Robert Goddard (novelist)

Infobox Writer


imagesize = 150px
name = Robert Francis Goddard
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birthdate = Birth date and age|1954|11|13|df=y
birthplace = Fareham, Hampshire, England
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = Novelist
genre = Mystery fiction, Crime fiction
movement =
notableworks =
influences =
website =

Robert Goddard (b. 13 November, 1954, Fareham, Hampshire, England) is a British novelist.

Life and career

Goddard was educated at Price's School in Fareham before going on to study history at Cambridge. After unsuccessful attempts at a career in both journalism and teaching he worked for a time as an educational administrator in Devon before becoming a full-time novelist. His thrillers usually have a historical element and settings in provincial English towns and cities, and many plot twists. They typically involve the lead character gradually uncovering a conspiracy which has long been kept secret, by means of historical documents such as diaries or by means of word-of-mouth accounts that have been handed down from one person to another.

Awards

Goddard's 1990 book "Into the Blue" was the inaugural winner of the W H Smith Thumping Good Read Award, presented to the best new fiction author of the year.

Goddard's 1997 book "Beyond Recall" was nominated for the Edgar Award Best Novel prize but lost out to Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark.

Harry Barnett

The books "Into the Blue", "Out of the Sun" and "Never Go Back", although distinct books in their own right, form a chronological series featuring the central character of Harry Barnett.

"Into the Blue" was adapted for television in 1997 and starred John Thaw in the lead role of Harry Barnett. Robert Goddard was not impressed with the adaptation. In an interview, he said "The TV version of "Into the Blue" was a travesty of the story I wrote and I am determined that any future adaptations should be more faithful to the original."

Personal life

Robert Goddard is married and lives with his wife Vaunda in Truro, Cornwall. Several of the recent books published in his name have identified Vaunda as joint holder of the copyright.

Bibliography

*"Found Wanting" (September 2008), ISBN 0-593-06023-7
*"Name to a Face" (September 2007), ISBN 0-593-05367-2
*"Never Go Back" (April 2006), ISBN 0-593-05365-6
*"Sight Unseen" (May 2005), ISBN 0-593-05363-X
*"Play to the End" (May 2004), ISBN 0-593-04760-5
*"Days Without Number" (May 2003), ISBN 0-593-04759-1
*"Dying to Tell" (November 2001), ISBN 0-593-04758-3
*"Sea Change" (November 2000), ISBN 0-593-04274-3
*"Set in Stone" (November 1999), ISBN 0-593-04271-9
*"Caught in the Light" (June 1998), ISBN 0-593-04266-2
*"Beyond Recall" (June 1997), ISBN 0-593-03617-4
*"Out of the Sun" (June 1996), ISBN 0-593-03614-X
*"Borrowed Time" (April 1995), ISBN 0-593-03587-9
*"Closed Circle" (November 1993), ISBN 0-593-02492-3
*"Hand in Glove" (November 1992), ISBN 0-593-02489-3
*"Take No Farewell" (June 1991), ISBN 0-593-01859-1
*"Into the Blue" (May 1990), ISBN 0-593-01808-7
*"Painting the Darkness" (June 1989), ISBN 0-593-01413-8
*"In Pale Battalions" (May 1988), ISBN 0-593-01410-3
*"Past Caring" (August 1986), ISBN 0-7090-2743-5

External links

* [http://www.bloc-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=0 Robert Goddard Interview at Bloc Online that gives some insight into his writing style]
* [http://ir.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/bitstream/123456789/1044/1/Vol58p219.pdf 'The Mystery of Robert Goddard'; 37-page analysis of Goddard's fiction]
* [http://www.spanningzoeker.nl/goddard/index.html Robert Goddard Dutch website with covers]
* [http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/viewarticle.php?type=interview&id=37/ Interview at Bookdepository.co.uk]
* [http://www.meettheauthor.com/bookbites/616.html Robert Goddard at the 'Meet The Author' site gives an overview of his book 'Dying to Tell']

A major interview was published with Goddard in CADS magazine.

Persondata
NAME= Goddard, Robert William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= English Novelist
DATE OF BIRTH= 13 November 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH= Fareham, Hampshire, England
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=