The Clifton Chronicles Series by Jeffrey Archer - 7 Book Set

Jeffrey Archer’s Clifton Chronicles is presented here as a seven-book set, following the fortunes of Harry Clifton and those closest to him across decades of upheaval, ambition and rivalry. Beginning in 1919 in the backstreets of Bristol, the series traces the questions surrounding Harry’s parentage and the choices that shape his future, before expanding into political intrigue, family conflict and high-stakes battles in business and public life.

Across the collection, key moments include a tied vote in the House of Lords over the Barrington inheritance, a crisis surrounding Sebastian Clifton, and the repercussions of an IRA attack during the maiden voyage of the MV Buckingham. As the story progresses, Harry becomes president of English PEN and campaigns for the release of imprisoned author Anatoly Babakov, while Giles Barrington faces political pressure and personal uncertainty. The final instalment opens with a shot being fired, bringing the saga towards its conclusion.

Included titles

• Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles)
• The Sins of the Father (The Clifton Chronicles)
• Best Kept Secret: 3 (The Clifton Chronicles)
• Be Careful What You Wish For (The Clifton Chronicles)
• Mightier than the Sword (The Clifton Chronicles)
• Cometh the Hour (The Clifton Chronicles)
• This Was a Man (The Clifton Chronicles)

Key details

• Seven-book set from The Clifton Chronicles series
• Written by Jeffrey Archer
• Opens in 1919 in Bristol and continues through major historical and personal turning points
• Includes storylines involving the Barrington family, Farthings Bank and Barrington Shipping
• Features Harry Clifton’s role as president of English PEN and his campaign for Anatoly Babakov

Synopses

Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles)

Harry Clifton’s story begins in 1919 in Bristol. Raised on the belief that his father was a war hero, Harry spends years searching for the truth about how his father died and whether he was his father at all. As Europe moves from the aftermath of the Great War towards the Second World War, Harry must choose between taking his place at Oxford or joining the fight against Hitler’s Germany.

The Sins of the Father (The Clifton Chronicles)

Tom Bradshaw is arrested for first degree murder, accused of killing his brother. With no money and few options, he accepts the help of Sefton Jelks, a leading Manhattan lawyer who offers his services for nothing and promises a lighter sentence.

After Tom is tried, found guilty and sentenced, Jelks disappears. Proving his innocence would mean revealing his true identity, something he has sworn never to do to protect the woman he loves. Meanwhile, she travels to New York, leaving their son in England, determined to find the man she was to marry, armed only with an unopened letter left in Bristol for over a year.

Best Kept Secret: 3 (The Clifton Chronicles)

A vote in the House of Lords on who should inherit the Barrington fortune ends in a tie, leaving the Lord Chancellor to decide. The outcome casts a long shadow over Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington.

Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while Emma searches for a little girl found abandoned in her father’s office on the night he was killed. As a General Election is called, Giles must defend his seat and is shocked by the Conservatives’ chosen opponent, while Sebastian Clifton ultimately influences his uncle’s fate.

Be Careful What You Wish For (The Clifton Chronicles)

Harry and Emma Clifton rush to hospital after their son Sebastian is involved in a fatal car accident, but it is unclear who has died: Sebastian or his best friend Bruno. At Barrington Shipping, Ross Buchanan is forced to resign, and Emma seeks to replace him.

Don Pedro Martinez aims to install Major Alex Fisher to undermine the family firm as plans progress for a new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham. In London, Harry and Emma’s adopted daughter wins a scholarship to the Slade Academy of Art and becomes engaged, until Lady Virginia Fenwick intervenes with damaging intent.

Mightier than the Sword (The Clifton Chronicles)

An IRA bomb explodes during the MV Buckingham’s maiden voyage across the Atlantic, raising the question of how many passengers have lost their lives. In New York, Harry learns he has been elected president of English PEN and begins campaigning for the release of Anatoly Babakov, imprisoned in Siberia for writing Uncle Joe, a book about working for Stalin.

Harry’s determination puts him in danger, while Emma, as chairman of Barrington Shipping, faces pressure after the attack and opposition from Lady Virginia Fenwick. Giles Barrington, now a minister of the Crown, suffers political setbacks after a trip to Berlin and faces Major Alex Fisher at the election. Meanwhile, Sebastian builds his career at Farthings Bank and becomes engaged, as Adrian Sloane works to ruin him.

Cometh the Hour (The Clifton Chronicles)

The story opens with the reading of a suicide note, with devastating consequences for Harry and Emma Clifton, Giles Barrington and Lady Virginia. Giles must decide whether to withdraw from politics to try to rescue Karin from behind the Iron Curtain, while questioning whether she is a spy.

Lady Virginia faces bankruptcy until she meets Cyrus T. Grant III, in England for Royal Ascot. Sebastian Clifton, now Chief Executive of Farthings Bank, finds his personal life in turmoil when he falls for Priya, despite her parents having chosen her future husband. Harry remains determined to secure Anatoly Babakov’s release from a Siberian gulag after the success of Uncle Joe, before an unexpected development changes everything.

This Was a Man (The Clifton Chronicles)

The final instalment opens with a shot being fired, raising questions about who pulled the trigger and who survives. In Whitehall, Giles Barrington learns the truth about his wife Karin from the Cabinet Secretary, and must confront whether she is a spy or part of a larger game.

Harry Clifton sets out to write his magnum opus, while Emma completes ten years as Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary and receives an unexpected call from Margaret Thatcher offering her a job. Sebastian becomes chairman of Farthings Kaufman bank after Hakim Bishara resigns for personal reasons, while Jessica is expelled from the Slade School of Fine Art and helped by her aunt Grace. Lady Virginia, facing creditors, sees a new opportunity when the Duchess of Hertford dies.