CLOSED CIRCLE by ROBERT GODDARD

CLOSED CIRCLE

BY ROBERT GODDARD

THE BLURB:-

The year is 1931. The new and luxurious transatlantic liner Empress of Britain is on her eastward passage. Among the first-class passengers on board are two English confidence tricksters, making a discreet exit from a little awkwardness they have left behind them in the United States. A chance meeting on deck brings them a tempting new target in the shape of Miss Charnwood and her niece, the beautiful Diana, only child of the immensely wealthy Fabian Charnwood.

It's a trick they've pulled before with some success. Charm the daughter into an engagement to marry, then get the father to buy you off. So confident are they of success, in fact, that they make a pact: whichever of them wins Diana Charnwood's love will share his fortune with the other. Who would imagine that these smooth operators would let their hearts rule their heads? Or that violent death would find its way into their little scheme? Or that they would stumble into something much darker and deeper than either has suspected?

THE REALITY:-

This book was easy to read. But I also managed to read three different books after starting it so it was easy to put down and pick up again! Like your favourite soap opera after you've missed a few episodes, it was simple to pick up the thread.

This was a good, dishonest(!) crime thriller, filled with its fair share of baddies and double-crossers. Credit to the author that you didn't immediately know who was going to be which. The only big twist was the non-death of of one of the murdered characters but I'll let you read it and discover his or her identity for yourself.

With a good mix of well-described characters; from the glamorous and beautiful Diana to her upholstered aunt, from the wronged Duggan to the creepy ill-intentioned Faraday, this book was very interesting with a great ending and a nice result for Felix.

It was not the best I've read by this author but then again, it wasn't offensive and awful either.