A classic thriller with Goddard's trademark plot twists.In Antwerp in 1939, a Jewish diamond trader flees Nazi Europe, leaving his priceless collection of Picasso paintings and diamonds with a friend who takes them to London. The boat he flees on sinks, leaving no survivors. Fast forward to 1976 when his penniless family tries to track down the missing paintings. A classic thriller with Goddard's trademark plot twists.From the Trade Paperback edition.
This was my first experience with Goddard. The story's premise is interesting -- Stephen Swan unexpectedly finds out that the uncle he thought was dead, Eldritch, has instead been in an Irish prison for the last 40 years. Except no one, including Eldritch, will tell him why. Consumed by his curiosity and concerned for his mother's safety, Stephen takes it upon himself to keep tabs on Eldritch. When Eldritch is approached by a lawyer with a proposal he can't refuse, Stephen is sucked into the mystery with him. If they can prove that a set of Picassos belonging to Eldritch's former employer were faked and then stolen, Eldritch can clear his name.
I thought the mystery was winding and interesting. The book jumps back and forth between the story's present day (1976) and 1940, when Eldritch was imprisoned. Along the way they are able to connect with not only people from Eldritch's past, but some of their children. Sometimes it's a little too convenient, but that didn't pull me out of the story.
Overall I enjoyed this, but it was very slow moving and took me longer to read than I expected. But the story is surprisingly easy to follow, considering the time jumps. Many of the reviews I've seen say this isn't Goddard's best, so I'm looking forward to see what else he has to offer.
