The Fine Art of Invisible Detection

Umiko Wada #1

by Robert Goddard

The no. 1 ebook from the Sunday Times bestseller
'He's the high priest of plot ... deftly woven, but also beautifully written ... I loved it.' Mel Giedroyc
'One of the finest crime writers of any generation' Daily Mail

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

***** 'Guaranteed and satisfying escapism'
***** 'Edge-of-the-seat stuff'
***** 'The master of twists and suspense ... sublime'

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Detective, Japan, Book Club

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

In a writing career spanning more than twenty years, Robert Goddard's novels have been described in many different ways - mystery, thriller, crime, even historical romance. He is the master of the plot twist, a compelling and engrossing storyteller and one of the best known advocates for the traditional virtues of pace, plot and narrative drive.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Goddard's latest thriller is an intricate and complicated piece of fiction, set primarily in Japan, London, Cornwall and Iceland. Middle aged widow Umika Wada is PA to PI Kazuro Kodaka at his one man detective agency in Tokyo, her husband a victim of the notorious sarin attack in 1995. Wada is an unflappable and stoic woman, a woman that barely makes an impression on others, rendering her well nigh invisible. It is these qualities that are to make her a rather good detective when she is unexpectedly sent to London by her boss on a case that turns out to be so dangerous that he is murdered in a hit and run incident. The agency had been hired by Mimori Takenaga to find out what really happened to her father who apparently committed suicide in London 27 years ago, Wada is to meet Martin Caldwell who claims to have information on this case, posing as their client.

41 year old Londoner Nick Miller is married to Kate, a private school art teacher whose mother, Caro, has recently died. Caldwell gets in touch with him, saying he has information on his father, the dead Geoff Nolan. Nick knows little of Nolan, other than Geoff never wanted to know anything about him, so he tries to find out more from his mother's partner, April. Nick's world is shattered when he finds out both his mother and April have lied to him about his parentage. When Caldwell fails to turn up to meet either Wada and Nick as agreed, both find themselves propelled into pursuing their inquiries, albeit separately, into a terrifying world where there is a rising tide of murdered people and gangsters. They find themselves going to Iceland to find Caldwell and look into the sinister Quartizon Corporation, and a strange auction that is to take place there, but will they survive?

Goddard excels in writing suspenseful thrillers, full of twists and turns, as is the case here, this is action packed and full of thrills that culminate in an exciting finale on a Cornish beach. Wada is an inspired creation, and developed so well, finding herself in an unfamiliar world of threats and constant danger, where the normal thing to do after her boss is murdered would have been to return to her life in Tokyo. However, she has a thread of steel and determination in her personality, plus she has a personal stake in the case with the sarin attacks, although not knowing what she is up against naturally means she make mistakes. What is clear is that she has what it takes to be a capable and competent detective, even if she doesn't recognise this in herself. This is a wonderfully complex and entertaining thriller that is likely to appeal to fans of Goddard and other crime and thriller readers. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Umiko Wada is employed at the Kodaka Detective Agency in Tokyo and is very adept at the ‘fine art of invisible detection ‘. The agency is hired by Mimori Takenaga to investigate her father’s apparent suicide in London twenty seven years ago. Her investigation leads Wada into personal danger as she tries to seek the truth. Meanwhile, in London Nick Miller is on a similar quest but for different reasons.
This is a twisty, fast paced complex thriller and you really have to concentrate! However, it is extremely interesting and full of tension and suspense. It’s well written and takes the action to some good settings such as Tokyo, London, Devon and Cornwall, New York and Iceland. The storytelling is full of secrets and intrigue, deception, corruption, fraud and has menace and danger aplenty. Particularly intriguing is the connection between Tokyo and Cornwall with the link to Sarin which Wada has personal experience of as her husband died of the effects of sarin in the Tokyo attacks of 1995. There’s a high body count too as we progress through the past and events in the present day. Wada is a really good character. She can meld into the background, she has much inner strength and a sharp analytical mind which combined with the tenacity of a bloodhound makes her excellent at her job. The ending is very tense with all the plot elements falling into place. I like how it ultimately ends too - is there a follow up in the pipeline? I do hope so.
My reservations of the book lie in the vast number of characters, Japanese names are tricky to get in your head and if you add Icelandic names into the mix, it makes your head spins at bit! There is some repetition too between Wada and Nick’s separate investigation.
Overall though, it’s a good, intelligent thriller with plenty of meat on the bones of the plot. I’ve read a lot of books by Robert Goddard over the years and enjoyed them and this is no exception.
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld:Bantam Press for the widget for an honest review

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Geevee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missing people, murders, Sarin gas, military establishments, a private detective agency in a story set in England, Iceland and Japan. However, the product of this was a meandering story with stretched reality where people engage in criminal activity or try to hide/run away and yet no active police investigations along with a finale that was lame.

This book felt very much like a contract filler from Mr Goddard who ran out of ideas with this book.
A disappointment as I have read almost all Goddard's books over the years.

[Val Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you very much to the publishers Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for an honest opinion.

I haven't read any other books by Robert Goddard but have seen the covers and The Fine Art of Invisible Detection looked a very different style to what I remember seeing in bookshops. I'll be honest I didn't know what to expect as didn't look it up prior to reading. My first impression was maybe it was a book for a younger audience but that was based solely on the front cover. Now I've read the book I know its not and feel the cover design doesn't really match the book, so it was a bit misleading. It was however a really good page turner any very exciting. I loved the different locations the book took us to, from Tokyo to London, New York, Cornwall, Devon, Cornwall and Rekyjavik. It was very fast paced and had plot twists all over the place.

Umiko Wada is a secretary to a private detective, based in Tokyo and has a fairly uninteresting life, 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 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...

I loved the characters, Wada, was great. I was initially reminded of the Cormoran Strike books, for the first chapter or two, then it took on a life of its own. I enjoyed this a lot more due to the faster pace and the regular curveballs thrown in. I will definitely be looking to read other books by Robert Goddard in the future.

[Daria · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was a boring, poorly written crime novel which made me sad. It was full of stereotypes and inconsistencies. Starting from the cover and synopsis which promised a fun and modern witty read, but it turned out really basic. I can compare it to staying in a 3-star hotel that had good pictures and reviews but you ended up in a wore-down room with broken tiles and cigarette odours. I could not wait to check out from this book. (By the way, there were too many hotel names which I didn’t need to know to understand the plot: Envoy, Borg, Hilton, Arnarson, Sol, Claridge, Lamb, Jubilee Villa B&B).

Forced plot with blank characters would not excite me even if it was my first ever crime novel.

Chinese tea is “crap”, Mr. Goddard? Really? Is it supposed to be funny or should readers be amazed by the depth of research you did on the topic? As a tea enthusiast I was frustrated. Also, there are so many “Asian-looking guys” in this book that my eyes are sore. Same goes for the description of Icelanders. And somehow all international characters speak with perfect English idioms in a way only a native would speak. This is probably a result of lack of cultural knowledge and general narrow-mindness of the author.

Also, drinking is a problem in this book. Almost all characters except Wada are casually drinking in the morning, at lunch, in the evening, when they talk on the phone, when they are nervous and so on. It is romanticizing alcoholism and it’s disgusting.

Avoid this book if you value your time.

[Paul Ataua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Umiko Wada, whose husband was killed in a sarin gas subway attack, works as a secretary to Kazuto Kodaka, a private detective in Tokyo, and enjoys the uneventful routine life she leads. Suddenly, however, she is thrown into a dangerous adventure that takes her half way across the world to England and Iceland, an adventure that sees the bodies piling up. It’s a complicated yet entertaining thriller that does satisfy. If there is a negative side, it is that the writer fails to fully exploit the wonderful potential of the Wada character, (something I am sure he will put right should there be a second novel in the series), and that he also creates a co-protagonist in Nick Millers that never manages to make it off the page. Good without being great!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me.....I think it was the title that first attracted me, and I found it just that little bit different.
It features a middle aged Japanese woman, a secretary for a modest private detective agency, widowed by a terrorist chemical attack on a subway, who is suddenly thrown into a dangerous, international conspiracy that sends her off on a quest to discover just what is going on.

She finds herself jetting across the world, and up against people who will stop at nothing to keep their shady secrets secret.....she’s followed, imprisoned, witnesses murder and much more in this interesting, fast paced adventure, where she must try to keep at least one step ahead of her powerful adversaries.
It’s peopled by some great characters, with lots of twists and turns.....I enjoyed it

[The Cruciverbalistic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a fan of the Robert Goddard novels and having read almost all of them, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one, which really lives up to its juicy title. As always, it was fast-paced and full of exciting twists, not to mention the most unlikeliest of heroines. This one sure doesn't disappoint (especially fans).

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“No one noticed her. She was anonymous. She attracted no attention.”

The Fine Art of Invisible Detection is the first book in the Umiko Wada series by award-winning, best-selling British author, Robert Goddard. Even though she enjoys occasionally doing some covert surveillance, Umiko Wada isn’t a detective. Without intending any insult, Kazuto Kodaka, her boss at Kodaka Detectives, has said she has the gift of being invisible, but her job description is General Assistant. Twelve years a widow, after losing her husband to the Sarin attack in the Tokyo subway, it’s a very satisfying way to pass her time, even if her mother feels she should be looking for marriage.

Their latest case, though, needs her active involvement. Mimori Takenaga and her mother are convinced that her father, Shitaro Masafumi was murdered, forty-two years earlier, when he was on vacation in London. While ruled a suicide, his family suspect a young student interpreter calling himself Peter Evans. A much-delayed response to a newspaper appeal featuring a blurry photo of the young man sees Umiko flying to London to meet, posing as Mimori, one Martin Caldwell.

His daughter and widow also suspect his partner, Hiroji Nishizaki, now the extremely wealthy chairman of an investment and consulting giant, then believed to have helped himself to a large sum of (possibly ill-gotten) Yen with hints of sakaiya (commercial secrets criminals) involvement. Kodaka goes to Fukuoka to chase up contacts there while Umiko departs for England.

In Greenwich, art teacher Nick Miller is a little puzzled to get a call from Martin Caldwell, someone who lived in a share-house in Exeter with Nick’s late mother, Caro. Martin wants to meet up rather urgently, with information about Nick’s father who, Nick has always believed, died when he was young. Martin is cagey about what he needs to say, insisting they meet in person. Queries about Martin to others from those share-house days net him only vague responses.

After Umiko recovers from her long flight, it’s to a shock: Kodaka’s lawyer informs her that her boss has been killed by a hit-and-run driver. Kodaka’s demeanour when he handed an important file over to Norifusa Dobachi for safe-keeping indicates that the hit could be associated with the case, meaning their client and Umiko might be in danger. Should she continue her investigation, when Kodaka Detectives is now, effectively, defunct? But Umiko knows that “Every course of action, even inaction, held its hazards.”

By the time Martin fails to turn up to either appointment, both Umiko and Nick are intrigued enough to try to track him down. Umiko takes a roundabout route, travelling from London to New York City then, not to Alaska, as she hopes will be assumed, but to Reykjavik, where she believes both Martin and the man who was Peter Evans, may be.

Soon enough, Umiko realises that, no matter how well she stays under the radar, there’s a very tall and very nasty Japanese man on her trail, stealing documents and laptops, intent on inflicting injury and even death on anyone who gets in his way.

Already impersonating another in the course of her investigation, Umiko finds it necessary to trespass into an English flat and engage in commercial espionage. Then to save her life, she has to perform sleight of hand with some cuffs, sneak into a Japanese tour group, and conduct a sensitive hostage negotiation with a criminal.

The blurb is a little misleading: Umiko’s husband was not recently murdered, but she is a protagonist who is easy to like and respect: intelligent, perceptive, resourceful, tenacious, and surprisingly gutsy for a widow in her late forties. Fans will be pleased to know that her story continues in The Fine Art of Uncanny Prediction.

[K.J. Charles]

Murder mystery starring a Japanese middle aged widow working for a small Tokyo detective agency. Sounded great but very disappointing. For one thing, I think the way the author has framed the story using the Tokyo subway sarin atrocity is, frankly, rather distasteful. This may be related to another massive problem with this book: the author hasn't remotely put himself into the heroine's head. We're talking about a lived-in-Japan-all-her-life heroine who's not remotely a wealthy global traveller yet who is completely blase about whipping around the Western world, finding her way around the UK, nipping off to the USA and then Iceland, without any sense of tiredness or fear or culture shock (Tokyo to Reykjavik?) or apparent awareness that it's different or scary or intimidating or even interesting. Almost as if the middle-aged untravelled Japanese woman is actually a well-travelled Western man for whom this wouldn't be a big deal, hmmmm.

Unempathetic, affectless, and thus charmless and rather silly. DNF at 39%

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lyndall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable.
Wada's character merits a series!
...and Ive just discovered that there is an Umiko Wada #2 😅

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

a stand alone novel as the action takes us from Japan to uk/Iceland and many twists and turns as the plot goes along and a nice sting in the tail at the end

[Frances Canning · Rating 2 out of 5]

This mystery thriller didn't mystify or thrill me. The start was mildly interesting - Wada, an independent woman, indispensable PA to a Tokyo detective, is asked to pose as a client in England. From there, unlikely turned into far-fetched. The action moved to Iceland and briefly the US, and I began to wonder if the writer had screen rights in mind and was building up Wada to be the protagonist in a series. From the moment she fortuitously found the keys to an empty house in someone's kitchen, pinched them and used them, strokes of luck carried her through the convoluted plot. (A coachload of Japanese tourists? Of course there was. One turn and she was free? Of course she was. Almost Enid Blyton!) Speaking of which, this plot was so complex that I couldn't have said what was going on, nor did I care. There were huge chunks of boring exposition. New characters were introduced and discarded almost to the end. The writer had little faith in the reader's powers of deduction and spoon fed our conclusions. (For example: "the file...what he'd gone back to the office for on Saturday morning. Which meant it was central to the case".) Clunk. Not for me.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly sounded like something I would enjoy but I did not. The forced mysterious events, like following bread crumbs to discover what is behind old news articles, broken appointments, accidents, break-ins, deaths, missing files and computers...all with a little Japanese widow observing until the big whoosh explosive reveal whilst moving between Japan, London, Cornwall, Iceland? No thanks. Beginning to end, nothing believable for me. Thank goodness I had the French Open to watch.

Second Reading - Sep 2023 Changing from 2 stars to 4 stars
I appreciated the intricately woven narrative in my second reading of this book changing my two star designation to 4 star due to the masterful intricately woven dynamic action start to finish. I understand why I didn't like the first reading because I am not accustomed to action-focused detective stories.

[Iona Stewart · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main character in the book is Wada, who works as an assistent to a private detective called Kodaka.

Wada’s husband, Hiko, had been killed in the Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo Subway in 1995, which is something that actually happened,

A woman called Mimori Takenaga consults Kodaka. Her father, Shitaro Masafumi, died when she was five; she believes he was murdered, perhaps by his translator, Peter Evans. Either that or Evans knows who killed him.

She had recently received a letter from an Englishman called Caldwell, who wanted her to come to London to discuss the matter of Peter Evans.

Takenaga cannot go to London so Kodaka asks Wada if she would go instead, pretending to be her.

A man named Nick Miller is also approached by Caldwell. He was a friend of Nick’s late mother, and Nick hardly knew him.

Caldwell asks if they could meet to discuss Nick’s father. As far as he knew, his father was Geoff Nolan, a man who had died early of a drugs overdose.

They made an appointment to meet.

Wada agrees to go to London.

Nick gets a card from Caldwell postponng their meeting.

When Wada gets to London, she receives a call from Kodaka’s lawyer telling her that Kodaka is dead, run over, apparently deliberately.

Wada may also be in danger but she decides to continue with the project now she is in London.

She was to meet Caldwell in the British Museum but he fails to turn up. Perhaps he is dead too.

There are lots of other details and other characters in the story, including Baroness Cushing who meets with Nick and provides him with information about his presumed father, Geoff,

Caldwell did not turn up to meet Nick either.

There are indications that Nick’s father may perhaps have been Peter Evans and part of the story is his search to find out the truth of the matter.

So the story is partly about Wada’s investigation to find the murderer of Takenaga’s father and partly Nick’s quest to find his father. It’s all about fathers.

One problem I had with the book was I had difficulty with the many unfamiliar Japanese names so it was hard for me to distinguish the various characters.

I wouldn’t call the book exciting but I found it extremely readable, like all of Goddard’s books, and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a good thriller.

[John Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reckon that it must be about 25 years ago that I last read a Robert Goddard book. I remember it as a good book if slightly heavy going and a complex read. That was back in the days when in deciding on which book to take from the library , the decision was taken as much on the physical weight of the book, especially if taking it on holiday, as its reading quality.

I have had other Robert Goddard books on my e-shelves since but never actually got around to them. Things will change now.

I dont know if Goddard has changed publisher but the cover of this one is of a different mould completely. Why this one should tempt me when none of the previous ones have, I dont know. However, I am very pleased that it did.

There is something in the way that, what I shall call a 'good' ( for want of a better adjective) author starts to write a story. It doesnt have to be dramatic but it draws you in and makes you feel welcome and you just know that you are going to enjoy the experience.
I found it here in an out of the way Private Detective's office in Nihonbashi, Tokyo.

It would be wrong to call this a fast paced novel but it certainly is not slow and the skillful switching between scenarios and characters ensures you wont get bored while you start to appreciate a well constructed plot piece by piece.

Whereas books that I have read recently tend to save the excitement up to the big ending this has plenty all the way through.

I particularly liked all of the clever ending.

I think that I shall be reading much more of Mr Goddard's work over the next few years than I did over the last.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having not read this author before I didn't know what to expect but from the cover thought it might be a gentler mystery though not a cosy as such. What I got was an intelligently written, gripping tale that's very readable despite the complications of the plot.

In short, a woman walks into Kodaka's detective agency wanting answers to her father's apparent suicide some decades before. She has been contacted by a Martin Caldwell, who's requested she travels to London to meet him as he has information useful to her. Unable to go herself, it's arranged Kodaka's secretary, the unassuming Umiko Wada will go in her place.

At the same time, Nick Miller is also looking for Martin Caldwell for different reasons. Of course the path isn't straightforward for either of them, with things going wrong from the start in England for Wada & the investigation taking her on to Iceland (always a plus for me, I get quite excited when places I've been are mentioned!).

Wada appears to be a meek & mild character, wouldn't say boo to a goose & this unobtrusive air works in her favour - but underestimate her at your peril - she can certainly channel her inner ninja when needed! She's such an endearing character you're willing her on all the way (even if, admittedly, some of her escapades may be a little if a stretch!)

There's fair bit to keep track of throughout & plenty of twists & turns but the threads of the story all weave beautifully together to a satisfactory conclusion. My only complaint is that this is a stand alone novel, I'd like to read more featuring Umiko Wada. Still Goddard has lots of other books for me to discover....

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Colin Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over a number of years, I have been quite a Robert Goddard fan. Unfortunately, I was just not able to work myself into this story and kept putting the book aside, perhaps it was the format working from one perspective to another or that I was unable to believe in the characters. Eventually, the story works its way from Japan to England to Iceland and back to England and winds up back in Japan leaving a trail of dead bodies and destruction in its wake and no interest from the police or security forces. The plot was too far fetched for me.

2 stars only.

[Kelly Eddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

How has this book got so many good reviews? It’s so slow and un-thrilling. The only reason for finishing was, my book ocd of having to finish a book once started reading. If you like repetitive storylines and lots of characters which aren’t relevant then this is the book for you. I wish I’d brought this on kindle feel robbed buying a physical copy!!!

[Iman Danial Hakim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Umiko Wada, PA detektif Kodaka. Suaminya mati selepas 12 tahun koma dek serangan gas sarin di Tokyo. Menerima tugas bahaya, Wada terima panggilan bosnya mati dilanggar lari. Dia segera terbang London untuk mencari jawapan, atau melarikan diri? Siapa kawan, siapa lawan?

3.5/5⭐

Macam aku pernah komen sebelum ini, novel ini tidaklah meh, tetapi ia juga tidaklah terlalu wow. Cukup rasa orang kata.

✅ Karakter yang menarik
✅ Pacing pantas
✅ Pusing dunia! Jepun, England, Iceland!
✅ Thrill yang walaupun dijangka, tetap mendebarkan

Banyak konflik & watak yang saling bersilang. Pembaca perlu peka supaya sentiasa tahu apa yang berlaku, siapa yang terlibat, berlaku di mana?

Aku tertarik dengan karakter Wada: berani & pintar. Berdepan dengan gangster paling pailang, dia selamba je sinis berbalas kata.

Robert Goddard bijak membina situasi tak senang duduk. Situasi do or die yang membuatkan pembaca sama-sama merasai ketegangan dilema yang dihadapi watak-watak novel.

Ia memberi pengalaman thriller yang memuaskan.

Aku mahu berterima kasih kepada Times Read kerana menghadiahkan novel ini sebagai pertukaran kepada reviu jujur.

The Fine Art of Invisible Detection boleh dibeli secara atas talian/online melalui pautan ini 👇🏻
https://www.timesreads.com/stockists

[Elvina Zafril · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard a lot of good things about Robert Goddard. This is my first book from him. In his latest book, The Fine Art of Invisible Detection tells a story of Umiko Wada who is a secretary to a private detective Kazuro Kodaka. She tries to find put the truth behind some tragic event happened in 1977. She was unexpectedly sent to London by her boss on a murder case. This book is totally a clever and kept me guessing from beginning to end.

I needed to concentrate while reading this book because i didn't want to miss any important details. I must say that I rarely read a historical crime books, but this book is such a good one. The pace is quite fast. It is very exciting to travel to so many places. From Tokyo to London. From London to Iceland and lastly to Cornwall.

I really love Umiko Wada. She has a strong personality. Umiko Wada is an incredible character. I felt more engaging with her. Chapter after chapter, her character developed became more interesting and resourceful.

The ending is so good! All the questions have been answered with the final revelation. If you love reading about corruptions, fraud and secrets, this book is for you.

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy of The Fine Art of Invisible Detection in return for an honest review. This book is available at all good bookstores.

[David Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued early on, as the premise showed promise, but the story quickly lost momentum. The plot lacked the complexity and intrigue I expected. The twists promised on the back cover never truly delivered, making the narrative feel predictable and uninspired. By the end, it felt more like a missed opportunity than the gripping mystery I had hoped for.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Audible listen. Well narrated. Plenty of action. Will listen to the second instalment. Recommended.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this story, but after a slow start, I enjoyed this book- particularly the character of Wada, our heroine.

[Ursula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got off to a slow start with this but once I got all the names sorted out, I really enjoyed it!

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The world went on its way. It was business as usual. Until it wasn’t.’

Umiko Wada, widowed, works as a secretary to Kazuto Kodaka, a private detective in Tokyo. Her mother wants her to remarry, but Wada is comfortable with the current orderliness of her life: managing her boss’s diary and keeping his paperwork under control. But then Kodaka takes on a case which changes everything. He is approached by a woman, Mimori Takenaga, who believes that her father was murdered in London in 1977.

As part of the investigation, Wada leaves Tokyo for London. She is to meet an Englishman, Martin Caldwell who may have some information.

And from here, the action escalates. Kodaka is killed, Wada’s contact in London goes missing. Wada is resourceful and follows leads to Devon and then to Iceland. There is more than one secret being hidden, and more than one person who will kill to make sure that those secrets remain hidden.
This is a complex thriller with several well-developed characters, some interesting plot twists, and plenty of action. Will Wada find the answers she is seeking? A dramatic, tense climax on a beach in Cornwall brings much of the story to a conclusion. But Wada has a taste for investigating now, and there are a couple of loose ends…

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I hope that Wada finally finished her reread of ‘The Makioka Sisters’.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Random House, UK for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith