A most complex and engrossing read with interesting characters and action scanning many continents with many different strands to keep the reader bewildered to the end that even then is not what it seems. The story starts centred on a one-man detective agency in Tokyo with a nondescript sprightly old assistant called Wada, a widow who lost her husband in a gas attach in the metro many years ago. She is asked to impersonate a woman a who has been belatedly contacted by someone in London who may have information of a man who with her father when he supposedly committed suicide decades ago. As the woman herself had offered a reward for information such a long time ago and was no longer able to travel, she was willing to pay for someone to go on her behalf see what would transpire. Thereby Wada activities in trying to meet the man in London disturbs a can of worms that stirs up powerful interests who want things to be left alone. Not helped when while other parties get involved for different reasons. Quite an intriguing mystery thriller.

A nice easy read if you're looking for something to distract you from daily life!

I enjoyed the characters and the plot, will definitely look for more books by Robert Goddard.

Fast paced and thrilling. Loved the characters, only sometimes had problems with the names! The storyline was good and I liked the way the characters grew.
This is my first Robert Goddard book, but I will be looking out for more.
Thank you netgalley.

Umiko Wada is employed at the Kodaka Detective Agency in Tokyo and is very adept at the ‘fine art of invisible detection ‘. The agency is hired by Mimori Takenaga to investigate her father’s apparent suicide in London twenty seven years ago. Her investigation leads Wada into personal danger as she tries to seek the truth. Meanwhile, in London Nick Miller is on a similar quest but for different reasons.

This is a twisty, fast paced complex thriller and you really have to concentrate! However, it is extremely interesting and full of tension and suspense. It’s well written and takes the action to some good settings such as Tokyo, London, Devon and Cornwall, New York and Iceland. The storytelling is full of secrets and intrigue, deception, corruption, fraud and has menace and danger aplenty. Particularly intriguing is the connection between Tokyo and Cornwall with the link to Sarin which Wada has personal experience of as her husband died of the effects of sarin in the Tokyo attacks of 1995. There’s a high body count too as we progress through the past and events in the present day. Wada is a really good character. She can meld into the background, she has much inner strength and a sharp analytical mind which combined with the tenacity of a bloodhound makes her excellent at her job. The ending is very tense with all the plot elements falling into place. I like how it ultimately ends too - is there a follow up in the pipeline? I do hope so.

My reservations of the book lie in the vast number of characters, Japanese names are tricky to get in your head and if you add Icelandic names into the mix, it makes your head spins at bit! There is some repetition too between Wada and Nick’s separate investigation.

Overall though, it’s a good, intelligent thriller with plenty of meat on the bones of the plot. I’ve read a lot of books by Robert Goddard over the years and enjoyed them and this is no exception.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld:Bantam Press for the widget for an honest review.

This was an OK read. I found the characters rather uninspiring and didn’t really care what happened to them. In particular, I was not drawn to Wada. I found it hard to identify with her as she did not seem to have any great depth of feelings. I found the first half quite slow, but it did pick up after that and the plot became more exciting and the book more of a page turner. I did find myself curious as to what would happen to the characters in the future and felt that it was left open for further adventures and continuance of the plot. It was well written and I would be happy to try another one to see if the characters are developed more. and to see how things work out.

I really enjoyed this fast-paced mystery / thriller, by one of the best authors in the business, who has delivered another intriguing and sophisticated plot, with stylish prose and dialogue.
Great location choices kept the excitement and momentum going from Tokyo to London, Devon, Iceland, Cambridge and Cornwall.

An excellent cast of characters, mainly from Japan and England, but also from Iceland and Denmark. My favourite character was Umiko Wada, the main protagonist, who is a 47-year old widow from Tokyo, who works as secretary and assistant to a private investigator, Kodaka.

Wada is quiet and polite and at first seems too meek and mild to unearth dangerous secrets, but as the investigation progresses, we learn along with Wada that she is made of steel, takes huge risks, and makes the right decisions, as she is not only clever but decent and is always true to herself.

Wada’s investigation into Masafumi’s alleged suicide in 1977 in London, delves into another mystery where two people drowned in 1977 in Cornwall, events which appear to be linked to an interesting bunch living in a student house in Exeter in the late seventies.

These seemingly unrelated events, which occurred over 40 years ago have serious ramifications and consequences to other events with plenty of murders and twists and turns throughout the years up to the present day, and Wada is central to how the chain of events unfolds and how the story ends …

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and I thoroughly recommend this book not only to Robert’s fans, but also to fans of clever mysteries and thrillers.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (plenty of reviews like that out there already!)

I am a huge fan of Robert Goddard's work, and was delighted to be approved for this title! I was not disappointed!

This fast-paced novel is a twisty-turny thing - the plot takes us from Japan to the UK, Iceland, Norway, and the USA. At first seemingly unconnected, the main characters of Wada and Nick are drawn together as they try to unravel the events of 1977 that have led to more current and mysterious happenings! I love the way Robert Goddard always has a time element in his novels - it's how life is, layers of time built on past events. Who can predict what the outcomes of their actions will be in the future?

I was truly riveted to the book and stayed up late to finish it as I needed to know how it ended.

I am REALLY hoping that there will be further adventures featuring Wada - she's a really great, somewhat understated character who surprises herself by her resourcefulness and resilience.

Now waiting (im)patiently for Robert Goddard's next book...

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Just when you think your on the right track with following Wada with her journey of investigation your thrown another curveball in this exciting mystery. Sent to London by her boss to pose as a client Wada is drawn into a mystery that spans 40 years and the mystery drowning of 2 students. Nick Miller will be drawn to this mystery from a different direction in looking for a father he never knew. Each chapter takes you from Japan to London to Iceland to find missing persons, murders, Contract killers on your trail, how can you possibly survive and protect your family. This is a story you will not want to put down it takes you on so many turns and offers plenty of red herrings for your reading pleasure.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Umiko Wada, known generally as just Wada is secretary and personal assistant to Kazuko Kodaka, a Japanese Private Detective Agent, She handles all the administration, keeps his appointment diary and is a sounding base for any problems that he incurs. She is a middle aged widow, her husband having been poisoned in the 1995 Tokyo subway Sarin gas attack.

One Friday afternoon Mimori Takenaga has an appointment with Kazuko and, after her departure, he confides in Wada that the client, having been told that her father committed suicide whilst on a business trip to London,(when she was only 5 years old), suspects that he was murdered. She knows that he had been involved in numerous “shady dealings”. As he spoke no English he used the services of a translator by the name of Peter Evans, and she suspects that he could be her father’s killer. Some time ago she posted notices in numerous British papers asking if anyone knew of the whereabouts of Mr Evans. Much to her surprise she has just received a letter from a gentleman by the name of Martin Caldwell saying that he may be able to help her and would like to meet her in London. She speaks no English and feels that she could not make the journey, so has asked Kodaka if he could find a Japanese lady of similar age to her who is a fluent English speaker............Wada, a former translator, fits the bill perfectly and so begins a very dangerous consignment............

Nick never knew his father but when he is told there are things he needs to know about him he decides to find out for himself. Twists and turns and secrets galore. I love the way we are given a glimpse of something but are then made to wait.
Another great tale from an exciting author with an ending that elevates it to four and a half stars.

This is Robert Goddard on top form, full of his sparkling inventiveness and unique narrative energy. I've read every single one of his novels, many of them twice, and the best ones three or four times. This is surely his best work in over a decade.
The plot is edge-of-the-seat stuff shifting from Japan to London to Devon to Iceland to Cambridge and to an explosive finale on a Cornish beach. The characters, as always in a Robert Goddard novel, are unforgettable.
No-one comes close to equalling Robert Goddard's talent at writing this sort of mystery thriller with twist after twist after twist.

Umiko Wada a Japanese secretary to a detective agency becomes embroiled in an international secret She flies to London then NewYork onto to Iceland . Umiko's husband was a victim of the Tokyo sarin attack and the mission she has, is to find out more regarding the organisation behind it and to meet someone who has some background on the incident , but where is he?

The book starts slowly and is confusing until all the individuals and their roles become clear. Fast moving at the end with twists that have you guessing . The book is written with Robert Goddard's imitable style .A good read with plenty to get your teeth into.

It is very satisfying to rediscover an author. It is like greeting an old friend. I have read many of Goddard's early books and thoroughly enjoyed reading them so I looked forward to the latest story.

Has he matured like a good wine? Certainly, he has moved with the times and one of his themes reflects an important environmental issue. Like a good friend, he does not disappoint. This is a fine story, and just as the complex mystery is revealed, the author surprises with a final twist.

The plot unfolds with Wada (whose husband has died in a Sarin gas attack) helping her employer Kodaka (a Private eye) who is investigating a corrupt but powerful businessman in Japan. Meanwhile, in Exeter, England we go back in time to student days. The student friends are protesting about a site in Cornwall which has connections with Sarin research. 

Kodaka dies in suspicious circumstances, and Wada travels to the UK to seek answers. It soon becomes evident that a powerful enemy is trying to keep old secrets secret! The plot unfolds with more deaths, and a connection in Iceland which involves dubious land deals.

There is plenty of action and a complex mystery to be solved. Just when you think the mystery has been resolved, the author hits you with a clever twist. 

What a great read! Welcome back, dear friend.

This was a brilliant book with Wada at the heart of the investigations. She's not a stereotypical private investigator which makes her tenacity and bravery in life-threatening situations even more amazing. Just when we thought it was all tied up there was a nice little twist at the end.

I was interested in this book because one of the main protagonists is named Nick Miller. Nick Millers can do no wrong and Nick Millers with familial mysteries are even better. Nick Millers activist mother has recently died and the skeletons in the cupboard start rattling long quiet bones.
On the other side of the world Wada is working for a PI who gets murdered while investigating powerful criminals who leave “shadows” everywhere. One of these shadows is cast over the murder of Wadas husband twenty years ago in a risin attack on the subway. Wada wants to get to the bottom of it and as she investigates she keeps tripping over Nick Miller.
I liked this book, family drama is always fun and the Japanese parts were interesting. Wada is a woman after my own heart, she’s happiest alone and in her own head that doesn’t mean she doesn’t like other people it just means she doesn’t particularly need them. She’s one of the grown ups. Nick on the other hand is a bit of a flapper but he gets there on the end. Two handers are always a bit difficult, there was more than a bit of repetition as both Nick and Wada came at the investigation from the same lead and I kept waiting for them to cross paths which they never really did so that was a bit unsatisfying. I did like the bait and switch at the end. I do like unresolved loose ends sometimes. It leaves the door open just a crack.

A fantastic read,incredibly well written with great characters, it's action packed with twist and turns a plenty to leave you dizzy with excitement.
Nick a well of teacher from London in England,, and Wada a PA at a Japanese detective agency in Japan have never met but their lives are on course for a major crash that will entwine their lives in ways they could have or would have never have imagined.. Wada is sent on An assignment to find a former translater whose picture has just been discovered and sent to a client who can not travel herself. . Nick discoveres that the man he thought was his Dad may not be and and this over one Easter holiday that sends them on several journeys all over the place. Oh and Nick thought his Dad was dead but now maybe and a big maybe that now he's no longer is dead. But don't worry it's not a fantasy or spoke story but it will have you in the edge of your seats.
As I said before the characters are great all feel genuinely believable and add to the atmosphere if you can say that about a novel which I feel I can. The tale is from 2 different angels Wada's and Nicks both coming from a different perspective. They first key for them both is to meet Martin a former house mate of Nicks Mum and her partner as well as the Dads back in 1977 in Exeter. It all becomes clear and very easy to follow. I was sent this novel free in return for a honest opinion or review, and I'm so glad I was, but I'd have been happy to pay ( still glad I didn't have to but then I'm married to a Yorkshire Lass) but it's well worth the money in my opinion and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I did.
Robert Goddard is an author who I'm planning to read a lot more of his work , I'm real impressed,

This will be my shortest review of 2020. Why? Because this book has been the best read this year.. A clever plot based in Tokyo, London and Iceland. Really enjoyable.
My thanks to NetGally and the publishers for this opportunity to leave an early and unbiased review.

A cracking story that is set in the modern day but looks at incidents that span decades and take the two main characters across continents to get to the truth
Two unassuming but tenacious people, Wada in Japan, and Nick in London are trying to solve their own mysteries, but what they don’t realise is the danger their actions are going to put them in.
It quickly become apparent that both are looking for one person, for different reasons and their plots spiral around each other until they are drawn together to face up to a global threat
Unlike many books of this kind this one is totally believable and does not rely on the reader suspending their beliefs in reality
A belter of a plot with two great lead characters

Oh wow, I absolutely loved this book. Plot twists at every turn of the page. Dead bodies here, there and everywhere. From Tokyo to London to Devon to Reykjavik to Cornwall. It really was an edge of your seat crime/thriller. Crime fiction has never really been a genre I pay a lot of attention to. I’m missing out – big time if this book is anything to go by. I’d not heard of Robert Goddard, but he’s written a lot of books and I would definitely try another by this author.

Anyway to the plot. Firstly there’s quite a few Japanese names to get your head around. I’m sure my pronunciation of names was way out and at first I did struggle a little remembering who was who and what was a person’s name and what was a company name, but as I read on I got there eventually. Then the story moves on to Reykjavik and we have to start all over again with Icelandic names, this book is certainly a test of your concentration, but it keeps you focused that’s for sure.

The central character to the story is Umiko Wada. She originally worked as a PA to a Private Investigator Kazuto Kodaka in Tokyo. Then when he takes on a new case he asks Wada (everyone calls her by just her surname) to take on a more involved role than just PA and invites her to go to London to help him with the case he’s just taken on. For reasons we won’t go into here, Wada ends up trying to solve the case on her own which leaves her thinking on her feet and finding herself in constant danger. I really liked Wada. Her tenacity never lets her down, she’s brave, clever and always manages to keep one step ahead of the enemy.

There are a lot of characters in the book and at times I struggled a little to keep track of them all but every one of them has a part to play. There are just so many twists and turns and nail biting moments which all lead to a tense ending. Even then when you think you’re finished, the end – there is one final twist! Oooh so good, it’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle, and it’s fascinating to watch each little piece slot into place.

Added to Goodreads now
Will add to my blog on or near publication date.

I always look forward to the novels by Robert Goddard and his latest book, The Fine Art Of Invisible Detection (due out in March 2021), is another clever, twisty tale that kept me engrossed and surprised from beginning to end.

The plots of Goddard’s books are always difficult to explain because they move in such unexpected directions that it is hard to describe them without ruining the joy of the many surprises. Suffice to say, The Fine Art Of Invisible Detection opens in Tokyo with Umiko Wada trying to get to get through another day. Widowed at a young age, and with no children, she is trying to avoid scrutiny, and her mother, by working as a secretary to a private detective. Her life is pleasingly simple and mainly consists of coffee runs, diary management and paperwork, until she becomes involved in a new case involving the suspicious death of a Japanese businessman in London in 1977. New details have come to light about his death and Wada, who speaks fluent English, travels to London to meet with a man who claims to have information about who was with him when he died. Meanwhile, Londoner Nick Miller is contacted by an old family friend about the true identity of his father, who he has never met. Two seemingly unconnected events, but in Goddard’s skilled hands they weave together into a clever, surprising plot that slithers along like an out-of-control snake.

In recent years Goddard seems to have moved away from his complex, intriguing historical crime novels into the thriller arena, with faster moving and often more violent tales about conspiracies and desperate characters. The Fine Art Of Invisible Detection is certainly more in the thriller field and is a pacey, exciting novel that races from Tokyo to London to the English countryside and Iceland, before returning for a tense climax on a beach in Cornwall.

The storyline is interesting, and involves some very up-to-date ideas, and the characters are well crafted and engaging. Wada in particular is a very interesting and credible character, who turns out to be more resourceful than she first appears. It is a fine piece of characterisation by Goddard.

The end result is a very enjoyable thriller that kept me guessing all the way to the terrific conclusion and the final reveal. My only reservations are the cover and the odd title, which makes it sound like some sort of Sherlock Holmes pastiche, which it is not!