Into the Blue by Robert Goddard

I expected this to be a high-class thriller but was sadly disappointed. It began off well with the disappearance of a woman while on a walk in Rhodes. Harry Barnett, a down-at-heel caretaker on Rhodes doggedly searches for her and in the process uncovers layer after layer of lies and subterfuge. A Government Minister turns out to have been involved in a long term love affair with an IRA activist. A secretary who (appears to) help Harry is threatened with expulsion when her work permit expires. But she says she doesn’t want to leave as her brother is a known Tamil separatist in Sri Lanka. Suicides and accidents from the past are revealed as murder. Several women throw themselves at Harry in a most unlikely and unbelievable way. The characterisations were weak and most of the narrative and explanations were done in a series of long dialogues. I realise that Goddard is a very popular writer – just not my cup of tea.