The Last Voyage of the Shelduck

I recently read this book while on holiday and enjoyed it as it is a good old adventure yarn similar to the ones that I read as a schoolboy. The plot centres on Mrs Goldberg the daughter of German-Jewish refugees from the Nazis. Her father was an art dealer who was swindled out of some valuable paintings, by an unscrupulous Dutch art dealer Wolter Deguder, in order to secure their escape. Soon after the war, Mrs Goldberg enlists the help of the narrator Alf's father-in-law and Miles Sanford a former naval officer to "reclaim” the works of art. Strangely nothing is done about this at the time but following the death of Alf's father-in-law the villainous Deguders make sinister moves to settle the score; however, the formidable Mrs Goldberg has scores to settle as well. Interweaved are the experiences of Alf, a Taxi driver, celebrity and public speaker and he too is recruited to make up the crew of the Shelduck for its last outing to Holland in the present day. The style is relaxed. The narrative reflects back to the events of the war and immediate post-war period developing the characters' back stories and drawing the reader into the plot. There are a number of twists and reveals that maintain the suspense to the end. I would strongly recommend it.

A good read, the use of the first person singular, draws the reader into the action. unlike other crime novels, the action is leisurely and introduces one to the characters in the story, but there is a good storyline. A different sort of book, but worthy of reading.