The Sins of the Father (The Clifton Chronicles) (The Clifton Chronicles, 2)

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If killers are just evil monsters, how can they be such loving fathers; genuine in their affection? Emma seeks the help of her Great-aunt Phyllis in New York and her son Alistair who is a lawyer. She learns of Harry's recruitment in the army.

BUT OH MY GOD. I started reading the book at about 4 thinking I would read some chaps during the two hour power cut. Being lazy nowadays - I had convinced myself I am losing my appetite for books. But Archer just proved that my tummy is destined for unseen obesity levels! The story contains a variety of interesting secondary characters, including: a prison warden; a literary agent; a book publisher; a butcher; a teacher; Emma's New York relatives; a Polish aristocrat; a private detective; German officers; and more.Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets recently revealed, and forced to admit that his wish to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy. But his ship is sunk in the Atlantic by a German U-boat, drowning almost the entire crew. An American cruise liner, the SS Kansas Star, rescues a handful of sailors, among them Harry and the third officer, an American named Tom Bradshaw. When Bradshaw dies in the night, Harry seizes on the chance to escape his tangled past and assumes his identity. Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets, and forced to accept that his desire to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy. The Sins of the Father is the second book in Jeffrey Archer’s highly acclaimed The Clifton Chronicles, Archer’s most ambitious work in four decades as an international bestselling author.

Emma Barrington,the mother of Harry's child,goes to the US,looking for him.His friend Giles Barrington also fights in World War II.This is the BEST book I have read in the 16 years of my life. Sure I am an archer fan , but my expectations weren't really high after the average only time will tell (with a stunning finish though)

We are each responsible for our own sins, he for his, and I for mine. We are not intended to bear each other's. No one can survive that burden." He does not romanticize his father's sins, and there were many, but this really does touch on the 'shades of grey' (between what is right and wrong) reality of the world we exist in. As much as this book holds the horrors of the criminal underworld, it too has captured tenderness between father and son. Overall, the primary theme in this installment is the complexity of family bonds- the good, the bad and the ugly. There are a few interesting juxtapositions and plenty of food for thought.The focus remains on the identity of Harry's father,as that would have a bearing on his future.But that identity still cannot be proved,in this book.