The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2

By: Jeffrey Archer

Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Emilia Fox

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

The second book in Jeffrey Archer’s highly acclaimedThe Clifton Chronicles, The Sins of the Fathertakes the reader on a breath-taking journey from the backstreets of Bristol to the boardrooms of Manhattan.

The book opens in New York, 1939. Harry Clifton, under the new identity of Tom Bradshaw, finds himself arrested for first degree murder. When Sefton Jelks, a top Manhattan lawyer, offers his services for nothing, penniless Harry has little choice but to accept his advice.

After Harry is tried, found guilty and sentenced, Jelks mysteriously disappears, and the only way for him to prove his innocence is to reveal his true identity – something that he has sworn never to do in order to protect the woman he loves.

Meanwhile Emma Barrington, the young woman in question, travels to New York. She has left their son behind in England, having decided she’ll do whatever it takes to find the man she had hoped to marry – unwilling to believe that he died at sea. The only proof she has is a letter - a letter that has remained unopened and unread on a mantelpiece in Bristol for over a year, but the hand is unmistakeable.

In Jeffrey Archer’s epic novel, family loyalties are stretched to their very limits as secrets continue to unravel.

©2012 Jeffrey Archer (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

First Sentence: My name is Harry Clifton

This is the second installment in the Clifton Chronicles. As the first one, Only Time Will Tell, it is a true page-turner – if you can say that about an audiobook? It’s a fast-paced read, the plot is full of twists and turns, and ends with a massive cliff hanger, and the characters are neatly divided into good guys and bad guys. And that can be very nice. It was a bit unrealistic from time to time – I won’t say how as it will reveal too much. But if you’re just looking for some good entertainment without making an effort yourself, this is the book for you.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Another cliffhanger

This second book in the seven book series kept the reader entranced & entertained from the opening chapter & left that same reader agog by the last chapter & full of anticipation for Book 3.
Who could fail to be swept along by the histories of the Clifton & Barrington families, the diverse stories of the supporting characters , all set in the historic city of Bristol ?
Eager,y awaiting the next book in this family saga.

Excellent audiobook

There are many reasons why Mr. Archer is such a successful author. This series is but one.

Enjoyable but...

Story is good and enjoyed the characters. Can't help feeling duped by the clearly commercial way the many books are laid out. The value per book is undermined as a result. I have bought the next book though so I guess getting all the spend you can out of your reader works! Leaves a negative feeling though.

sins forever

Would you listen to The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2 again? Why?

yes it was a pretty good story read by emilia and alex it was a change to listen too

What other book might you compare The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2 to and why?

possibly amok differant narrator to differant characters

Which character – as performed by Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox – was your favorite?

emma by emilia and harry by alex

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

i did listen in one sitting on long trip

amazing book :)

i can say it in one word A m a z i n g !

Fantastic

Where does The Sins of the Father rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Undoubtedly amoung one of the best.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sins of the Father?

The finale had me sitting on the edge of my seat and we still don't know what happened.

What about Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox ’s performance did you like?

Clear articulate and lovely voices to listen to.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Don't miss it you'll love it!

Any additional comments?

A wonderful read and I can't wait for the next part of the Clifton Chronicles.

great listen,

If you could sum up The Sins of the Father in three words, what would they be?

suspense, electrifying,

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sins of the Father?

1 negative, the story is not finished, is there to be a following book???

What does Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

with my condition, Eye operation I had no alternative

Any additional comments?

Is there to be a following book???

A worthy sequeal

It took me a while to reacquaint myself with the characters from the first part of these Clifton Chronicles as it's a while since I listened to, Only Time will Tell. I should strongly recommend that you listen to the first part before this one as the story simple continues with no preamble and assumes you know who Maisy and her son, Harry Clifton, are as well as and Emma, Hugo and Giles Barrington, etc., all of whom who figure in this sequel, but their back-story is in book 1. This is not a stand-alone novel. It's a good listen with excellent narrations by Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox. Archer is a very good story teller of old-fashioned, and none the worse for that, tales of honourable characters pitted against dastardly ones with lots of heroics and cliff-hanger moments on the way. Historical events of the Second World War are woven into the story. I enjoyed this book and, as it ends on a cliff-hanger look forward to part three.

The story is worthy of five stars, but I've knocked one off because of the dreadfully loud music at the start of each of the two parts that are an ear-splitting volume and had me tearing my headphones off.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

Excellent

I too was disaappointed with the change in narrator but only because he was so good in the first book. However, you soon get used to the change and drawn into another absorbing tale. Archer is such a great story-teller, and I had several "this is great!" moments out loud, as I listened.
Possibly a little slow at times, but as you'd expect, the plot thickens further still and you really feel that you're getting to know the characters.
I loved this book and, as before, waiting impatiently for the next.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

Can't wait for the next one

Another great book from Jeffrey Archer - as good as the first - listened to the whole book in 2 days.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

It just keeps getting better

Typical Archer. Keeps you enthralled and entertained, page by page, right to the end. Just hope he can maintain this level of interest through the next 3 books. A big challenge.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Who's story is the most compelling

So good the only reason for me to want it to finish was to get to book 3! I loved the differing perspectives of the various characters. A really great follow on from the hooks in the first of the series. I am now listening to the next installment and to think it all started with a short trip to Weston Super Mare!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Not as good as Book 1, but diverting enough

Story moves along and is engrossing, but on far more occasions than the first book, descends into melodrama and is pitched at a very naive level. It all just sounds made up (yeah, I know, it's fiction, but it just gets a bit ridiculous). Performances are on the whole good and fun, but marks of for the most horrific American accents. You wouldn't really regret getting this for a long car ride or plane journey, but you'd also have the feeling you could have got something better.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Even More Predictable Than Book 1!

What would have made The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2 better?

A more original and believable storyline

What was most disappointing about Jeffrey Archer’s story?

The "soap opera" way it has been written. I knew every storyline and every recurring character who turned up from Bk 1 before it happened.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator did well - but I was disappointed Roger Allam did not continue the series. Neither can do a proper Bristolian accent though!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. The first book in this series kept me wanting to know more, even though that storyline was a somewhat predictable, too, which is why I wanted to continue with the series. But this book is just awful. It is so corny in places, and there are so many times when it is obvious that Archer could not even be bothered to do some proper research, that I just could not go beyond the first part.

Any additional comments?

Too predictable, inaccurate, unbelievable and ridiculous story lines. Not a book that I would recommend to anyone.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

The plot is well and truly lost

I loved the first book in these "chronicles", but this one lost me in the early stages. I never give up on a book, so I trudged on through to the end. However, it didn't really improve. I have since read the third book and that is a slight, though not huge improvement. I thought originally it was to be a triligy, but it now appears that there will be more as the end of the third book is also something of a predictable cliff-hanger. Not sure I will bother with any sequal to this.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

The Sins Of The Father

Not the same good listen as the one before ,I feel a little let down,but I am now waiting for the next one.The story became a little weak

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Disappointed.

What did you like best about The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2? What did you like least?

The revelations are vaguely satisfying in that they tie up some of the loose ends from the first book.

Would you ever listen to anything by Jeffrey Archer again?

Probably not. I found the first book a good 'yarn' and was caught up in the plot enough to get the second book, but this one has been so cringe-inducingly patronising and implausible that I have drawn a firm line under this series at this point.

Have you listened to any of Alex Jennings and Emilia Fox ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Yes. This is a great performance by both of them, just a pity about the book.

Could you see The Sins of the Father: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2 being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Sadly yes. And no doubt Jeffrey Archer could as well when he wrote it. Rather like Dan Brown who wrote with a movie camera in mind. I detest being manipulated in that way.

Any additional comments?

I am actually quite cross that I allowed myself to be duped into the second book by means of the first one being issued free of charge!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful