Only Time Will Tell

Jeffrey Archer

May 2011 · The Clifton Chronicles Book 1 · Pan Macmillan

About this ebook

Ambitious and addictive, Only Time Will Tell is the first novel in Jeffrey Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles, beginning the epic tale of Harry Clifton, a working-class boy from the docks of Bristol.

It is 1920, and against the backdrop of a world ravaged by conflict, Harry’s story begins with the words ‘I was told that my father was killed in the war’. Harry’s existence is defined by the death of his father and he seems destined to a life on the docks until a remarkable gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys school and entry into a world he could never have envisaged.

Over the course of twenty years, as the Second World War and the fight against Hitler draws nearer, Harry will learn the awful truth about his father’s death and of his own connections to a powerful shipping family, the Barringtons. And in doing so, he will change his destiny forever . . .

Richly imagined and populated with remarkable characters, The Clifton Chronicles will take you on a powerful journey, bringing to life one hundred years of family history in a story neither you, nor Harry, could ever have dreamt of.

Continue the bestselling series with The Sins of the Father and Best Kept Secret.

Ratings and reviews

I wouldn't normally read a novel set in this time period but it came free with my Android tablet so I thought I would give it a try. I couldn't put it down! It's a great plot with lots of twist and turns that keep you guessing. I was devastated by the way the novel ended though until I realised it is the first in series. I will definitely be buying the next one.

Well, much better reading Wilbur Smith if you like this kind of literature. The characters aren't well created, the author failed in giving them life, they look like puppets, , they don't change at all, their psychology is like still nature. The plot is predictable. In his effort to make the story realistic the author ends up with something unrealistic, clearly made up, there is a lack of attention to details.

It is at the best of times hard to say if this was written or simply vomited onto the page with no regard for the poor souls who read it, the plot if it classifies as such is lacking, characters are so under developed single cell organisms look down at them due to a lack of depth and the style (if that is not too strong a word) of prose feels like the first attempt at sentence formation by a toddler. The idea anyone could enjoy this is truly as far beyond comprehension as this novel.

About the author

Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include the Clifton Chronicles, Kane and Abel and Cat O’ Nine Tales, is one of the world’s favourite storytellers and has topped the bestseller lists around the world in a career spanning four decades. His work has been sold in ninety-seven countries and in more than thirty-seven languages. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction, short stories and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).

Jeffrey is also an art collector, sports lover, and amateur auctioneer, conducting numerous charity auctions every year. A member of the House of Lords for over a quarter of a century, the author is married to Dame Mary Archer, and they have two sons, two grandsons and a granddaughter.