Stephen Swan is visiting his mother, when a surprise guest shocks him, making lie of the stories that have been told to him throughout his life. Stephen's uncle, Eldritch Swan, shows up -- and Stephen has always been told by his father that Eldritch died. Instead, he finds this slightly odd man very much alive and just released from an Irish prison. His mother offers Eldritch a place to stay while he gets back on his feet, but Stephen is suspicious of his uncle's behavior.

Despite his concerns, Stephen is drawn into Eldritch's tale about the work he did for a diamond dealer at the beginning of WWII. The dealer owned Picasso paintings, which disappeared. Although Eldritch admitted that he helped someone else steal the paintings, he claimed innocence for his "crimes against the state" that sent him to prison for over three decades.

Eldritch asks for Stephens help in proving that the Picassos rightfully belong to the diamond merchant's heirs, one of whom is granddaughter Rachel Banner. As the two men search out the truth and Stephen's feelings for Rachel grow, it becomes clear that multitudes of lies and illusions seethe around the Picasso theft.

Goddard's novels are gifted with dark depths, although LONG TIME COMING felt different than his previous works. Different, but just as good. His deft talent with drawing the reader along really shines in movement between 1976 and WWII. That's often a tough thing to achieve without making the reader pull out of the book. This compelling story leaves the reader anxious to find out where Eldritch's schemes are leading and if there can possibly be a happy ending. With Goddard, one never knows what that ending might be.