Robert Goddard is one of my favourite authors. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book as normally books set in wartime don't hold my interest. However, this was a great story and actually the war did not intrude too much. ( )

This book jumps between 1976 and 1940.
Mainly set in England and Ireland.
Eldritch Swan is released from an Irish prison were he spent 37 years.
Eldritch comes into his nephew Stephen's life and tells him a story about proving some Picasso paintings are fake.
Stephen reluctantly joins him their adventure takes them to London and Antwerp.
Stephen falls in love with Rachel the grand daughter of the man Eldritch conned in the 1940s.
Rachel gets arrested Stephen gets her out, they had to trade the prove that the paintings were fake though.
OK book glad I read it. ( )

Stephen Swan is surprised when his uncle Eldritch, whom he had thought was dead, is released from an Irish prison after 36 years. Eldritch refuses to tell anyone why he was imprisoned or why he's been unexpectedly released. It's not long before other people are trying to find Eldritch and soon Stephen finds himself drawn into a mystery that began in 1940.

We discover that just before WWII Eldritch returned to England from Belgium, where he worked for a Jewish diamond merchant and art collector. Soon we are following a trail of events through an intricate plot concerning fake Picasso's and Irish politics. The story alternates between 1940 and 1976 and takes us to Antwerp, London and Dublin. Bit by bit we learn about Eldritch as a young man and what led to his eventual imprisonment. Another element to the story is the neutrality of Ireland at the beginning of WWII. Real life characters like Eamon de Valera, a hero of the 1916 Easter Uprising and current Tsoiseach (president) of the Irish Republic are key figures who interact with the fictional ones.

As the plot thickens we can never be sure who is controlling events. It's an excellent book that combines real events with a fictional thriller, and enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, but not too many as to be unbelievable. ( )

Stephen Swan's uncle Eldritch has suddenly shown up after 36 years in prison in Ireland. No one knows for sure why Eldritch was imprisoned and Eldritch isn't saying.

Then, one day a lawyer shows up on the doorstep with an offer for Eldritch - one he can't ignore. Suddenly Stephen finds himself in the middle of political intrigue, art theft and diamond smuggling...with a few murders thrown in.

Rating: 4 stars ( )

What do you say? Robert Goddard is the master story teller, he paints a picture and takes you there, unravelling the story one layer at a time rather like the layers of an onion. He is one of my favourite authors and has never let me down, and this is one of his best stories. This book is filled with intrigue, betrayal, espionage, political machinations and a mystery element that is not revealed until the end. What more could you want? What are you waiting for? Read this book! You will not be disappointed. ❤️ ( )