The Sins of the Father

The Sins of the Father
By Jeffrey Archer (339 pages)
Published by St. Martin's Press
Bookish rating: 3.5

The Sins of the Father, the ominously titled second book of the incredibly popular Harry Clifton novels, picks up literally where the first book leaves off. I dare not give spoilers, because Archer's novels are all plot, compulsively so. And that's fine. Like I said before, the guy tells an engrossing story.

However, I do believe the term "Dickensian" was invented to apply to books and story lines like Archer's. Everyone is conveniently connected everybody else, with crucial events happening at the most serendipitous of times.

Characters are okay: Every character is stalwartly good or weasel-like and evil, but what the hell. You root for the heroes anyway.

In terms of voice, however, the point of view of Giles vs. Harry is virtually indistinguishable. Their plot lines are very different, though, so Giles and Harry seemed like the same character in different unlikely scenarios. It was kind of odd.

Here's the kicker, though: Archer's book ARE absorbing, bubble-gummy, historical stories. It's a good story, and I know I'm going to read the third book. So, there you go. Recommended, I guess.