This is the first Jeffrey Archer novel that I've read in many years and whilst I've previously thoroughly enjoyed his storytelling, this one, however, not at all. I struggled to maintain interest and found my mind wandering. Just not for me. and I gave up halfway through.

I appreciate the opportunity to preview though and am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to do so.

Yet, another Brilliant book by a fantastic author Jeffrey Archer. "Heads You Win" was Just an excellent read and I
was hook from the first few pages and I could not put it down.
Jeffrey Archer isn't called a Master Storyteller for a reason and every book I have read of his he lives up to his name.
5/5 read. Just Brilliant.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this book

Bit of a strange reading experience for me as, although I enjoyed it, ultimately I just found it quite lengthy and confusing! I enjoyed the concept of Alex/Sasha but found myself getting confused as to which scenario the peripheral characters belonged to. Also very confused towards the end where the lives of Alex/Sasha seem to be crossing....how is that possible? Baffling.

3 stars.

I have read all of Jeffrey Archers books except for his Prison Diaries. There are already many reveiws which give a summary of the storyline so I will not attempt to repeat this , instead just give an opinion.
I felt that Archer had been very lazy in writing this novel because so much of the two consecutive storylines had already been used in his previous novels some based in the US and on the Clifton Diaries. I guessed the outcome of Vladimir almost from the beginning and was proved right at the end. It was interesting to read the two parallel versions of what supposedly happened to the same person if they had ended up in either scenario BUT this was confusing in several places towards the end when questions were asked eg ' Have you ever been in America? I'm sure I've met you before .......??? This confusion stays until the end ....were there two story lines or two people but how could there be two mothers. Too some extent this did not make sense especially with the two versions of an end to the story. It was no surprise to find out the identity of Vladimir , I was left wondering how much of this storyline was accurate but I suppose a Google search may give some clues.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy in exchange for a review.

In this work of fiction, Archer tells the story of a young boy who goes through different events that require him to escape from Russia with his mother.

When they get to the docks to escape, he has to choose between London and NewYork. With a toss of a coin, this choice is made and the story takes many twists and turns that are keep you reading until the last page.

It's a book you want to read in one sitting with no distractions and lots of beverage.

It’s a while since I read a Jeffrey Archer book as I felt they were all much of a muchness but was glad to try this completely new style with the alternative lives drawn together at the rather unsatisfactory ending. I’ve read a couple of Kate Atkinson books where she manages exquisitely to lead the story this way but for me Mr Archer seemed much less successful.

If you enjoy political sagas with a twist, you're in for a treat with this book. The storytelling and characters are believable and polished. The serendepitious storyline adds an interesting twist to a well researched , historically based political thriller.

Alexander a young man in the USSR in the late 1960's is clever but his father isn't a party member and wishes for a less totalitarian state. His father's 'accident', and the circumstances that follow mean Alexander and his mother need to leave to survive. Escaping in a crate on a merchant ship is risky, but when there is a choice of two, fate takes over and the story splits into a 'what if 'scenario as Alexander's life is explored with two possible outcomes.

Both stories are engaging, with strong characters and many plot twists, once you accept how the story will progress it is an enjoyable read, the ending has its surprises, but I did guess the main one. The moral of this being, I think whatever path you take the outcome is already decided.

An enjoyable read for those who enjoy political thrillers and family sagas with a twist of fate.

I received a copy of this book from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have admired Jeffrey Archer's writing for a long time, ever since burying my nose in Kane and Abel; he delivers every time and this is reminiscent of his previous works - and yet so very different . ..

Put simply, this is the tale of a young Russian boy who learns only too soon what it's like to live in a totalitarian state - but this is no simple story. When necessity demands that he leave the country of his birth, Alexander has a brief window in which to decide to head to which united country; that of Britain of the states of America. Which should it be?

This is a cleverly woven and engrossing read which, very cleverly, makes a few oblique references to the author's previous works (blink and you'll miss them) which all adds to the authenticity as I find all his novels completely believable. Such a fascinating read but it pays never to get too comfortable as there is always a surprise lurking in the wings - and none more so that the ending. Never saw THAT coming!! A truly delightful and encompassing novel which makes the brain work overtime and left me with the feeling of a good book well read!

My thanks to publisher Pan Macmillan for my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Who doesn't love a good bit of Archer? Another in his series of customarily carefully crafted procedurals, this is a fine addition to his canon of unputdownable fiction.

Jeffrey Archer’s writing will always keep you engaged and this book was no exception to this. I’ve always been a fan of his ability to draw you in and keep you reading ‘til the small hours, never wanting to put your book down. However, it did feel like there were some uncharacteristic assumptions made of the reader’s knowledge, that having been said, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m sure I’ll revisit it again at some point. A solid 3.5 stars.

(Favourite JA book = As the Crow Flies)

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC copy to read and review this book in advance of it’s release.

Having read all of Jeffrey Archer's books back in the day, I was keen to see what this latest one was like. There's no doubt that he can still tell a good story! Alexander and his mother escape from Communist Russia after the murder of Alexander's father. On the quayside they toss a coin to decide whether to hide on a ship sailing to England or one going to the US. The story is then told in a parallel 'sliding doors' format. On the one hand Sacha and his mother find themselves in London, and on the other Alex and Elena end up in New York. I enjoyed following the 2 different stories, and I thought the ending was very clever. I recommend this as a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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That feeling when you finish a novel when you're slightly sad highlights the power of a good book. When you don't want it to finish because you're gripped by the plot. Time after time Jeffrey Archer does this for me, this book is no exception. I loved it.

Jeffrey Archer is another author I have long avoided, and with no particular reasoning beyond my own false preconceptions of what I expected his writing to be like. As always, and I can't say this enough, I was completely wrong.

This book has a really unexpected and really cool concept. It is about Elena and her son Alexander. They live in Russia, and Elena's husband is murdered by the KGB for attempting to set up a trade union where he works in the docks of Leningrad. Elena's brother helps Elena and Alexander to escape from the docks hidden in a crate loaded onto a ship.

This is where it gets interesting, because from here the book splits into two. There are two choices of crate - one going to the US, one going to England. Rather than choosing a destination, the author cleverly decides that the characters will actually exist in both realities at the same time. We see what would have happened if mother and son had gone to both places.

Elena is the same in either reality, but she is the only constant. Alexander is the same person and his personality is the same, but he becomes both Sasha and Alex, depending on where he is at the time. His life takes two very different paths, but since he is the same person there are many similarities in the choices he makes and the way he wants to live his life.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. It is quite political, obviously because of the background and beginning of the book being about Russia, the KGB and the newly democratic Russian government of the time. Alexander also takes an interest in politics in both of his new lives, so US and British politics also play a big part in the book. I do not usually take an interest in politics, and though it is mentioned and discussed often here, I do not think politics is at the forefront of the story as such, more an undertone. The main focus of the book is the two-sided character of Alexander, his choices and his life.

This is quite a long book, and as I said before the only plot is that of Alexander's lives. The purpose is to see what happens to him, and I suppose to compare and decide which crate he should have got into at the beginning. However I was never bored. The writing is rich and interesting; the characters complex and very likeable.

All in all I would recommend this book; I felt like it was something different, for me at least. A very interesting read from a historical and political view, and also just a really good bit of fiction writing.

Archer looks at alternative life outcomes for a choice made on almost a flip of a coin. Both outcomes work wel until near the end when he tries to let one set of outcomes have a small overlap with the other set.
Characters are endearing and all in all a typical Archer well written romp

It is a while since I have read a Jeffery Archer book. It has an ease of reading and a fast flowing plot. An interesting concept of how lives are changed at the toss of a coin. The parallel lives in America and the UK. The ending was very unsatisfactory.

Pedestrian

The time is 1968, and Alexander Karpenko lives with his mother and father in Leningrad. Alexander is bright and destined for great things. His friend, Vladimir, is not blessed with the same intelligence but is wily and streetwise. Their paths will cross again during their lives.

Karpenko’s father is murdered by the KGB for attempting to establish a trade union at the docks where he a supervisor and Alexander and his mother, Elena, have to flee the country. The choice is the UK or the USA. By a toss of a coin, which will be chosen for them? And here’s where the story gets weird.

Despite his success and recognition, I am not a huge fan of Jeffrey Archer in any respect. His first book, “Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less” was, in my opinion, his best, and it’s been all downhill from there, possibly because the first book was based loosely on the true life and the subsequent publications rely on tenuous connections to public figures. References to many well-known names litter the pages of this, his latest, product.

In “Heads You Win” we follow the lives of the main character in America and the UK rather in the style of the film Sliding Doors. How this actually happens is unexplained, but it is clear that both individuals exist in the same scenario and at times are vaguely aware of the other’s existence. This troubled me throughout the plot.

The writing had no light or shade, and there was no tension. I cared not a jot for what happened to the characters. The dialogue was clunky and mundane and interspersed with descriptive text, so there was no flow. The first few pages were by far the best part of the book and captivated me to the point where I really looked forward to reading the rest. However, by the time I had more than a couple of chapters under my belt I was having to force myself to pick it up again and, had I not been reviewing it, I would have left it unfinished.

My opinion of Archer’s books is clearly in the minority, given his huge success but at least I live in a country where I can freely voice my views unlike Karpenko’s Russia, and I am thankful for it. There are much better novels out there so don’t waste your time or money on this one.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Jeffrey Archer is such a brilliant storyteller. I loved this book.

Alexander and his mum have to escape from Lenningrad following the murder of dad/husband at the hands of the KGB. They escape in a crate on board a ship. At the docks they quickly have to decide whether to board a ship to the UK or to America. The rest of the book tells both of the stories - Alex grows up in New York and becomes a successful businessman whereas his alter ego Sascha grows up in London and becomes a politician.

As you would expect from an Archer novel, there are loads of twists and turns throughout and a couple of times I thought the stories of Alex and Sascha were about to converge. They almost do right at the end, but obviously this can't happen as they are essentially the same person.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When you see certain authors, you know you will be in for a treat and Jeffrey Archer fits the bill nicely.

He uses politics as a backdrop to well constructed thrillers and this latest book continues to enhance that reputation. In my mind, this is probably one of the best novels from Archer that I have read in a long time.

When a young student and his mother need to flee the Soviet Union, they can choose to be smuggled in a crate bound for Britain or one for the United States. They decide their fate with the toss of a coin.

The story then follows both sides of the coin, with common themes throughout, such as Elena’s culinary skills, the protagonists’ political ambitons and art.

The two parallel narratives begin to converge towards the end, but it feels contrived and the twist at the end was not much of a surprise to anyone with a modicum of knowledge about Russian politics.

That said, I enjoyed the storytelling and wanted it to continue, which must always be the mark of an enjoyable read.

I didn’t enjoy this as much as other books I’ve read by Jeffrey Archer. I sometimes found the way it was written quite confusing especially near the end when I was trying to remember whose story was who’s!