The second novel by Jeffrey Archer featuring DCI William Warwick. Set circa 1988 we are treated to an amuse bouche with William and his wife on board a liner sailing for New York where William encounters James Buchanan, the one day heir to the shipping line. Although James feels his destiny is with the FBI, he also understands he will feel the pressure one day to be the head of the family business. That day comes one step closer in a scene worthy of an Agatha Christie 'whodunit' when his grandfather, Fraser Buchanan, collapses over dinner.
I felt this section of the novel to be a page filler but who knows whether this was an introduction to James Buchanan so that he'll be no stranger in subsequent novels?
The main thread of the novel is to bring Miles Faulkner to book and along the way clear up a handful of cold cases. DI Ross Hogan is brought back from being undercover to help the team solve the cold cases and following a moment of tragedy he launches policing in a whole new direction. This was decidedly the best part of the book.
When I read the dialogue between William and his wife I just cannot help myself but bring to mind the voices from the more recent radio adaptations of Paul Temple. Moving on....there are a few problems with the story especially in the time it was set. When Ross pulls out a phone to dial 999 can anyone remember the size of them in 1988? The Panasonic D series was the latest and about the size of a brick. The special security door in Faulkner's Spanish retreat, more particularly the 'key' would have been an impossibility. Both the wrist worn timepiece and the clock in the lock / unlock mechanism on which the access code was checked would have either had to have an otherwise unbeknown accuracy or have both been synced to an atomic clock. To have an atomic clock receiver, radio transmitter, batteries, digital display and keypad all contained in a wristwatch would be pushing it even these days. Ross makes use of a video camera and then puts it in the glove box. It must have been a big glove box is all I can say. Ross reveals he has a firearm to Sanchez and after taking a flight from the UK, where was security at the airport? Ross uses the 'modified' video camera to spot booby traps, trip wires and alarm systems on his lengthy and tortuous journey through the forest and yet has to use the bridge to access Faulkner's property. Firstly there is no such all encompassing technology you can put in a video camera even these days. Secondly, bridges are pinch points which is why they are normally guarded or alarmed! It's the ABC of Security for Dummies.
I'm afraid the second William Warwick novel wasn't a patch on the first but it was fun. I would have given it four stars but I'm knocking another one off for the amuse bouche which although freely given, wasn't wanted.

Archer does not disappoint with this book. A great story with some very engaging characters that will keep you guessing till the end.

This was an easy read and the story kept my interest to the end, it isn't one of Jeffrey Archers best but would describe as gentle crime which was enjoyable. Thank you.

I found this book a little disjointed. There were so many characters in it, all with their different agendas. It wasn’t until the final few chapters that everything jelled. However, there were so many strands to clear up, I felt that it was a bit rushed in order to get to the final, and most urgent strand.

Altogether, although I enjoyed the book, it wasn’t, in my opinion, one of his best.

I normally love Jeffrey Archer books, but coming into a series without reading the previous books I was quite disappointed. The first part on the transatlantic crossing made me think I had stepped into an Agatha Christie novel, and frankly this did not have any relation to the subsequent storyline. I thought the story was good, but came to a very abrupt end. The cynic in me wonders if this is to ensure that I read the next one. Perhaps in the next book the reason for the transatlantic story will become apparent.

The 4th book in the detective William Warwick series. This is no less than the other books in the series. William Warwick with his wits and brilliance carries down the legacy of his parents. Even his wife Beth is bewitching and funny.
It is all a cat and mouse chase , between Detective Warwick and his team in finding Miles Faulkner who is back from the dead. The first episode in the book is every interesting and brilliantly executed , detective outwits everybody once again. A thrilling experience and highly entertaining book. It is nerve wrecking and equally humorous. All the characters are brilliantly executed.

This is another instalment in the William Warwick series and it doesn’t disappoint. Jehffrey Archer really is a master storyteller. You know exactly what you’re getting with his books and long may they continue. Classic Jeffrey Archer.

Another winner from Jeffrey Archer. This continues his William Warwick series and he is still hunting his nemesis Miles Faulkner. Archers characters are well written and have developed naturally over the book series. This story takes the reader from London to Spain and even to Capetown. With attention to detail over the time period in which it is set Archer continues to shine as the master of the "long tale"

Fours stars because as much as I love his stories he is often very pat with the way his mysteries are resolved and with the way he buys into all the class stereotypes in the UK.

A bit of a mixed bag this one. It rattles along and certainly keeps your interest, but it reads more like a series of short stories than one full length novel. It made it slightly hard to feel committed to, somehow. I still enjoyed it, though, and read it very quickly.

Sorry to say but this book was definitely not his best I was so disappointed it took a lot of effort to get through it. I thought it started very good when William Warwick was on a cruise when a murder was committed but after that it went down hill I couldn’t relate to any of the characters it seems to have been written in a rush with no sense of achievement I hope his future books will be better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy

The hunt is still on for William Warwick to put his arch enemy Giles behind bars for good and keep this Houdini character there.
Another eminently readable book in the William Warwick Chronicles with the wily William leading a team solving dead cases yet still managing to follow Giles high jinks

This is the first Jeffrey Archer book that I have ever been disappointed in. Its part of a series which I feel would have been better left at the last book. It was like reading a very soft Miss Marple - too many names going backwards and forwards made a simple storyline very complex. Found it difficult to continue so sadly gave up a third of the way through.

I was thrilled when given the opportunity to read and review this as it’s way too long since I read a Jeffrey Archer

He doesn’t disappoint and I enjoyed this book very much. Well thought out clever plots, although there were a lot so found it sometimes hard to try and keep up. I did find that there were a lot of characters and sometimes found myself mixing them up but maybe some of them have appeared in previous novels

All in all a good book that Archer fans will enjoy

With thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for a free copy in return for an honest review

A typical Archer novel that's an ok read, with a rather dated and predictable outcome. Lacks the page turning qualities and tension created in storylines by many of the other well known crime thriller writers.
Just a technical research detail noted in the book on page 120 where a taxi driver mentions a Spurs v Sunderland football match and says the Toffees scored in the first minute. Sunderland FC are known as the Black Cats and Everton FC are the Toffees.

You get plenty of story for your buck with this fantastic book! PC Plod was a very clever addition with all the other cases going on.... There are so many further possibilities for a series for these characters. If I had to be ultra critical the book would have benefitted with a prologue and a epilogue but take nothing away this has to be a contender for a number 1 best seller

To begin with I was confused as the book would move from one situation to another without any notification and I had to work out where I was. However, I soon got involved in the book and have just read it all in one go; something I haven’t done in a long time. I just wanted to know what the ending was and whether they would catch up with and solve all of the open cases. I hope that there is a follow up for William and I hope that Ross doesn’t leave the police.

I really enjoyed this latest book about DCI William Warwick, it’s a page turner of a read with murder mystery and fraud plus some new characters for him to liaise with. Having attended Faulkner’s funeral DCI Warwick becomes suspicious as to why his corrupt lawyer is still representing him. What follows is a fast paced cat and mouse situation across two countries. There are strands of other crimes running through the book and I particularly like the character of Ross Hogan, who easily slips undercover. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see what happens next.

I was very disappointed with this book.
It felt so dated both I. The setting & style of writing, things have evolved this century & I feel that Jeffrey Archer has been left behind.
Such a shame because I’ve always enjoyed his books in the past

Thanks for an ARC. I found the book muddled and boring. Perhaps it might have been better if I had read the previous books in the series despite this being standalone. I am afraid the authors old books were better reading.

This is the first book in the series that I’ve read and as I enjoyed it, plan to read the rest of the series.

The Metropolitan Police have set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit, headed up by DCI William Warwick, whose team includes ex undercover DI Ross Hogan, who still wishes he was undercover and likes to go off and solve cases his way.

DCI Warwick doesn’t believe that villain, art collector Miles Faulkner is dead and is determined to find out where he is and re-capture him.
I enjoyed this book although it took me a while to get into it, not expecting it to be set in the 80s and found the banging on the table at team briefings a bit corny. I liked the plot and main characters, especially DI Ross Hogan. A good police procedural.