Beyond Recall

This is my third Goddard book and he never really ceases to amaze me. I read Closed Circle first, which was great, but then Out of the Sun was incredible. This one, like all of his work, has a wonderfully crafted plot and excitement galore. Goddard is a hidden gem outside England, and that's a shame. If you don't know which of his books to buy, start with Past Caring and you'll get all of them after that. Goddard has quickly become my favorite author and I will gladly devour anything he writes!!

Have read all of Goddards books, and definitely recommend this one, (as all the others!). Shows the pain of his old friends suicide but also reflects on the law of the issue. Shows a realistic view of England, and the area. Great read, that had to be read in one sitting!!

Robert Goddard is by far a most sophisticated weaver of plots. Beyond Recall is no exception. It still amazes me how many people have yet to experience his brilliance. His books are intelligent and compelling. I'm anxiously awaiting his next one.

For anyone who loves a book that you can't put down -- who loves to be kept guessing until the very end -- this is THE book. A Robert Goddard classic that puts him back on top of suspense writers.

This is a terrific, complex book. It begins with a suicide, not a murder, but that act of self-destruction opens a door into the past -- a past that is filled with murder, blackmail, inheritance, duplicity, and the hanging of a possibly-innocent man.As the book begins, Chris Napier, a childhood friend of the suicide, begins to explore the reasons for his friend's death. Chris is driven at first by guilt. He had let go of his friendship with Nicky years ago, when both were boys and Nicky's father was hung for murder. Chris hadn't meant to abandon his friend, but the murder drove a wedge between their families, and, finally, it drove Nicky's family to leave the area and take up a new life.Before long, however, Chris is driven by more than guilt. The original murder may be long in the past, but once he has opened the door, that past comes alive in the present. Chris digs -- he finds the retired policeman who investigated the case; an aged witness from the trial; a woman in a nursing home whose mind is sharper than anyone realized -- but at the same time, things begin happening in the present. Someone is stalking him.The story is incredibly complex, but absolutely believeable. In part, that's because each character is believeable. Not just the major characters, but each person we encounter. Each of those witnesses Chris finds, for example, has a real personality -- each has motives, foibles, and a life history that we glimpse in passing.Each witness that Chris uncovers adds a new piece of information to the story, and, with each new bit of data, the story takes a new turn. In some cases, the new bit of information gives us a rude awakening -- things are not what we thought. In other cases, that new bit of data casts new light and expands our understanding. The entire effect is that we follow Chris along -- darting back and forth between present and past -- and peel layer and layer back off the story until we have it all.I've read a few other Goddard books -- Hand in Glove an! d Closed Circle -- and they were decent books. This one is so much better that it could have been a different author.