Borrowed Time

Rating:
Summary: Good, if a bit long-winded
Review: ...

There are three types of mystery novels. The best of them grab you by the throat and pull you along. You give up eating and sleeping to get through them in one sitting. The worst of them can be encapsulized in a page and a half, you've figured out who the killer is in three sentences, and you can safely consign them to the fire without enduring the rest of the writing therein. The third type sits between the two. It's well-written enough, and fine while you're reading it, but you don't feel that compulsion to continue when something else beckons; you don't resent the phone ringing when you hear it. These are the good mysteries (as opposed to the great ones). Robert Goddard writes good mysteries. This is his eighth, the story of how a man on a hike's chance encounter with a beautiful woman gets him (and some members of his family) tangled up in her family's odd twists and turns. It's well plotted, moves along at a steady if not brisk pace, and there are enough satisfying twists and turns to keep the reader occupied. But it doesn't beg to be picked up every time it's put down. Perhaps the problem lies in Goddard's writing style, which is a bit on the thick side; perhaps it's just his characters, who always seem to be teetering on the brink of two-dimensionality without ever actually getting there (that, of course, is a charge that can be laid against many mysteries, including some of the best; Spillane's female characters, e.g., had all the depth of a lasagna noodle). Or perhaps, Borrowed Time just doesn't read as fast as some of its contemporaries. It's certainly not a bad novel, and mystery fans who have grown tired of reading the same authors over and over again might do well to refresh themselves with a dip in Goddard's pool. Just don't be expecting another Lehane, Parker, or Highsmith. ** 1/2

Rating:
Summary: No hit, no miss
Review: Borrowed Time is the fourth Robert Goddard mystery novel I have read. Once again, the author brings us a crafty tale of murder, deception and lies. There are enough twists in the story to keep us guessing - and reading - of what really happened, who is speaking truth, who now is the true culprit. Sadly, the manner of how we come to know the truth is rather unsatisfying in relation to Mr. Goddard's previous works I've read. The principal character does not come to the ultimate conclusion by way of his own investigative reasoning. The underlying motive of the criminal act - how true and realistic this motive may be - is rather plain . It leaves me hungry, unfulfilled and certainly does not grab me by the throat. This book however still deserves a good rating for the author created a fine intrigue, good twists in the plot and a realistic view of family-life in hard, harsh times. More of Mr. Goddard's work is on my reading-list.

Rating:
Summary: Lengthy ingenious thriller
Review: I thought this was a very cleverly crafted mystery, a bit slow at first but all of the detail ultimately important to the plot. I live only a mile from where the initial fictional crime occurred, and the author has got the local detail just right. It was good for two long plane flights!

Rating:
Summary: The BEST Robert Goddard book!!!
Review: This was my first Robert Goddard book. Without doubt, it is the best. I highly recommend it to lovers of suspense and mystery. 10 out of 10, Mr Goddard!!! (PS. Past Caring is also an excellent read, if you survive the politics!)