Robert Goddard

Robert Goddard (born 1954, Fareham, Hampshire, England) - British master of the historical mystery and suspense thriller. His work is known for its “labyrinthine” plotting, historical themes, and atmospheric settings. While his novels primarily focus on English provincial life and historical espionage, several of his works feature significant Jewish characters or themes, typically woven into historical plotlines involving World War II or the Middle East: 

Long Time Coming (2010): This thriller features a major subplot involving a Jewish diamond trader who flees Nazi-occupied Europe in 1939, leaving behind a collection of Picasso paintings and diamonds that become the center of a mystery decades later. The novel also touches on the historical role of Belgian Jewish merchants in the Congo diamond trade.

The James Maxted Trilogy (2013–2015): Set during the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, this series— starting with The Ways of the World - explores the geopolitical landscape following WWI. It touches on the “mood and atmosphere” of the era for both Jews and non-Jews as they operated in a changing Europe.

Sight Unseen (2005): A portion of this novel is set in Prague, where characters visit the Jewish Quarter, including its synagogues and cemetery, as part of the unfolding mystery. [Google/AI]

Goddard, Robert, (Sight Unseen [hc, Bantam Press, 2005] 978-0593053638 [pb, Delta, 2006] 978-0440242802

Goddard, Robert, (Long Time Coming [hc, Bantam, 2010] 978-0593060254 [pb, Bantam, 2010] 978-0385343619

Goddard, Robert, (The Ways of the World [hc, Mysterious Press, 2015] 978-0802123596 [pb, Mysterious Press, 2016][ 978-0802125064