sons of fortune by jeffrey archer

Title: Sons of Furtune
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Pages: 608
Rating: 5/5
Source: Personal Copy

Summary (Goodreads):

In Hartford, Connecticut, in the late 1940s, a set of twins is parted at birth-not by accident. Nat Cartwright goes home with his parents, a schoolteacher and an insurance salesman, while his twin brother begins his days as Fletcher Davenport, son of a millionaire and his society wife.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the two brothers grow up apart, following similar paths that take them in different directions. Nat leaves college at the University of Connecticut to serve in Vietnam, then finishes school, earns his MBA, and becomes a successful currency dealer. Fletcher, meanwhile, graduates from Yale University with a bachelor's and a law degree, going on to distinguish himself as a criminal defense lawyer.

At various times in their lives, both men are confronted with challenges and obstacles, tragedy and betrayal, loss and hardship, before they both decide to run for governor, unaware they are brothers.

My Thought:

It's one of his brilliant stories that I love. It has every details that you need to know but not really dragging. I was immensely absorbed with the story from the first page, as I always did whenever I read his books. It may seems boring to know a life story of two person but it certainly has an element which makes you ponder what will happen between the two of them. A separated twin- not by an accident but too many incidents involved related to them that makes you want them to meet each other and to know the whole thing that they are twins. They constantly know each others name and their family always tell them they look terribly the same and could be twins. But it wont happen until the very last minute. Until they run against each other for the governor of the state and by then, the truth will be revealed.

It is an original story and very believable. I love the twin; Nat and Fletcher, it's really a great story of two great person to achieve something good for the nation. They have fair fight and I really love the ending. Such unbelievable yet so remarkable (for me). It looks like a very predictable story but it's not. You can never think that would happen and the ending still make you wonder and think for a while who's the winner. The sensation of plot twisting will evoke such a great temptation to read it to the finish line right at that moment. I thoroughly enjoy the book and it's absolutely a page turner even though it is quite a chunkster. I finished it less in a day and I assure you Archer's spinning tale never let me down.

Note: This book review is link up to Book Review Party Wednesday at Cym Lowell Blog. Click HERE for more info.

a prisoner of birth by jeffrey archer

Title: A Prisoner Of Birth
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Pages: 616
Rating: 5/5

Summary (Goodreads):

Danny Cartwright and Spencer Craig never should have met. One evening, Danny, an East End cockney who works as a garage mechanic, takes his fianceé up to the West End to celebrate their engagement. He crosses the path of Spencer Craig, a West End barrister posed to be the youngest Queen’s Counsel of his generation. A few hours later Danny is arrested for murder and later is sentenced to twenty-two years in prison, thanks to irrefutable testimony from Spencer, the prosecution's main witness. Danny spends the next few years in a high-security prison while Spencer Craig’s career as a lawyer goes straight up. All the while Danny plans to escape and wreak his revenge. Thus begins Jeffrey Archer’s poignant novel of deception, hatred and vengeance, in which only one of them can finally triumph while the other will spend the rest of his days in jail. But which one will triumph?

My Final Verdict:

Very engaging and keeps you teetering precariously on the edge of your mind! The first time I read the book, I can't stop! I know it's 600 plus pages but seriously, you'll regret if you put it down. From the first page until I flipped the last page, I feel fully satisfied. The plot of the story is very neat, flawless perhaps, and it's of course how you would like it to end. The main character is well developed, strong and not too heroic. Because if it is, then it would be too much for a normal man to survive like well-build hero. Danny is not a hero. He's just a regular man which need to escape from a crime he didn't commit. He used the breakthrough he had which I think it was brilliant! The story is a fast pace, very intriguing and towards the end, when you hope he will escape forever, and live in a life of someone dead, then come the favorite part. The twist of how the brilliant escape finally discovered. One thing for sure, revenge is not everything. But how you avenge is quite something. I enjoyed the book utterly and it is one of the best book written by Archer. In fact, I love all his books. If you think this is not your kind of book, perhaps you should think twice. It's way better.

**I re-read this book and kind of scheming it. I'm doing a little research to compare with a book I'm reading currently at the moment which I also like it as well.

the eleventh commandment by jeffrey archer

Title: The Eleventh Commandment
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Pages: 384
Rating: 3.5/5


Summary (from J. Archer website):

Connor Fitzgerald is the professional's professional. Holder of the Medal of Honor. Devoted family man. Servant of his country. The CIA's most deadly weapon. But for the past 28 years, Fitzgerald has been leading a double life. And only days from his retirement from the Agency, he comes across an enemy even he cannot handle. The enemy is his own boss, Helen Dexter, the Director of the CIA. And she has only one purpose: to destroy him.

My thought on this:

What can I say more about Jeffrey Archer when you like him so much..? The Eleventh Commandment is overall not too bad. Very entertaining to crack my head with all the suspense, very thrilling as the plot had enough twist and turns to make me want to read to get to the end. I enjoyed when Connor Fitzgerald as he tried to escape and save his life from all the evil circumstances that keep tailing him. What I love most is that the bad person here is a woman! I kind of like that. Most of books I’ve read always created guys as the evil mastermind behind the entire story instead a woman or rather a woman as a mistress of the bad guy. This is unexpected, really.

It is of course as i said, complete with suspense, some betrayal and unexpected twist, with strong personality of characters. Sometime I find Connor as too perfect but I like it that way anyway. This was absolutely a fun read, equivalent of an action blockbuster movie with Bruce Wilis/ Nicholas Cage as Connor Fitzgerald. Ha! I like to do that; imagining some actors as the hero, double the fun of my reading imagination =p

I have my expectations when I plan to read this book because I know that I can never be disappointed with the outcome of the reading. I met my expectations and really entertained. I don’t know if there’s any flaw that I missed in the story because I really can’t find one. This is worth read if you like a thriller or suspense read. I enjoyed so much with the book and I think that if I’m not having so much of work, I can finish reading the book in a day like when I’ve read his other books, rather than take a week..and yes I know, it's better to have something to read than nothing at all.

teaser tuesdays: the eleventh commandment

Teaser Tuesdays practically a weekly event books meme hosted by MzB. Anyone can play along! Honestly, I just love this meme =)

I'm giving a teaser from my current read titled The Eleventh Commandment by Jeffrey Archer, page 167;

'Let me leave you good citizens in no doubt that if I were to be elected President, you can be sure of one thing...'

'You're under arrest,' said a third man whom Connor couldn't see because his nose was being pressed firmly against the ground.

hope everyone will have great Tuesday this week..and I really hope I can finish this one very soon.. =)

Adios!