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James Maxted, Max to his friends, has returned from a distinguished war record with the Royal Flying Corps that ended with a crash that saw him interned in a German POW camp for the latter stages of the First World War. It was a crash that might very well have saved his life, as he had already exceeded his life expectancy figure for pilots by a considerable margin. Now he is ready to settle down to life as an instructor in his own flying school, with his former head mechanic, Sam Twentyman, as his business partner.
But this is not to be. Word comes from Paris, where his diplomat father, Sir Henry Maxted, is advising the British delegation negotiating the Treaty of Versailles, that Sir Henry has suddenly died, under circumstances that are at least peculiar. He has fallen off a roof in Montparnasse, from, it turns out, the building where his mistress has an apartment. The elder son, Ashley, the heir to both his father's estate and his title, would be extremely happy to sweep the whole business quietly under the rug. But Max is made of sterner stuff and resolves to find out what indeed happened to his father.
His quest will lead him into some murky waters indeed and since this is the first in a proposed series, the reader should be informed that a great deal will remain to be revealed after the last page is read. Nevertheless, this is a perfect choice as a summer book. Cleverly plotted, filled with incident and interesting characters, there is plenty here to keep the pages turning.
Most of all, it is exceptionally well written. The model for this one is the sort of Boy's Own inspired thriller of the 1920s. But unlike most of them, THE WAYS OF THE WORLD is written with care and tact. Goddard manages to evoke the period style without overdoing it - it echoes the syntax and rhythms of the better adventure novelists of the time but is far from a slavish imitation. Goddard even manages what I would have thought impossible - he reminds the reader of the ubiquitous racism of the period while skirting offence.
THE WAYS OF THE WORLD is intended for an adult audience, but I can imagine an adolescent boy enjoying it very much as well. While there is a certain amount of sexual content, neither it nor any other activity is described in lurid detail. In short, nothing here to shock; much to enjoy.
§ Yvonne Klein is a writer, translator, and retired college English professor who lives in Montreal.
Reviewed by Yvonne Klein, June 2015
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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