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Borrowed Time
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It is a golden evening of high summer in July 1990. Robin Timariot has set out that morning on what he has planned as a six-day tramp along part of Offa's Dyke. At the close of his first day's walk he encounters an elegant middle-aged woman who seems strangely out of place among the sheep and gorse of Hergest Ridge. They exchange only a few words of conversation, but thei
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Paperback, 432 pages
Published
January 31st 2006
by Delta
(first published January 1st 1995)
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Books really are our friends, aren’t they? Sometimes they are a lifeline. Twice now a book has rescued me. Sounds like a bit of an exaggeration but it isn’t. In 2006 the top joint of the index finger of my right hand was chopped off. I was distressed of course and in pain and worrying about my typing speed, (The loss did actually slow me down from 65 to 56 wpm but that’s no longer a problem). I had a long night ahead of me but I had a good book. I had shoved it into my handbag on the off chance.
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This is my first sampling of Goddard's writing. I do have another one on deck ready to roll into. The writing is more refined than many murder mysteries with light brush strokes of poetry, the plot is complex and layered as it grows tentacles and surprising twists, but the characters are not endearing. The fact that you wonder what the heck these dummies are going to do next makes it a tad challenging to maintain the patience to get through the 400 plus pages without any humour relief.
Our main c ...more
Our main c ...more
Great summer read! Loved the character development and multiple plot twists. While so many writers back themselves into a corner, Goddard did the opposite. He could have ended this book in half a dozen ways, and any one of them would have been believable and satisfying.
I have read quite a number of Robert Goddard's books over time but this one seems to have slipped under my net. It is narrated by Robin Timariot who is a EU Commission executive who is lured back to the family Cricket Bat manufactures, as works manager with a seat on the board of directors. His elder brother Adrian is up to no good trying to sell out to an Australian concern. Meanwhile Robin had been walking part of Offa's Dyke long distance footpath, where he meets the mysterious Lady Louise Pa
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There are three types of mystery novels. The best of them grab you by the throat and pull you along. You give up eating and sleeping to get through them in one sitting. The worst of them can be encapsulized in a page and a half, you've figured out who the killer is in three sentences, and you can safely consign them to the fire without enduring the rest of the writing therein. The third type sits between the two. It's well-written enough, and fine while you're reading it, but you don't feel that
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Shall I compare the plot of this drama-mystery to a cricket match? Or maybe a hike through the twists and turns of the English countryside. It does take its time to unravel, but narrator Robin Timariot makes a pleasant enough companion, if not always forthcoming. It’s ironic that he makes so much of Paul Bryant’s affable reticence when that trait could very well be applied to him – he only hints, for instance, at the depth of his relationship with Bella. She turned out to be my favorite characte
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I love reading Robert Goddard books because I know that as soon as I pick it up, it will be hard to put down. This one was no different and did not disappoint. It had lots of twists and turns and kept me reading until the very end. The characters are well developed and the plot was very realistic. I'm looking forward to reading my next Goddard book. I highly recommend it to lovers of suspense and mystery.
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Somewhere between a 1-star and a 2-star, I'm rounding this up because it was at least 'readable' and I do acknowledge that it was more a case of this not being 'my kind of thing', as opposed to being a bad book.
But yes, I found this a slog. Full of inconceivably tedious co-incidences and irritatingly middle-class throughout, this novel follows a man after he finds himself involved in the murder of a woman he has a passing acquaintance with having spoken briefly to her prior to her murder whilst ...more
But yes, I found this a slog. Full of inconceivably tedious co-incidences and irritatingly middle-class throughout, this novel follows a man after he finds himself involved in the murder of a woman he has a passing acquaintance with having spoken briefly to her prior to her murder whilst ...more
The introduction to my first Robert Goddard book, it won't be my last. I thought I figured out the story, but I was mostly mistaken. What happens when you meet a beautiful woman when you are walking a trail? Robin is unable to forget this stranger and is therefore pulled into her dysfunctional family. I definitely recommend
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Once again, a clever, twisting plot which I couldn't figure out right to the end.
However this time I was less than convinced. I found the characters, especially Robin, shallow and underdeveloped. I could not find any explanation for Robin's obsession for a woman with whom he only ever exchanged a couple of sentences, nor for Sarah and Paul's behaviour. I suppose the main characters were basically all lacking in depth.
A pity because Goddard knows how to think up a really good mystery. ...more
However this time I was less than convinced. I found the characters, especially Robin, shallow and underdeveloped. I could not find any explanation for Robin's obsession for a woman with whom he only ever exchanged a couple of sentences, nor for Sarah and Paul's behaviour. I suppose the main characters were basically all lacking in depth.
A pity because Goddard knows how to think up a really good mystery. ...more
"Virtually impossible to put down, this must be the best Goddard-book I've read (i.e. making it one of the best mystery/suspense/thrillers I know :-)). A random short encounter and a grisly double killing is followed by the involvement of the main character in a sequence of events where seemingly small descisions have life-altering consequences. And of course, nothing is quite what it seems."
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A good yarn. Plot twists right to the end. Almost 4 stars, but too much flowery language.
Plot twists. Lots of plot twists.
Having finished reading my trip-book on the way to my parents' house, I asked my mom to lend me a book while I was visiting, something somewhat suspenseful that would keep my attention. She had just read this book and recommended it, although she has liked other books by this author better. I had a lot of free time and therefore got through it pretty quickly, and it did the job that it was supposed to do. I think there are books that I qualify as "stuck" books--- good for if you're stuck at an a
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Jun 13, 2011
Stefan
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries-thrillers
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 make
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Excellent vacation read for the mystery lover. The writing is uniformly pleasant and the plot twists are really well done. I particularly liked the way that I kept forming and reforming an opinion of the victim's character, as the facts were reinterpreted in light of new information. It made me think about how often we do make character judgments on incomplete information based on what is plausible in light of the information known. And the book is available on Kindle from the library; what coul
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Checking back I did read a book by this author a couple of years back and wasn't particularly impressed. This one hasn't impressed me much either, there were plenty of twist and turns to keep you guessing, I didn't see them coming, but the whole way through I just kept thinking why is this man getting so involved with s family after one chance meeting, and a very brief exchange. It just didn't feel right to me.
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This wasn't the first Goddard book I read so I'd expected a bit more than this. There were the trademark twists and turns but since these were easily anticipated, I'd hoped for something special. However it was pretty much what you'd find in any other book of this genre. Entertaining but nothing more.
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I normally like Robert Goddard's books as they usually have a fantastic twist. This was not one of his good ones. I found the main character unlikeable and the story pretty pedestrian. I wouldn't recommend this one.
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I’ve reviewed Caught in the Light by Goddard recently. I love the twists. I love the setting. This one is similar, but I think it just loses out on another star because it did drag on a little too long. It wasn’t as crisp as Caught in the Light.
“Walking a ridge on the Welsh Borders, Robin Timariot meets by chance an elegant middle-aged woman who seems strangely out of place. They exchange only a few words, but those words prove to be unforgettable. A few days later Timariot learns from the newsp ...more
“Walking a ridge on the Welsh Borders, Robin Timariot meets by chance an elegant middle-aged woman who seems strangely out of place. They exchange only a few words, but those words prove to be unforgettable. A few days later Timariot learns from the newsp ...more
3.5
I have to say I'm impressed by how good this book was!
In the beginning I thought it was very slow and it was also hard to read since the chapters were 20 pages more or less each which is way too long in my opinion. It was 100% worth the read though since the story developed and turned out to be way more twisted than what you are lead to think in the beginning of the book.
I do however think that there are a lot of parts in the book that could've been written differently and I believe that th ...more
I have to say I'm impressed by how good this book was!
In the beginning I thought it was very slow and it was also hard to read since the chapters were 20 pages more or less each which is way too long in my opinion. It was 100% worth the read though since the story developed and turned out to be way more twisted than what you are lead to think in the beginning of the book.
I do however think that there are a lot of parts in the book that could've been written differently and I believe that th ...more
If I could give Borrowed Time 3-1/2 stars, I would. That's the rating I think it truly deserves.
I usually don't really care for first-person novels, but Goddard did a good job telling this story from Robin T's point of view ... while adding some flashes of insight into other characters' development (something that usually is lacking in most first-person novels). Thus, I found Borrowed Time to be palatable.
Also, I usually do not read mysteries (just not my cup of tea), but did so on the recommend ...more
I usually don't really care for first-person novels, but Goddard did a good job telling this story from Robin T's point of view ... while adding some flashes of insight into other characters' development (something that usually is lacking in most first-person novels). Thus, I found Borrowed Time to be palatable.
Also, I usually do not read mysteries (just not my cup of tea), but did so on the recommend ...more
This book has been lurking on my TBR for longer than I care to remember. One thing that has put me off reading it is the small format of the paperback and of the print. I've been spoilt by the adjustability of reading e-books.
Robin Timariot is walking Offa's Dyke while trying to make a decision about the rest of his life. His accidental meeting of Louise Paxton should have had no lasting consequences but her death only a few hours later draws him into her family.
This is one of those plots that t ...more
Robin Timariot is walking Offa's Dyke while trying to make a decision about the rest of his life. His accidental meeting of Louise Paxton should have had no lasting consequences but her death only a few hours later draws him into her family.
This is one of those plots that t ...more
Robin Timariot is going for a leisurely long hike in a trail in late summer when he encounters a beautiful middle aged woman. After a few spoken words, she offers him a ride, if he wishes. He declined and says he wants to finish his walk.
He does some traveling and when he gets back and reads the newspaper, discovers that she has been murdered. He gets embroiled in her family and the hunt is on. For answers, for clues, for reasons as to why this has happened.
The book is almost 400 pages long. ...more
He does some traveling and when he gets back and reads the newspaper, discovers that she has been murdered. He gets embroiled in her family and the hunt is on. For answers, for clues, for reasons as to why this has happened.
The book is almost 400 pages long. ...more
To begin with,I was a bit disappointed with this book, as everything I had read by this author, I had enjoyed a lot. I was really getting annoyed and irritated by the main character. He was so infatuated with a passing stranger that it made no real sense to me, and then when he learnt of a murder he felt himself to be really involved. I am glad I stuck with though, as the story grows and has a complicated plot that I was expecting from Goddard. It is not a fast-paced book , as the twists and tur
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This is my first experience with Robert Goddard books. I was really enthused for about half of the book and then became not so much bored as not believing the story line. I could not fathom anyone becoming so engrossed with someone they had such a brief encounter with.
The writing itself is very good but I was not fully committed to finishing it. I did but not sure I'll read another one of his mysteries. ...more
The writing itself is very good but I was not fully committed to finishing it. I did but not sure I'll read another one of his mysteries. ...more
This is the first book I've read by Robert Goddard. He weaves a masterful story
which spins like a childs spinning top, lurching all over while remaining totally
in control of the story. It started off reminding me of Dick Francis but with
no Horses in sight, Other than a guy reading the racing form in a pub. However
Unlike Dick Francis, this is a very dark brooding book, and this reader was hooked
by it. It may have been my First Robert Goddard novel. It won't be the last! ...more
which spins like a childs spinning top, lurching all over while remaining totally
in control of the story. It started off reminding me of Dick Francis but with
no Horses in sight, Other than a guy reading the racing form in a pub. However
Unlike Dick Francis, this is a very dark brooding book, and this reader was hooked
by it. It may have been my First Robert Goddard novel. It won't be the last! ...more
Personally, this is the most unpredictable Mystery (with a whole lotta drama) novel I’ve ever read to date. That very same unpredictability made me enjoy this story. In addition, Robert Goddard’s expansive vocabulary got me scratching my head, and had to frequently open the dictionary. Lastly, I got to source some interesting, mind-altering quotes to actually apply in life... That’s all I can say, and will leave it at that. Lol!
I've never read a mystery like this one! You start to wonder when the crime seems to be solved but you still have a hefty chunk of book to read (the visual advantage of books in print). Well, Goddard flips us back and forth through so many plausible explanations that I got dizzy. Masterful writing! A great peek into the human soul surrounding guilt and blame over the loss of loved ones, whether by murder or suicide. A good read.
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Another intensely plotted round of twists and turns that left me puzzled and second guessing until very close to the end. Goddard has a away of creating situations that are different to most thriller writers, up to now always unique.
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Readers also enjoyed
In a writing career spanning more than twenty years, Robert Goddard's novels have been described in many different ways - mystery, thriller, crime, even historical romance. He is the master of the plot twist, a compelling and engrossing storyteller and one of the best known advocates for the traditional virtues of pace, plot and narrative drive.
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