Ways of the World Audiobook By Robert Goddard cover art

Ways of the World

A James Maxted Thriller

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Ways of the World

By: Robert Goddard
Narrated by: Derek Perkins
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Four years of horrific fighting have finally ended on the battlefield, but in the spring of 1919, Paris is filled with delegates from around the world who are still trying to hammer out the terms of peace. One such delegate is British diplomat Sir Henry Maxted, in charge of liaising with Brazilians regarding seized ships. But before a deal is reached, Sir Henry turns up dead outside a Montparnasse apartment building, apparently having fell from the roof. His sons Max and Ashley are sent to Paris to collect the body, and it quickly becomes clear that the theory the French police have put forward is flawed. 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 into a dangerous world of secret allegiances, international espionage, and people double-crossing each other 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 Max's own life?

©2015 Robert Goddard (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books Espionage Fiction Historical Mystery Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense Thriller

Critic reviews

"Robert Goddard is the master of complex, tricky thrillers that dazzle with surprises…. Another stellar performance." ( Sydney Morning Herald)
"Dashed good yarn-spanning…. The action is insistent and often deadly." ( Toronto Star)
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This is an entrancing view of a world gone by. It is the era of the Versailles Treaty in the aftermath of The Great War. Goddard is the grim side of Barbara Tuchman. He is intimate with the geography of Paris and its people but spins a whole YARN. Maxted is on a quest without bravado played out against the division of German and Turkish spoils. He is superbly etched and the storyline never falters. The unraveling is quintessential Sax Rohmer with twists and shakes to keep you awake at night. The narration is half of the excitement and the depth of voicings are realistic. Interestingly, I have read all Three Maxteds with this and the Third being the best. Goddard is a master who plays his tune with a great eye, attention to detail and a spellbinding hand. A must read

As Good As They Get - A Deep Dive

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No misogyny, solicitous violence or terror---Great characters & compelling plot!!! Audible, please obtain this series!

Characters you care about!

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I really enjoy this series, all the twists and turns. It's very well written I feel like I'm watching a movie. You go through the book seamlessly.

great series

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Where is the ending or is the end just the beginning of book 2? Liked it up until it abruptly ended

Where is the ending?

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A very engrossing mystery made all the more intriguing by continuing into more Goddard! Looking forward to the next installment…

Another Goddard Gem

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A book I partially read and listened to as an audio book, which I think it benefitted from. Like many a good book, this one takes a while in getting going, but it's part of the character build up. I would have preferred the book to have been shorter and perhaps could have benefitted from a bit of trimming, but many other reasons might prefer it this way. The ending of the book acts as an introduction to the next one in this series.

Good quality book

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This book has no ending. It leaves one with the feeling that one is listening to a superman serial. After 12 hours you would think the author could come up with some sort of ending. But, no he just stops BEWARE!

Ways of the world without end

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This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book just ends in the middle of a sentence. It is not a complete story. I like sequels, but this one is awful because it does not complete a scenario. And you can't listen to the next one because it's not available as an audio book (at least I couldn't find it). So don't start this one unless you're prepared to read the next. It's not up to the usual Goddard quality anyway. There are too many characters and it's too convoluted and unlikely. I wish I had never bothered to listen to it...

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ways of the World?

When it suddenly ended in mid stream.

What does Derek Perkins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He's just an excellent narrater. Well paced, clear and does great voices. He is so good that he helps one keep all the characters straight.

This book ends in mid sentence

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This was a plod from beginning to end.....an end such as it was for as other's say, it ends in mid paragraph. That's fine if it's part of a series one is committed to continuing. This snore of a plot isn't worth the candle let alone the cost of another credit. Too little action, too many indistinguishable characters. I expected more of a period espionage thriller that dealt with diplomatic intrigue and events of the Versailles conference etc. What I got was a "Who killed my father and who should prepare to die."

I'm lost

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