Customer Reviews

Found Wanting

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If I could have rated this 2 1/2 stars, I might have done so. Name to a Face, Goddard's previous novel, had some flashes of what most of us enjoy about Goddard's best novels (Past Caring, Painting the Darkness, and In Pale Battalions--all 5-star works). I rated Name to a Face 3 stars on Amazon, and I cannot bring myself to give Found Wanting that high a rating. Found Wanting is not a terrible book--it's, well, pedestrian. There's little that's memorable, little that will remind you of what Goddard can be capable of. I wander into a bookstore to browse, and I pick up a book and on the dustcover it says "The President's [or, for Brits, the Prime Minister's] daughter has been kidnapped by.." and I close the book and put it back on the store shelf. That plot line has been thoroughly beaten to death. Stories about the Russian Royal Family are not quite as common, but Bayard's The Black Tower is a recent release, and interesting for its portrayal of Vidocq, not for the Russian Royal Family material. Found Wanting also made me think of the people who write James Bond novels who are not Ian Fleming. Get a life! If you have talent, create your own characters. Could Found Wanting be written by, say, Ludwig Snarf, "in the style of Robert Goddard"? This book almost has that feel to it.

The protagonist, Richard Eusden, a Foreign Office plodder, is swept up in a web of intrigue. This is a common theme of Goddard's [not always a FO plodder, but usually a nonentity of some kind]. The common theme is that this being swept up is unwilling and unwitting--doing a small favor for a friend--something most of us might perhaps do. But here, Eusden seems to be a much more willing participant, and the actions he takes simply do not seem as reasonable as they should be, and he is not as hesitant as he should be. Eusden's former wife, who is supposed to deliver a mysterious briefcase of materials to her second husband (Marty, a friend of Eusden) in Brussels, asks Eusden to deliver the briefcase. Marty has had numerous run-ins with the law. There was no convincing reason why Eusden should agree to do something for which--as far as he knows--might land him in prison for many years so very readily. From there we get further misadventures--lots of criminal actions for which the longtime civil servant never considers informing the police. The dust cover blurb indicates that the plot story involves the Tsar's family at Ekaterinburg many years before. But none of this is very original, and Eusden's behavior never seems very logical.

Since Eusden never seems to do what you or I might do in a similar situation, it's hard to identify with him. Compare this with Goddard's great works Past Caring, Painting the Darkness, and In Pale Battalions. In those novels you can easily identify with the protagonists: you can understand their bewilderment, their reactions, their behavior. You might not do exactly the same thing in the same situation, but you can understand and appreciate why they did what they did. But not here. The pace seems slow and the plotline unsatisfying. The three earlier books I've mentioned I have read perhaps 6-8 times. I have multiple copies (in case I misplace one) and I look forward to reading them again and again. They are examples of truly great writing, but in that regard, Found Wanting is found wanting.

Like many mystery and suspense writers, Robert Goddard has developed a formula for the novels he has crafted at the rate of about one a year over the two decades or more. And like many writers, some of these are outstandingly successful -- Past Caring, his debut, was one of those, as is Hand in Glove and Into the Blue, while a handful fall flat on their faces. This falls squarely in the middle of the spectrum -- intriguing enough to keep the reader glued to the page, but not compelling enough for the story to haunt him or her days or weeks later, making re-reading mandatory.

As is his wont, Goddard's main character is a disillusioned, middle-aged man slightly the worse for wear after his tussles with life. In this case, Richard Eusden's tussles included a nasty divorce and the end of his long friendship with his best friend, Marty. Now his ex-wife, Gemma, tracks him down to tell him that Marty is dying and needs Eusden to drop everything to do him a final favor -- immediately.

Needless to say -- as with all Goddard's novels -- nothing is quite that simple. Eusden obliges, and goes off to meet Marty, only to get entangled in a complex web of intrigue that appears to have been spun by a mysterious Scandinavian billionaire. With each encounter, Eusden's convictions and beliefs and routines are shaken up a bit more, and his life and quest to help Marty becomes more complex -- and more personal. Reading a Goddard novel is a bit like peeling an onion -- remove one layer, and there's another one, just beneath it. In this novel, each apparent step forward simply leaves Eusden staring at the same puzzle from a different perspective. Who can he trust to tell him the truth? How will he ever come to grips with all the hidden agendas?

The mystery at the heart of the novel is where it most strains the reader's credulity: did a member of the Russian imperial family survive the massacre of 1918? Goddard chooses to believe that this was at least possible, and ties Eusden's grandfather -- a policeman in Cowes who was present when the Imperial family visited England years before the revolution and attended the famous Cowes regatta -- to their fate, indirectly. Will the documents that Clem left behind and the stories that he told Eusden and Marty prove the identity of a missing heir to the Russian throne? Or will their existence simply lead to the death of first Marty (before his brain tumor can kill him) and Eusden?

The possible survival of one or more Romanovs is a frequent literary device; happily, in this instance, Goddard keeps the focus more on Eusden's plight and the very modern-day questions surrounding a wealthy family dynasty. This will not be one of the top-caliber Goddard novels -- a warning to those fans -- but it is a completely different type of noir-ish suspense writing that may well appeal to anyone who relishes a flawed hero trying to navigate his way through an endless labyrinth of mysteries. For anyone who hasn't read a Goddard novel before, this isn't a bad place to start, although I'd urge them to quickly move on to some of his earlier, better novels (as noted above.)

Rated somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars; because I'm a Goddard fan, I rounded up.

"Found Wanting" by Robert Goddard is a fast-paced thriller, although you wouldn't think so at the beginning. Goddard's chief character, Richard Eusden, approaching fifty and perfectly respectable, reports daily to his dead-end job in the British Foreign Office. Years ago he realized "he should never have become a civil servant ... he should have quit ... dropped out, travelled the world, searched for something else -- anything else -- to do with his life." With such deep-rooted discontent, he would never feel himself God's set man in London.

Richard had been best friends with Marty Hewitson since their early childhood on Britain's Isle of Wight. Marty's grandfather Clem Hewitson would regale them with not always believable tales about his world travels and supposed acquaintance with the Russian royal family. In school, both boys were smart but Marty, "the more naturally gifted," achieved success without effort. Their rivalry continued at Cambridge, where each was entranced by the bewitching Gemma Conway. Afterwards, Richard entered Civil Service, Marty went into TV journalism, and Gemma completed her Ph.D. Respectively, quite the stable, active, intellectual trinity. (It may be tempting and fun, but do not elevate the metaphor too far to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.)

The triangle continued into their personal lives. Gemma was more attracted to Marty, but he had gotten into drugs, so she married Richard, then chafed against their suburban conformity. Marty had been ITV's Man in the Middle East, coming back with a Lebanese girlfriend. The foursome dated for a time. Soon Marty's girlfriend reveals to Richard that Gemma has been seeing Marty. Gemma divorces Richard, marries Marty despite the drugs, and eventually also divorces him. Marty serves eighteen months for drug dealing, followed by fleeing the country after a second offense, leaving Richard stuck for the bail money. All the complications ended the threesome. They hadn't seen each other for years.

That could have been the end of it. Robert Goddard could have stopped his recountal right there and had a pretty good short story, but the tale was to take a simple sounding but decidedly dangerous turn. Gemma, who had become more attractive with time, tracks Richard down in London, telling him that Marty is dying and urgently needs his help. Why should he, Richard vexedly tells himself, pay attention to either one of them. But he relents. All Richard has to do is take a package of letters -- originally Grandfather Clem's -- to Marty in Brussels. "It's just a day trip, Richard. You'll be back this evening." Don't believe it.

Robert Goddard's plot construction is impeccable and his writing is as smooth and flowing as the opening of a symphony, but duplicities build upon duplicities and nothing is as it seems, right up until the tempo and strains of the dangerous ending. Goddard fully intentionally immerses the reader in the exotic spellings and diacriticals (at least to these American eyes) of the places that Richard is reluctantly forced to visit for his stricken friend. Goddard knows all the cities and locales very well. He uses many of them as book section and chapter titles. Richard's extended trip by train, plane, car, and ship is harrowing; Goddard's scenes are like being there: The "drive along" Birdcage Walk in London. The switch over to Hyde Park ("we can talk there"). A ferry ride to the Isle of Wight (with its long history of using "advanced British police methods"). Marty's getaway flight to Amsterdam. Belgium's BRUXELLES (Brussels). Germany's Hamburg and KÖLN (a "bone-cold evening in Cologne"). Denmark's ÅRHUS and KØBENHAVN (Copenhagen; noting "the modest scale of the Mermaid's statue"). And Sweden's Stockholm and ÖSTERSJÖN (Baltic Sea). Finland's Helsinki and ITÄMERI (Baltic Sea).

The secret cache of letters, that Richard Eusden is supposed to deliver, pervade the story like a Hitchcockian MacGuffin, attaining almost the level of Holy Writ. Many persons are willing to do anything, including killing, to gain possession of them. Chief among the seekers is the reclusive, secretive, and powerful owner of Mjollnir (roughly pronounced "my-all-ner"), who has his own strictly private reasons. In Norse mythology Mjollnir is the name of the god Thor's fearsome Hammer; the devilish owner lives up to the company name. Somehow Grandfather Clem's letters have revelations about the Russian Tsar's royal family, the Romanovs, their massacre, and the fate of the daughter Anastasia who was long purported to have escaped. Goddard's tale is complicated and intriguing, involving Anna Anderson, who for years claimed to be the missing princess. Danger is on virtually every page. Not for bedtime reading. But a nice ending.

The case of the missing case goes on and on and endlessly on. There was a twist about every ten pages and a new character about every six. Every time Eusdon, the civil servant with teeth gets a step ahead....Doh! Foiled again! I love Goddard as a rule but this was so overwrought and overwritten I'm completely over it.

(Spoiler Free)
With 20 books to his name it's no surprise that Robert Goddard's fans each have their favorites and their least favorites. I've read them all, pre-ordered half of them from Amazon UK to get my hands on them as soon as they're published and I've always been able to say that while some are better than others none have truly disappointed. Until this one.

Goddard's territory is the unquiet past. Real historic events and people are often part of the mix, often as a MacGuffin, but prior knowledge of the events is not required for enjoyment. It is no insult to say he has a formula. Beyond the double-crosses and intricate plot twists, Goddard always chooses to keep the stakes high for his lead characters. They're usually men who've either nothing left to lose or who find themselves stripped of all they value in the course of the story.

This time out Goddard sticks with historic events but makes a very odd choice in his lead character. Instead of the usual down on his luck male lead we have Richard Eusden, a man who stands to lose a few days of PTO if things don't work out. He's helping out an old friend, Marty, who has all the characteristics of the usual Goddard lead. This isn't a bold choice, however, it's mystifying because it never provides anything new just less of what brings readers to Goddard in the first place. The pacing doesn't make up for the lack of high stakes. The characters can't take airplanes so the action is frequently broken up for long train rides (locals!) and car trips. The MacGuffin is particularly strained for my taste and the end is, well, found wanting. Goddard throws in a character in the last 50 pages that we've heard nothing about before who is the key to it all including the title. This is truly disappointing coming from a master of intricate plotting.

At one point I started to wonder if Goddard wasn't writing a deliberate parody of his own books. The overwhelming impression left is that Goddard didn't connect with his chosen material this time out and tried to muddle through anyway. Despite the two stars I've given this book I'll still pre-order Goddard's next book because when he's on his game there is no one better at delivering the unexpected jolt. If you are new to Robert Goddard, please don't start with this book. Try Into the Blue or Painting the Darkness instead.

I am a great fan of Robert Goddard but this book was his worst. Confusing to say the least, the premise that there's great wealth available to the Romanov survivors is stretching our view of history and our imagination. And the shop-worn Anastasia stuff is ridiculous. The characters are bizarre to say the least. I hope he gets back on track in his next novel.

I enjoy Robert Goddard's books for a change of pace after reading somewhat 'heavier' books. Although I do not rate this as one of my favourite Goddard novels, I did find the storyline somewhat different and the plot captivating, good enough to keep me interested until the end! I particularly liked the Norse settings, spanning Denmark, Sweden and Finland, as more unique that the average thriller. Definitely worth a read if you are a thriller or Goddard fan.

Robert Goddard has been called "master of the twist" and you really cannot go wrong with any of the delightful mystery/thrillers he has written. Since the release of his first novel, PAST CARING, in 2006, Goddard has been a regular visitor to the international bestseller lists, and FOUND WANTING is his 20th release. Thankfully, the past several years has found much of his previous work published in the United States in an effort to introduce a new audience to his clever writing.

FOUND WANTING represents another example of Goddard's ability to keep an interesting and unpredictable plot moving at a frenetic pace. On a particularly unremarkable morning, middle-aged civil servant Richard Eusden is on his way to work in London when he is approached by his ex-wife, Gemma. Not having spoken to her since their nasty divorce, he's surprised by her appearance. He's equally surprised to learn from her the news that an old friend of his, Marty Hewitson, is dying and has asked for a special favor he needs Richard to do for him.

If you're a regular reader of Goddard, you will immediately become suspicious that this is no mere simple favor and will probably end up involving Richard in situations that quickly spin out of his control. Upon meeting with his dying friend, Richard agrees to follow up on some information Marty needs to investigate that will take Richard out of London and start him on a quest that sends him into the Nordic heart of a mystery that involves jumping between Belgium, Germany and Denmark.

Richard learns quickly to trust nothing and no one --- least of all the apparently innocent dying intentions of Marty. Before he can sort things out fully, he finds himself ensnared in a web of trickery and deceit that has been spun by a mysterious Scandinavian billionaire. What makes things that much more troubling is the personal nature that this quest has taken. Some of the information Richard turns up on his journey lead back to Marty's long-dead grandfather, Clem Hewitson. The mystery that Marty's grandfather has kept hidden for so long will send Richard to the Isle of Wight where a police officer there may have had knowledge of the tragic fate of the Russian Royal Romanov family who were allegedly massacred back in 1918. Could a member of the Romanovs have survived that massacre, and, if so, what do the long-dead Clem Hewitson and the Isle of Wight have to do with this secret?

Further complicating matters is when Richard discovers that his own grandfather, a policeman in Cowes, was apparently present at the time the Romanov royal family visited London in the years prior to the Russian Revolution and that he may have been indirectly linked to their fate. As Richard's delving into this mystery begins to deepen, he recognizes that his own life is in danger, as there are still powerful forces that will stop at nothing to keep this mystery permanently buried.

FOUND WANTING may not possess the shocking plot twists of some of Goddard's prior novels, but it does present a lot of international intrigue and a pace that rivals something out of the Jason Bourne series. I always find myself comparing Goddard's writing to the film work of director M. Night Shyamalan --- once you've experienced your first amazing plot twist or shocking ending, you find yourself focusing too hard in their succeeding efforts to brace for the next one. This is not necessarily fair, as it is nearly impossible to fool people all the time. Leave it said that a Robert Goddard novel, like FOUND WANTING, should be taken at face value, and rest assured that you will be in for a good read with whatever situation he throws at you.

--- Reviewed by Ray Palen

In London, government bureaucrat Richard Eusden knows every day at work is the same as the previous zillion days. The civil servant muses outside his office building at Whitehall that nothing changes as everything remains the same when it comes to the job.

However this Monday morning will prove a bit maniacal when his former wife Gemma pulls over to the curb and orders Richard into her car. She asks her ex to do her a favor. Her other ex Marty Hewitson is dying. She wants Richard to deliver to his childhood friend Marty an old attaché case that belonged to the latter's grandfather, Isle of Wight police officer Clem Hewitson who was buried two decades ago. Richard travels to Brussels to deliver the case but learns what happens to Good Samaritans as he finds out first-hand that the late Clem's epic espionage exaggerations that stretch back to 1909 may not have been hyperbole. A brutal kidnapper warns him to hand over the case if he wants Marty returned alive and if he prefers life over death. Stunned Richard flees across the continent with assassins chasing after him wanting the Romanov secret documents that the attaché contains.

This is a terrific suspense thriller as Richard feels paranoid because he distrusts everyone soon after arriving in Belgium; this includes Gemma and Marty. Fast-paced with tense twists and trademark humor, Found Wanting is an exhilarating thriller as Richard runs to Germany with no idea where to go or who to turn to while killers pursue him.

Harriet Klausner

I've enjoyed previous books by Robert Goddard, but this one fails to match up. The characters are thinly drawn, and none of them evoked any sympathy, and the twists and turns of the plot and the machinations involved militated against any sense of a narrative thread. If that were not enough, dialogue was punctuated intermittently by a series of dots, as though the characters themselves were having difficulty in keeping up! Should I have stopped reading sooner? Yes, but I kept hoping it would improve. However, by page 258 I'd lost not only the will to live, but also any sense of curiosity about the ending.