Once again, Goddard managed to keep me flipping the pages because of his intelligent characters, interesting commentary, solid plot and ingenious twists. What I appreciated about Borrowed Time is that it starts with a single event (in this case, a bit of small talk between two strangers) and expands it into a plot that stretches into the past and future. The central event is always the narrative's reference point, which prevents the story from getting too unbalanced and, furthermore, always makes the ending quite satisfying. The various elements, such as impressionist art, the protagonist's struggling family-run cricket manufacturing firm and the complex, wealthy and secretive family of the victim were all weaved into this twisty, well plotted mystery.