' The Times 
'Fast-paced, beautifully crafted with some excellently drawn characters... engages from start to finish' Choice Magazine 
'Goddard writes amazing novels of mystery/suspense. His new one is magical and the title is simply the best' Stephen King

Robert Goddard

Praise for This is the Day They Dream Of

Praise for Robert Goddard

The world's greatest storyteller.

One of the finest crime writers of any generation.

Praise for Robert Goddard

The world's greatest storyteller.

One of the finest crime writers of any generation.

Praise for Robert Goddard

The world's greatest storyteller.

One of the finest crime writers of any generation.

Books by Robert Goddard

Series by Robert Goddard

Inspector Taleb Series2 Books

The Wide World Trilogy3 Books

Articles featuring Robert Goddard

Panic Room by Robert Goddard

Writing life: Robert Goddard

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