Ways of the World

A James Maxted Thriller

By: Robert Goddard

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

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

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)

As Good As They Get - A Deep Dive

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

Characters you care about!

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

Where is the ending?

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

Another Goddard Gem

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

Good quality book

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.