Another triumph! This is a clever plot about a teenager and his mother faced with the choice of escaping to two different destinations. It then follows the experience of what would have happened if the choice had been different. The interweaving of fiction with well known historical events is very well done and brings the book to life. Archer never wastes time on needless descriptive padding. He gets on with the story. Knowing the background of the author,too,it is obvious how he draws on his own inside knowledge. This is one of his best and that's saying something with Jeffrey Archer.

Loved this book (but then I think JA is a superb story teller. Took me a bit to realise how the story was written as I hadn't read the blurb . Really interesting comparison between life in the two countries. Not sure if I liked the ending; I had been wondering throughout the book what would happen as obviously something had to but not sure what else could happen.

What a great story-teller Archer is? Life is hard for Elena and her son Alexander in Leningrad in the 60's. When Elena's husband is killed by the KGB for trying to set up a trade union in the docks, Elena's brother helps them escape, but they have a choice between 2 ships - one to England and one to the U.S.A. The story follows both options. At first, jumping between America and England was a bit confusing, but Archer uses Alex for the American story and Sacha for the British. Archer cleverly weaves their stories with political events of the time.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I like this author and this is just another great piece of storytelling from a great author. Highly recommend

I was initially thrilled to be given the opportunity of reading a new Jeffrey Archer novel so started it filled with hope. Sadly this was quickly dashed and I didn't finish the book. Semi interesting though it was, reading about a poor family in Russia, I kept going thinking that this would eventually turn into something more complex and thrilling. I got as far as the escape onto a ship and that's where it all fell apart. You quickly realise that we are going to be given a sort of "Sliding Doors" scenario with two possible journeys and outcomes for the refugees, hence the title Heads You Win, obviously it was going to be Tales You Lose. . I didn't feel like continuing, maybe it got better or maybe it just continued with one new life better than the last. I felt I had gone as far as I was able with this book just waiting for the usual Jeffrey Archer magic to take effect, because up to that point in the read it was truly lacking. So sorry. Jeffrey it all felt quite contrived.

When I saw a new Jeffrey Archer available before publication I was beside myself. Quite honestly, the master storyteller of the last 30 years.. Many modern books are more tense, have more gore, more romance, but none are truly told AS A STORY. Spanning decades, holding the interest, with believable, rounded characters. This lived up to my expectations. I was expecting a standalone novel. Until I got to the last words. Oh wow - we're set up for the next one, what a twist in the last word. I did not see that coming.
This is Alexander's story as he flees Russia with his mother, Elena, after his father is murdered for setting up a trade union. His uncle helps the escape in a crate onto a ship at the docks. But which ship? One bound for England? Or the one heading to the USA? We don't know which ship they end up in until they come out of the crate onboard ship, and it seems civilised and welcoming as Sasha heads for England. Until we get to the next chapter and meet Alex on the ship to the USA. From then on, the story is double layered, with one chapter following Sasha's life in England, the other with Alex in New York. Always a very clever child, this is true in both stories, and some elements are the same in both countries. As we get near the end there is some overlap, and we don't know which Alexander is the real one. Until they both head for the final, inevitable outcome. Even then I wondered how on earth the two stories could dovetail. Not sure I was completely convinced, but the final twist was enough for me to forgive this,. I can't wait for the next novel in what must be Jeffrey Archer's new series - the Karpenko novels. (I also love how real life events are interspersed with mention of events from previous novels, eg the Barrington shipping line). A wonderful read that I raced to finish in two days - I was grateful for a holiday weekend. #headsyouwin #netgalley

Another great piece of storytelling by top author Jeffrey Archer. Rarely disappointed by his books and this latest novel is another excellent story. The more I read of this novel the bigger my appetite to find out more. Well written, good characters and a plot expertly crafted for maximum enjoyment.
Alexander Karpenko is a child in Leningrad, Russia, 1968 and he is easily identifiable as a leader in the making. But his future plans take a sudden turn when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state. There is little alternative other than for Alexander and his mother to escape from Russia if they hope to survive. When they reach the docks, they are forced to choose between boarding a container ship bound for America, or Great Britain. Alexander decides to toss a coin to decide and his future begins.
The book then takes a twist when the story is told in alternate chapters following the journey for each of Alexanders choices. This is not as confusing as it may seem with one version of Alexander adopting the name Sasha. Typically written in the Jeffrey Archer style with twists and suspense that made me read and read till the very end as soon as possible.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Macmillan for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of the author. I am always on the lookout for his latest offerings and was delighted to get my hands of Heads you win. The book starts of in Russia and follows through to US and UK. Although I’m a great fan, I found the parallel lives a little annoying since I lost my train of thought and it did not allow me to get involved with the characters. Everytime I was connecting with the story, I was transported to another country with similar characters. I did enjoy the end though. Overall a good book , I will never say anything bad about his books!

Oh my word! I’ve never read anything by this author before but I always enjoy books about Russia. This book surprised me, delighted me, intrigued me and absorbed me. Alex is just a teen living in communist Russia when his father dies. So his mother decides they can no longer stay there and they escape. And the story spans across multiple continents , using different perspectives and across some thirty years. The background reflects accurately the political landscape of those decades and I enjoyed it immensely.
There is a twist, which I will not reveal. But I did not see it coming. And it stunned me!
Read this book!

This is Jeffrey Archer back on form. Well rounded likeable character who is just that little bit good to be true, and some clever villians. A different set up with the plot that kept you guessing how it was all going to come together, and a completely clever surprise at the end. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is classic Archer., easily recognisable by its style of writing.
A story told in parallel, a sliding doors situation.
A mother and son escaping from communist Russia have the choice of hiding in a shipping crate destined for either Britain or America. Each scenario is related in tandem. In Britain we follow Sasha and his mother Elena and in America we follow Alex and his mother Elena and the path they choose.. how will things end?
An interesting concept and an easy and entertaining read.

I have read almost everything written by Jeffrey Archer and find his novels fairly easy,entertaining reading. I enjoyed about two thirds of this latest offering but then it seemed to ramble and become rather fanciful. It is a parallel story of a mother and son escaping communist Russia. One story shows the pair living in the Uk and the other is them living in the US. Where I felt it lost the plot was when it was as if they were two separate people and were about to meet. Not the best by far from Jeffrey Archer for me.

Never let it be said that Jeffrey Archer doesn't tell a good story. This is another very readable novel from him, there's nothing new or groundbreaking and yes you will get slight deja vu if you've read all his previous novels but so what? Sometimes I just want to turn my brain off and delve into a good story.
If I was Mr Archer I wouldn't be holidaying in Russia anytime soon though!

#HeadsYouWin #NetGalley Its been a long time since I last read a Jeffrey Archer novel and I had forgotten what a fabulous storyteller he is. The story started explosively and had me hooked from the beginning. After Alexander and Elena made their choice of crate, I was momentarily confused with who the new character of Sasha was but then it became clear there were two parallel storylines sort of 'Sliding Doors' fashion. The story progressed in Jeffrey Archer's usual manner keeping me turning the pages until late in the morning. As I neared the end of the book I found myself wondering how the two parallel stories would merge (or not) but when the end came I found myself totally confused as to what had happened and even after re-reading the final two chapters several times I am still none the wiser! I would have liked to give this book a much higher star rating, as Jeffrey Archer is certainly the master of political thrillers but on this occasion the lack of clarity at the end spoilt it for me I'm afraid.

My favourite author has to be Jeffrey Archer! The first book I ever read of his was Prisoner of Birth and since then I have sat and devoured my way through each and every one of them. When I saw this his new release Heads You Win was up on NetGalley for review I sent my wish and was overjoyed when it was granted! So, thank you NetGalley and the publishers, Pan MacMillan for making me very happy!

You just know when you begin a book by this author that it’s going to be filled with mystery, suspense and cliff-hangers. This book is certainly no exception. Beginning in communist Russia in 1968 you are drawn into the life of a teenage Russian boy during the Cold War. Alexander Karpenko is destined to be a leader just like his father. But when his father is killed by the KGB for daring to form a Trade Union, Alexander and his mother Elena are forced to flee their country to begin a new life. At the docks, they are made to choose between two crates – one on board a ship heading to England, the other on board a ship heading to America. Alexander makes that choice with a toss of the coin and in a single moment, their fates are determined. From there on, this book takes you on two separate journeys of one man, spanning over 30 years.

The book takes on a similarity to the ‘Chose Your Destiny’ books that I read as a child. It also reminded me of the film ‘Sliding Doors’ with the idea of ‘What if?’ being the common theme. Obviously in this book, the ‘what if’ begins on the dockyard and asks the question ‘what if Alexander had got in the other crate’. It then takes you on a journey for each version of Alexander, with alternate chapters for each one.

The story was well planned out and very well researched. The author had obviously used his years of experience to give a realistic and detailed account of everything Alexander experienced. I thought it would be confusing, swapping to the different versions of Alexander but it wasn’t with the alternate chapters being easily identifiable by Alexander’s name being swapped to Sasha for the boy in the English crate! The two different tales of Alexander gripped you from the very first page and I speedily tore my way through the book without coming up for air! As usual with this author’s writing, you are left on a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter making you read faster and faster just so you can get to the end!

I did wonder, from the very beginning, how this story was going to end. Do the two stories merge into one or do they continue in their two separate versions and do the two different Alexanders experience the same situations in life or do they go down completely different paths? Well, fear not, I’m not going to tell you! The ending though is definitely one which is worth waiting for, with the last few lines leaving me open mouthed. As usual, Jeffrey Archer has done it again with a superb read that left me thinking about it for days afterwards. Highly highly recommended.

Thanks to netgalley for the advanced read.
This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it. It kept me hooked and wanting to read on. I felt there was a good plot twist and likeable characters

I really wanted to love this book because I loved The Clifton Chronicles Series, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy as much as I hoped.
To me, it felt as if the structure of The Clifton Chronicles had been copied and paste into Russian settings. I don't want to give away any spoilers, especially for readers who have not read Archer before but I found the whole thing a little too predictable following a formula that I've seen before.

I think I would only feel comfortable recommending this book to readers that have not read The Clifton Chronicles before.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the author, Jeffrey Archer for granting my wish and giving me an advanced readers copy of Heads You Win in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I have always enjoyed reading books by this author. You know you can pick one up and enjoy it.
Heads You Win is no different. The storyline was well thought out and written. It sucks you in from the start. I certainly wasn't expecting the twist.
Definitely well worth a read.

Sliding Doors meets classic Jeffrey Archer in these twin tales of what would have happened if......
Written in Archer's distinctive crisp style, we are swiftly taken between parallel lives showing how a simple decision can determine your whole future. And yet there is always a feeling as you read that maybe fate is fate and no matter what decisions we make along the way, there will be a coming together of these two lives. The twist at the end leaves you, just for that moment, not quite sure what that fate is...

From the opening conversation, a political thriller that kept me spellbound and desperate to see how the aspirations and lives of the main characters would evolve. I loved the progress through time and the way Archer constantly hinted at possible tension.
Although I sometimes became a little confused with the transfer between the families and the ending felt a little rushed, I thoroughly enjoyed this journey into the communist world and would definitely recommend it for Archer fans and those who like political thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.