Best Kept Secret

The Clifton Chronicles, Book 3

By: Jeffrey Archer

Narrated by: Alex Jennings

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, the Clifton Chronicles continues with Best Kept Secret.

1945, London. The vote in the House of Lords as to who should inherit the Barrington family fortune has ended in a tie. The Lord Chancellor's deciding vote will cast a long shadow on the lives of Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington. Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while his beloved Emma goes in search of the little girl who was found abandoned in her father's office on the night he was killed. When the general election is called, Giles Barrington has to defend his seat in the House of Commons and is horrified to discover who the Conservatives select to stand against him. But it is Sebastian Clifton, Harry and Emma's son, who ultimately influences his uncle's fate.

In 1957, Sebastian wins a scholarship to Cambridge, and a new generation of the Clifton family marches onto the page. But after Sebastian is expelled from school, he unwittingly becomes caught up in an international art fraud involving a Rodin statue that is worth far more than the sum it raises at auction. Does he become a millionaire? Does he go to Cambridge? Is his life in danger? Best Kept Secret, the third volume in Jeffrey Archer's bestselling series, will answer all these questions but, once again, pose so many more.

©2013 Jeffrey Archer (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox's dual narration captures a range of intriguing characters and a variety of English accents…the narrators' polished performance of the family's escapades keeps the listener engaged.” —AudioFile Magazine

“Archer's storytelling combines history, romance and intrigue, and the audiobook is outstandingly read by Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox.” —Inside Jersey

“[Archer's] well-drawn characters are outstandingly portrayed by readers Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox.” —The Star-Ledger

Oh no!! ... a nail biting ending

This was my reaction at the end of this 3rd installment! The story is well written, and the narrator did an admirable job. I still prefer the male narrator from the first book, but I am now accustomed to Mr. Jennings.

This book focuses more on Sebastian Clifton as he finishes high school and prepares for college at Cambridge University. There is intrigue with the Barringtons, and two villains, one from the past, and a very influential Spanish money mogul. The intrigue takes Harry and Sebastian to Argentina and back to London.
But what....oh no...! The ending will leave you gasping in horror and wonder. I can’t say more. Thankfully the 4th book is available to find out what happens...

Unexpectedly captivated - and captured

I was surprised to have become captivated by the first and by the subsequent Harry Clifton interconnected volumes. The books were on my "e bookshelf" for seven years as I had never read any of Jeffrey Archer's works. As I told my sister, a voracious reader, when recommending them to her, I don't think I could say anything in the way of describing them that I'm sure would be so compelling to me that I would immediately want to start the Clifton story - an extended story. All I could say is that I "could not put them down.". (My versions are audio, which embarrasses me to say as I'm old enough to have some "purist" tendencies and continue to think I should be reading hardback versions.)

Poor U.S. Research

This book is more entertaining than #2 in the series. Some day British authors will realize how different California is from New York or Washington D.C. However, anyone in the U.S. Knows that Stanford University is not in Los Angeles, and the idea of an extended learning degree in the 1950's is laughable. The list of huge mistakes goes on and on. It is a fun series if you can grit your teeth for the "American" accents. The narrator is great otherwise.

Another success

From time to time I read a work that does not live up to expectations. This has never occurred with Archer. Another success.

I enjoyed this book !

After reading the reviews I was in 2 minds wether to purchase this book or not as I had so enjoyed the first 2 books
And it seemed many were not happy with book 3.

I am so glad I did I found it a great read not quite like the first 2 but it has its own tempo and the narrator is amazing I feel he adds so much to this series , granted the plot is sort of rehashed in some ways , but still i am enjoying it and will keep going with book 4 and 5.

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?

Jeffrey Archer's Shameless!

The Clinton Chronicles are addictive and as formula driven as a PBS/BBC costume-drama epic. They sprawl over decades of the Clinton family’s astonishing ability to survive the wiles of bad… bad… bad… villains who are unspeakably evil.. evil… EVIL…

Each volume carefully (some might quibble and say.. “tediously”) creates a new peril sure to destroy this loving, plucky, and noble tribe only to end in… in… a cliff hanger that demands the next book in the series to reveal. &^&%#!!

Yep, Jeffery Archer’s shameless. His characters have the depth and complexity of a Marvel Comic Book, and his plots seem driven by Snidely Whiplash menacing poor Nell who he’s lashed to the tracks.

And yet, I’ve listened to five of them now… Only Time Will Tell, The Sins of the Fathers, Best Kept Secret, Be Careful What You Wish For, and Mightier than the Sword. Each of these were already available on Audible so they could be purchased and enjoyed as one long tale. I recall giggling smugly when I understood his cliff hanger stunts, realizing that I’d not have to wait a year until the next one arrived: Unlike the poor addicted fools who discovered them one at a time as they were originally published.

And then I cursed at the end of Mightier than the Sword to realize that now I was in the cue of addled Archer addicts waiting to see how the family’d escape this latest threat. I HATE IT!

My advice, don’t start this series until you are sure Archer’s written the end to it. BEWARE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE! Archer will shamelessly diddle with you.

BTW, Alex Jennings creates the ensemble with a wily power that compliments Archer's

Best Kept Secret...?

I was under the impression that this book was the last in a trilogy. Maybe the "Best Kept Secret" was that this book was not the end of the series. After audibly 'reading' it, I am now under the impression that it was nothing more than a segue into book four, which for some reason seemed much more important to Mr. Archer than book three. There was really no story at all to speak of in this. Although I consider Mr. Archer to be an exceptional writer, I felt this book to be below his usual quality and less than fulfilling. I just hope we don't have to wait too long for him to redeem himself in the next installment!

I enjoyed this book...unlike others

I knew all along this was a 5 book series, so I wasn't bent out of shape by the cliffhanger ending as some people were. There were far more frustrating and bad people in this one - bad for bad's sake, but I'm sure they'll get what's coming to them in the final book. That's what happens in Jeffrey Archer books, and that's why I like them. This book seemed like a "set up" book in the series - not a ton of action, but laying the groundwork for the final conclusion. To look at a totally different book in a totally different series, it made me think of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." I was super annoyed with that one when i read it, but it helped to move the greater story along.

I already have ideas about what will happen in the next two. My biggest worry is that Archer might pass before the series has finished being written. He's not that young, and I'd hate to be so invested and have no opportunity of finishing it.

Road trip

Road trip stories beats road trip boredome. Keeps you going while driving without annoying commercials.