The Fine Art of Invisible Detection
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- Create Date：2021-04-02 09:52:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Robert Goddard
- ISBN：1787632342
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Summary
'In the smartest of prose and with a stunningly fast-moving plot， Goddard brings us the heroine we've been waiting for。' Lesley Kara
From the multiple Sunday Times bestseller， a masterfully plotted and compelling novel introducing Umiko Wada 。 。 。
Umiko Wada has recently had quite enough excitement in her life。 With her husband recently murdered and a mother who seems to want her married again before his body is cold， she just wants to keep her head down。
As a secretary to a private detective， her life is pleasingly uncomplicated， filled with coffee runs， diary management and paperwork。
That is， until her boss takes on a new case。 A case which turns out to be dangerous enough to get him killed。 A case which means Wada will have to leave Japan for the first time and travel to London。
Following the only lead she has， Wada quickly realises that being a detective isn't as easy as the television makes out。 And that there's a reason why secrets stay buried for a long time。 Because people want them to stay secret。 And they're prepared to do very bad things to keep them that way。。。
What readers are saying:
'Edge-of-the-seat stuff 。 。 an explosive finale 。 。 。 The characters， as always in a Robert Goddard novel， are unforgettable。'
'One of the best authors in the business 。 。 。 another intriguing and sophisticated plot， with stylish prose and dialogue。'
'No-one comes close to equalling Robert Goddard's talent at writing this sort of mystery thriller with twist after twist after twist。'
From the multiple Sunday Times bestseller， a masterfully plotted and compelling novel introducing Umiko Wada 。 。 。
Umiko Wada has recently had quite enough excitement in her life。 With her husband recently murdered and a mother who seems to want her married again before his body is cold， she just wants to keep her head down。
As a secretary to a private detective， her life is pleasingly uncomplicated， filled with coffee runs， diary management and paperwork。
That is， until her boss takes on a new case。 A case which turns out to be dangerous enough to get him killed。 A case which means Wada will have to leave Japan for the first time and travel to London。
Following the only lead she has， Wada quickly realises that being a detective isn't as easy as the television makes out。 And that there's a reason why secrets stay buried for a long time。 Because people want them to stay secret。 And they're prepared to do very bad things to keep them that way。。。
What readers are saying:
'Edge-of-the-seat stuff 。 。 an explosive finale 。 。 。 The characters， as always in a Robert Goddard novel， are unforgettable。'
'One of the best authors in the business 。 。 。 another intriguing and sophisticated plot， with stylish prose and dialogue。'
'No-one comes close to equalling Robert Goddard's talent at writing this sort of mystery thriller with twist after twist after twist。'
Reviews
Steve Fellows
，
2。5
Athena
，
It was an enjoyable read especially with the main character being a middle-aged Asian woman which I don't think is especially common。 To top it off， in a mystery/thriller novel it is most certainly an oddity which makes it refreshing。 It was an enjoyable read especially with the main character being a middle-aged Asian woman which I don't think is especially common。 To top it off， in a mystery/thriller novel it is most certainly an oddity which makes it refreshing。 。。。more
Margaret
，
A complex fast paced thriller that takes you on an incredible journey from Japan to England and Iceland building deceit and intrigue as it develops 。 Wada makes a wonderful and credible character who ends up as a detective by default as she initially assists her employer then after his sudden death takes up the cudgel and sets off to complete the investigation he started。 She is resourceful and dogged following diverse leads。I throughly enjoyed this latest addition to Robert Goddard’s repertoire A complex fast paced thriller that takes you on an incredible journey from Japan to England and Iceland building deceit and intrigue as it develops 。 Wada makes a wonderful and credible character who ends up as a detective by default as she initially assists her employer then after his sudden death takes up the cudgel and sets off to complete the investigation he started。 She is resourceful and dogged following diverse leads。I throughly enjoyed this latest addition to Robert Goddard’s repertoire。 My criticism might coping with the unfamiliar Japanese and Icelandic names as there are many characters in this story 。。。more
Daniel Kincaid
，
Umiko Wada is a secretary to a private detective in Japan。 She's happy in her life， not looking for any excitement or something truly out of the ordinary。 But life has other plans。 When her husband takes a new job， one he suspects might be too dangerous， he sends her to England to gather some information。 But then he gets killed himself， presumably by a hit-and-run。 In order to found out and why and in the process save her own life， she starts to investigate the case- the death of a man in 197o' Umiko Wada is a secretary to a private detective in Japan。 She's happy in her life， not looking for any excitement or something truly out of the ordinary。 But life has other plans。 When her husband takes a new job， one he suspects might be too dangerous， he sends her to England to gather some information。 But then he gets killed himself， presumably by a hit-and-run。 In order to found out and why and in the process save her own life， she starts to investigate the case- the death of a man in 197o's that somehow connects to a the suspicious death of two students in England in the 70's as well， one of the only presumed dead as his body was never found。 And how is all of this connected to a company that deals with selling land？ And a deadly Japanese businessman， so ruthless， everyone that stand in his way disappears or dies？Wada discovers that being a private detective isn't easy， especially as the stakes rises and lives are at stake， and that there are good reasons why secrets are stayed buried， even for a long period of time。 But in order to save lives and stop a deadly conspiracy she must unravel the past， no matter what the stakes are。 An edge-of-your-seat thriller， a fun roller-coaster ride that never lets up for a second。 Filled with twists and turns， break-neck pace， wonderful characters that are well fleshed out- flawed， human， and real， everyday people who are thrust into impossible situations- labyrinthine， complex plotting and excellent prose， as usual。 There really is nothing more to be said。 Robert Goddard promises， and delivers in spades， as always。 Four and a half stars。If you're already familiar with Goddard's work， then this novel will not disappoint， as it's a wonderful adventure。 If you're new， than hop on and join the joyride。 You'd be glad you did。 。。。more
Ann
，
This was an amazingly good story and I really hope there are more stories involving Wada and the detective agency。 I really enjoyed watching how she evolved， I loved the constantly moving locations， I found the parallel storytelling very effective， and I was fascinated by the depth of knowledge Goddard shows re eg Sarin gas， the very dodgy world of high finance， politics， and much more。 I'd only read Goddard's history novels， so this was a revelation。 This was an amazingly good story and I really hope there are more stories involving Wada and the detective agency。 I really enjoyed watching how she evolved， I loved the constantly moving locations， I found the parallel storytelling very effective， and I was fascinated by the depth of knowledge Goddard shows re eg Sarin gas， the very dodgy world of high finance， politics， and much more。 I'd only read Goddard's history novels， so this was a revelation。 。。。more
Sandra Danby
，
I always look forward to a new Robert Goddard book but wasn’t sure what to expect from his latest， ‘The Fine Art of Invisible Detection’。 Partly， I think， because the blurb seemed more a detective novel than a thriller。 Actually， this is both。 Goddard has creative a heart-warming， realistic new hero， Umiko Wada， known simply as Wada。 I raced through this book， full of Goddard’s clever twisty plotting， emotional dilemmas， should-I-shouldn’t-I moments。Wada is a 47-year-old secretary at a detective I always look forward to a new Robert Goddard book but wasn’t sure what to expect from his latest， ‘The Fine Art of Invisible Detection’。 Partly， I think， because the blurb seemed more a detective novel than a thriller。 Actually， this is both。 Goddard has creative a heart-warming， realistic new hero， Umiko Wada， known simply as Wada。 I raced through this book， full of Goddard’s clever twisty plotting， emotional dilemmas， should-I-shouldn’t-I moments。Wada is a 47-year-old secretary at a detective agency in Tokyo， making tea， writing reports for her technology-incompetent boss Kodaka。 Widowed after her husband was killed in the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995， Wada is quiet， efficient and invisible。 But burning deep is a sense of righteousness。 So when her boss asks for her help with a new case， she agrees to go to London to pose as the client who wants to find out if her father really committed suicide almost three decades earlier， or if he was murdered。 From this point on， Wada’s life becomes unpredictable and her talent for being invisible becomes a lifesaver。 Her boss dies in a car accident。 The man she is due to meet in London has gone missing。 Always logical， she follows the one clue she has。 Nick Miller is also due to meet the same man in London。 Nick， a 41-year-old Londoner， is hoping to learn more about the father he has never met。 Nick and Wada’s paths keep missing each other as they separately follow the trail of mystifying clues about the past。 The action moves from Tokyo to London， Rekyjavik and the wilds of Iceland to Cornwall。 There is a high-technology fraud， plus hints of terrorism and Japanese gang warfare， but this is not a violent read。Wada is at the heart of this novel。 Her logic and calm reasoning drive the narrative forward in that just-one-more-chapter way that makes this book a quick and fulfilling read。 She is ordinary but extraordinary。 I hope she returns in another novel。Read more of my book reviews at http://www。sandradanby。com/book-revie。。。 。。。more
Mike
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A Cracking Read from Beginning to End！
Helen French
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A well-written intelligent crime read that will have you slowly putting all the pieces together。。。Wada is a secretary to a private detective in Japan when he pulls her onto a mystery that won't let go。He sends her to England， to find out more about a man who went missing decades ago。 There's nothing tying Wada to Japan - her husband died 12 years earlier in a sarin attack - and she's happy to go and investigate。But things turn tricky， quickly。 Her boss dies。 She's attacked while digging around f A well-written intelligent crime read that will have you slowly putting all the pieces together。。。Wada is a secretary to a private detective in Japan when he pulls her onto a mystery that won't let go。He sends her to England， to find out more about a man who went missing decades ago。 There's nothing tying Wada to Japan - her husband died 12 years earlier in a sarin attack - and she's happy to go and investigate。But things turn tricky， quickly。 Her boss dies。 She's attacked while digging around for info。 Someone out there doesn't want her looking into the missing man， or the missing man's past。Elsewhere we meet Nick Miller， a young man who doesn't know who his father is - who ends up on the same trail as Wada， and in just as much danger。。。This is a complicated story that jumps between Japan， Cornwall， London and Iceland。 There's a lot of characters and names to keep track of。 It's well-told and I found the main characters intriguing。 There were times where I wished Nick/Wada's paths could cross more often， but ultimately I think the structure worked。 I enjoyed the ending。 。。。more
MarmottanReads
，
I really enjoyed this mystery which was a Japanese / British mix and involves some great locations across the world。 The mix of Wada and Nick， both undertaking investigations that interlink but for very different reasons， is cleverly plotted and a really enjoyable read。 I thought it slightly wavered at points， getting a little convoluted， but then we were off and running again and it all ended in great style。
Alan
，
'Spring was advancing。 Cherry blossom viewing spots in Kitanomaru Park were hard to come by。 The world went on its way。 It was business as usual。Until it wasn't。'A really enjoyable fast-paced thriller， but one with a more than convoluted plot that sort of works itself out but took me a while to get my head around。 Our doughty heroine is Umiko Wada， who works as a secretary-cum-assistant at the Kodaka Detective Agency in Tokyo。 Now a widow - her husband being a victim of the Sarin underground att 'Spring was advancing。 Cherry blossom viewing spots in Kitanomaru Park were hard to come by。 The world went on its way。 It was business as usual。Until it wasn't。'A really enjoyable fast-paced thriller， but one with a more than convoluted plot that sort of works itself out but took me a while to get my head around。 Our doughty heroine is Umiko Wada， who works as a secretary-cum-assistant at the Kodaka Detective Agency in Tokyo。 Now a widow - her husband being a victim of the Sarin underground attacks which had left him in a coma for many years - her main ability is to blend in with the crowd， to be unremarkable， invisible even。 Wada is sent off to London， because of her fluency in English， on a case instigated by a woman who thinks her father's death some years earlier was murder， not suicide， and who has received information that someone connected with his death may be still be alive。 On arrival in London， Wada learns that her boss back in Tokyo has been killed in a hit and run incident， and suddenly all hell breaks loose。I won't go into the plot details （frankly， it's complicated） but there are links to the Sarin attacks， Japanese gangsters， environmental protesters， shady land deals and lots more。 The action moves quickly from Japan to London to Iceland to Cornwall。 And as well as Wada， we have a second narrative strand in which Nick Miller is looking for his real father， and who is also connected to the case that Wada is investigating。This is perfect page-turner material， with enough breathless action and cliff-hangers to keep even the most cynical entertained。 Wada is a charming central figure， somehow manging to escape life or death situations and doggedly pursuing the truth。 There is a dramatic dénouement on a Cornish beach， where the narrative suddenly shifts into the present tense and where Wada and Nick finally meet each other， tying up the loose ends of the twin narratives。 Or does it。。。。。？ Fast and furious fun， definitely one of the best thrillers I've read for a while。 A 'fine' 4。5 stars。 。。。more
Pam Sartain
，
The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard starts in Japan， Umiko Wada is an assistant to a private detective。 Her husband was murdered， but her mother is very keen for grandchildren。 When she's given the opportunity to go to London to go to a meeting posing as a client， she takes it。 Nick Miller was raised by his mother and her partner， April， but still curious about his father。 An old friend of his mother and April tells him that there's something he needs to know about his fat The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard starts in Japan， Umiko Wada is an assistant to a private detective。 Her husband was murdered， but her mother is very keen for grandchildren。 When she's given the opportunity to go to London to go to a meeting posing as a client， she takes it。 Nick Miller was raised by his mother and her partner， April， but still curious about his father。 An old friend of his mother and April tells him that there's something he needs to know about his father， so he can't help but want to know more。This was a really enjoyable mystery， and I enjoyed the differences in the points of view between Umiko Wada and Nick Miller。The Fine Art of Invisible Detection was published on 18th March 2021， and is available from Amazon， Waterstones and Bookshop。org。You can follow Robert Goddard on Twitter， but the last tweet was in 2013！ I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review， so my thanks to NetGalley and to Transworld Publisher。 。。。more
Kerry Henderson
，
Many thanks to Netgalley and Transworld publishers for the opportunity to read this book。 Umiko Wada works for a private investigator and soon finds herself embroiled in a tricky case linked to the death of her husband years ago。 It leads her to England and even Iceland on the trail of a man who everyone believed was dead。 Her boss is then killed and she realizes this case is far more complicated and dangerous than she could ever have imagined。 Well this was an interesting， twist filled story。 I Many thanks to Netgalley and Transworld publishers for the opportunity to read this book。 Umiko Wada works for a private investigator and soon finds herself embroiled in a tricky case linked to the death of her husband years ago。 It leads her to England and even Iceland on the trail of a man who everyone believed was dead。 Her boss is then killed and she realizes this case is far more complicated and dangerous than she could ever have imagined。 Well this was an interesting， twist filled story。 I wasn't sure when it started if it would hold my interest but it did。 The plot is a slow burn one with a few really dramatic scenes thrown in。 The end is brilliantly done though I did wonder if that might be how it ended。 I liked it though。 Wada is not your typical hero and yet you want her to survive。 I think Nick was my favourite character though I can't truly say why but I just found myself liking him。 The plot is well written and descriptive。 There are many twists along the way， some could be guessed and others surprised me。 A cleverly done， mystery， thriller。 。。。more
Lou
，
The Fine Art of Invisible Detection is the latest standalone thriller from the talented Robert Goddard， set between Japan， England and Iceland。 Umiko Wada is a personal assistant and secretary to prominent and well-respected Private Investigator Kazuto Kodaka at his own agency in central Tokyo， specialising in commercial casework。 Umiko is middle-aged with no children and was sadly left a widow when her husband was caught up in the deadly Aum Shinrikyo sarin attack on the Tokyo underground in 19 The Fine Art of Invisible Detection is the latest standalone thriller from the talented Robert Goddard， set between Japan， England and Iceland。 Umiko Wada is a personal assistant and secretary to prominent and well-respected Private Investigator Kazuto Kodaka at his own agency in central Tokyo， specialising in commercial casework。 Umiko is middle-aged with no children and was sadly left a widow when her husband was caught up in the deadly Aum Shinrikyo sarin attack on the Tokyo underground in 1995。 She's resourceful， unperturbable， pragmatic and her stubbornness - which is fundamentally what drives her pursuit of the truth - very endearing。 But she is also very forgettable which makes her the perfect person to trail or follow a mark or meet certain clientele should that be needed in a particular case and it contributes to making her a superb detective。 However， when Kazuto takes on a new client - Mimori Takenaga - he sends Umiko to London to find out what really happened to Mimori’s father。 The official line is that he committed suicide twenty-seven years ago while in London， but she has always believed he was murdered in cold blood。 Mimori informs Kazuto and Umiko that out of desperation she had placed advertisements in several UK newspapers to try to glean information on Peter Evans， who had been her father’s translator forty years ago， and received a response from a British guy named Martin Caldwell， but she was unable to travel to meet him。 He claims to have information that could crack the case wide open。 However， everything suddenly gets a whole lot more dangerous when Kazuto is murdered in a hit and run。 It's clearly a warning shot to leave the death well alone。 And when Umiko turns up to the arranged meet with her contact he never shows up。 One thing is for sure， unassuming Umiko was not expecting to be caught between a rock and a hard place quite like this。 Meanwhile， we meet forty-one-year-old Nick Miller， husband to Kate， a resident of The Big Smoke and a private school art teacher who was brought up in shared student accommodation in Exeter by his mother， Cora， who recently passed away， and her partner， April。 Caldwell contacts Nick telling him he has information on his deceased father， Geoff Nolan。 It's hard to accept that both his mother and April had lied to him regarding his biological father all his life。 He had never known anything about him， though that was something he desperately wanted to change。 But again Caldwell fails to show。 As the two cases converge， Umiko， a woman used to staying calm and keeping her head down， finds herself in the middle of shady criminal underworld dealings， ripe with gangsters and an ever-increasing pile of bodies。 With a slew of harmful secrets just waiting to unravel and leak out will Umiko， Nick and Martin survive this unfamiliar， perilous world？ This is a scintillating read with a wickedly twisty plot and enough suspense to give you heart palpitations。 Goddard is one hell of a writer and a vastly underrated talent; here， he has woven an action-packed， high-stakes cat and mouse game with twists， turns and misdirection in abundance。 I love that this is an international thriller spanning continents and our protagonist， Wado， is so beautifully crafted that as a multilayered， nuanced character she comes alive on the page and her courage and desire to carry on her search for truth despite the threats is admirable。 Alternating between Wado and Nick’s perspectives， there is enough to sink your teeth into throughout with murder， abduction， yakuza involvement and betrayal bringing an explosive and exhilarating thriller and a complete breath of fresh air in the genre。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Alison Cairns
，
I really enjoyed this read， the style of writing was comfortable and easy， and I think that impression was reinforced by the persona of Wada， the main character。 Assistant to Kodaka， a Japanese private detective， Wada takes on a dangerous assignment and travels to London to investigate a death that occurred some 40+ years previously。 The links to her life， where her husband was one of the victims of the Tokyo underground Sarin attack， keep on coming。 Nick Miller is the other part of the story an I really enjoyed this read， the style of writing was comfortable and easy， and I think that impression was reinforced by the persona of Wada， the main character。 Assistant to Kodaka， a Japanese private detective， Wada takes on a dangerous assignment and travels to London to investigate a death that occurred some 40+ years previously。 The links to her life， where her husband was one of the victims of the Tokyo underground Sarin attack， keep on coming。 Nick Miller is the other part of the story and how they link， without actually meeting is interesting。 Wada is able to get information more easily than others because of her ability to remain in the background unnoticed， A complicated story of evil and industrial wrongdoing over many years， and how one man seeks redemption。 I wasn't expecting what happened as things unravelled， and there is a final twist at the end。 A really good read， without being taxing。 #netgalley #thefineartofinvisibledetection 。。。more
Hazel
，
My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK - Transworld Publishers， for the ARC。This is just such an intriguing read; it's well-written， with a complex plot that takes the reader from Japan， to New York， to Iceland， with a couple of star protagonists who are worlds apart， have different motives and paths to follow， but their worlds collide quite dramatically。In Tokyo， Japan， Umiko Wada （here-on-in called Wada） is a personal assistant to a private detective practising in the realms most My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK - Transworld Publishers， for the ARC。This is just such an intriguing read; it's well-written， with a complex plot that takes the reader from Japan， to New York， to Iceland， with a couple of star protagonists who are worlds apart， have different motives and paths to follow， but their worlds collide quite dramatically。In Tokyo， Japan， Umiko Wada （here-on-in called Wada） is a personal assistant to a private detective practising in the realms mostly of corporate affairs。 Wada's husband had died years before following the Sarin attack; she's clever， resourceful and has the ability to be forgettable， particularly useful if her boss Kodaka needed her to follow someone。 Kodaka always held an interest in the area of business corrupted by criminal elements - one in particular。 He accepts a new client - Mimori Takenaga whose father's death was ruled suicide， but that she believed him to be murdered。 Following her placing an advertisement in a UK newspaper for information concerning a Peter Evans， who had worked as a translator for her father 40 years ago， she had received a reply from Martin Caldwell in the UK。 She cannot travel herself - Kodaka allows Wada to travel in her place to meet him in London。Someone doesn't want truths to emerge。。。with Kodaka dying suddenly in a hit and run accident and Wada now in London where her contact doesn't turn up， she has decisions to make。In London， Nick Miller， brought up in a shared student house in Exeter by his mother Cora and partner April， had been contacted by Martin Caldwell also， telling him he had important information about his father。 He fails to turn up to either of his meetings。Eventually， through some intriguing coincidences， Wada and Nick meet - with surprising consequences。This is an absorbing plot。 A group of Exeter university students sharing a house 40-odd years previously。 Their stance against a chemical weapons plant on the Cornish coast; the deaths of two of their number， and the Sarin attack in Tokyo。 The connections are teasingly brought together。 Secrets and lies revealed。Well-paced， a really good read。 Thoroughly enjoyed it。 。。。more
Dave Wheeler
，
A fantastic read，incredibly well written with great characters， it's action packed with twist and turns a plenty to leave you dizzy with excitement。 Nick a well of teacher from London in England，， and Wada a PA at a Japanese detective agency in Japan have never met but their lives are on course for a major crash that will entwine their lives in ways they could have or would have never have imagined。。 Wada is sent on An assignment to find a former translater whose picture has just been discovered A fantastic read，incredibly well written with great characters， it's action packed with twist and turns a plenty to leave you dizzy with excitement。 Nick a well of teacher from London in England，， and Wada a PA at a Japanese detective agency in Japan have never met but their lives are on course for a major crash that will entwine their lives in ways they could have or would have never have imagined。。 Wada is sent on An assignment to find a former translater whose picture has just been discovered and sent to a client who can not travel herself。 。 Nick discoveres that the man he thought was his Dad may not be and and this over one Easter holiday that sends them on several journeys all over the place。 Oh and Nick thought his Dad was dead but now maybe and a big maybe that now he's no longer is dead。 But don't worry it's not a fantasy or spoke story but it will have you in the edge of your seats。 As I said before the characters are great all feel genuinely believable and add to the atmosphere if you can say that about a novel which I feel I can。 The tale is from 2 different angels Wada's and Nicks both coming from a different perspective。 They first key for them both is to meet Martin a former house mate of Nicks Mum and her partner as well as the Dads back in 1977 in Exeter。 It all becomes clear and very easy to follow。 I was sent this novel free in return for a honest opinion or review， and I'm so glad I was， but I'd have been happy to pay （ still glad I didn't have to but then I'm married to a Yorkshire Lass） but it's well worth the money in my opinion and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I did。 Robert Goddard is an author who I'm planning to read a lot more of his work ， I'm real impressed， 。。。more
Hilary
，
3。5 stars;When Umiko Wada's private detective boss takes on a new case exploring the suspicious circumstances around someone's supposed suicide 40 years ago， Wada finds herself in England， catapulted into the middle of a mystery that is bigger than it first appeared。Overall， I did enjoy this book。 The pacing was good （although it started to drag towards the end） and the characters were very lovable。 I liked the mix of countries and culture that the story showed， including the little titbits of J 3。5 stars;When Umiko Wada's private detective boss takes on a new case exploring the suspicious circumstances around someone's supposed suicide 40 years ago， Wada finds herself in England， catapulted into the middle of a mystery that is bigger than it first appeared。Overall， I did enjoy this book。 The pacing was good （although it started to drag towards the end） and the characters were very lovable。 I liked the mix of countries and culture that the story showed， including the little titbits of Japanese culture that were sprinkled throughout the book。 I adored Umika Wada - her tenacity and drive were thrilling in this， and really propelled the story along。 I can't say the same for Nick Miller （the other protagonist）， he seemed washed out when compared to Wada。However， the book is confusing。 There are a LOT of side characters that are only mentioned by name， and it becomes hard to remember who they are when they come up again。 I also felt the plot was dragged out for the sake of leading the reader around the houses - it's great to have some misleading red herrings in a crime fiction， but for me the book could have achieved the same result in fewer pages， and then it would've skipped the bit in the middle where it felt like nothing happened！Overall good， but not the best book I've ever read！ 。。。more
Andy Wormald
，
Robert Goddard always manages to keep his thrillers fresh and inventive and this book is no different。The plot line is superbly intricate and complex， however you never lose yourself along the way whilst reading。 In someways there are two separate story lines， though both are implicitly connected， the narrative throughout is masterful in keeping the reader hooked。Robert Goddard is the master of suspense and twists and this book abounds with both， along with plenty of dramatic drama and tension。 Robert Goddard always manages to keep his thrillers fresh and inventive and this book is no different。The plot line is superbly intricate and complex， however you never lose yourself along the way whilst reading。 In someways there are two separate story lines， though both are implicitly connected， the narrative throughout is masterful in keeping the reader hooked。Robert Goddard is the master of suspense and twists and this book abounds with both， along with plenty of dramatic drama and tension。 The ending when it comes is sublime and wholly unexpected， the author certainly keeps you on the edge of your seat。The characters in this book hit you full in the face in that you can instantly believe and relate to all， thanks to them being so well written， the storyline interweaves chapters between two of the main characters， one searching for his father， one seeking to the truth to her husbands death， neither really knowing they are seeking the same thing。Location wise travel from Japan to Cornwall to London to Iceland a globetrotters paradise， each location key to the plot， and again each brought vividly and descriptively to life on the page。It is easy to fall straight into the book， the author has that knack for instantly drawing you into the characters world and the mystery that links and surrounds them。Clearly there has been plenty of research done both in plot and location and this shines throughout on the pages，However for me the book was made by one character Wada one of the most interesting and not to be under estimated characters you will read this year， when your first meet her you wouldn’t expect much， how wrong can you be， a character you instantly drawn to and one who stays with you long after you have finished readingI have long been a fan of Robert Goddards books， always a go to author， this book lives up to his reputation as one of the finest thriller writers writing today and one that comes highly recommended 。。。more
Sam Whittaker
，
I can’t believe I haven’t discovered Robert Goddard before！ What an excellent thriller this is， I really couldn’t put it down。 Umiko Wada is living a quiet life as secretary to a private detective in Japan after her husband was murdered in a sarin gas attack。 A new case changes all that when her boss asks her to go to London to represent a client。 At the same time Nick Miller is dealing with the death of his mother and a mystery surrounding the real identity of his father。 Their worlds are about I can’t believe I haven’t discovered Robert Goddard before！ What an excellent thriller this is， I really couldn’t put it down。 Umiko Wada is living a quiet life as secretary to a private detective in Japan after her husband was murdered in a sarin gas attack。 A new case changes all that when her boss asks her to go to London to represent a client。 At the same time Nick Miller is dealing with the death of his mother and a mystery surrounding the real identity of his father。 Their worlds are about to collide and take them on a terrifying journey to Iceland and beyond。 This novel is full of the wonderful twists， turns and “there’s no way they can get out of that” moments that make a truly brilliant thriller。 Wada is a thoroughly engaging and very different hero and makes the journey even more entertaining。 The cast of surrounding characters give the novel real strength and depth。 It also has a brilliant twist at the end which you hoped was coming but couldn’t possibly see how。 Just a perfect， satisfying read。 I will certainly be checking out what I’ve missed from Robert Goddard。 。。。more
Sneha
，
This book had an interesting premise but i felt it fell short when it came to execution。 Nevertheless， it was enjoyable。 3 stars。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy
Ruth
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This is a very readable， twisty-turny detective/thriller story - perfect for when you just want to get lost in a book。 I really liked the premise， of a Japanese detective's secretary/assistant having to suddenly take on an extremely confusing， and dangerous case。 Wada is a great character， who you slowly find yourself loving， and I would be very happy to read more about her in the future。 I'd hoped for more of the action to happen in Japan， but the book travels to a number of different places， a This is a very readable， twisty-turny detective/thriller story - perfect for when you just want to get lost in a book。 I really liked the premise， of a Japanese detective's secretary/assistant having to suddenly take on an extremely confusing， and dangerous case。 Wada is a great character， who you slowly find yourself loving， and I would be very happy to read more about her in the future。 I'd hoped for more of the action to happen in Japan， but the book travels to a number of different places， and there's a lot going on so I wasn't too disappointed。 It's twisty-turny， and whilst I'd stabbed a guess in some places， there were still plenty of unexpected moments。I did feel that the cover gives the impression that it's more of a light-hearted than it actually is - this is no Ladies Detective Agency story！ But it's a good， enjoyable read。With thanks to Netgalley for my review copy。 。。。more
Heather
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Umiko Wada lives in Tokyo， she wants to live an unassuming life， she doesn’t want excitement she just wants to get through the day without any hassle。 She works for a private detective and as exciting as this may sound her days are anything but。 However all this changes one day when a client comes in to the office， their case needs someone to go to London， someone who wont ring alarm bells and that someone is Wada。Wada is happy to go， her husband tragically lost his life after the Tokyo subway s Umiko Wada lives in Tokyo， she wants to live an unassuming life， she doesn’t want excitement she just wants to get through the day without any hassle。 She works for a private detective and as exciting as this may sound her days are anything but。 However all this changes one day when a client comes in to the office， their case needs someone to go to London， someone who wont ring alarm bells and that someone is Wada。Wada is happy to go， her husband tragically lost his life after the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack， she has nobody to go home to and prepares herself for travel making sure to pack her copy of The Makioka Sisters。 She is to meet a man in London who has information their client requires， if she can pass herself off as the client it will be an nice easy job for her except we know things never go to plan。 The man doesn’t turn up。Nick Miller lives in London， brought up by his mother and her partner， he never knew his father or really wanted to but an old acquaintance of his parents says he has information for him about his father and he will be coming to London so he can tell him in person。 Except he doesn’t turn up。Could it be the same man？！ Well yes and this is where the book starts putting on the mileage as separately Wada and Nick travel to Devon to see if they can find their mysterious contact， missing each other they then end up in Iceland。 The tale then takes a violent turn as people start turning up dead， a mysterious company is buying tracts of land in the country， a sinister Japanese businessman is part of it and it turns out Nick’s father may been embroiled in the midst of all of this along with the case Wada was working on。 It is a great mix of energy， with Wada’s Japanese sensibilities against the craziness of what is going on plus her and Nick always seem to miss one another。 The story twists and turns and twists again。 You need to keep up with it and I really enjoyed doing so。It is a great thriller that doesn’t always take it self too seriously but entertains and thrills at the same time。Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kath
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This is the classic Goddard of old and I blooming loved it。 Not that I haven't enjoyed his more recent stuff I just haven't found them as much to really get my teeth as his early books - the likes of Past Caring which is my favourite of his。Umiko Wada is a secretary to a private detective。 She keeps her head down and just wants to get on with her life post the murder of her husband。 She revels in her organisational skills， looking after her boss。 Until that is she is asked to pose as a client to This is the classic Goddard of old and I blooming loved it。 Not that I haven't enjoyed his more recent stuff I just haven't found them as much to really get my teeth as his early books - the likes of Past Caring which is my favourite of his。Umiko Wada is a secretary to a private detective。 She keeps her head down and just wants to get on with her life post the murder of her husband。 She revels in her organisational skills， looking after her boss。 Until that is she is asked to pose as a client to take a meeting which she needs to travel from Tokyo to London for。 But before this meeting takes place， her boss is killed in a hit and run "accident"。 Wada has a decision to make。 Abandon her task or carry it out。 Meanwhile Nick Miller is intrigued when someone gets in touch with information about his father。 Nick has always wanted to know more about him， his mother being reluctant to share prior to her death。 He is soon shocked when he finds that things are not as they have been told to him。 And so begins a rather intriguing and thrilling story that held me rapt the entire time I was reading it。 So many secrets and lies to uncover， so much duplicitous behaviour to follow。 So much history to witness。The action takes place right across the world - Japan， London， Iceland （of all places） culminating in a bit of a wild showdown on a Cornish beach。 Scenes are set perfectly and it's obvious that either the author has personal knowledge of these places or he has definitely done his research。 As he has with the sarin attacks he describes。 In Wada the author has created one of the most unique and interesting main characters I have met in a while。 She's an unlikely hero and has warmth and empathy as well as being one smart cookie。 I really enjoyed getting to know her along the way and was quite sad to have left her at the end of the book。 Maybe just maybe she'll pop up in another thrilling adventure in the future - I hope so。My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book。 。。。more
Carolyn
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Umiko Wada， a middle-aged assistant to a private Investigator ends up a long way from home in what will be her last case for him。 Since her husband died after twelve years in a coma following the 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway， Umiko has led a lonely life。 By the time her husband died she was too old to have children so instead of looking to remarry she decided to dedicate her life to her career， assisting her boss Kazuto Kodaka。 So， when he asks if she would travel to London to attend a Umiko Wada， a middle-aged assistant to a private Investigator ends up a long way from home in what will be her last case for him。 Since her husband died after twelve years in a coma following the 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway， Umiko has led a lonely life。 By the time her husband died she was too old to have children so instead of looking to remarry she decided to dedicate her life to her career， assisting her boss Kazuto Kodaka。 So， when he asks if she would travel to London to attend a meeting on behalf of a client， she packs her bag and gets on a plane。Once in London she is to meet with a man who has information regarding someone who worked as a translator for her client’s father before he was killed in 1977。 However， when the man she is to meet doesn’t show up， instead of going back to Japan Wada （as she likes to be called） resolutely follows the case to wherever it takes her – Devon， New York， Iceland and finally to Cornwall。 The case turns out to be more complex and much more dangerous than Wada and Kodaka could ever have imagined when they took it on。 Unknown to her， someone else is on the same trail， Nick Miller， looking for information about the father he has never known。 Missing since the 70s and presumed dead， the man Nick thinks might be his father was last seen on a beach in Cornwall， where one of his housemates was found drowned。 Nick and Wada’s paths eventually collide in Iceland where the stakes will be raised for both of them as they uncover a plot of corruption， fraud and pure greed。 This fast moving， smart and complex thriller is full of intrigue and suspense with twists at every turn。 There are many pieces to keep track of， which eventually all slot together and culminate in a truly explosive ending。 Wada is a delightful character。 For someone used to an ordered and uneventful existence in Tokyo， she handles everything thrown her way with aplomb as she uses her clever brain and tenacity to evade danger。 Quiet and resilient， Umiko Wada is the perfect invisible undercover detective who should never be underestimated。 Robert Goddard has written another intelligent and stylish thriller with a smart and complex plot and a unique character you can’t fail to cheer for。 With thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for a copy to read。 Expected publication 18th March。 Review originally published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine。 。。。more
Jennyh
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The central character is the small unobtrusive， non suspicious looking Umiko Wada who with a terrier like insistence follows the clues and dodges death。 As with previous books I have read by Robert Goggard， this one took a while to capture my full attention。 Goddard focusses initially on the characters， bringing them to life， before moving onto the actual plot。Once the body count started to rise， so did the tempo of the novel moving locations from Japan to England， New York and Iceland。 As usual The central character is the small unobtrusive， non suspicious looking Umiko Wada who with a terrier like insistence follows the clues and dodges death。 As with previous books I have read by Robert Goggard， this one took a while to capture my full attention。 Goddard focusses initially on the characters， bringing them to life， before moving onto the actual plot。Once the body count started to rise， so did the tempo of the novel moving locations from Japan to England， New York and Iceland。 As usual， this is a well crafted， twisting complex novel from this gifted author and is highly recommended。 。。。more
Louise Wilson
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Umiko Wada has recently had enough excitment in her life。 With her husband recently murdered and a mother who seems to want her married again before his body is cold， she just wants to keep her head down。 As a secretary to a private detective， her life is pleasingly uncomplicated。That is ， until her boss takes on a new case。 A case which is dangerous enough to get him killed。 Now Wada will have to leave Japan for the first time and travel to London。A series of events sees Nick Miller， a teacher Umiko Wada has recently had enough excitment in her life。 With her husband recently murdered and a mother who seems to want her married again before his body is cold， she just wants to keep her head down。 As a secretary to a private detective， her life is pleasingly uncomplicated。That is ， until her boss takes on a new case。 A case which is dangerous enough to get him killed。 Now Wada will have to leave Japan for the first time and travel to London。A series of events sees Nick Miller， a teacher living in London and Umiko Wada's paths cross。 The story takes us around the country and Iceland。 The book pulls you in from the beginning。 A story of dirty deeds and gangsters。 It's so descriptively written that it makes you feel that you had been there。 The pace was a bit on the slow side。 The plotline had been cleverly crafted。I would like to thank #NetGalley， #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #RobertGoddardfor my ARC #TheFineArtOfInvisibleDetection in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Alex Jones
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My First Read from a Master Story Teller and one I gather is very different from his usual writing。The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard is a truly fantastic read that introduces possibly a new series and heroine in the remarkable Umiko Wada。Wada as she prefers to be known is a fine creation and she is as layered and complex as the very story she is set in。In a story that spans Japan， London， Cornwall and the farthest reaches of Iceland， Wada is an assistant to a Japanese PI。 Whe My First Read from a Master Story Teller and one I gather is very different from his usual writing。The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard is a truly fantastic read that introduces possibly a new series and heroine in the remarkable Umiko Wada。Wada as she prefers to be known is a fine creation and she is as layered and complex as the very story she is set in。In a story that spans Japan， London， Cornwall and the farthest reaches of Iceland， Wada is an assistant to a Japanese PI。 When he tasks her with a trip to London to carry out and investigation on his behalf。That investigation focuses on the Sarin attack in Tokyo in 1995 and soon leads Wada down a rabbit hole in this entertaining action packed thriller full of suspense。With Corruption， High End Criminals and the biggest of fraud and big business， the story gallops to an explosive finale。With Twists a plenty， and shocks and thrills a minute， this is an outstanding read that’s a bit different from your usual crime thriller。 。。。more
Martina
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Expected publication March 18， 2021。 Sounds really good！ Goddard has been writing for some time， but this is a new character。
Vlada （Vladkabooks）
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This was quite captivating and interesting read。 It was the first book by Robert Goddard I have ever read， but I can definitely say that I am in love with his writing。 Descriptions of different countries make you feel part of the scenery and really see it around you。Also I really liked the main character Wada， who is strong and resolute middle-aged Japanese woman （while reading the book I would never say that she is more than 40 years old。 In my imagination she is maximum 30-35）。 At the same tim This was quite captivating and interesting read。 It was the first book by Robert Goddard I have ever read， but I can definitely say that I am in love with his writing。 Descriptions of different countries make you feel part of the scenery and really see it around you。Also I really liked the main character Wada， who is strong and resolute middle-aged Japanese woman （while reading the book I would never say that she is more than 40 years old。 In my imagination she is maximum 30-35）。 At the same time， the book seemed quite slow-paced to me and the ending leaves me in need of the second part。 Besides， at the beginning the switch between two POVs - Wada's and Nick Miller's （middle-aged British man， whose path will be crossed with Wada's one under mysterious circumstances） was quite confusing。 I felt like "why are we talking about Britain now if we were just talking about Tokyo？"Overall， I can say that I enjoyed the book and I would give it 3。5 stars rounded to 4。Thank you very much NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the copy in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Val Wheeler
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