Robert Goddard - Found Wanting

review by showhost
I was really looking forward to another of Robert Goddard as I had enjoyed Caught by the Light and his latest Fault Line. However, this book left me disappointed and lived up to its title.
One thing that really irritated me was the way he switched so often from first name to surname within a few lines and with the same person uttering it. It was hard enough to keep up with all the characters, especially the europena named ones, without changing from first to surname at the drop of a dot.
I kept with it, although it struggled to keep my attention, until the bitter end and I have to say that after page 290 it got a lot more interesting.
So whats the book about? Two childhood friends who grew up on the Isle of Wight and now grown up and gone their separate ways. One, Richard Eusden, works for the foreign office the other Marty, is dying of cancer. Out of the blue Richard is asked to take a briefcase which belonged to Marys grandfather, to Sweden or Copenhagen and then pick up money for it.
Course things don't go to plan. Marty ends up dead, Richard has several attempts on his life. Whats in the case? Maybe something that can prove that Anastasia, the Tzars daughter, escaped from the murder of the family in the revolution and is actually or was alive and kicking.
Its a complicated convoluted plot with many, many characters and definitely not one of Robert Goddards best.