Painting the Darkness

By: Robert Goddard

Narrated by: Michael Kitchen

Length: 20 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

On a mild autumn afternoon in 1882, William Trenchard sits smoking his pipe in the garden of his comfortable family home. When the creak of the garden gate heralds the arrival of an unexpected stranger, he is puzzled but not alarmed. He cannot know the destruction this man will wreak on all he holds most dear.

©1989 Robert and Vaunda Goddard (P)2012 Audible Ltd

If you like really complicated stories...

This book revolves around the story of a man (James Davenall) who is believed to have committed suicide 11 years prior to the telling, and left his bride at the alter at the same time. Now he (or an impersonator) is returned, calling himself James Norton, and he would like to claim the inheritance that would have been his (if indeed, he is the true James Davenall) and especially to have Constance, the woman he failed to marry when he disappeared.

The story is complicated--the Davenall family would prefer not to acknowledge him as their brother/son whom they believe to be dead, because the baronetcy has now passed to the younger brother, upon the death of their father. They decide to enlist the assistance of Constance's husband in proving that the stranger is not their son/brother (as they would all have reason not to want his return). He is initially agreeable, because he doesn't want to lose his wife. It all eventually winds up in court, but even then, the whole thing continues. William Trenchard, Constance's husband, has the most agonizing position in the book.

This book is very long, convoluted and requires close listening. It is a good mystery, but you have to be willing to attend rather closely because the story has many twists and turns. Character development is good. Michael Kitchen was not my favorite person to narrate this book, though it was okay (and he is generally a good narrator). I would have preferred someone who had more verbal energy, more inflection because the book is so hard to follow that that would have helped a little bit. Don't turn away from this book--but don't plan to tackle it unless you have dedicated time for listening.

One of the best!

What does Michael Kitchen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I picked Painting the Darkness because it was narrated by Michael Kitchen, loving his voice I thought he could not choose a bad book to narrate, I was correct.

This is the first Robert Goddard book I have listened to, in fact I had not heard of him until I did some research. He is one of the Sunday Times top 10 Best Selling authors in the UK. Where have I been?

This is a great mystery thriller in a historical setting. It has fabulous descriptions of settings in London, country houses, period manners, and true to life characters. The words and phrasings are great. The plot has many twists and turns and seems convoluted but It is a simple story of manipulation, conspiracy, betrayal, and greed. It could very well happen today. I will be on the lookout for my next Goddard book, hope you enjoy yours.

Rich Historical Mystery

I enjoyed the very well-researched and written journey into 19th Century England offered by Goddard. The plotting offered some truly interesting twists. The main characters of the story are all flawed and unreliable narrators, which makes for an engaging mystery. The ending is quite a spectacular feat of storytelling.

Goddard's male characters are far better written than his female ones. Which, typical for a novel written in the period by a male author, is less forgivable today.

His langauge is a pleasing blend of period perfection and accessibly modern. Goddard strikes the perfect balance as a writer of historical mystery.

The narration by Michael Kitchen is flawless.

More twists and turns than Space Mountain.

It's been a long time since I gave something 5 stars across the board. This is not my normal genre, (it takes place during the 1880's) but don't let that deter you. This is a exceptionally good mystery. It seemed that every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. This book is one of the better books I've read in the last year. I give it 96 out of 100.

Truly wonderful

Would you consider the audio edition of Painting the Darkness to be better than the print version?

I adored this book. It was my first Goddard book and certainly won't be my last.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was compelling, with interesting, well rounded characters and plenty of twists and turns. It had a bit of a "gothic" feel to it but retained a great sense of place and time. Great phrases and descriptions. I was hooked from the first sentence.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kitchen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Michael Kitchen was superb. I do believe he is the best narrator I've encountered - and there are a host of great ones on Audible. I would - and will - seek out other books he narrates. What a great voice and talent!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was, but it wasn't - I wanted the story to last and last. I did find myself staying up way later just to hear one more chapter. I also think this will be a "re-listen" for me.

Any additional comments?

Top shelf, all the way. Great author, great narrator - all of it: simply wonderful.

Never a slow moment, may be Goddard's best.

I have listened to a lot of Goddard's books and this one is easily in the top three if not the best. You quickly get into the characters and scene of the 1800s and the twists of plot keep you wanting for more. Typically I feel Goddard's books don't have the great ending but are enjoyable for the story and characters. This one has both. The narrator should get 6 stars. Highest recommendation in my book.

The plot thickens...and thickens, but nicely

A very entertaining mystery about a family with a very complicated past. When a stranger appears in town claiming to be the long-presumed-dead son, everyone takes sides either believing him or claiming he is an impostor. Is he, or isn't he, you wonder...and wonder. Every character has his or her own agenda when pursuing the answer, allowing Mr. Goddard to feed you bits and pieces of the puzzle from various directions. You think you have figured it out, only to be confounded time and time again by the next revelation.

There are times when the scenes could have used some editing, and there are one or two instances when the characters' actions seem a bit of a stretch. However, my interest never waned.

This was my first Goddard mystery, but I have already downloaded a second.

Mr. Kitchen's performance, as other reviewers have mentioned, is top notch.

Held me in its clutches

I just discovered Robert Goddard. I purchased this book because it is narrated by Michael Kitchen, the actor extraordinaire. I knew practically nothing about Goddard's writing prior to this novel.

This is a fascinating, fabulous and captivating listen. If you are looking for an exceptional story and a true fan of high quality historical mystery, this book will be right up your alley.
There are loads of twists and turns. Every time I thought I had solved the mystery, I was wrong!

I don't like to compare authors, but if you are an Anne Perry fan, you will love Painting the Darkness.

I could listen to Michael Kitchen's narration and talent until the cows come home. What a range of characters he can pull off. Brilliant narration and true acting at its finest. He should do more of this work!

Buy it, read it, share the buzz! A must read.

As usual Robert Goddard delivers

What made the experience of listening to Painting the Darkness the most enjoyable?

lots of intrigue

What other book might you compare Painting the Darkness to and why?

I have enjoyed every Robert Goddard book either audio or paperback

Have you listened to any of Michael Kitchen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

only part way through

Any additional comments?

So far the story is gripping and mysterious - unlike a paperback I cannot easily skip to the last pages and cheat!

In the style of Wilkie Collins

The writing was excellent and the reader well matched to the story, but after many hours of listening, I stopped and did not finish. For a time I had hope, but there is a place in a story where too many unpleasant things happen, and nothing after that point can save the story for me - that is when I stopped listening. It was like witnessing abuse - disturbing. SPOILER ALERT – this is a story about manipulators and manipulated. The manipulators were clever, well prepared, and in control. The manipulated were bumbling around lost, reacted instead of acting, and were pulled around like puppets. I thought I might like some of the characters, but they turned out to be non-functional. Maybe the manipulated rallied at the end, but I just didn’t want to suffer until it happened. And if it didn’t happen, I didn’t want to suffer until the end. This is a good book, but it didn’t fit me. I like the good guys to be clever, but half way through I started thinking there might not be any good guys in this story.