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Robert Goddard

Welcome to the world of my books: a collection of more than twenty mystery thrillers that I am confident will enthrall and satisfy lovers of the genre. Unprincipled chicanery; unsolved crimes; unforgiven betrayals; unforgotten jealousies: these are the sinews of my stories.

They range across different times and places, springing from such contrasting roots as Liberal politics of the Edwardian period, the origins of the First World War and Irish neutrality during the Second, the invention of photography, the South Sea Bubble, the fate of the last ruling family of the Byzantine Empire and much, much more.

What they all have in common is the infinite capacity for intrigue and conspiracy in human nature - and the lengths to which some at least will go to combat them. The pleasure of creating these plots can only be increased by sharing them with my readers.

So, come on in.

But be warned. The water's deep. And dark.

Robert Goddard was born in Hampshire in 1954. He was educated at Price’s School, Fareham, and Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he read History. After qualifying as a teacher, he worked as a local government officer for ten years before becoming a full-time novelist.

Robert Goddard describes how and why he became a writer:

I was a writer, in the sense of being a storyteller - an avid elaborator and refashioner of events for my own and others’ entertainment - from my childhood on. I was also an eager student of history, spending every Saturday I could in the local reference library poring over history books in a bid to understand the world I grew up in. These two impulses - to alter reality and also to master it - are the foundations of my fiction. At that time, I also thought being a novelist would be enormously glamorous. I imagined myself emerging from steam-wreathed railway stations in exotic locations with a typewriter and a whisky bottle in my bag, a knowing smile playing around my lips.

Glamour is actually in short supply for novelists, other than what figures in the stories they create. So is financial security, of course, which is why I tried, soberly and sensibly, to apply myself to other career options after university, only to discover that I wasn’t cut out for any of them. It became painfully clear that I was a writer or nothing. But what sort of writer?

I was frustrated and disappointed by a lot of contemporary fiction I read in the 1970s and 1980s, so I set out to write a novel that did what I wanted more novels to do: tell a tightly constructed and densely plotted story engrossingly and satisfyingly. This involves a lot of planning, a part of the process I enjoyed greatly from the start. Naturally, it also requires a central idea for the story to grow from.

I recall worrying during the writing of that first book, Past Caring, that ideas for future books might be hard to come by. But it hasn’t worked out like that. One idea seems to give birth to another. It’s become an addictive occupation, for me and, I’m glad to say, for many of my readers. And it’s not an addiction I have any intention of trying to kick. I’m in it for life.

News

Like Robert Goddard on Facebook!

Be the first to discover the latest news about Robert's books, enter competitions and be a part of the excitement as we approach publication days when you like Robert's Facebook page!

Posted: 12th June 2015 @ 11:53 am

WIN a special proof copy of The Corners of the Globe

Sign up via Goodreads for your chance to win one of five copies.

Posted: 3rd July 2014 @ 4:29 pm

The Corners of the Globe is Published Today!

The second installment in The Ways of the World trilogy is out in hardback today.Be the first to get your hands on a copy and read an exclusive 'Behind the Book' article writt …

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Posted: 3rd July 2014 @ 4:27 pm

The Latest Newsletter

If you missed the latest newsletter, you can catch up on his news here.You can sign up to receive Robert's newsletter at the bottom o …

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Posted: 3rd July 2014 @ 4:21 pm

The Ways of the World - Free Prologue Download

The Ways of the World - the first book in Robert's extraordinary The Wide World trilogy is published in paperback on 19th June 2014.For fans who can’t wait to find out more, Robert has …

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Posted: 15th April 2014 @ 12:48 pm

Robert introduces The Ways of the World

In recent years, Robert Goddard has been described as ‘the master of the triple double-cross’ (The Times), ‘a conjurer’ (Guardian) and ‘a compelling storyteller’ …

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Posted: 9th January 2014 @ 9:49 am

Telegrams from Paris - Follow Robert's historical facts of the day on Twitter

To coincide with the publication of The Ways of the World, Robert has written a series of bite-sized facts that will be Tweeted daily from

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Posted: 3rd July 2013 @ 5:24 pm

Become a fan of Robert on Facebook

Robert now has his very own Facebook page, which will be maintained and updated by his UK publishers, Transworld.This will be the first place to hear latest news on books and events fro …

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Posted: 3rd July 2013 @ 5:12 pm

WIN lunch with Robert Goddard

To celebrate the upcoming publication of Robert's brand new thriller, The Ways of the World, we're offering one lucky person (plus a guest) the chance to meet Robert for lunch. The new nov …

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Posted: 3rd July 2013 @ 5:08 pm

Download the free ebook prologue to The Ways of the World

As a special treat for fans who can’t wait for the 4th July to find out more, Robert has written a special prologue chapter, which is currently only available – along with the first cha …

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Posted: 3rd July 2013 @ 5:04 pm

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