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The Sins of the Father (Clifton Chronicles Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Jeffrey Archer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 38,441 ratings

Book 2 of 7: The Clifton Chronicles

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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From the author of the international bestseller Only Time Will Tell, Jeffrey Archer picks up the sweeping story of the Clifton Chronicles with The Sins of the Father.

Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets, and forced to accept that his desire to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy. But his ship is sunk in the Atlantic by a German U-boat, drowning almost the entire crew. An American cruise liner, the SS Kansas Star, rescues a handful of sailors, among them Harry and the third officer, an American named Tom Bradshaw. When Bradshaw dies in the night, Harry seizes on the chance to escape his tangled past and assumes his identity.

But on landing in America, he quickly learns the mistake he has made, when he discovers what is awaiting Bradshaw in New York. Without any way of proving his true identity, Harry Clifton is now chained to a past that could be far worse than the one he had hoped to escape.

Book 2 of 7

The Clifton Chronicles
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St. Martin's Press
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2012
May 8
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‘You see, the problem with being a bully is that on the flipside of that particular coin, you’ll find the imprint of a coward.’
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Bernard Shaw had meant when he suggested that the English and the Americans were divided by a common language.
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About the Author

JEFFREY ARCHER was educated at Oxford University. He served five years as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons and has served twenty-seven years as a Member of the House of Lords. Now published in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, all of his novels and short story collections―including Kane & Abel, Only Time Will Tell and This Was a Man―have been international bestsellers. Jeffrey is married with two sons and three grandchildren, and lives in London, Cambridge and Majorca. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Sins of the Father

By Jeffrey Archer

St. Martin's Press

Copyright © 2012 Jeffrey Archer
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781250000972
1

“MY NAME IS Harry Clifton.”
“Sure, and I’m Babe Ruth,” said Detective Kolowski as he lit a cigarette.
“No,” said Harry, “you don’t understand, there’s been a terrible mistake. I’m Harry Clifton, an Englishman from Bristol. I served on the same ship as Tom Bradshaw.”
“Save it for your lawyer,” said the detective, exhaling deeply and filling the small cell with a cloud of smoke.
“I don’t have a lawyer,” protested Harry.
“If I was in the trouble you’re in, kid, I’d consider having Sefton Jelks on my side to be about my only hope.”
“Who’s Sefton Jelks?”
“You may not have heard of the sharpest lawyer in New York,” said the detective as he blew out another plume of smoke, “but he has an appointment to see you at nine o’clock tomorrow morning, and Jelks don’t leave his office unless his bill has been paid in advance.”
“But—” began Harry, as Kolowski banged the palm of his hand on the cell door.
“So when Jelks turns up tomorrow morning,” Kolowski continued, ignoring Harry’s interruption, “you’d better come up with a more convincing story than we’ve arrested the wrong man. You told the immigration officer that you were Tom Bradshaw, and if it was good enough for him, it’s going to be good enough for the judge.”
The cell door swung open, but not before the detective had exhaled another plume of smoke that made Harry cough. Kolowski stepped out into the corridor without another word and slammed the door behind him. Harry collapsed on to a bunk that was attached to the wall and rested his head on a brick-hard pillow. He looked up at the ceiling and began to think about how he’d ended up in a police cell on the other side of the world on a murder charge.
* * *
The door opened long before the morning light could creep through the bars of the window and into the cell. Despite the early hour, Harry was wide awake.
A warder strolled in carrying a tray of food that the Salvation Army wouldn’t have considered offering a penniless hobo. Once he’d placed the tray on the little wooden table, he left without a word.
Harry took one look at the food before beginning to pace up and down. With each step, he grew more confident that once he explained to Mr. Jelks the reason he’d exchanged his name with Tom Bradshaw, the matter would quickly be sorted out. Surely the worst punishment they could exact would be to deport him, and as he’d always intended to return to England and join the navy, it all fitted in with his original plan.
At 8:55 a.m., Harry was sitting on the end of the bunk, impatient for Mr. Jelks to appear. The massive iron door didn’t swing open until twelve minutes past nine. Harry leaped up as a prison guard stood to one side and allowed a tall, elegant man with silver gray hair to enter. Harry thought he must have been about the same age as Grandpa. Mr. Jelks wore a dark blue pinstripe, double-breasted suit, a white shirt, and a striped tie. The weary look on his face suggested that little would surprise him.
“Good morning,” he said, giving Harry a faint smile. “My name is Sefton Jelks. I am the senior partner of Jelks, Myers and Abernathy, and my clients, Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw, have asked me to represent you in your upcoming trial.”
Harry offered Jelks the only chair in his cell, as if he was an old friend who had dropped in to his study at Oxford for a cup of tea. He perched on the bunk and watched the lawyer as he opened his briefcase, extracted a yellow pad and placed it on the table.
Jelks took a pen from an inside pocket and said, “Perhaps you might begin by telling me who you are, as we both know you’re not Lieutenant Bradshaw.”
If the lawyer was surprised by Harry’s story he showed no sign of it. Head bowed, he wrote copious notes on his yellow pad while Harry explained how he’d ended up spending the night in jail. Once he’d finished, Harry assumed his problems must surely be over, as he had such a senior lawyer on his side—that was, until he heard Jelks’s first question.
“You say that you wrote a letter to your mother while you were on board the Kansas Star, explaining why you had assumed Tom Bradshaw’s identity?”
“That’s correct, sir. I didn’t want my mother to suffer unnecessarily, but at the same time I needed her to understand why I’d made such a drastic decision.”
“Yes, I can understand why you might have considered that changing your identity would solve all your immediate problems, while not appreciating that it could involve you in a series of even more complicated ones,” said Jelks. His next question surprised Harry even more. “Do you recall the contents of that letter?”
“Of course. I wrote and rewrote it so many times I could reproduce it almost verbatim.”
“Then allow me to test your memory,” Jelks said and, without another word, tore off a sheet from his yellow pad and handed it and his fountain pen to Harry.
Harry spent some time recalling the exact words, before he set about rewriting the letter.
My dearest mother,
I have done everything in my power to make sure you receive this letter before anyone can tell you that I died at sea. As the date on this letter shows, I did not perish when the Devonian was sunk on September 4th. In fact, I was plucked out of the sea by a sailor from an American ship and thanks to him, I’m still very much alive. However, an unexpected opportunity arose for me to assume another man’s identity, and I did so willingly, in the hope it would release Emma from the many problems I seem to have unwittingly caused her and her family over the years.
It is important that you realize my love for Emma has in no way diminished; far from it. I cannot believe I shall ever experience such love again. But I do not feel I have the right to expect her to spend the rest of her life clinging on to the vain hope that at some time in the future I might be able to prove that Hugo Barrington is not my father, and that I am, in fact, the son of Arthur Clifton. At least this way, she can consider a future with someone else. I envy that man.
I plan to return to England on the first available ship, so should you receive any communication from a Tom Bradshaw, you can assume it’s me. I’ll be in touch with you the moment I set foot in Bristol, but in the meantime, I must beg you to keep my secret as steadfastly as you kept your own for so many years.
Your loving son,
Harry
When Jelks had finished reading the letter, he once again took Harry by surprise. “Did you post the letter yourself, Mr. Clifton,” he asked, “or did you give that responsibility to someone else?”
For the first time Harry felt suspicious, and decided not to mention that he’d asked Dr. Wallace to deliver the letter to his mother when he returned to Bristol in a fortnight’s time. He feared that Jelks might persuade Dr. Wallace to hand over the letter and then his mother would have no way of knowing he was still alive.
“I posted the letter when I came ashore,” he said.
The elderly lawyer took his time before he responded. “Do you have any proof that you are Harry Clifton, and not Thomas Bradshaw?”
“No, sir, I do not,” said Harry without hesitation, painfully aware that no one on board the Kansas Star had any reason to believe he wasn’t Tom Bradshaw, and the only people who could verify his story were on the other side of the ocean, more than three thousand miles away, and it would not be long before they were all informed that Harry Clifton had been buried at sea.
“Then I may be able to assist you, Mr. Clifton. That’s assuming you still wish Miss Emma Barrington to believe you are dead. If you do,” said Jelks, an insincere smile on his face, “I may be able to offer a solution to your problem.”
“A solution?” said Harry, looking hopeful for the first time.
“But only if you felt able to retain the persona of Thomas Bradshaw.”
Harry remained silent.
“The district attorney’s office has accepted that the charge against Bradshaw is at best circumstantial, and the only real evidence they are clinging on to is that he left the country the day after the murder had been committed. Aware of the weakness of their case, they have agreed to drop the charge of murder if you felt able to plead guilty to the lesser charge of desertion while serving in the armed forces.”
“But why would I agree to that?” asked Harry.
“I can think of three good reasons,” replied Jelks. “Firstly, if you don’t, you’re likely to end up spending six years in prison for entering the United States on false pretenses. Secondly, you would retain your anonymity, so the Barrington family would have no reason to believe you are still alive. And thirdly, the Bradshaws are willing to pay you ten thousand dollars if you take their son’s place.”
Harry realized immediately that this would be an opportunity to repay his mother for all the sacrifices she’d made for him over the years. Such a large sum of money would transform her life, making it possible for her to escape the two-up-two-down in Still House Lane, along with the weekly knock on the door from the rent collector. She might even consider giving up her job as a waitress at the Grand Hotel and start living an easier life, although Harry thought that was unlikely. But before he agreed to fall in with Jelks’s plans, he had some questions of his own.
“Why would the Bradshaws be willing to go through with such a deception, when they must now know that their son was killed at sea?”
“Mrs. Bradshaw is desperate to have Thomas’s name cleared. She will never accept that one of her sons might have killed the other.”
“So is that what Tom is accused of—murdering his brother?”
“Yes, but as I said, the evidence is flimsy and circumstantial, and certainly wouldn’t stand up in court, which is why the DA’s office is willing to drop the charge, but only if we agree to plead guilty to the lesser charge of desertion.”
“And how long might my sentence be, if I agreed to that?”
“The DA has agreed to recommend to the judge that you’re sentenced to one year, so with good behavior you could be free in six months; quite an improvement on the six years you can expect if you go on insisting that you’re Harry Clifton.”
“But the moment I walk into the courtroom, someone’s bound to realize that I’m not Bradshaw.”
“Unlikely,” said Jelks. “The Bradshaws hail from Seattle, on the west coast, and although they’re well off, they rarely visit New York. Thomas joined the navy when he was seventeen, and as you know to your cost, he hasn’t set foot in America for the past four years. And if you plead guilty, you’ll only be in the courtroom for twenty minutes.”
“But when I open my mouth, won’t everyone know I’m not an American?”
“That’s why you won’t be opening your mouth, Mr. Clifton.” The urbane lawyer seemed to have an answer for everything. Harry tried another ploy.
“In England, murder trials are always packed with journalists, and the public queue up outside the courtroom from the early hours in the hope of getting a glimpse of the defendant.”
“Mr. Clifton, there are fourteen murder trials currently taking place in New York, including the notorious ‘scissors stabber.’ I doubt if even a cub reporter will be assigned to this case.”
“I need some time to think about it.”
Jelks glanced at his watch. “We’re due in front of Judge Atkins at noon, so you have just over an hour to make up your mind, Mr. Clifton.” He called for a guard to open the cell door. “Should you decide not to avail yourself of my services I wish you luck, because we will not be meeting again,” he added before he left the cell.
Harry sat on the end of the bunk, considering Sefton Jelks’s offer. Although he didn’t doubt that the silver-haired counsel had his own agenda, six months sounded a lot more palatable than six years, and who else could he turn to, other than this seasoned lawyer? Harry wished he could drop into Sir Walter Barrington’s office for a few moments and seek his advice.
* * *
An hour later, Harry, dressed in a dark blue suit, cream shirt, starched collar and a striped tie, was handcuffed, marched from his cell to a prison vehicle and driven to the courthouse under armed guard.
“No one must believe you’re capable of murder,” Jelks had pronounced after a tailor had visited Harry’s cell with half a dozen suits, shirts and a selection of ties for him to consider.
“I’m not,” Harry reminded him.
Harry was reunited with Jelks in the corridor. The lawyer gave him that same smile before pushing his way through the swing doors and walking down the center aisle, not stopping until he reached the two vacant seats at counsel’s table.
Once Harry had settled into his place and his handcuffs had been removed, he looked around the almost empty courtroom. Jelks had been right about that. Few members of the public, and certainly no press, seemed interested in the case. For them, it must have been just another domestic murder, where the defendant was likely to be acquitted; no “Cain and Abel” headlines while there was no possibility of the electric chair in court number four.
As the first chime rang out to announce midday, a door opened on the far side of the room and Judge Atkins appeared. He walked slowly across the court, climbed the steps and took his place behind a desk on the raised dais. He then nodded in the direction of the DA, as if he knew exactly what he was about to say.
A young lawyer rose from behind the prosecutor’s desk and explained that the state would be dropping the murder charge, but would be pursuing Thomas Bradshaw on a charge of desertion from the U.S. Navy. The judge nodded, and turned his attention to Mr. Jelks, who rose on cue.
“And on the second charge, of desertion, how does your client plead?”
“Guilty,” said Jelks. “I hope your honor will be lenient with my client on this occasion, as I don’t need to remind you, sir, that this is his first offense, and before this uncharacteristic lapse he had an unblemished record.”
Judge Atkins scowled. “Mr. Jelks,” he said, “some may consider that for an officer to desert his post while serving his country is a crime every bit as heinous as murder. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that until recently such an offense would have resulted in your client facing a firing squad.”
Harry felt sick as he looked up at Jelks, who didn’t take his eyes off the judge.
“With that in mind,” continued Atkins, “I sentence Lieutenant Thomas Bradshaw to six years in jail.” He banged his gavel and said, “Next case,” before Harry had a chance to protest.
“You told me—” began Harry, but Jelks had already turned his back on his former client and was walking away. Harry was about to chase after him, when the two guards grabbed him by the arms, thrust them behind his back and quickly handcuffed the convicted criminal, before marching him across the courtroom toward a door Harry hadn’t noticed before.
He looked back to see Sefton Jelks shaking hands with a middle-aged man who was clearly congratulating him on a job well done. Where had Harry seen that face before? And then he realized—it had to be Tom Bradshaw’s father.

Copyright © 2012 by Jeffrey Archer

Continues...
Excerpted from The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer Copyright © 2012 by Jeffrey Archer. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

“Archer delivers another page-turning, heart-stopping saga, with delightful twists and a surprise ending… readers will surely wait for the next with bated breath.” ―Publishers Weekly on Only Time Will Tell

“What appears at the outset to be a straightforward coming-of-age tale becomes, by the end, a saga of power, betrayal, and bitter hatred… An outstanding effort from a reliable veteran.” ―Booklist (starred review) on Only Time Will Tell

“I was utterly hooked. It was an absurdly enjoyable read.” ―Daily Telegraph (London) on Only Time Will Tell

“Archer can make you wring your hands in anguish and guffaw out loud, all on the same page, and he does in these fifteen ingenious stories.” ―Star-Ledger (New Jersey) on And Thereby Hangs a Tale

“A compelling read…The pace never flags.” ―Newsday (New York) on A Prisoner of Birth

“One of the top-ten storytellers in the world.” ―Los Angeles Times

“Archer is a master entertainer.” ―Time

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

Praise for international bestselling author""

JEFFREY ARCHER

"One of the top ten storytellers in the world." --"Los Angeles Times"

"There isn't a better storyteller alive." --Larry King""

"Archer plots with skill, and keeps you turning the pages." --"The Boston Globe"

"Cunning plots, silken style.... Archer plays a cat-and-mouse game with the reader." --"The New York Times"

"Archer is a master entertainer." --"Time"

"A storyteller in the class of Alexandre Dumas...unsurpassed skill." --"Washington Post"

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover

A sweeping multi-generational saga of fate, fortune, and redemption, the Clifton Chronicles continue in the latest epic masterwork from international bestselling author

JEFFREY ARCHER

It is only days before Britain declares war on Germany. Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of a familyscandal, and realizinghe can never marry Emma Barrington, has joined the Merchant Navy. Whena German U-boat sinks his ship, Harry and a handful of sailors are rescued by the SS Kansas Star, among them an American named Tom Bradshaw. That night, when Bradshaw dies, Harry seizes a chance to bury his past--by assumingthe man's identity.

"[A] PAGE-TURNING, HEART-STOPPING SAGA.""--Publishers Weekly"

When Harry lands in America, he is arrested for the murder of Tom Bradshaw's brother.Alone, accused, and unable to prove his true identity, Harry is now chained to a past that could be worse thanwhat he left behind--butdestined for a futurethat would be greater than he ever dreamed...

"UNFORGETTABLE."--"Library Journal" (starred review)

on the Clifton Chronicles' "Only Time Will Tell"

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00633W614
Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press; First edition (May 8, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 8, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5819 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #100,679 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #45 in Contemporary British Fiction
- #365 in Historical British Fiction
- #1,103 in 20th Century Historical Fiction (Books)

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4.4 38,441 ratings

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Jeffrey Archer

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Jeffrey Archer is one of the world’s bestselling authors, with sales of over 275 million copies in 97 countries, and is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (twenty times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). He was born in London, and brought up in the West Country. He gained a Blue in Athletics at Oxford, was President of the University Athletics Club, and went on to run the 100 yards in 9.6 seconds for Great Britain in 1966. Jeffrey has served five years in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament, and thirty years as a Member of the House of Lords.

He has written 27 novels, 7 sets of short stories, 3 prison diaries, 3 plays (all of which have been performed in London's West End) and a gospel. His first novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less was sold to 17 countries within a year. It was also made into a successful serial for BBC Radio 4, and was later televised in 1990 by the BBC. He won the Prix Relay du Roman d’Évasion, a prize that rewards a novel in which readers can ‘escape from everyday life’, for his novel Paths of Glory, and the Prix Polar International Prize for the best international thriller of the year, for his novel A Prisoner of Birth. The Clifton Chronicles, a series of seven novels published between 2011-2017, topped the bestseller lists around the world.

Famous for his discipline as a writer who works on up to fourteen drafts of each book, Jeffrey also brings a vast amount of insider knowledge to his books. Whether it’s his own career in politics, his passionate interest in art, or the wealth of fascinating background detail – inspired by the extraordinary network of friends he has built over a lifetime at the heart of Britain’s establishment – his novels provide a fascinating glimpse into a range of closed worlds.

Jeffrey is also an amateur auctioneer, conducting up to 20 charity auctions a year. He has been married to Dame Mary Archer, Chair of the Science Museum Group, for 55 year, and they have two sons, two granddaughters and three grandsons. He splits his time between London, Cambridge and Mallorca - where he writes the first draft of each new novel.

The fifth book In his new William Warwick novels - the first of which, Nothing Ventured, was published in 2019 - is NEXT IN LINE which will be out in September 2022.

Photo credit: Toby Madden

www.jeffreyarcher.com

Follow Jeffrey on Instagram - Jeffrey_Archer_Author, Facebook and Twitter @Jeffrey_Archer

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SRINIVAS TENNETI

Fascinating story

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023

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This story travels through the small town Bristol to all the way to the world war. It has many twists and turns to keep you interested. The most interesting part was showing timeliness about different characters Harry, Giles, Emma, and Hugo.

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M. Lignor

The second installment of The Clifton Chronicles.

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2012

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This novel is the second installment of Jeffrey Archer's new series called the Clifton Chronicles.

Only Time Will Tell is the first in the series and tells the tale of a family that will cross generations, oceans and very difficult situations. The first book begins with Harry Clifton, a dock worker's child who is born to Maisie Clifton. As he grows up he develops a talent for music which gets him a scholarship to an exclusive school. At the school he meets boys who are much richer than he but become very good friends of his. This book takes the reader through World War I and the outbreak of WWII when Harry has to decide whether to join the Navy or stay in school.

The second book, The Sins of the Father, is very much a continuation of the first. It is best to read Only Time Will Tell first to gain an understanding of the characters and sitiuations. In the first book, Harry was about to marry Emma Barrington when they found out that the marriage would be a big mistake because Harry's parentage is questioned. He might be the son of Hugo Barrington, who had a one-nighter with Harry's mother. This would make Harry and his bride related so Harry decides to join the Merchant Marines rather than get married.

When the ship Harry is on is torpedoed by a German U-Boat, Harry makes a quick decision to take the identity of a passenger who was killed. Why? Because Harry wants a new identity and wants to disappear into New York City. This turns out to be a big blunder because the passenger, Tom Bradshaw, is wanted for murder. Harry, thought to be Tom, is arrested and sent to prison. Now, Harry has more problems than he had before. Harry ends up in prison, serving the sentence that was handed down to Tom Bradshaw.

Back in England, Harry's bride-to-be at the wedding that never happened, Emma Barrington, refuses to believe that Harry is dead and goes to America to prove that Harry is alive and to let him know that he has a son. Emma's brother, Giles, who is also Harry's best friend, joins the service of his country and becomes a war hero. This second novel in the series takes readers through WWII and we meet many characters who are both saints and sinners and readers will read avidly to see which sinner gets what he/she deserves and which saint will come up a winner.

This is an excellent story, as Archer's stories always are however, it jumps around a lot and is a bit confusing at times. The reader will definitely have to read the books in sequence as not very much is explained - book two is continued on from book one without any explanation.

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Suncoast

Another great book in a family saga by a master story teller

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2012

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This is the second book in a page-turning family saga chronicle of 5 books by master story teller, Jeffrey Archer. The story covers the lives of the Clifton and Barrington families who live in and around Bristol in England and is this book is set during the time of the Second World War, both in England and America.

The secret of Jeffrey Archer's success, despite his flawed personal history, is that he has always been is one of the best story tellers around. He tells a tale and then weaves another tale around it. The characters, both good and bad, are skilfully crafted and become essential elements in telling his tales. Before you know it you are totally hooked on what is going to happen next.

In this book we follow the life of Harry Clifton, the son of a poor docker who transformed himself from an under-achieving child of a poor family to be able to enter Oxford University. At the start of the Second World War, to get sufficient experience to be accepted for the Navy, Harry leaves Oxford to work as a junior officer on a cargo ship. When the ship is torpedoed by a U Boat in the North Atlantic he is rescued by an American passenger ship. In an attempt to release himself from insoluble personal and emotional problems with the Barrington family back in England, Harry takes the identity of another officer he hardly knows who drowned in the attack. When he arrives in New York under the assumed name he is immediately arrested for murder.

Once again Harry's courageous character and intelligence allow him to cope with life in jail and overcome its limitations. While in jail he keeps a detailed diary that will become the secret of his later success.

Back in England, his family, and most of the Barringtons are devastated to hear that Harry Clifton has drowned. Harry's mother receives a letter from someone connected with the rescue but because she is illiterate she refuses to open it. His girl friend Emma cannot believe the news and travels to New York to find out what really happened.

Meanwhile back in England Emma's unscrupulous father Hugo lives a life of deceit, insolvency and lies. When his father dies, leaving him to head the family shipping line, Hugo's mismanagement rapidly brings the family fortunes to the edge of insolvency. Meanwhile his son Giles leaves Oxford to join the Army and becomes a hero of the seige of Tobruk.

To tell more would spoil the reader's enjoyment of the tale. While I really enjoyed the first book, Only Time Will Tell, I thought this book was better and I couldn't put it down. Once again Archer leaves you with an unfinished dramatic development making one anxious to read the next book straight away. Other reviewers see this as a fault - I find it a challenging way of moving to the next book in the saga. My greatest concern is that it may be over a year before the next book is published, and then Archer will leave me wanting to read the next one....!

This is not really a stand alone book as many of the developments depend on a knowledge of the previous book. I highly recommend that if possible your should read Only Time Will Tell before reading this book.

3 people found this helpful

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Haydeen

Secrets of our Fathers

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2023

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Excellent reading Mr. Jeffrey Archer does it again.

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Jan Trieschman

The Sins of the Father

Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2023

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I had to read this book as the first in the series left you hanging, as does this book. The story is quite involved, but characters are very easy to like or dislike.
As I go into number 3 of this series, I can't wait to see what will happen to the main characters.

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JH

The Sins of the Father (The Clifton Chronicles, 2)

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2023

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what more can i say that hasn't been said already. one of the best author of our times

Amazon Customer

Unputdownable part 2!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2013

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If you've read my review of part one of this trilogy, you will understand how very upset I was, to be told by the librarian that there was a long list of people waiting to read this, the second part......I waited two months to get my hands on it, and you have to wonder if the second book will be anywhere as good, as absorbing etc etc. I did wonder. When at last I got the book home with me, I longed for bedtime so I could settle down for a nice long read. When bedtime came at last, I settled down with slightly sweaty palms and nervous excitement with the longed for Clifton Chronicles part two. I had no idea how long I would be there......
I opened the book at approximately 10:30 and the next time I glanced at the clock it was midnight. With the thought that I would read just one more chapter I carried on reading. I looked at the clock again as I turned the final page of the book, and with a sigh placed it on the bedside table.It was 3:00! It was literally (for me anyway) completely as unputdownable as the first book.
This novel takes up where the first volume left us (the 'bombshell' in the final paragraph?) I waited two months to read that bit!
Harry has risen from the backstreets of Bristol into high society. There has been tragedy, intrigue, shock, everything you got from the first book you get with this one, and then some. It begins in 1939 in America and from there the reader is taken on a characteristic Jeffey Archer ride. A real page-turner. It is a complete book in it's own right, but it makes so much more sense to read number one first. You get a rounder understanding of the characters and of their circumstances etc.Oh, and yes, there is the suspense of being left hanging without an answer on the final page..again!
Apparently he has sold over 250 million books. I can see why, and will definitely read more of his novels in the future.A wonderfully gifted, brilliant story teller. As an avid lover of books and reading, I have read some really good, and some really bad ones. The Clifton Chronicles cannot be praised enough for me. I suppose you could loosely call them a 'family saga', but they are so much more than that.The third and final masterpiece is on on Amazon pre-order. So excuse me while I settle down to read parts one and two again whilst awaiting the delivery of the long-awaited part three(no more library waiting list for me) Yes,I liked them so much I bought all three! Go on spoil yourself...or maybe your mum?

2 people found this helpful

Jean

A super read

Reviewed in Australia on September 15, 2023

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A wonderful author BUT all J Archer’s books flow so well - such a quick read as they’re almost impossible to put down

Stephen Clynes

A comfortable read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2017

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Follow Harry Clifton and his friends and family from 1939 to 1945. Although this is the second book in The Clifton Chronicles series, it can be read as a standalone.

I liked how Jeffrey used the same format for this book as he did in the first. Each character had chapters written from their point of view, so you as the reader get the whole story, as opposed to the characters who only get a snip.

I liked how Jeffrey gently gave you the backstory, so that if you had not read the first book, you were not left in the dark. Also if it had been awhile since you had read the first book, then your memory will be refreshed, which gives added value to the story.

I liked The Sins of the Father more than the first book. I thought the plot was far better and I liked that Harry and his contemporaries were now adults rather than teenagers.

I liked how the book progressed and I was unsure how the story would unfold. I found this novel to be a pleasant read. Character development was very good, regardless whether the person was a good or bad guy.

I found The Sins of the Father to be a comfortable read. Although it was set in times well before I was born, it had dilemmas etc that are still relevant today. This book kept me entertained and I am pleased that I purchased a copy. I thought the writing was of good quality and it captured mood, very well indeed. This novel was not outstanding but nevertheless it was a GOOD read and accordingly gets 4 stars from me.

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The Sins of the Father (Clifton Chronicles Book 2) Kindle Edition