-
Best Kept Secret
- The Clifton Chronicles, Book 3
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $27.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Be Careful What You Wish For
- The Clifton Chronicles, Book 4
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Be Careful What You Wish For opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma rushing to the hospital to learn the fate of their son, Sebastian, who has been involved in a fatal car accident. But who died, Sebastian or his best friend Bruno? When Ross Buchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the egregious Major Alex Fisher, in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.
-
-
The demise of a great, fun author
- By cristina on 03-31-14
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
A Matter of Honor
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A disgraced British colonel bequeaths a mysterious letter to his only son. The moment Adam Scott opens the yellowing envelope, he sets into motion a deadly chain of events. Within days he's running for his life, pursued by the KGB, the CIA, and his own countrymen. Powerful men plot his destruction, and Adam is betrayed and abandoned even by those he holds most dear. When he finally realizes what he possesses, he's even more determined to protect it, for it's more than a matter of life and death - it's a matter of honor.
-
-
Claims re missing or duplicate chapters are wrong
- By Lee on 02-12-18
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Nothing Ventured
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: George Blagden
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a lawyer like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister, Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force. After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad.
-
-
A very pleasant surprise!!
- By Wayne on 09-05-19
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Kane and Abel
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 19 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, one the son of a Boston millionaire, the other a penniless polish immigrant-born on the same day near the turn of the century on opposite sides of the world-are brought together by fate and the quest of a dream. Two men - ambitious, powerful, ruthless - are locked in a relentless struggle to build an empire, fueled by their all-consuming hatred.
-
-
Another great one ....
- By Dee on 10-20-11
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Heads You Win
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From an early age, it is clear that Alexander Karpenko is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, Alexander and his mother will have to escape Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they have an irreversible choice: board a container ship bound for America or one bound for Great Britain. Alexander leaves the choice to a toss of a coin....
-
-
Confusing
- By Robyn on 11-16-18
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Over My Dead Body
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: George Blagden
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In London, the Metropolitan Police set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit - a cold-case squad - to catch the criminals nobody else can. In Geneva, millionaire art collector Miles Faulkner - convicted of forgery and theft - was pronounced dead two months ago. So why is his unscrupulous lawyer still representing a dead client? On a luxury liner en route to New York, the battle for power within of a wealthy dynasty is about to turn to murder.
-
-
Jeffrey Archer is my absolute favorite!
- By Missy B. on 11-07-21
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Be Careful What You Wish For
- The Clifton Chronicles, Book 4
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Be Careful What You Wish For opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma rushing to the hospital to learn the fate of their son, Sebastian, who has been involved in a fatal car accident. But who died, Sebastian or his best friend Bruno? When Ross Buchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the egregious Major Alex Fisher, in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.
-
-
The demise of a great, fun author
- By cristina on 03-31-14
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
A Matter of Honor
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A disgraced British colonel bequeaths a mysterious letter to his only son. The moment Adam Scott opens the yellowing envelope, he sets into motion a deadly chain of events. Within days he's running for his life, pursued by the KGB, the CIA, and his own countrymen. Powerful men plot his destruction, and Adam is betrayed and abandoned even by those he holds most dear. When he finally realizes what he possesses, he's even more determined to protect it, for it's more than a matter of life and death - it's a matter of honor.
-
-
Claims re missing or duplicate chapters are wrong
- By Lee on 02-12-18
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Nothing Ventured
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: George Blagden
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a lawyer like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister, Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force. After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad.
-
-
A very pleasant surprise!!
- By Wayne on 09-05-19
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Kane and Abel
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 19 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, one the son of a Boston millionaire, the other a penniless polish immigrant-born on the same day near the turn of the century on opposite sides of the world-are brought together by fate and the quest of a dream. Two men - ambitious, powerful, ruthless - are locked in a relentless struggle to build an empire, fueled by their all-consuming hatred.
-
-
Another great one ....
- By Dee on 10-20-11
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Heads You Win
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From an early age, it is clear that Alexander Karpenko is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, Alexander and his mother will have to escape Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they have an irreversible choice: board a container ship bound for America or one bound for Great Britain. Alexander leaves the choice to a toss of a coin....
-
-
Confusing
- By Robyn on 11-16-18
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Over My Dead Body
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: George Blagden
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In London, the Metropolitan Police set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit - a cold-case squad - to catch the criminals nobody else can. In Geneva, millionaire art collector Miles Faulkner - convicted of forgery and theft - was pronounced dead two months ago. So why is his unscrupulous lawyer still representing a dead client? On a luxury liner en route to New York, the battle for power within of a wealthy dynasty is about to turn to murder.
-
-
Jeffrey Archer is my absolute favorite!
- By Missy B. on 11-07-21
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
A Prisoner of Birth
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Roger Allam
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One evening, Danny, an East End cockney who works as a garage mechanic, takes his girlfriend up to the West End to celebrate their engagement. He crosses the path of Spencer Craig, a West End barrister tipped to be the youngest Queen's Counsel of his generation. A few hours later, Danny is arrested for murder and later is sentenced to 22 years in prison.
-
-
Terrible
- By Randall on 01-10-10
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
As the Crow Flies
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 20 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Charlie Trumper inherits the barrow his grandfather used to peddle fruit and vegetables in turn-of-the-century Whitechapel, England, he inherits his enterprising spirit as well. Charlie's deeply held ambition to raise himself out of the poverty of London's East End is destined to be realized, but there are many obstacles to overcome, including a tour of duty at the front in World War I, where he encounters the man who will become his lifelong enemy.
-
-
Becoming a Fan of Jeffrey Archer
- By DWR on 05-04-16
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Sons of Fortune
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Michael Brandon
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Separated at birth by a desperate nurse who loses a millionaire's son to cot death, twin boys grow up without any knowledge of the other. Nat Cartwright lives with his middle-class birth parents and grows up to becomes a war hero in the Vietnam War before returning home to run for office in the Republican party. Fletcher Davenport becomes the only son of the millionaire couple. After graduating from Yale, he builds a reputation as a prolific criminal defence lawyer before he too delves into politics as a Democrat.
-
-
Great book but audio needs improvement
- By Alice MacQueen on 08-14-22
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What can an Oxford don, a respected society physician, a chic French art dealer, and a charming English lord have in common? Very little, except they've all been swindled out of every cent they had by Harvey Metcalfe, the man who wrote the book on international stock fraud. They haven't a prayer of ever seeing their money again. Or have they?
-
-
So so.
- By Evert on 03-12-15
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
False Impression
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Byron Jennings
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When an aristocratic old lady is brutally murdered in her English country home on the night before September 11, 2001, it will take all the resources of the FBI and Interpol to work out the connection between her death and a priceless Van Gogh, which is stolen that night.
-
-
Very disappointing
- By A on 04-05-06
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
The Fourth Estate
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Jonathan Aris
- Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lubji Hoch escapes from the Nazis, moves to Berlin and changes his name to Richard Armitage. After a successful career in the British Army, he takes over a struggling newspaper and with unrivalled ruthlessness begins building his media empire. Meanwhile, Keith Townsend, the son of a millionaire and Oxford educated, returns to Australia from London to take over his father's newspaper with similar ambitions. As both men move their quest for power to the world stage, they realise they are more than a match for one another's brilliance and ambition.
-
-
So disappointed!
- By Beth Knapp on 04-14-21
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
The Eleventh Commandment
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Michael Brandon
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Connor Fitzgerald is the CIA’s most deadly assassin. On the brink of his retirement, he is sent to Russia for one last hit. Except this isn’t just another job. After a fall out between the CIA and the White House over the assassination of a prominent Colombian politician, his boss is now using the Russian Mafia to cover her tracks. Fitzgerald is not going to St Petersburg to kill, he’s going to die. A page-turning, political thriller about espionage and betrayal by the acclaimed British writer, Jeffrey Archer.
-
-
meh.
- By Nikhil on 04-18-22
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Twelve Red Herrings
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Alec McCowen
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A wrongly convicted murderer exacts a flawless plan of revenge. Headlights in a rear-view mirror tail a female traveler on a lonely stretch of road. A serial bride secures her future by marrying only the wealthiest of men. An escaped Iraqi with a price on his head pays an involuntary visit to his homeland. A brush with death proves the biggest break of an aspiring artist's career. Two strangers, struck by lust-at-first-sight, consider a myriad of possibilities for where the day will take them.
-
-
My cup of tea
- By Charles L. Trimble on 10-30-17
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Paths of Glory
- A Novel
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Roger Allam
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some people have dreams that are so magnificent that if they were to achieve them, their place in history would be guaranteed. People like Christopher Columbus, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Edison, Nancy Astor, Charles Lindbergh, Amy Johnson, Edmund Hilary and Neil Armstrong - their unparalleled success has made their stories into legend.But what if one man had such a dream, and once he'd achieved it, there was no proof that he had fulfilled his ambition?
-
-
Archer Does it Again!
- By Joel on 03-18-09
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
Tell Tale
- Stories
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Robert Bathurst
- Length: 5 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nearly a decade after his last volume of short stories was published, Jeffrey Archer returns with his eagerly awaited, brand-new audiobook collection. Tell Tale gives listeners a fascinating, exciting, and sometimes poignant insight into the people he has met, the stories he has come across, and the countries he has visited during the past 10 years.
-
-
Well done!
- By Renee on 11-07-17
By: Jeffrey Archer
-
The Short, the Long and the Tall
- Short Stories
- By: Jeffrey Archer, Paul Cox - illustrator
- Narrated by: Anton Lesser, Ben Onwukwe, Gerard Doyle, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times number-one best-selling author Jeffrey Archer is a master of the short-story form, creating classic tales beloved by his fans. Now the award-winning writer presents 20 of his most popular and fêted short stories in The Short, the Long and the Tall.
-
-
An Excellent and Emotional Collection.
- By Barbara Lunz on 11-21-20
By: Jeffrey Archer, and others
-
A Prison Diary
- By: Jeffrey Archer
- Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On July 19, 2001, Jeffrey Archer is sentenced to four years in prison for perjury. He serves the first three weeks of his sentence in a high-prison that houses some of Britain's most violent criminals. Archer contemplates suicide; he is allowed out and followed by 100 reporters on the day of his mother's funeral; he's moved to the Lifer's wing because of the security; and he becomes a trusted confidant for fellow convicts. A Prison Diary is Archer's account of these events.
-
-
A Worthwhile Listen
- By Jeffrey on 10-19-03
By: Jeffrey Archer
Publisher's Summary
New York Times best seller Jeffrey Archer continues his beloved Clifton Chronicle series as Harry and Emma finally begin building a happy life - but a dangerous family enemy is about to resurface....
Best Kept Secret opens a moment after the end of The Sins of the Father, with the resolution of the trial and the triumphant marriage of Harry Clifton and Elizabeth Barrington, finally uniting their family. Harry, now a best-selling novelist; Emma; their son, Sebastian; and orphaned Jessica make a new life for themselves, but all is not as happy and secure as it could be. Emma's brother, Giles, is engaged to a woman who may be more interested in Barrington's fortune and title than in a long and happy marriage. And Sebastian, though he is bright, isn't quite the hard worker that his father was at school, and finds a hard time resisting the temptations that his somewhat unsavory friends provide.
It all comes to a head when a new villain is uncovered, a face from the past with grudges against both Harry and Giles - Fisher, who tortured Harry at school and later took credit for Giles' heroics during the war. Fisher teams up with Giles' now ex-wife to wreak havoc on Giles' latest election as well as meddle with affairs inside Barringtons, while Harry and Emma must deal with a new scheme that Sebastian has unwittingly fallen into with a supposed friend. The drama continues for Harry Clifton and his family, bringing this mesmerizing saga into the 1960s.
More from the same
What listeners say about Best Kept Secret
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DIANE
- 05-19-13
Like a run-on sentence
What disappointed you about Best Kept Secret?
So many things disappointed me about this book. The ending was abrupt and left one thinking that the only thing Jeffrey Archer was thinking about when creating it, was selling his next book in the series. The characters were hard to believe and inconsistent, with very poor character development evident in everyone except perhaps Emma and Harry Clifton. The story wound its way without any rhyme or reason through various twists and turns that did not seem congruent with each other. I did not feel the book had any cohesiveness. This was a dramatic change from how I felt about all the other Jeffrey Archer books I've read to date.
Has Best Kept Secret turned you off from other books in this genre?
No, definitely not, since I've read enough of Mr. Archer's books to believe that the next one will be better and this one was just a "glitch" in the middle of his wonderful series.
What about Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox ’s performance did you like?
The voices were well done for the most part.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
It kept me reading, despite the very abrupt and inappropriate ending.
Any additional comments?
Will I buy the next book in the series? Of course. Jeffrey Archer has proved himself in his other masterpieces of mystery and I will of course, succumb. But a slap on the hand for Mr. Archer after reading The Best Kept Secret... The name is apt, since I was unable to figure out what the secret was.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- laall
- 05-08-13
Running out of material?
I love Archer's books. Thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the Clifton Chronicles series....couldn't stop listening. But this one just didn't draw me in as much. Seemed "forced", like he was trying to make things happen when he really didn't have a good story. The cliff hanger didn't annoy me as much as some of the reviewers, because I expected it after the second book. I feel like it's easy to guess how it will turn out in the next book though. I'm not sure if I will buy the next two though as this one disappointed. Maybe he rushed it too much to get the next one in the series out?
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- cristina
- 05-08-13
Plot without characters
I enjoyed the previous two books and was disappointed with this third installment. Unlike some of the other reviewers, however, my disappointment was not with the abrupt ending. It was with the novel itself. The story 'reads' like a plot outline -- with absolutely no character development whatsoever even by Jeffrey Archer's standards. So Character A, for example, will go from being a difficult child to a model adolescent with absolutely no explanation as to what brought the change about. Character B, besotted with his wife and willing to forsake all else at her request, is able to move on from his infatuation at the drop of a dime. Of course, the infatuation seems absurd from the start since Character C, the wife, is a cartoonish Cruella Deville without a single redeeming quality -- and the fact that Character B fell madly in love with her seems, well, out of character. In this novel, the characters are all lowercase and act however they have to at that moment in order to move The Plot along. And, believe me, The Plot moves...at dizzying speed and in all kinds of preposterous directions. It's almost like if Archer is thinking of what will happen next as he types! In fact, I am not even sure what "the Best Kept Secret" was meant to be since the story line regarding what I THOUGHT was "the secret" does not get resolved. In fact, it is not even mentioned in the last 50 or more pages of The Plot. (Could it be that the audible production did leave a section out?) If you are a Jeffrey Archer fan, by all means, download it. It's not deep, but it is kind-of entertaining. I am sure I will buy the next one.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bradley
- 10-11-13
Beyond disappointing...
What disappointed you about Best Kept Secret?
I've been a big fan of Archer and the Clifton Chronicles, but this book may have turned me off for good. Archer phoned this one in. The book simply seems rushed and thrown together. Some parts of the story were interesting, but it was predicable at every turn.
What could Jeffrey Archer have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
He could have actually put forth an effort to write a quality book.
What three words best describe Alex Jennings’s performance?
Jennings was fine.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Both disappointment and anger. Disappointment that a series I previously enjoyed was ruined and anger at how little effort was put forth (not to mention the fact that Archer and his publisher are attempting to force fans to pay five times for a single story).
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Laurie
- 05-09-13
Best Kept Secret still a secret
What would have made Best Kept Secret better?
I think Jeffrey should hire Christina from Somerville, MA as a proofreader an critic. I concur with her full assessment. Great job articulating the multitude of issues with this book. Jeffrey should be ashamed of himself to actually publish such a terrible piece of work. His has done, and is capable of, so much better than this. I would consider this a "trash novel". In addition, be aware that this is not the end of a trilogy.
Would you ever listen to anything by Jeffrey Archer again?
yes, but only after reading reviews very carefully.
Would you be willing to try another one of Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox ’s performances?
Yes,
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
It passed the time while I was doing housework!
Any additional comments?
Loyalty only goes so far. My respect for Mr. Archer is dwindling. I'd rather wait for a book of quality than have my time wasted. I used to have Mr. Archer on par with Ken Follett but I don't think he can redeem himself from this book.
11 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S Lori Stone
- 05-07-13
good, but recycled
What did you love best about Best Kept Secret?
It kept me interested. However, I was disappointed to discover some subplots are recycled from previous works. A little "Kane and Abel", a little "Prisoner of Birth", and one chapter was nearly verbatim from "Sons of Fortune". Can you plagiarize yourself?
Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?
I felt very invested in what happened to everyone in the story, kept me coming back whenever I had a moment to listen
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- P. Minor
- 05-14-13
Very disappointing
I can't complain about the ending because I can't get that far. I'm half way through and just don't care enough about the characters to go on. Despite having gotten to know them all in the first two books, they now seem to have no personality and no "story". The plot is written like an outline with huge jumps between scenes and passes through time so quickly you wonder if you missed a part.
The first two books in the series were wonderful and I couldn't stop listening. This one I stopped after a couple of hours and came back to it weeks later. Now, I'm half way and know it's just not worth my time.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joel
- 05-13-13
Compelling Yet Needed More Plot
I absolutely loved the first two books in The Clifton Chronicles. It was a fresh feel for Jeffrey Archer and the characters within the series were easy to connect with.
Now in the third book in the series, it’s starting to feel a bit long in the tooth. Archer is one of the finest authors out there and he makes a plot that is thin to begin with still interesting to read. However when you compare Best Kept Secret to the first two books it’s a sad step in the wrong direction.
Outside of the very last few chapters of the book there wasn't a ton of compelling reasons to keep on with the series. It’s unfortunate but I think this book may prove that Archer stretched out this series a little longer then it needed to be.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robert
- 05-04-13
More,and more, and more of the same old, same old,
Would you try another book from Jeffrey Archer and/or Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox ?
I keep trying Mr Archer, everyone says he is a good author, so somewhere, someday, there must be a good book. But, not today and definitely not this book! The prior books were poor and predictable; this one is rubbish. The plot is, charitably, stupid, inconsistent and totally unbelievable. The reader is good, but it would take a miraculous performance to turn this drivel into anything approaching an average story.
What was most disappointing about Jeffrey Archer’s story?
Totally predictable and yet completely unbelievable.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Not a single redeeming feature. Probably the worst audio book I have ever heard.
Any additional comments?
I assume there are more episodes to this painful series - don't buy this, or them!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Paul
- 05-24-13
Was this ghost written? (Serious Disappointment)
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Jeffrey Archer could have written a novel to follow the previous two excellent works in the series.
It is hard for me to believe that Jeffrey Archer wrote this book. It has virtually none of the elements that made the original book so captivating. Throughout the first two books, the characters were fully developed, and I cared about them - and what happened to them. In this 3rd installment, the characters are flat and undeveloped.
The plot in the first two installments was complex, and I loved the method employed of telling the story from alternating perspectives. There remains in this third installment, none of the allure of that original technique.
The Giles character - you have to be kidding me! He's really going to forsake all familial ties and a lifelong friendship for this cartoon of a character that has no redeeming qualities except for perhaps a pretty face? Where is the complexity and story telling art in that.?
Someone mentioned previously that Jeffrey should hire someone like Christina from Somerville, MA as a proofreader and critic. I also agree with all the critical points that Christina raised. She did a good job articulating the multitude of flaws with this book.
Unfortunately, I was left with the impression that if the writer of this 3rd installment was indeed Jeffrey Archer, then he has either lost interest and passion for the story, or else... I hate to think that there might be something wrong with him. Was this ghost written?
Would you ever listen to anything by Jeffrey Archer again?
I pre-ordered this book. I will never do that again. (fool me once...)
In future, I will wait to see what others have to say before another book is purchased from this author.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
The narrator (Alex Jennings) is good. But I am several hours into the book, and I have yet to hear a passage from Emilia Fox. I am not rating the narration higher because I really loved the juxtaposition of these two narrators in the previous books. If the intent is to have both narrators for this book, then something is missing. If the intent is just to have one narrator, then consider me spoiled by the previous audiobooks in this series.
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment.
Any additional comments?
Please restore this series to some measure of what the first two installments promised.
2 people found this helpful