Jeffrey Archer - The Sins Of The Father

I was angry with Jeffrey Archer to finish the first book of The Clifton Chronicles, Only Time Will Tell so abruptly. It was like stopped in mid-sentence, not knowing where it ends or where it leads. And this one, the second offering - it takes the ending to a new level, a totally brutal one. It is not mid-sentence, it is in mid-trial the book ends ! Literally. 

 

Well, come back to the book. Though it is a sequel, nowhere you can find 'story till now..' or references to the previous book. Worse, the characters appear just like they are been there in the last chapter before making you wonder what they were upto in the first book! But soon you will be with them, on  the same page, without needing to read the first book again. Hats off to Jeffrey Archer.

In this  book Archer reveals what the Time has to tell, one more installment of it of course. As the title suggests, sins of the father, which turned every character's life upside down in the first book take a new height. Whether he wanted it or not Hugo Barrington's every move had bigger implications,  mostly evil, in his and other's life. Where each of his episodes ends, that creates a new towering hiccup in others' life. Inter-linked and tangled. The way it unfolds and messing up takes the story deeper ( of course, it is an Archer plot !  ). Hugo's attitude of not sparing even a single character makes the plot wider and deeper.

Harry, Emma, Giles all grew mature by now, elegantly. The way they find themselves, fighting against the odds to triumph in the end, with the World War as background is fascinating. Making the odds against them into their advantage. I loved Emma, who believes her intuition and do anything for it.  The sideline characters also have depth and personality. Whether it is the petty thief Harry meets in the prison, or the elegant grant grandmother Emma meets in America, they won't fade quickly. The big plot Jeffrey Archer handles well and with dignity. The other characters, to the detail to that of the butler, are also handled and developed well. I loved reading it. Unlike Paulo Coelho, whose books will make me stop in between and think, this one keeps its reputation intact - racy thriller, which you won't put
down without reaching the last page. And of course curse the author to end it abruptly and taking his sweet time to publish the next one !

Nice read. Every day when I discuss the book with Prajkta about my progress and my opinion about where the story leading, she will smile. The next day I will confess everything I imagined went  wrong except one about the kids will meet ( which kids, you find out yourself :) )

 

Now what? The cursing cooled down. Appreciated the book. All we got to do is, waiting for the next book till it hits the final 5th book ! Happy reading....