The Ways of the World
(The Wide World - James Maxted 1)
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3.7 • 7 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
1919. The eyes of the world are on Paris, where statesmen, diplomats and politicians have gathered to discuss the fate of half the world’s nations in the aftermath of the cataclysm that was the Great War. A horde of journalists, spies and opportunists have also gathered in the city and the last thing the British diplomatic community needs at such a time is the mysterious death of a senior member of their delegation. So, when Sir Henry Maxted falls from the roof of his mistress’s apartment building in unexplained circumstances, their first instinct is to suppress all suspicious aspects of the event.
But Sir Henry’s son, ex Royal Flying Corps ace James ‘Max’ Maxted, has other ideas. He resolves to find out how and why his father died – even if this means disturbing the impression of harmonious calm which the negotiating teams have worked so hard to maintain. In a city where countries are jostling for position at the crossroads of history and the stakes could hardly be higher, it is difficult to tell who is a friend and who a foe.And Max will soon discover just how much he needs friends, as his search for the truth sucks him into the dark heart of a seemingly impenetrable mystery.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Paris peace talks of 1919 provide the backdrop for Edgar-winner Goddard's enjoyable first in a trilogy featuring James "Max" Maxted, "late of the Royal Flying Corps." When Max's father, aging diplomat Henry Maxted, is found dead outside his mistress's Montparnasse apartment building, the police and some members of the British delegation maintain Henry simply fell from the roof or jumped. Yet the doggedly curious Max and his sidekick former plane mechanic Sam Twentyman spot a pattern of suspicious circumstances indicating otherwise. Of particular note is the series of strange deaths of other diplomats that follows in the coming days. Goddard (Fault Line) evokes time and place with an expert hand. The plot, however, drifts lazily at times, lacking urgency, and is burdened with a confusingly large cast of characters. Max, however, is a likable hero, and fans of period mysteries set in times of historical transition will be satisfied.
