Customer Reviews

Set in Stone

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Robert Goddard is an exceptionally fine writer of suspense novels. He usually grips you from the opening page and guides you through intricately weaved plot lines containing surprise after surprise. He's not without psychological insights, either, particularly when it comes to the midlife thoughts of his heroes.

After I read my first of Goddard's books, I committed to reading them all. Of the five I've read thus far, I'd say that "Caught in the Light" is the best -- and in fact, the best suspense novel I've ever read. "Set in Stone" is easily the worst.

I agree with the previous reviewer who said that the book starts well but falls apart long before the end. In truth, this book reads like some roughly sketched posthumous novel that a successful writer put aside as not good enough to publish -- but that some greedy publisher decided to publish anyway.

Atypically for Goddard, it all feels very slack and sloppy. Oh, he can still thrill you with a scene here and there, but the whole thing does not hold together. What's worse, he cheats the reader by not truly explaining the ghostly happenings at the mysterious house (well described, as always) and by ending the book in a very perfunctory manner.

Luckily, "Set in Stone" seems to be the exception in Goddard's canon. I'd recommend you skip it and choose one of his other novels (for example, the previously mentioned "Caught in the Light" or "Into the Blue") to find out what truly great suspense writing is all about.

Robert Goddard sets out to write a story that combines a sinister house, Cold War treason, human tragedy and an average, modern day family brought together by bereavement. And for almost the whole of the book he juggles the different aspects brilliantly, merging the ingredients into a fascinating swirl of intrigue that propels the reader towards its climax at an unrelenting pace. Throughout, the hairs on the back of my neck rose as mystery and the strange goings on are described in excellent detail. The reader is very much in the dark throughout this book, Goddard loathe to explain any of the dark happenings, raising anticipation to almost unbearable level.

But like so many books, the last chapter or two provide explanations that simply are not up to the standard demanded after so much excellent build up.

Goddard builds this book up on mystery only knock it down by the ill-suited reality. All the suggestions that something paranormal is at work in Otherways are little more than smokescreen when the truth comes out. So much in the conclusion does not sit right with the words that have gone before, and I was left feeling cheated by the author.

It is such a shame that this has happened to "Set in Stone". The first three-quarters of the novel is amongst some of the best I have ever read. The excitement level begins high and stays there until the first strands of truth are unravelled and the spell is broken.

Goddard is clearly a superb writer, and it is very comforting to know that his other novels follow different lines. I will read his other work because I have been told that this is one of the weaker efforts. If this author can enthrall me as much as he did in this novel and then provide a suitable ending, I will have read a masterpiece.

I'm giving this story a 3 star award simply for the few good bits.I feel rather cheated by Mr.Goddard as he built several plots up to such a pitch that I was eagerly awaiting the denouement..which didn't happen! The story is set in a very modernistic, circular house built early in the 20th century in which the various inhabitants, over the years, have become prone to insane fits of jealousy, scary dreams of the future and irrational behaviour.The original owner of the house and his immediate descendants are somehow linked to the Russian diplomatic service and are labelled as traitors to England. Add to this a good mix of murders, strange and unexplained deaths and, in the last pages when the reader is waiting for all to be revealed...nothing!! I still don't know what happened!!

Goddard is a great writer of suspense, but this one becomes tedious because of the mid-life crisis theme of the storyline. Even though there is tension and the plot moves quickly, one eventually gets bogged down by the main character's emotional state.

Tony Sheridan is suffering from the recent death of his wife Marina who fell for no apparent reason from Henna Cliff in Devon. After this tragic even, Tony decides to leave Stanacombe and to live with Marina's sister Lucy and her husband Matt Prior. They possess a grandiose and remote mansion called Otherways which was the only house built by a strange Edwardian architect.
Soon Tony, still plagued by the memories of Marina, is strongly attracted to Lucy and at the same time discovers a letter which states that Otherways was the setting of the mysterious murder committed in 1939 known as "the Milner enigma".
Lucy and Tony become lovers, Tony thus betraying his friend Matt and Lucy wrecking her marriage. And as Tony tries to uncover the mystery behind Otherways, the list of victims grows longer and longer and disaster can no longer be avoided.
The plot in "Set In Stone" turns and twists and Robert Goddard is truly a master story writer in the suspense genre.