Robert Goddard, Hand in Glove

Hand in Glove

Robert Goddard

Delta, April 2006, $12.00

ISBN: 0385339216

In England elderly wealthy Beatrix Abberly greets the intruder into her home as Mr. Spicer whom she says to him that she was expecting him. She recognizes the candlestick holder he carries and uses to kill her. Her niece Charlotte grieves her loss in what seems like a robbery gone bad. The police arrest antique dealer Colin Fairfax whose motive was to steal Beatrix's priceless artifacts to sell.

Colin's brother Derek firmly believes he is innocent and plans to prove that, though it means finding courage he does not possess. At the same time, Charlie also believes that the motive was not robbery; she assumes the few items purloined were to cover a more sinister crime, especially after she finds letters between Beatrix and her brother, highly regarded poet Tristram who died fighting on the Republican side during the Spanish Civil War five decades ago. Charlie and Derek team up, as both believe the homicide ties back to the war on the Peninsular in the late 1930's, but neither expected that they could be next.

This terrific international amateur sleuth tale grips the audience from the moment the calm Beatrix says hello to Mr. Spice, and never slows down until the final believable twist. The action-packed storyline works because of the lead pairing; Derek is shy and struggles to be a hero, while Charlie grieves and is a bit overweight and also strains to accomplish something way out of character for her. Part of Robert Goddard's genius is to take everyday people placed in arenas outside their norm, performing extraordinary but plausible deeds. HAND IN GLOVE is a superb thriller by an English grandmaster.