Past Caring

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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. Goddard's excellent line of British psychological thrillers gets its long-deserved christening from an American publisher with this novel, to be released simultaneously with Continue reading » Martin Radford is a floundering, unemployed historian with a dim future who jumps at the chance to research the memoirs of Edwin Strafford, a young Edwardian cabinet minister and contemporary of Churchill and Lloyd George with a promising career that went mysteriously astray. Radford’s own blunders will unfold on this journey as he investigates Strafford’s past in this blended mix of politics, romance and historical thriller. 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.

Past Caring By Robert Goddard | Used | 9780552162951 | World Past Caring By Robert Goddard | Used | 9780552162951 | World

One of the best authors I have read, stories so involved and clever but relatable too, have read some more than once great stories Reply After James Davenall has been presumed dead for 11 years, a man claiming his identity appears, throwing the lives of his family and former fiancee into confusion.``Goddard goes from strength to Continue reading »

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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 » 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. 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. Many years ago, when I was a teenager, my father read this book and was very moved by the story. I read it too, and like the Hardy poem the author quotes, I've felt haunted by this story for a long time, even after forgetting the name of the book and the names of the main characters. A wonderful read…the satisfying climax weaves together the strands of past and present.…A poised telling of a complex tale.”— Publishers Weekly

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

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. I have read a few Goddard's novels now and have enjoyed them all and this is no exception. There is a reason though for the three stars rather than four. Let me explain.With such a plausible scenario, would Elizabeth have allowed some vague concern about the need for discretion (which itself would have got her wondering about how and why a marriage certificate was floating about). to stop her confronting her fiancée? Obviously not.

Past Caring - Robert Goddard - Google Books

Robert William Goddard (born 13 November 1954 in Fareham, Hampshire) is an English novelist. [1] Life and career [ edit ] Unlike many of Goddard’s intrepid characters, Radford never fails to disappoint, which lends an element of head-shaking “not again”! irony to this book of equally-flawed, venal and outright nasty people whose lives intersect across the postwar British landscape.Set in England during and after WW I, this is the story of three generations: the two Leonoras, mother and child (and their husbands, both handsome, adoring, young army officers), and of Penelope, Continue reading » 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.' 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. I did guess, almost immediately from whence came the villainy of the events of 1910, and what crime would have been committed, against the upstanding and moral Cabinet member Radford is researching in the 1970s. Not to mention the veritable army of untrustworthy souls in the 70’s The spring of 1977 found me, newly past thirty, a bad case of wasted talent in a largely waste city -- an unemployed, divorced ex-schollteacher of foundered promise and dismal prospect.