Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to start by saying I am NOT a big fan of serials, so I was disappointed to realize this book is only part of a series of books. This left the story unbalanced and very incomplete. Overall I enjoyed the story of Harry Clifton, a young English boy who faces a great deal of adversity, but continues to excel. The story is told through multiple perspectives, starting with Harry's mother, Maisie who is a hard working single parent, just trying to give her son a better life. As the reader learns more about each of the characters, it is hard to not like Harry and his mother, as well as Old Jack Tar who befriends Harry and take on a mentoring role in his life. Along with the likable characters, we have the unlikeable Hugo Barrington, who places obstacles in Harry's path, for his own personal reasons, that eventually come to light. The main part of the story centers around the mystery of Harry's father and his disappearance. There is of course great irony that seems to be present in all Jeffrey Archer books, although in this case, the star crossed lovers are truly tragic in their forbidden love. I did enjoy the book for the most part, but it felt so unfinished, and the ending with Harry leaving on a ship felt awkward and out of place. This book is not at the level of Jeffrey Archer's typical work, and the cliffhanger ending left me irritated, rather than intrigued.

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