His father is killed for wanting to start a Trade Union at the Docks in Russia, Alexander and his mother then manage to escape by sea to either London or New York.
Two stories are told side by side in true Jeffrey Archer style. I would readily recommend this book.

This story moves along a good pace. Starting with 1968 Leningrad a teenager and his mother make their way to Southampton. And so their new life begins.
Well-drawn characters and an intriguing plot make for a page-turning read.

This is the first Jeffrey Archer novel that I've read in many years and I've previously thoroughly enjoyed his storytelling, similar to Sidney Sheldon. However, this one, not at all.

I struggled to maintain interest and found my mind wandering throughout as I persevered with this heavy tome.

Just not for me.

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

I have read all Jeffrey Archer's books, absolutely loved the Clifton Chronicles.
I did enjoy this book and the characters, I just felt lost at times and that I had read this kind of plot before.
That said if there is a second instalment I will be reading it, because Jeffrey Archer has the knack of leaving you with a cliff hanger and making you want more.

Thank you netgalley, Jeffrey Archer and Pan McMillian for allowing me to read and review this book.

** 4.5 STARS**

Wow! The last sentence in ‘Heads You Win’ was akin to a slap across the face - a kind of “that’s what you get for not being perceptive enough to recognise what was right in front of you the whole time”!

1968 Leningrad, Russia, and teenager Alexander Karpenko and his mother Elena are about to flee their homeland with the help of his uncle, who has bribed the Captain of a cargo ship. Alexander’s father has been assassinated whilst carrying out his duties at the docks where he was a well liked and respected foreman - his crime? attempting to start a trade union in order that the dock workers would enjoy the same rights as those we take for granted here in the west. The Karpenko’s have a choice, there are two cargo ships in dock, do they head for England or America? Their decision is made with the toss of a coin.

It’s at this point where parallel lives come into play, (think ‘sliding doors’) and we’re given a version of how their new lives would develop both in England and in America

Have you ever given a thought to how your life would have turned out if, (at an important crossroads on that journey) you had taken the opposite decision to the one you did? Or has destiny chosen for us - are we where we were always supposed to be? Makes you wonder!

Jeffrey Archer is renowned as a master storyteller, and he certainly lives up to that reputation with Heads You Win. The narrative spans three decades and two continents, and is rich in both historical, and political detail. This was such an intense but immensely satisfying read, with characters that leapt from the page, and an extremely clever and well executed storyline. It was wonderfully engaging, with the mother of all twists at the end, but Mr Archer, if you’re listening, my advice is this - don’t visit Russia anytime soon, that’s all I’m going to say!

I absolutely loved Kane and Able but found Heads You Win, which it has been compared, to very predictable and formularic. The start of the novel was actually far better then the resulting splitting of the two lives. A good idea but not that well executed.

However, I am sure it will sell hugely to Mr Archer’s myriad fans.

A classic Jeffrey Archer story with plenty of twists and turns, and a last chapter twist that keeps you guessing. Readers of Archer's Clifton Chronicles series will be slightly familiar with the plot as Harry Clifton was described writing a novel called 'Heads You Win' in the last book of the series. Without giving anything away, the story begins with the murder of Alexander's father in Russia, resulting in he and his mother having to escape in a crate on a ship bound for either England or America, and, as the title suggests, the destination is decided on the toss of a coin. What follows is essentially a case of 'what if' as we follow Alex in New York, and Sasha in London in a dual narrative essentially telling the two stories simultaneously. The style did remind me of the film 'Sliding Doors', and on the whole it does work as two independent narratives (although, there is a moment where the two stories seem to merge which seems nigh on improbable - a minor quibble in an enjoyable book).
As you wonder how Archer is going to conclude the tale, he throws in his usual twist where you may have to re-read the odd paragraph to work out what happened, and there is a surprise in the last line of the book, which you may or may not see coming.
Fast paced and enjoyable, the book makes for good reading, and fans of Jeffrey Archer will not be disappointed.

I was initially thrown when the story split into two and didn't think I would like it but as usual Jeffrey Archer drew me in and before I knew it I'd finished the book! I was desperate to reach the end as I wanted to know what path Alexander had taken, yet also sad as I liked both Sasha and Alex. This book will have you cheering the good guys, booing the bad ones and yes there are a lot of coincidences but it all makes for a great escape from the day to day grind! Take 24 hours off and read it!

I was looking forward to my introduction to the legend that is Jeffrey Archer.
Unfortunately though, I was left a little disappointed.

All in all the book was good, hinged on a plot that is far from original (I suppose originality is difficult these days). There were of course some great nuances introduced by Jeffrey that made the plot line a little more interesting.

Additionally, because of the plot, it felt like the story was relayed in a clipped fashion. It felt like it was almost translated from Russian, or that semantics were more important than character building. *Possible Spoiler* But I suppose the reality is that it was really two Novellas combined, which means that something had to give I suppose.

Thanks NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Jeffrey Archer for this ARC of ‘Heads You Win’ in return for my honest review.

I have read several of Jeffrey Archer’s books and they are always written in a style that is easy to read and sucks you in right from the very beginning. This one was no different and I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

It transports the reader to Russia with the KGB chasing Alexander and his mother Elena and their desperate need to escape the regime. They leave the choice of destination to the toss of a coin. It is either a crate to England or a crate to America aboard a ship.

The storyline splits into two at this point and the alternate chapters follow different paths. Exceptionally great story telling, with a stunning ending.

Brilliant and highly recommended.

I like Jeffrey Archer books - and this book is no exception.
I enjoy historical political intrigue and this was a great example. Well written, good characters and a great plot
This book held my attention from the first page and I have recommended it to all my friends.

3.5***

I was thrilled to be granted a wish through NetGalley from the publisher to read Lord Archer's latest offering. I had read the first few chapters of this book as they were included as a "bonus" as part of his collection of short stories in "Tell Tale", published last year and was keen to see what would happen to Alexander and his mother Elena. The opening chapters had whet my appetite for the story unfolding in Russia, in which Alexander and his mother needed to escape the communist regime, following threats from the KGB.

I was unprepared for what happened next. The story turned into a Sliding Doors situation so that we readers never had to worry about what might have been if the pair had jumped into the other crate - we got both version of what might happen on escape to the UK and the US.

Whilst the ending is good and I absolutely love the way in which Archer's stories unfold, I felt the text dragged a bit in the middle as it jumped back and forward between Sasha and Alex. Perhaps I wouldn't have felt the same if I had read each story as a choose-your-own-adventure and followed the through-line of each in turn.

A lovely surprise finish concludes the book, as I would expect from such a masterful storyteller.

This might simply be because I have read and loved this author's books previously that I enjoyed this less than expected. I had very high expectations. Though not my favourite of his books, it is still (of course!) very well-written and I suspect if I hadn't read his previous work and loved it so much, I might have given this an extra star.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Jeffrey Archer for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant story telling again from Jeffrey Archer. The absolute master who has raised the bar yet again. Thank you

I started reading this book and soon realised there were links to previous books written by this acclaimed author. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all past endeavours and look forward to reading more in this possible series. Definitely recommended.

It's Leningrad in 1968 Alexander Karpenko a twelve year old boy is living with his mother and father in a typical tenement block. His father is murdered by the KGB in a not too convincing accident on the docks, where he worked. They are devastated, Alexanders uncle fears for their safety and persuades them to escape to the west on a cargo vessel. He says that they must not tell anyone especially Alexanders best friend Vlademere. When they reach the docks there are two vessels awaiting departure, one going to England and the other to the USA, they toss a coin to decide on which destination would be best. This is where the story splits into two, with separate stories of their journey and lives to come. It is brilliantly written as you would expect from this author. I rushed from chapter to chapter to find out what was happening to each character. It is an amazing read with a mind blowing ending and I absolutely loved it.

I received an advanced copy of Heads You Win from Netgalley. The novel appears to be a cross between the film Sliding Doors and Archer's Kane and Abel, about a single character with two alternative paths to success. Alexander and his mother leave Russia fleeing communist retribution. There are two ships they can take, one going to England and the other to the America. Up to the point of departure the narrative is told with the familiar skill we once read in Archer's early work.
A more assured writer might have achieved the difficult balancing act of two protagonists taking parallel paths while keeping the reader engaged. As it was the narrative just showed Archer's knowledge of politics and the art world.
I've given an extra star for the twist in the book's last paragraph, which just proves Jeffrey Archer still can surprise the reader.

I haven't read a Jeffrey Archer book for a long time, so wasn't sure what to expect. I really enjoyed this one. The two threads, separate yet connected worked really well. The characters were believable and I enjoyed the political aspects. Was sorry to come to the end

Jeffery Archer is one of my favourite authors. With this latest book fans will not be disappointed. He pulls you in from page one to the very last word. I’m not going to describe the storyline read the book for yourself.
A huge thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

A great story told as always with Mr Archer. Another one where parallel tales are told alongside one another (this seems to be a trend in many books at present). I was disappointed with the ending, hence not giving 5 stars this time around.

I hadn't read a Jeffrey Archer book for many years and after starting this one (and realising what the format was), I got into it really quickly.
The story tells the life story of a young man and his mother who escapes possible death in Leningrad and have to choose whether to stow away to London or New York. This book is a parallel story of both journeys.