The Fine Art of Invisible Detection

By: Robert Goddard

Narrated by: Naoko Mori

Brought to you by Penguin.

Tokyo, Japan

Umiko Wada has had enough excitement in life. With an overbearing mother and her husband recently murdered, she just wants to keep her head down. As a secretary to a private detective, her life is pleasantly filled with coffee runs and paperwork.

That is, until her boss takes on a new case. A case that is surrounded by shadows. A case that means Wada will have to leave Tokyo and travel to London.

London, England

Nick Miller never knew his father and was always told he wasn't missing much. But when an old friend of his late mother says there are things that Nick needs to know about his parents, he can't ignore it.

When a chance encounter brings Wada and Nick together, they couldn't know the series of violent events set off by their investigations. And when they discover Nick's father might have been the only witness to a dark secret forever buried, they realise there are some powerful people who will do whatever it takes to keep it that way....

©2021 Robert Goddard (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Phenomenal Fun

I love Wada as a character. The locations in England & Iceland are two my favorite places I’ve ever been. Highly recommended!

The build up of tension throughout the story…the layers of each personality were described in detail and clarity

I liked the characterisation of voice parts…easy to understand who was talking in each conversation. I liked the slow ‘reveal’ of the full extent of the plot.

Compelling Plot, Exceptional Narrator

Every aspect of The Fine Art of Invisible Detection was well done. Robert Godard’s protagonist is drawn with an unerring eye for the details that will both tie the reader to her and render her a fully dimensional human being. The side characters are sketched in exactly as much as necessary and the antagonist is enough. The plot engine drives relentlessly and I listened far too late into the night as a result. The real standout, however, is the extraordinary work of the narrator, Naoko Mori. I can not imagine anyone else filling out the presence of this book more adroitly. I’m hoping Goddard’s This is the Night They Come for You will be available soon.

Probably Better Read

The story seemed promising, but the narration was so incredibly slow I found myself zoning out. Kindle has the average reading time listed at around 8 hours, yet this audiobook clocks in at just under 12 hours, if that helps indicate just how slowly the narrator reads. I think this would be a better read than a listen.

Narrator

I thought it was a good story. The narrator was excellent.
The plot is a bit unnecessarily complex.

Just Okay

I am making myself finish this audiobook. I think my problem with it is that the main character, Wada, is too bland, too undefined. I know that is also her secret power that causes others to underestimate her. However, it makes for a somewhat boring read. I never really got engaged. I am finding this pretty dull.