Jeffery 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.

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22 people found this helpful

Can';t Wait for the Next One!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book..........in fact when this one came out I went back and reread the first one before starting the second..........and was glad I did. The first one was just as enjoyable the second time around.

Do not understand all of the negative reviews from people who object to being left hanging at the end. The author stated from the start that this work was a series that would be produced over a period of years so if you don't like that format then don't buy the first one!!!

The reader was excellent...........there were just a few voices that grated on me (Alistair!) but for the most part they were delightful.

Highly recommend these books to anyone who likes this genre.

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16 people found this helpful

DISAPPOINTING FOLLOW-UP TO BOOK 1

The first book in this series, "Only Time Will Tell", was well-written with great characters, interesting plot lines, and the perfect narration using both a female AND male narrator to seamlessly blend the two main characters accounts. (Well-matched narrators with quality recording production is the often overlooked cornerstone in well-produced audiobooks.)

So it was with great anticipation that I began the second installment of "The Clifton Chronicles". I'd already added all of the series to my Audible "Wish List" thinking that it would be another masterpiece in sweeping generational sagas, second only to John Galsworthy's series, "The Forsyte Saga". However, this book should have titled "NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE"! It is nothing more than 10 wasted hours, culminating in a lame kitschy cliff-hanger not worthy of a writer like Jeffrey Archer. This book is a long, disjointed, meandering tease written to get readers to buy Book 3. I wish I'd read the Audible synopsis of the third book which overtly and unabashedly reveals the secret and major conflict that took Archer 10 hours NOT to resolve in Book 2. I ended up skipping more than half of chapters, eventually going right to the last one, which turned out to be disappointing. If you've read Book 1 with its engaging cliff-hanger at the end, just skip this one and spend your credit or money on Book 3. As for me, stick a fork in me - I'm DONE with "The Clifton Chronicles"!

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11 people found this helpful

No More Cliff Hangers

What made the experience of listening to The Sins of the Father the most enjoyable?

After listening to "Time will tell" and "The Sins of our Fathers", I was a solid fan of Archer.
This was a "cannot put it down" book and; therfore, I am very sad to say that I will not be listening to future books by Archer as I just can't stand the fact that each book ends with a "cliff hanger" so that you will feel obliged to purchase the next book in order to see what happens.
Enjoyable books do not need such tricks to sway me to buy the next one. I follow the same authors over and over and can't wait for the next book to ocme out.

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10 people found this helpful

Great follow up to Book 1 and Cliffhanger to Book

First and foremost, I can't even recommend Book 2 without listening to or reading Book 1. I suppose it's possible to enjoy, but you'll get much more out of them by taking them in order.

Book 1 is very slow and long in character development. Book 2 picks up the action and character's on a riveting pace.

The series, which I understand is to be 6 Books, is a time capsule of the life and times of the characters on a fictitious base around historical times and events. The book really feels like a Ken Follett novel, which is a good thing to me.

Overall, I can't wait for Book 3, I expect it to be "Can't put down" as well.

Highly Recommended - Both books taken in order.

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10 people found this helpful

A well done sequel...

Yet not enough to make me want the next installment. This is not to say this isn't a great read, it most certainly is.

The treachery of the villain is so complete it became tedious to listen too. And the continual, seemingly unending mountains and valleys of good and bad fortune and romance reminds me so much of Follet's Pillars of the Earth it seemed like I'd read it before.

Nevertheless the writing and narration are first rate. The characters are vivid and unforgettable.

Should you try this one? Absolutely. It's still a solid 4 star.

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7 people found this helpful

The series is wearing thin

Jeffrey Archer's style is wearing very thin. In past books, his plots were much more believable and less reliant on melodrama. These characters are completely non-believable. For example, Emma has to be the most accomplished woman in history. Rising from nothing, gaining her way in all sorts of situations through her incredibly strong personality, picking up waitressing in two weeks, making her way to the United States by obtaining a three week only job on a ship and then finding her non-husband who is the father of her child, blah, blah blah. Even writing this plot makes me nauseous. The fact that this is going to be an ongoing five part series borders on theft. This series is one step above comic book level.

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6 people found this helpful

Good but not Archer's best

After reading three novels in a row by Charles Dickens I turned to Jeffrey Archer's second installment of the Clifton Chronicles. Therefore, my review may not do this book justice; after all, Dickens is in a galaxy of his own. "Sins..." is a good story that carries the reader along quickly through the trials and tribulations of Harry Clifton and Emma Barrington. However the story does not have the depth of the first book in this series which spreads across Europe and Russia.
Here is how book 2 differs from book 1, at least for me. When I finished "Only Time will Tell" I could not wait for the second in the series. I bought it as soon as it was available through Audible. Now when the third installment arrives, I will read the reviews, check it out so to speak and be more critical.
2 other points: (a) this book does not have an ending; it simply stops. In fact, if you read the "Sins of the Father" and not "Only Time will Tell", the story is much more difficult to follow, I assume. The author continually refers back to people and events in the first installment. (b) Whereas I believe the narrators do a good job telling the story, Emilia Fox does not do male characters very well. I like her female renditions and Jennings is fine for both sexes.
Now it is back to "The Old Curiosity Shop".

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6 people found this helpful

Excellent!

Just as good as the first in the series - Only Time will Tell. Do get them in order for sure. The narrator is excellent, the characters compelling, the story line mesmerizing. Can't say enough good about it. Can't wait for the third installment due out in 2013!

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5 people found this helpful

Confusing, disjointed, and disappointing

I loved the prequel to this book and anxiously awaited the follow up. I was very disappointed. Although Archer is an excellent author, I felt this was another one of those "contracted to write a second book so I have to" kind of things. I often found myself wondering if I had missed something. The gaps in the story and the poor character development made me feel like I was reading an abridged book. Too much time elapsed between "check ins' with characters and it felt disjointed. This book could have been so much better and a lot longer. I felt like Archer was rushing. Very disappointed.

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5 people found this helpful