Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
St. Martin's Paperbacks (2013), 512 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. HTML: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, the Clifton Chronicles continues with Best Kept Secret. 1945, London. The vote in the House of Lords as to who should inherit the Barrington family fortune has ended in a tie. The Lord Chancellor's deciding vote will cast a long shadow on the lives of Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington. Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while his beloved Emma goes in search of the little girl who was found abandoned in her father's office on the night he was killed. When the general election is called, Giles Barrington has to defend his seat in the House of Commons and is horrified to discover who the Conservatives select to stand against him. But it is Sebastian Clifton, Harry and Emma's son, who ultimately influences his uncle's fate. In 1957, Sebastian wins a scholarship to Cambridge, and a new generation of the Clifton family marches onto the page. But after Sebastian is expelled from school, he unwittingly becomes caught up in an international art fraud involving a Rodin statue that is worth far more than the sum it raises at auction. Does he become a millionaire? Does he go to Cambridge? Is his life in danger? Best Kept Secret, the third volume in Jeffrey Archer's bestselling series, will answer all these questions but, once again, pose so many more..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member simplicity99
Not worth the read. So incredibly disappointed. I'm a big Archer fan but this book seemed throw together to finish off a trilogy and the ending, while other's call it a cliffhanger, I see as a frivolous and quick finish that left me in disbelief that after all I'd read of these families this is how
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it ended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Pmaurer
Next segment of the Clifton family. This time it deals with the political career of the brother Giles, and the son, Sebastian. Well done, it kept me interested, but I didn't seem to learn as much as I had with the earlier books.
LibraryThing member Jiraiya
Some random thoughts about Best Kept Secret.
1) The beginning was as easy as it was interesting to follow.
2) The stakes were nowhere as high this time as in the last book.
3) We see quite less both of Giles and Harry, even if the chapters are titled in their name.
4) As soon as Major Alex appeared the
5) The underused mothers of Harry and Giles made me curious about the first Chronicles book.
6) ...until that is when the entire mess of Don Pedro's shenanigans began to bog the pacing down.
7) Harry's leniency with his son's misdemeanors was a surprise.
8) Seb's cretinous tendencies are roughly equal to his passable moments of being a bore.
9) Sir Alan was a late addition to the casting and his purpose was negligible.
Conclusion :- The inclusion of a Spanish villain was quite jarring and it's clear that Jeffrey Archer, a very European and Anglo Saxon author if there was one, wanted to curry favor with the latino crowd. It wouldn't matter much if the relevant sections of his villainy made sense or were exciting. The first two chapters were so perfect but it didn't last. It's been quite some time since I felt detached towards the fortunes and misfortunes of characters in a readable book. I usually care too much, especially in contemporary fiction. That detachment and involvement soon gave way to indifference. The book ended on a cliffhanger. I might however, not rise to the bait and avoid the unavoidable sequel.
1) The beginning was as easy as it was interesting to follow.
2) The stakes were nowhere as high this time as in the last book.
3) We see quite less both of Giles and Harry, even if the chapters are titled in their name.
4) As soon as Major Alex appeared the
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story began to get murky for me personally.5) The underused mothers of Harry and Giles made me curious about the first Chronicles book.
6) ...until that is when the entire mess of Don Pedro's shenanigans began to bog the pacing down.
7) Harry's leniency with his son's misdemeanors was a surprise.
8) Seb's cretinous tendencies are roughly equal to his passable moments of being a bore.
9) Sir Alan was a late addition to the casting and his purpose was negligible.
Conclusion :- The inclusion of a Spanish villain was quite jarring and it's clear that Jeffrey Archer, a very European and Anglo Saxon author if there was one, wanted to curry favor with the latino crowd. It wouldn't matter much if the relevant sections of his villainy made sense or were exciting. The first two chapters were so perfect but it didn't last. It's been quite some time since I felt detached towards the fortunes and misfortunes of characters in a readable book. I usually care too much, especially in contemporary fiction. That detachment and involvement soon gave way to indifference. The book ended on a cliffhanger. I might however, not rise to the bait and avoid the unavoidable sequel.
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LibraryThing member nyiper
I was, frankly, amazed (!!!), to come to the end of this third book in the series and find out that NO, I was not DONE. Actually, I like the characters and the pace of the story so I have no need to complain but I actually thought this was a trilogy---but no, there are two more books to come---the
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next one comes out in March or April of 2014. I'm finding that although I love books where the characters continue from book to book, I'm to the point where I want to pick up the next book immediately and not have to wait a few months for the next installment---which will mean I have to pick up older series so that I have all of them sitting there for me. Anyway, Archer, for me, is terrific---exactly the right amount of detail. Show Less
LibraryThing member autumnturner76
I was disappointed with Sons of Fortune, but this is more of what I expect from Archer. Great book!
LibraryThing member Elainedav
Book three in the Clifton Chronicles. Harry is now a successful author with a growing family. Giles is a politician for the Labour party. Emma studies for her own degree and manages to secure a seat on the board of Barringtons. Meanwhile Major Fisher is back on the scene interfering in as many ways
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as he possibly can! The family saga continues - with so many twists and turns that you literally don't know what to expect next. This particular book has a fantastic cliff-hanger at the end leaving the story nicely set up for book four - which I may just have to read straight away! Show Less
LibraryThing member DWWilkin
There is a style to Lord Archer that sometimes brings out emotion, but then, in this long work, it becomes far too repetitive and one can skip entire pages of the narrative. One reason is that it becomes repetitive as we jump forwards and back on the timeline, with exposure to how a different
Then, the cliffhangar ending forcing a need to read the next and not giving one a complete book for the money. Very skillful as a writing technique, but very mercenary for a man who has made a fortune from his writing.
Aside from that, the story flows and we see our previous heroes making way for the next generation to play their part on the stage. Yet, the foolishness of Giles just does not ring true. He was never spineless before, and here we see him very much so. Nor does it ring true that those of a family would never meet the Lady Virginia character. I certainly don't know anyone smart enough to sit on the front bench stupid enough to not see through a woman one dates for years and always seems to not want to meet the mother.
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character reacts or receives news we have already learned as a reader. And knowing the characters well enough that we know what they will say and do. Archer not advancing the plot but just churning through pages we don't need.Then, the cliffhangar ending forcing a need to read the next and not giving one a complete book for the money. Very skillful as a writing technique, but very mercenary for a man who has made a fortune from his writing.
Aside from that, the story flows and we see our previous heroes making way for the next generation to play their part on the stage. Yet, the foolishness of Giles just does not ring true. He was never spineless before, and here we see him very much so. Nor does it ring true that those of a family would never meet the Lady Virginia character. I certainly don't know anyone smart enough to sit on the front bench stupid enough to not see through a woman one dates for years and always seems to not want to meet the mother.
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LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
In the third book of a series, we find out the ruling of the Lord Chancellor regarding Harry versus Giles as the proper heir to Hugo Barrington, his title, estate, and "all that therein is." Meanwhile, Emma searches for her missing half-sister; Sebastian grows older and more rambunctious; and
Nothing gold can stay, says the poet Robert Frost, and perhaps it's true. The Clifton Chronicles series took a serious downturn for me with this particular title. It's a little bit more plodding at times than the first two books, and it seems to take a while to figure out what the main conflict of the book will be. Spoiler: it's not a single big one but a series a small ones that seem to resolve rather quickly, with a few that are a bit more extended. Some of the conflict situations seemed a bit more contrived also (i.e., the whole Giles-Virginia relationship seemed unlikely to begin with), and the introduction of the nefarious Don Pedro just seems so tacked on and honestly a bit out of place with the rest of the series. Once again, the good people are all so moral and upright while the horrible people (i.e., Giles's sweetheart Virginia) are detestable in basically every respect.
There's less of the multiple perspectives in the story telling in this particular book. The first long section is Harry and Emma combined while the next is Giles's take, but honestly the third person omnipotent is used for every section that emerges, and we hear Harry's perspective nearly as much in Giles's section as we did in Harry's own. This is not necessarily a big deal, but it's a bit funny to see how the writing style changes from book to book within the series. We don't see Maisie anymore, which is disappointing, and only hear an occasional reference to her. Archer is clearly working more towards moving to the younger generation (i.e., almost exclusively Sebastian) so that the series can continue to progress. Best Kept Secret ends with the obligatory cliffhanger, but I have to admit that I'm not sure I'm hooked enough to move on to the next one when it comes out.
Some notes for the audio book readers: With no sections from Maisie and Emma's conflated with Harry's, there was no longer a need for Emilia Fox as narrator of this book, and her presence is missed. Alex Jennings carries most of the book very well but has this horrendous South American accent and ridiculous evil voice for Don Pedro and his henchmen, although to be fair they are a bit of caricatures in the text.
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Giles's political career reaches some highs and lows. In addition, Giles becomes romantically involved with a woman whom only he does not realize is despicable and cunning. Nothing gold can stay, says the poet Robert Frost, and perhaps it's true. The Clifton Chronicles series took a serious downturn for me with this particular title. It's a little bit more plodding at times than the first two books, and it seems to take a while to figure out what the main conflict of the book will be. Spoiler: it's not a single big one but a series a small ones that seem to resolve rather quickly, with a few that are a bit more extended. Some of the conflict situations seemed a bit more contrived also (i.e., the whole Giles-Virginia relationship seemed unlikely to begin with), and the introduction of the nefarious Don Pedro just seems so tacked on and honestly a bit out of place with the rest of the series. Once again, the good people are all so moral and upright while the horrible people (i.e., Giles's sweetheart Virginia) are detestable in basically every respect.
There's less of the multiple perspectives in the story telling in this particular book. The first long section is Harry and Emma combined while the next is Giles's take, but honestly the third person omnipotent is used for every section that emerges, and we hear Harry's perspective nearly as much in Giles's section as we did in Harry's own. This is not necessarily a big deal, but it's a bit funny to see how the writing style changes from book to book within the series. We don't see Maisie anymore, which is disappointing, and only hear an occasional reference to her. Archer is clearly working more towards moving to the younger generation (i.e., almost exclusively Sebastian) so that the series can continue to progress. Best Kept Secret ends with the obligatory cliffhanger, but I have to admit that I'm not sure I'm hooked enough to move on to the next one when it comes out.
Some notes for the audio book readers: With no sections from Maisie and Emma's conflated with Harry's, there was no longer a need for Emilia Fox as narrator of this book, and her presence is missed. Alex Jennings carries most of the book very well but has this horrendous South American accent and ridiculous evil voice for Don Pedro and his henchmen, although to be fair they are a bit of caricatures in the text.
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LibraryThing member TerriBooks
The series starts to move from the older generation, Harry and Giles, to the younger, especially Sebastian, Harry's son. It seems that the pace of the story telling has slowed down some, and the situations are beginning to feel repetitive. But I'm still invested enough in the characters to keep on.
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Once again, the cliffhanger ending seems like a cheap trick, but I guess I'm used to that by now. Show Less
LibraryThing member gpaisley
Ok. Decent story, I'm hooked on the series, but basically beach read quality.
LibraryThing member Tess_W
The 3rd book of the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer. This follows the political career of MP Giles Barrington, the writing career of his brother-in-law Harry Clifton, and the rest of the family. The time period covered is post WWI until 1955. Boy, does that Archer know how to write a
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cliff-hanger! Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
The third book of the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer follows Harry and Emma Clifton, their son, Sebastian, and Emma's brother Giles into the 1950s and 1960s. It picks up immediately after the events of Sins of the Father. And I do mean immediately. Giles and Harry are waiting to find out who
Harry has become a successful author, Giles is now a Labour party MP, and Emma is getting more involved in the family shipping business and trying to find out what happened to the baby girl found in Sir Hugo Barrington's office on the night of his death. She discovers the baby, now called Jessica, is in fact her half sister and will leave no stone unturned to find and adopt her. One of the best things about Jeffrey Archer books is the over-the-top evil characters, like Alex Fisher. This book introduces the reader to Lady Virginia Fenwick, who will turn out to be one of the most manipulative women in fiction, and who coincidentally is Giles Barrington's fiancee. Sebastian heads off to school and becomes best friends with Bruno Martinez, whose mysterious father is a wealthy entrepreneur of dubious deals.
This is a compelling potboiler of drama, intrigue and revenge. While this might not be the best book of the three Clifton Chronicles I've read, I am completely hooked on the series. Archer could probably have cut out a number of pages in the book and it wouldn't have affected the flow of the story. Be warned that each and every one of these books seems to end in a cliffhanger and is essentially one long book (there are seven in total). I've been listening to the audios, narrated by Alex Jennings, who does an exceptional job.
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will inherit the Barrington family fortune. As in all family sagas, some of the characters we loved in the first books, like Harry's mother, are neglected so we can start to focus on the next generation of the family.Harry has become a successful author, Giles is now a Labour party MP, and Emma is getting more involved in the family shipping business and trying to find out what happened to the baby girl found in Sir Hugo Barrington's office on the night of his death. She discovers the baby, now called Jessica, is in fact her half sister and will leave no stone unturned to find and adopt her. One of the best things about Jeffrey Archer books is the over-the-top evil characters, like Alex Fisher. This book introduces the reader to Lady Virginia Fenwick, who will turn out to be one of the most manipulative women in fiction, and who coincidentally is Giles Barrington's fiancee. Sebastian heads off to school and becomes best friends with Bruno Martinez, whose mysterious father is a wealthy entrepreneur of dubious deals.
This is a compelling potboiler of drama, intrigue and revenge. While this might not be the best book of the three Clifton Chronicles I've read, I am completely hooked on the series. Archer could probably have cut out a number of pages in the book and it wouldn't have affected the flow of the story. Be warned that each and every one of these books seems to end in a cliffhanger and is essentially one long book (there are seven in total). I've been listening to the audios, narrated by Alex Jennings, who does an exceptional job.
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LibraryThing member shannon.dolgos
It's official, I'm addicted to Jeffrey Archer's Clifton Chronicles.
This one flash forwards a few years, and now Seb is 18 years old. He's gotten himself into some trouble and worried how is parents will take the news. He tried to delay the inevitable meeting with his parents by heading to London,
This one flash forwards a few years, and now Seb is 18 years old. He's gotten himself into some trouble and worried how is parents will take the news. He tried to delay the inevitable meeting with his parents by heading to London,
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however, he continues to find trouble and ends up getting pick pocketed. However, when his luck changes, and he meets Mrs. Tibby, things start looking up. That is until he goes to see his friend Bruno and ends up on a trip to Buenos Aires with Bruno's father. Young Seb is naive and unaware of the true reason for the invitation that involves international art fraud and counterfeit monies...which may very well lead to the undoing of the Barrington-Clifton families... Show Less
LibraryThing member Booknerd2
Mad at the ending!!!
LibraryThing member Andrew-theQM
Another ripping yarn in this series - this one is mainly set in the 1950s. Jeffrey Archer keeps the action coming in this series chronicling the life of the Cliftons and the Barringtons. He is a master storyteller who keeps you wanting to turn that next page, even when you know things are about to
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hit the buffers. Plenty of villains as well as heroes in this series, with people coming back to haunt the family. He always ends each book on a cliff hanger! Can't wait to get to the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Charrlygirl
I've loved this series so far, though I cannot seem to pinpoint why. This book wasn't quite as good as the first two, and it ended on a much bigger cliffhanger.
At this point, it's starting to seem a little silly because nothing ever goes wrong for the Clifton family. Well, maybe I should say:
I'm going to try the next one just in case it holds a big surprise, (like all the Clifton's die or something), and then I'll decide whether or not to go on, from there.
At this point, it's starting to seem a little silly because nothing ever goes wrong for the Clifton family. Well, maybe I should say:
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nothing ever STAYS wrong with the Clifton's-they always somehow seem to come out ahead. I'm going to try the next one just in case it holds a big surprise, (like all the Clifton's die or something), and then I'll decide whether or not to go on, from there.
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LibraryThing member ccookie
First words:
~Big Ben struck four times.
Although the Lord Chancellor was exhausted, and drained from what had taken place that night, enough adrenaline was still pumping through his body to ensure that he was quite unable to sleep~
Seems from the reviews here on LT and in other places, that you
I find that Jeffrey Archer just really knows how to tell a tale. This one takes place from 1945 to 1957 with the younger generation, Harry and Emma’s children, Sebastian and Jessica, coming of age.
I really enjoy the cliffhangers, probably because I just started reading the series a couple of months ago and have only had to wait a couple of days before I could get the next one from the library instead of having to wait a year!
So many people have reviewed this book indicating that they had not read the previous ones or that they had no idea that the series was to be more than a trilogy. I don’t get that. These were never meant to be stand-alone books. Right from the beginning, when the first book came out in 2011, Archer planned it to be 5 books covering Harry Clifton’s life from 1920 to 2020. He later decided it would be 7 books. Come on people! When a book is number three of a definite series, why would you start with number three?
I like the characters. I like that we are up to the time when my life started (1952). I like that the story takes place in the real world, with the real historical events going on around the fictional events of the fictional world of the Clifton Chronicles world.
Like the first two in the series I’m giving this one 4 stars also.
~Big Ben struck four times.
Although the Lord Chancellor was exhausted, and drained from what had taken place that night, enough adrenaline was still pumping through his body to ensure that he was quite unable to sleep~
Seems from the reviews here on LT and in other places, that you
Show More
either love this book or hate it. I’m still loving it!I find that Jeffrey Archer just really knows how to tell a tale. This one takes place from 1945 to 1957 with the younger generation, Harry and Emma’s children, Sebastian and Jessica, coming of age.
I really enjoy the cliffhangers, probably because I just started reading the series a couple of months ago and have only had to wait a couple of days before I could get the next one from the library instead of having to wait a year!
So many people have reviewed this book indicating that they had not read the previous ones or that they had no idea that the series was to be more than a trilogy. I don’t get that. These were never meant to be stand-alone books. Right from the beginning, when the first book came out in 2011, Archer planned it to be 5 books covering Harry Clifton’s life from 1920 to 2020. He later decided it would be 7 books. Come on people! When a book is number three of a definite series, why would you start with number three?
I like the characters. I like that we are up to the time when my life started (1952). I like that the story takes place in the real world, with the real historical events going on around the fictional events of the fictional world of the Clifton Chronicles world.
Like the first two in the series I’m giving this one 4 stars also.
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LibraryThing member ajwseven
Jeffrey Archer has written amazing stories with engaging three dimensional characters, exciting plots filled with unexpected twists and moments that fill any reader with emotion.
This third volume of the Clifton Chronicles simply does not live up to Archer's early work. The main characters are not
Any reader disappointed by this one, should pick up Archer's As the Crow Flies to read a similar story that nails everything this one misses.
This third volume of the Clifton Chronicles simply does not live up to Archer's early work. The main characters are not
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fleshed out well, the peripheral characters are generic and the plot is choppy. Any reader disappointed by this one, should pick up Archer's As the Crow Flies to read a similar story that nails everything this one misses.
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LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
The third book of the Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer follows Harry and Emma Clifton, their son, Sebastian, and Emma's brother Giles into the 1950s and 1960s. It picks up immediately after the events of Sins of the Father. And I do mean immediately. Giles and Harry are waiting to find out who
Harry has become a successful author, Giles is now a Labour party MP, and Emma is getting more involved in the family shipping business and trying to find out what happened to the baby girl found in Sir Hugo Barrington's office on the night of his death. She discovers the baby, now called Jessica, is in fact her half sister and will leave no stone unturned to find and adopt her. One of the best things about Jeffrey Archer books is the over-the-top evil characters, like Alex Fisher. This book introduces the reader to Lady Virginia Fenwick, who will turn out to be one of the most manipulative women in fiction, and who coincidentally is Giles Barrington's fiancee. Sebastian heads off to school and becomes best friends with Bruno Martinez, whose mysterious father is a wealthy entrepreneur of dubious deals.
This is a compelling potboiler of drama, intrigue and revenge. While this might not be the best book of the three Clifton Chronicles I've read, I am completely hooked on the series. Archer could probably have cut out a number of pages in the book and it wouldn't have affected the flow of the story. Be warned that each and every one of these books seems to end in a cliffhanger and is essentially one long book (there are seven in total). I've been listening to the audios, narrated by Alex Jennings, who does an exceptional job.
Show More
will inherit the Barrington family fortune. As in all family sagas, some of the characters we loved in the first books, like Harry's mother, are neglected so we can start to focus on the next generation of the family.Harry has become a successful author, Giles is now a Labour party MP, and Emma is getting more involved in the family shipping business and trying to find out what happened to the baby girl found in Sir Hugo Barrington's office on the night of his death. She discovers the baby, now called Jessica, is in fact her half sister and will leave no stone unturned to find and adopt her. One of the best things about Jeffrey Archer books is the over-the-top evil characters, like Alex Fisher. This book introduces the reader to Lady Virginia Fenwick, who will turn out to be one of the most manipulative women in fiction, and who coincidentally is Giles Barrington's fiancee. Sebastian heads off to school and becomes best friends with Bruno Martinez, whose mysterious father is a wealthy entrepreneur of dubious deals.
This is a compelling potboiler of drama, intrigue and revenge. While this might not be the best book of the three Clifton Chronicles I've read, I am completely hooked on the series. Archer could probably have cut out a number of pages in the book and it wouldn't have affected the flow of the story. Be warned that each and every one of these books seems to end in a cliffhanger and is essentially one long book (there are seven in total). I've been listening to the audios, narrated by Alex Jennings, who does an exceptional job.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013
Physical description
7.49 inches
ISBN
9781250040770