Past Caring

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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.

Past Caring - Robert Goddard - Google Books Past Caring - Robert Goddard - Google Books

Although I enjoyed this book immensely, it was let down by the absurdity of it's main premise: That two people who were very much in love could be broken up by a lie, in the way it was presented here. Combines the expert suspense manipulation skills of a Daphne DuMaurier romance with those of a John Le Carre thriller.” New York Times 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. This is in no way a fast paced, regular thriller kind of book. This is well-written, being rather literary in places and is considered and smooth in its pace. This is a steady, delectable, slow burn of a book, yet it does not flag or become bogged down.Goddard's 1997 book Beyond Recall was nominated for the Edgar Award Best Novel prize but lost out to Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark. I thoroughly enjoyed this long, convoluted, unpredictable and clever novel! It does not clearly fit into any genre as it includes elements of political wheeling and dealing, crime, war and romance.

Robert Goddard - Book Series In Order Robert Goddard - Book Series In Order

The thing I loved the most about this book is that Goddard doesn't let himself be constrained by genre or genre expectations. There are so many different elements of this book that you wouldn't normally find together in one novel. I don't want to say too much for fear of spoilers but I was really impressed by this. The story actually felt more realistic due to this blending of different genres and tones; life doesn't abide by genre conventions after all.Thirdly, it is similarly inconceivable that Elizabeth would not have told Edwin. When first told herself, her initial reaction would have been one of utter disbelief - evidence notwithstanding. She would have been quite desperate to get to the truth of the matter. She would have gone through as many scenarios as she could imagine that would have exonerated her intended. The premise of the book is wonderful. Set during the time of the Suffragette movement and Herbert Asquith as prime minister in 1910. He actually served as prime minister between 1908 and 1916. We are concerned with the fictional Home Secretary, at that time, called Edwin Strafford. Strafford had fallen in love with a suffragette, Elizabeth, but for reasons unbeknownst to us and Strafford himself, Elizabeth will not marry him due to something that Edwin had done and that he had kept from her. What was it?

Past Caring by Robert Goddard | Goodreads Past Caring by Robert Goddard | Goodreads

The setting and concept are interesting. I always love a story within a story and with Stafford's Memoir we get exactly that. The parts of the book set in 1910, even though they do not concern real people, ring true and conjured Edwardian London in all of its tumultuous glory. For me, Martin's part of the story read a little historical as well, as it's set two years before I was born. It was funny to read about a world where not only did not everyone have a mobile phone, but not everyone had a land line either. The juxtaposition between the contemporary feel of the narrative and those reminders that this was 1977 instead of 2007, never once truly jarred me out the story, it is more a testament to Mr Goddard's wonderful writing. Strafford left an unpublished memoir which is much of the novel’s first half. The more Martin reads, the more invested he becomes in his subject. He uncovers an intricate far-reaching web of intrigue, including his present-day connection to events started decades before. He becomes friends with Edwin’s intended, Elizabeth and together they try to right the wrongs of the past, the stakes of which are higher than either could’ve imagined. Why only three stars then? Well, as much as I enjoyed this book, it wasn't without flaws, the principle flaw being the pacing. Past Caring is lengthy, but that is because it has to fit in the diaries of a long dead British minister as well as the historical research of the less than ideal Martin Radford. Radford is a failed academic and teacher who seems to enjoy drink more than books. A chance visit to Madeira leads him to hunt down the story of Edwin Strafford, a rising political star in 1910 who disappeared from politics for mysterious reasons. As he digs deeper, Radford finds that there are those who wish to keep the story buried along with Strafford. 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".Martin is intrigued. Strafford resigned at the height of his career, disappearing from the public eye. The woman he loved, for whom he was willing to sacrifice everything, suddenly and coldly rejected him. All the reasons for his fall from grace are shrouded in darkness. Robert William Goddard (born 13 November 1954 in Fareham, Hampshire) is an English novelist. [1] Life and career [ edit ] 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. Why did I think it was important to read this book again? Because my feelings about it have remained unresolved for two decades. How could a man so good, kind, and noble as Edwin be so betrayed? What kind of love does not even give the benefit of the doubt, does not even offer the chance for an explanation? So for the second time, I've read this book and my feelings remain unresolved. After this second read, I'm angry at all the characters for what they did to Edwin, and for thinking that any of the fruits of those betrayals were worth protecting. I hate that people kept preying on Edwin's goodness and his love for Elizabeth, and it tears me apart that someone he loved so much never even stopped to ask herself 'what if.'

Robert Goddard Books | Waterstones Robert Goddard Books | Waterstones

Toupee for a Bald Tyre. (Harry Barnett). Included in The Detection Collection ISBN 978-0-00-756971-7 (Orion, 2005) Past Caring is full of unforeseen surprises, a story of secrets and the far-reaching consequences of decisions made on a whim. At a luxurious villa on the sun-soaked island of Madeira, unemployed historian Martin Radford is given a second chance. Martin is shown the leather-bound journal of another ruined man, former British cabinet minister Edwin Strafford.

A wonderful read …the satisfying climax weaves together the strands of past and present.…A poised telling of a complex tale.” Publishers Weekly