Borrowed Time
Robert Goddard
Delta, Feb 2006, $12.00
ISBN: 0385339224

In the summer of 1990, five weeks after his oldest sibling Hugh died of a heart attack at forty-nine years old, thirty-seven years old Robin Timariot needs time to decide his future so he plans to hike for six days along the Offa's Dyke ridge in the Welsh Borders. Though he enjoyed his work with the European Commission in Brussels, since Hugh died he finds it oppressive and ponders if he should come home to join the family business since his uncle, mom and the other relatives insist they need him.

On the ridge at a heavenly view, he meets a lovely middle-aged woman whose nearby parked Mercedes seems to put her in the wrong place. They amiably chat about truly changing things before they part. A week later, Robin reads in the Daily Telegraph the shocking article of artist Oscar Bantock raping and murdering Louise Paxton, the woman who impressed him for that short interlude chat on the trail. He tells the truth about their encounter, but finds the reactions of Louise's loved ones odd. Counseling himself to mind his business, Robin still makes some simple inquiries that turn out to be extremely complex and dangerous to anyone who learns the truth.

This is a terrific amateur sleuth tale that overcomes the inherent credibility flaw that hurts much of the sub-genre as the audience readily can see Robin (or themselves) making simple testimony, condolences and curious minor inquiries that twist and turn into something beyond the protagonist's control. It is the plausibility that this could happen to anyone that makes BORROWED TIME a fabulous thriller that fans will devour in one sitting and seek other works by Robert Goddard (see INTO THE BLUE).

Harriet Klausner