Only Time Will Tell

By: Jeffrey Archer

Narrated by: Roger Allam, Emilia Fox

Ambitious and addictive, Only Time Will Tell is the first novel in Jeffrey Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles, beginning the epic tale of Harry Clifton, a working-class boy from the docks of Bristol. Read by Emilia Fox, known for her role in Silent Witness, and Roger Allam.

It is 1920, and against the backdrop of a world ravaged by conflict, Harry’s story begins with the words ‘I was told that my father was killed in the war’. Harry’s existence is defined by the death of his father and he seems destined to a life on the docks until a remarkable gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys school and entry into a world he could never have envisaged.

Over the course of twenty years, as the Second World War and the fight against Hitler draws nearer, Harry will learn the awful truth about his father’s death and of his own connections to a powerful shipping family, the Barringtons. And in doing so, he will change his destiny forever . . .

Richly imagined and populated with remarkable characters, The Clifton Chronicles will take you on a powerful journey, bringing to life one hundred years of family history in a story neither you, nor Harry, could ever have dreamt of.

Continue the bestselling series with The Sins of the Father and Best Kept Secret.

Critic reviews

Archer is on top form

I enjoyed the book and marvelled at both its pace and the imaginative cliffhanger ending, whetting our appetite for volume two

This is a cracker of a read. And quite 'unputdownable'. The whole thing about Jeffrey is that he has always had the knack of producing page-turners (Jerry Hayes)

You don’t sell 250 million copies of your books (250 million!) if you can’t keep an audience hooked – and that’s what Archer does, book after book. Archer’s audience will stick with him to the last. They want to know what happens next (Erica Wagner, Literary Editor)

Brilliant

What made the experience of listening to Only Time Will Tell: Clifton Chronicles, Book 1 the most enjoyable?

Captivated me from the very beginning and couldn't wait to hear more and more. Excellent.

What other book might you compare Only Time Will Tell: Clifton Chronicles, Book 1 to and why?

Matthew Flinders Cat. Both great stories and told in a way that keeps not only me but my husband enthralled.

Which scene was your favorite?

Knowing that the main character may still be in the mix

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

One to watch

Any additional comments?

Hadn't read a Jeffrey Archer in years so thrilled to hear a great story. Reviews certainly count.

Great Story Excellent Rendering

The potentially banal story is beautifully told. It is a unique experience to read a penny novel told by a master.

excellent storyline

it was superb in every way especially for an 80 year old readers...hope the saga continues in audibles

only time

What did you love best about Only Time Will Tell: Clifton Chronicles, Book 1?

it was a good story with the characters shown from there sides of the story

What did you like best about this story?

old jack he is good

Have you listened to any of Roger Allam and Emilia Fox ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no i haven,t

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

only time and truth can tell

A ripping yarn

Archer carries a narrative strongly and this ripping yarn is no exception. However he presents his characters descriptively -- we see their actions and hear their words rather than clearly picture them or understand their (repressed) emotions. This is underscored by allowing different protagonists to take up various threads of the story. His women are somewhat cliched nineteenth / early twentieth heroines as they play their roles as martyr, lover, upholder of what is Strong and True. But that works ok -- and, after all, it is is set in the first half of last century. Archer does make us care what happens to his characters and of course he creates compelling twists and turns in the plot. The sequel will be eagerly awaited. The readers were first rate.