Out of the Sun: A Novel [Paperback]

Robert Goddard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1998

When Harry Barnett is informed that his son has been hospitalized in a diabetic coma, he thinks there is some mistake. He doesn't have a son. But Harry soon discovers otherwise. David Venning, a brilliant mathematician working in realms of thought that only a handful of people on earth could even begin to compreh, is now susped somewhere between life and death.

The question of Harry's paternity is immediately resolved, but other, darker mysteries quickly intervene. David Venning's tragic condition appears to be either accidental or self-inflicted. But his precious notebooks are missing from the hotel room in which he was found. Two other scientists employed have died in suspicious circumstances. Harry is propelled into an arena of conspiratorial intrigue, brilliantly rered by Goddard's deft and atmostpheric prose. He journeys to Europe and the United States in search of the truth, in an effort to help the son that he's never met.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you like the darkly romantic thrillers of Daphne Du Maurier, (Rebecca, The House on the Strand, Jamaica Inn), where secrets from the past surface to tease and torture the protagonists, you should also enjoy Robert Goddard, a best-selling author in his native Britain. Goddard's latest takes the main character of his Into the Blue--idealistic failure Harry Barnett--through a story involving the son he never knew he had, a 33-year-old math genius now in a coma. Harry's stumbling investigations reveal sinister and even surreal overtones to his son's research, and Goddard's silky prose generates an unusual depth of excitement and sympathy. Other Goddard books in paperback include Closed Circle, Hand in Glove, In Pale Battalions, and Painting the Darkness. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In this above-average thriller by Goddard (A Debt of Dishonour, LJ 12/91), the presumably childless Harry Barnett, living a quiet, aimless life in Britain, receives an anonymous call informing him that his son, a brilliant mathematician, is comatose. Worse, the son's condition is probably not accidental. His notebooks are missing; people around him are dying under mysterious circumstances. Harry, introduced in Goddard's Into the Blue (LJ 1/91), finds a new sense of purpose with the discovery that he is a father, and he begins to investigate what happened and why. The answer lies under layers of deceit, greed, fear, madness, and genius and leads Harry into unexpected byways. By turns scary and intelligent, this novel, lightly grounded in contemporary mathematical theory, will be received well in public libraries.?Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (June 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805058362
• ISBN-13: 978-0805058369
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,289,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars WOULD EINSTEIN & OPPENHEIMER DO IT AGAIN??, February 16, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Out of the Sun: A Novel (Paperback)

I first met Goddards character Harry Barnett in the novel Into the Blue. He was a likable character, prone to misfortune and possessing a penchant for lifting a few "pints" at the local pub.

In Out of the Sun Harry discovers he has a 33 year old son, a math genius who has fallen into a insulin overdose induced coma. When it is discovered that all of his son's mathematical notes are missing, and that several other individuals who had been working on a project with him for a company known as Globescope have also been felled by fatal "accidents", Harry embarks on a dangerous campaign to save the son he never knew he had.

The plot of this novel is compelling, with lots continent hopping adventures and enough twists turns to fill a package of fusilli pasta. All of these keep the reader interested, however the mathematical "hyperdimensions" mumbo-jumbo and ultimate explanation for the murders was disappointing. (Perhaps "genius" is not what it's cracked up to be).

This is not the best of Goddards offerings, but his average offering is often a lot better than other writers best.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The most interesting mystery I've ever read!, July 15, 2001

By 

Rebecca Quintana "disappointed fan" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out of the Sun: A Novel (Paperback)

I had about five books on hold at the public library that still hadn't come in yet, so I decided to browse the Fiction section to see if I could find anything interesting. After reading a few covers, and finding the typical "dead body found under suspcious circumstances" one after the other, I stumbled upon this novel. The idea intrigued me. A man comes in to work one morning to discover that his son is in the hospital in a diabetic coma--the only problem is, he doesn't have a son.

Harry, the main character, then sets about to solve the mystery of his son's suspicious near-fatal accident, along with the "accidental" deaths of several of his former colleages. But the more he discovers, the more danger he finds himself in.

This story has so many surprising twists and turns it keeps you "on the edge of your seat." Some parts are so suprising it almost makes you jump! I highly recommend reading this novel, especially if you are looking for something fresh and vivid.

The only problem I had with it was the fact that Americans from NYC and California don't say "reckon" lol!!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one book of intruiging suspense you MUST read., August 1, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Atlanta,ga,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of the Sun: A Novel (Paperback)

This single book by Robert Goddard was by far the best book i've read all year. I read it on a trip I took to South Carolina (for those of you looking for a good travel book) and finished the whole thing in two days. I just could NOT put it down...the twists in plot so unexpected, I found myself laughing out loud, or not being able to read for the tears in my eyes. I'm not often a passionate reader, but every chapter he gave brought me closer to the story and characters than any author had ever done before. Don't be afraid to dive into this one-- you'll end up satisfied in the end...but wanting more just to sleep at night. I'd previously never heard of Robert-- but Kudos to the designer of the cover--it's how I pick my travel books. (and just for us picky ones, the type font is easily read, and attractive, the paper is well-grained, and the whole book is sturdy, as a travel book should be).

Go for this one-- it's wonderful, all around.