Product Description

Harry Barnett lives the life of an Englishman on permanent vacation in Greece, house-sitting for a powerful friend and hiding from a past disgrace. That is, until a guest at the villa disappears on a walking tour, and Harry is the number one suspect. While a Greek detective tries to trap him, and the British tabloids pillory him at home, Harry’s conscience is his worst enemy of all. What happened to young, beautiful Heather Mallender? Who took her—and why didn’t Harry realize that something was amiss?

Suddenly, a man steeped in failure has found a purpose, retracing the strange, twisting route that led to Heather’s vanishing. But the more he learns, the less he knows. Until Harry finds himself at the heart of a dangerous puzzle whose pieces are scattered everywhere: in the realm of British politics, in the beds of adulterous lovers, in the past, the present, and most of all, amid the secrets of a killer....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39435 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-31
• Released on: 2006-01-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

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.

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


From the Trade Paperback edition.

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

Customer Reviews

Intricate Tale
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.

Simply the best
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.

A HUNT FOR THE TRUTH THAT LEADS INTO THE BLUE
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!!