The Ways of the World
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4.1 • 19 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
The murder of a British diplomat in post-WWI Paris leads to “a rip-roaring adventure” in this historical spy thriller by the Edgar Award–winning author (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review).
In the spring of 1919, Paris is filled with delegates from around the world who are trying to hammer out the terms of peace after World War I. British diplomat Sir Henry Maxted is in charge of liaising with the Brazilians regarding seized ships. But before a deal is reached, Sir Henry turns up dead outside a Montparnasse apartment building, apparently having fallen from the roof. When his sons Max and Ashley arrive in Paris to collect the body, they suspect their father’s death was no mere accident. But since the murder of a diplomat could be disastrous for the peace conference, no one is keen to ask questions—except Max.
What begins as an innocent inquiry into his father’s death soon leads Max, a Royal Flying Corps veteran, into a dangerous world of secret allegiances, international espionage, and double-crossing at the highest levels of government. How far is he willing to go to discover the truth about the death of a father he barely knew? And how much will the authorities—and others—let him find out before threatening his own life? The first novel in Robert Goddard’s James Maxted Thrillers, The Ways of the World takes readers deep into the shadows of postwar Paris.
“Robert Goddard is the master of complex, tricky thrillers that dazzle with surprises . . . Another stellar performance.” —The Sydney Morning Herald
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.
