This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer

This Was a Man by Jeffrey Archer
(The Clifton Chronicles #7)
432 pages / 12 hrs, 47 mins

"In Whitehall, Giles Barrington discovers the truth about his wife Karin from the Cabinet Secretary. Is she a spy or a pawn in a larger game? Harry Clifton sets out to write his magnum opus, while his wife Emma completes her ten years as Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and receives an unexpected call from Margaret Thatcher offering her a job. Sebastian Clifton becomes chairman of Farthings Kaufman bank, but only after Hakim Bishara has to resign for personal reasons. Sebastian and Samantha's talented daughter Jessica is expelled from the Slade School of Fine Art, but her aunt Grace comes to her rescue. Meanwhile, Lady Virginia is about to flee the country to avoid her creditors when the Duchess of Hertford dies, and she sees another opportunity to clear her debts and finally trump the Cliftons and Barringtons."  --from the publisher

Wow! This was excellently done. The cast of characters and time span for this series are both immense, and Archer does a masterful job keeping the details straight so the reader is engaged in the story. The plot dragged in some places, but not for long. I may have to revisit this series in the future.  Loved it!

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
12 hours, 41 minutes

"The epic tale of Harry Clifton's life begins in 1920, with the words 'I was told that my father was killed in the war.' A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard.."  --book jacket summary

This is the first in The Clifton Chronicles, and includes a wonderful cast of characters.  It is a family saga, with all the secrets, black sheep, sage advisors, sacrificial love, and romance you would expect.  As different characters take turns relating the story, Archer uses their perspectives to increase the reader's curiosity and build suspense.  I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure and am looking forward to continuing the series.  The reader was excellent, too.