Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles) (The Clifton Chronicles, 1)

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I was pleased to have fallen at the first hurdle. But as I was to discover, Miss Eleanor E. Monday didn't give up easily. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, Archer really connects his characters. Second, he fleshes out the aforementioned characters. Third, he tells a gripping tale that has twists and turns that I certainly did not see coming. Last, he leaves you wanting more. The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the chilling words, ‘I was told my father was killed in the war.’ An exercise in wish fulfillment. The good may suffer, but the bad will get theirs in the end. The fun is watching it unfold.” — St. Petersburg Times (Florida) on A PRISONER OF BIRTH

The countdown is the thing; the pace, the pursuit, the what-next, the how-is-it-going-to-come-out…” — Boston Globe on SHALL WE TELL THE PRESIDENT? Jeffrey Archer was born in London and brought up in Somerset. He was educated at Wellington School, and Brasenose College, Oxford, where he was President of the University Athletics Club, and went on to run the 100 yards in 9.6 seconds for Great Britain in 1966. I’m a big fan of sweeping, multi-generational, decade-spanning novels. I love learning about the life and loves of a particular character and those people that mean the most to him. Jeffery Archer is one of the authors that made me love this genre. And he has certainly done it again with Only Time Will Tell. The rest of the Barrington family play a large role in the book, too. Elizabeth Barrington, Giles’ mother, is always sweet and encouraging. Giles’ grandfather, Walter, is also hugely supportive. Hugo, Giles’ father, is the antithesis of that, and leaves much to be desired. It is Giles’ middle sister, though, who has Harry’s heart. Emma Barrington is Harry’s one true love. But will their love last? Will there be more obstacles to overcome? “If you make a deal with a fool, don’t be surprised when they act foolishly.” Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II.

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I promised my mum I'd be on time for the first choir practice, even though I knew it would be my last, as Miss Monday would soon realize I couldn't read or write. And it would have been my last, if it hadn't been obvious to anyone listening that my singing voice was in a different class to that of any other boy in the choir. In fact, the moment I opened my mouth, everyone fell silent, and the looks of admiration, even awe, that I had desperately sought on the football field, were happening in church. Miss Monday pretended not to notice. Murder and a high-stakes art-world theft are cleverly blended [in this] exciting...global thrill-ride.” — Vancouver Sun on FALSE IMPRESSIONMaisie's sacrifices and the secret of Harry's parentage are the main focus of Only Time Will Tell. Harry has grown up thinking Arthur Clifton is his father and that he died in the war. Maisie knows the truth about Harry's parentage, and a few people know the truth about Arthur Clifton's death, but no one tells Harry anything. The economy and precision of Archer's prose never fails to delight. The criminal doesn't always get away with his crime and justice doesn't always prevail, but the reader wins with each and every story.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on CAT O'NINE TALES Archer’s latest saga introduces a bright young man facing an uphill battle. Harry Clifton is born in Bristol, England, in 1920 to Maisie and Arthur Clifton, a young working-class couple, but Arthur disappears mysteriously, and the boy grows up without a father. Maisie is illiterate, but she takes work as a waitress to support them, and she never gives up on making a better life for her talented son. The first book in a new series, a family saga called The Clifton Chronicles, slated to cover 100 years. Daily Telegraph I enjoyed the book and marvelled at both its pace and the imaginative cliffhanger ending, whetting our appetite for volume two

From the internationally bestselling author Jeffrey Archer comes Only Time Will Tell, the first in the ambitious Clifton Chronicles series that tells the story of one family across generations, across oceans, from heartbreak to triumph. Only Time Will Tell has many narrators: Harry’s mother, a young woman he loves, his best friend, his mentor, and a man who could be his father. Each tells the story from a different perspective. So we may know more about Harry’s past than he does – but not what Harry’s going to do when he finds out. Be prepared for surprising developments that upend all your expectations and keep you guessing. All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small. All things wise and wonderful…" A smile had appeared on Miss Monday's face long before I reached " the Lord God made them all." Maisie Clifton - Harry's mother who after sudden death of her husband Arthur, tries to make ends meet to support her family and Harry's education.

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The choir mistress turned a blind eye to the fact that I placed theft ahead of murder, couldn't spell "adultery," and certainly didn't know what it meant. Only after two other miscreants were summarily dismissed for lesser offenses did I realize just how exceptional my voice must be.