Clifton Chronicles Books In Order

Publication Order of The Clifton Chronicles Books

The Clifton Chronicles series is an international bestselling series written by one of the well known British authors named Jeffrey Archer. There is a total of 6 books in the series published between the years 2011 and 2016. All the novels of the series are based on the mystery and thriller genres. Author Jeffrey Archer has set the time frame of the series during the early 20th century and has depicted the life story of the central character named Harry Clifton throughout the series. Each of the novels of the series show the struggles that Harry Clifton had to face right from his childhood and up to the time of attaining his adulthood.

The first novel of the Clifton Chronicles series written by author Jeffrey Archer was published under the title ‘Only Time Will Tell’. It was released by the St. Martin’s Press publishing house in the year 2011. The plot of this novel is set in Bristol, England, United Kingdom, and revolves around the happenings in the lives of the primary characters named Harry Clifton, Old Jack Tar, Maisie Clifton, Hugo Barrington, and Giles Barrington. This novel sets the tone of the new ambitious series written by the international bestselling author Jeffrey Archer and describes the story of the Clifton family across a number of generations, starting from heartbreak up to triumph, and across the oceans. In the opening sequence of the plot of the novel, the epic tale of the life of Harry Clifton is depicted as beginning in the year 1920. He says that he was told by others that his father got killed in a war.

Harry Clifton is introduced as a dock worker living in Bristol. He did not know anything about his father as he had died when he too young to remember. But, he keeps learning from his uncle about how the workers spend their lives on the docks. His uncle expects that Harry Clifton will join his shipyard once he finishes his school studies. However, he receives an unexpected gift in the form of a scholarship that allows him to join a prestigious and exclusive boys’ school. Harry Clifton that once he joins the this school, his life will change completely and will not remain the same anymore. When he attains his adulthood, he comes to know how his father had actually died. But the awful reality that he learns about his father makes him question whether he was indeed his father? Harry Clifton begins to question if he was the son of a stevedore named Arthur Clifton, who spent all his life working on the docks or whether he is the first-born son of one of the scions of the society of the West Country, whose family is the owner of a shipping line?

This novel serves as the introductory novel of the ambitious Clifton Chronicles series written by author Jeffrey Archer. It includes a colorful cast of characters and takes the readers from the Great War’s ravages up to the beginning of the World War II. Author Jeffrey Archer has depicted the dilemma that Harry Clifton faces while trying to make up his mind about joining the Oxford University for his higher studies or joining the naval forces of the Germans and go to war along with Hitler, in a very good way. The plot of this novel takes the readers on an historical journey, beginning from the docks of the working class of England up to the bustling streets of the New York City during the 1940s. It also provides the readers with a window to the future volumes of the Clifton Chronicles series and makes them learn about the 100 years of the recent history, thereby revealing the story of a family that neither the readers nor the characters of the series could have ever imagined.

The second novel of the Clifton Chronicles series written by author Jeffrey Archer was published under the title ‘The Sins of the Father’. It was released by the St. Martin’s Press publishing house in the year 2012. The plot of this novel is also set in Europe and America, and continues to tell the life story of the central character of the series named Harry Clifton. This novel too helped to make the series the most ambitious work of author Jeffrey Archer in the last 4 decades, being an international bestseller author. After the first novel of the series topped the bestselling charts, this novel continues from where it had left and takes the readers on an exciting historical journey beginning from the Bristol streets up to the Manhattan boardrooms. In the opening sequence of the plot of the novel, Harry Clifton is depicted as changing his identity to Tom Bradshaw, living in New York during the time of the year 1939. He seems to have committed a first degree murder and is eventually arrested for it.

One of the top lawyers of Manhattan named Sefton Jelks comes to his rescue and offers to represent his case in the court of law without any cost. Being penniless, Harry Clifton sees it to be a good offer and immediately accepts it, also knowing that he does not have a second choice. But when the trial begins, Harry is found guilty and gets sentenced for the murder, after which Sefton Jelks disappears mysteriously. Now, the only way Harry Clifton sees for proving his innocence is by revealing his real identity. He had previously promised himself that he will never reveal his real identity in front of anyone in order to save the woman he loves very much. But now, he is not left with any other option. In the meantime, his love interest named Emma Barrington moves to New York, leaving behind their son in England. She seems determined to do everything that she can in order to find the man with whom she was supposed to get married.

Emma does not seem to be able to digest the news that Harry Clifton had died at sea. She knew that he was in some kind of trouble and that is why he was not able to show up again in her life. However, Emma Barrington does not know from where she should begin her search for Harry. The only proof that Emma has about the fact that Harry Clifton is still alive is in the form of a letter, which has never been opened and read by her. Also, the letter has been lying on a mantelpiece in the city of Bristol for than a year, but lies in an unmistakable hand. In this novel, author Jeffrey Archer has tried to show the loyalties of the family get stretched to their extreme limits with the secrets begin to unravel one after the other. The plot of his novel contains all the characteristic twists and turns of a classic Jeffrey Archer novel, and keeps the readers wanting for some more in the further novels of the series.

2 Responses to “Clifton Chronicles”

1. Karen: 1 year ago

   Have read this series years ago. Decided to download on to my kindle. It reads to me to. Sorry good on the go.

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2. Leslie Lerner: 2 years ago

   I am on the 3rd book and I absolutely love this series. One of my favorite types of reading is historical fiction and this is the best I have read in a very long time. Kudos to Jeffrey Archer. I will be reading the remaining books.

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