Into the Blue: Into the Blue [Paperback]

Goddard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1992

When a young woman who has befriended him disappears, the down-and-out caretaker of a villa on the island of Rhodes follows a sparse trail to England in search of her. Reprint. K. PW.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Goddard's newest novel shows that even a middle-aged, frumpy man can become a hero. When Heather Mallender, English schoolteacher, disappears while sightseeing in Greece with Harry Barnett, Barnett must discover whether she disappeared voluntarily or was a victim of malice. In Hitchcockian tradition, the hero finds himself trapped in a web of intrigue that threatens not only his reputation, but also his life. Barnett's quest leads him from Greece to England and back, followed everywhere he goes, encountering suspicion and resistance at every turn. Everyone, it seems, has things to hide. Goddard's ( Painting the Darkness , LJ 9/1/89) elegant and gothic portrait of blackmail, deception, and death is hampered by its meandering pace and intricacy. Still, the novel is ultimately successful.
- Bettie Alston Spivey, Charlotte-Mecklenburg P.L.,
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Ultimate page-turner and late-night obsessive read."
--Rocky Mountain News

''A book that will push the edges of late night fatigue... had me utterly spellbound...cracking good entertainment."
--Washington Post

''Impossible to put down... Totally compels you from the first page to the last... a wonderful storyteller."
--Yorkshire Post

''A cracker, twisting, turning and exploding with real skill."
--Daily Mirror --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671704834
• ISBN-13: 978-0671704834
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,357,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intricate Tale, December 4, 2001

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into The Blue (Paperback)

It is a credit to Robert Goddard's writerly abilities that he manages to lead and keep our interest alive in this complex story. We travel from Greece to the British Isles (a map of the UK would be a nice adjunct). The cast of characters in another author's hands would be cumbersome. A tribute to Goddard that even the minor characters are crisply delineated, and not once was I confused as to who was who.

Harry Bennett, a professional failure, has to be one of the more depressing heroes of all time. He has no confidence, few social skills, and not one yearning desire to better himself. He glumly concludes he is not worthy of success. His stylistic sense is so poor; his rumpled appearance causes comment in even an average restaurant. The late Carroll O'Connor could play the part to perfection. On Harry's watch, the young and fragile Heather Mallender disappears while they are hiking up sinister Profitis Ilias Mountain in the Greek Isles. Predictably, Harry has petered out slightly below the summit and elects to wait for Heather to complete the climb. And that is the last he sees of Heather.

The rest of the novel recounts Harry's painstaking search for Heather. Harry is nothing if not persistent, and even his wrong turns forward his search. Nothing is quite as it seems, even Harry. Mr. Goddard has given us a story laced with irony. As in a previous Goddard novel "Caught in the Light," I had a good idea "who" was the main villain; I just had no idea "why." This is a finely crafted novel, and the characterizations are delightful. A very satisfying read.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best, February 1, 2006

By 

MJS "Constant Reader" (New York, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into the Blue (Paperback)

For intelligent, intricately plotted thrillers, no one beats Robert Goddard. I first discovered his work on trip to Australia. "Caught in the Light" made the 14 hour flight home go by in a blink. "Into the Blue" is the best work from one of the best popular fiction writers working today. Well-conceived believable characters, a plot so intricate you sometimes feel you need a map yet it all falls perfectly into place at the end, and a prose style that pulls you in.

Read "Into the Blue" and you'll find yourself ordering all Goddard's books - he's that good and that addictive.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A HUNT FOR THE TRUTH THAT LEADS INTO THE BLUE, March 15, 2007

By 

Red Rock Bookworm (St. George Utah) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Into the Blue (Paperback)

Goddard does it again! In this novel we meet Harry Barnett, a fiftish failure with a past. Harry's life is immersed in failure; its only positive aspect being Harrys unlikely friendship with Alan Dysart, an Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Defense. While house sitting at Alan's villa in Greece, Harry is drawn into a perplexing and bizarre puzzle involving the disappearance of a beautiful, young houseguest.

These are only two of the several plot threads that textures this story and weaves it into compelling whole cloth. Goddard's writing invites you to walk in Harrys shoes as he attempts to utilize the one clue in his possession to solve a mystery whose pieces are scattered from Greece to England to Switzerland.

You may think you have the solution.....but don't be too sure!!