I almost gave up on this book in the first chapter as I found the dialogue between the main character, Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick, and a seventeen year old precocious boy called James Buchanan so unbelievable and irritating. Their conversations are just like those of the 21st century Sherlock TV series where Sherlock Holmes and Watson are trying to outdo the other for having noted some tiny detail about someone or their behaviour and supposedly deduced a lot of information from it. The first chapter was the worst but I found this sort of discourse in the whole book quite grating as characters try to outsmart each other with witticisms they see as being intellectual.

The story starts with Warwick suspecting that criminal, Miles Faulkner, is not dead despite having apparently recently attended his funeral. We then learn that Warwick's wife, Beth, is friend with Miles’ wife and has been asked to be maid of hour at her second marriage to Captain Neville. This was another step too far in belief for me that a Detective Chief Inspector’s wife and a criminal’s wife are best friends.

So Warwick is not convinced that Miles Faulkner is dead and he is also heading up a team of detectives who are to investigate several cold cases. Enter a multitude of characters and a plethora of ‘coincidental’ connections.

I’m sure that many who are willing to suspend belief completely, like a good yarn and can keep track of a lot of characters will love this book but it wasn’t for me.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Over My Dead Body is the fourth instalment in Jeffrey Archer's William Warrick series. Despite not having read the rest of the series I was able to pick up the story.

Advertised as a thriller I was surprised to find this was more a tale of high jinks and mishaps framed around a hit-and-miss police chase. A little slow but an OK read, particularly if you have read the previous instalments.

Master storyteller Jeffrey Archer is back with this, the fourth book in the William Warwick series; another slick, fast-paced cops and robbers yarn that is pure entertainment from start to finish.

Once again, William finds himself up against his old nemesis, Miles Faulkner, who is still on the loose, but under a new identity, having faked his death at the end of book three. But while William is determined to track down his arch enemy, he’s also been put in charge of a new unsolved murders unit and tasked with bringing four of London’s slipperiest criminals to justice. Cue shenanigans galore, as he and his team use every ounce of nous to get the job done.

There’s a helluva lot going on in this book, but credit where credit’s due. Archer somehow manages to keep it simple; his storytelling is such that you never lose track of the plot. The narrative flows at breakneck speed, but it’s an easy, engrossing romp of a read, elevated above the ordinary by the trademark bells and whistles that make Archer’s writing so unique.

This familiarity is welcome; like sitting down to chew the fat with an old friend. But at the same time, it risks becoming a little too familiar, teetering almost on the formulaic. I’m thankful that Archer avoided this trap by dropping in a shocker of a twist that added an extra bit of pep to the story. But it was a close call and something that should be borne in mind if there’s ever a book four. Oh, and Beth should please stop calling her husband “Caveman”. It has become positively cringeworthy.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of the this title in exchange for an honest review.

Over My Dead Body is the fourth instalment in the Detective William Warwick series, set in 1988. Detective Chief Inspector Warwick and his beloved wife, Beth, find themselves on a cruise liner heading in the comfort of first-class for New York after Beth was presented the tickets as a rather extravagant present from her friend Christina. They are enjoying a relaxing time onboard where their every whim is catered to, but it isn't to last. Aboard the transatlantic liner, they meet the extremely affluent James Buchanan, the grandson of the ship’s owner and part of the huge dynasty involved in the business; they bond over James’ interest in joining law enforcement despite his family having been priming him to take over the company. Then when the chairman of the Pilgrim Line, and James’ grandfather, Fraser Buchanan, suddenly and unexpectedly dies at dinner one day, the captain asks William to investigate.

The death appears suspicious from the outset, but William must work with precious little of his usual resources to prove that there is a murderer in their midst. Why else would the body have been buried at sea so rapidly if there wasn't something to hide? Meanwhile, once back in his native England, William returns to his role as head of the London Metropolitan Police’s newly formed Unsolved Murder Unit where he and his team have been assigned five cold cases to look into. Each case is one in which William’s superiors believe the perpetrator got away with murder, but for how much longer, with William and his colleagues on the case? Elsewhere, in another strand to the plot, William still has his sights firmly set on tracking down his long-time nemesis Miles Faulkner, the millionaire art collector and pilferer who he believes to be in Geneva, and it turns out that Beth’s buddy and gold digger to the core - Christina - had arranged to hold her sham marriage to Captain Ralph Neville (aka Miles Faulkner) during the time she had sent the couple on their holiday. Very sneaky.

This is a compulsive, compelling and twisty read full of intrigue and unusual, explosive surprises. There's exciting drama, secrets, lies, betrayal and deceit that never lets up in this dark, palpably tense procedural. It moves at a decent pace and the multilayered plot with so many different strands captures your interest and holds it from start to finish, although it could prove too chaotic and overwhelming for those who prefer their fiction a little more straightforward. There are plenty of wicked twists, turns and red herrings spliced throughout providing an endless guessing game; one I failed pretty miserably at. I particularly enjoyed that each of the mysteries or plot threads are based in different parts of the world, and there is a tonne of action meaning there's never a dull moment in this cleverly woven, entertaining read. Archer is one of the most adept storytellers of our time; he never disappoints, his character development is pretty masterful and his characters, both antagonists and protagonists, spring vividly to life on the page. Highly recommended.

Over My Dead Body is the fourth book in this great series. I am absolutely addicted to these books and just can’t get enough of them! William Warwick is now a Detective Chief Inspective, leading the newly established Unsolved Murders Unit. But with such difficult cases to solve, together with managing rogue personnel and personal battles to set straight, will this be the undoing of William’s high flying career?
This series feels like coming back to revisit old friends (and some enemies!) and whilst it could be read as a stand-alone book, I would recommend reading at least the first before this one, to maximise enjoyment factor. I really enjoyed this as well as the previous three and look forward to the next adventure!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The 4th William Warwick novel in the series. A fantastic read as always. So pacy and I finished it in 2 days.

William is back chasing his old enemy, supposedly dead, Miles Faulkner, as well as trying to solve some old cold cases,

The book starts with William and his wife on a transatlantic crossing to New York. William is sought out the grandson of the cruise ships company owner; who wants him to take over the company when his time comes. But young James has other ideas, he has set his sights on becoming the Director of the FBI.

Also William is teaming up with his old pal, an undercover cop named Ross Hogan. He leaves undercover work and joins the murder squad to help solve the old cases as well as trying to capture Miles Faulkner who he is convinced is till alive. .

So...lots going on in this book and because of this, you'll race through this.

I really enjoy all of Jeffrey Archers books, he is a dependable writer and I look forward to William Warwick no 5, it's on my list.

I got Over My Dead Body by Jeffory Archer from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Over My Dead body is the 4th novel in Jeffory Archers Detective William Warwick books.
The novel starts while Warwick is on a cruise to New York, which was given to them by his wife’s friend, as she is getting married and the only date that could get was during this time.
However, the wedding may not be necessary, as the bride and groom may already be married.
When I started reading this book, I was unaware at the time, that this was the 4th book in a series however I feel that this did not spoil the story for me.
There were references to what I know would gather to the previous books in the series but these we done in such away that did not halt the flow of the novel but it does allow readers who have not read any of those books to be able follow what was the background to this story.
As for the individual novel this to me was a well thought with a plot line. Though the way the story unfolded did seem to be very formulaic, with setup, action going through the novel one after another.
Having said that if you enjoy this type of novel that follows this pattern then this one builds the tension along the way as each action scene has more jeopardy than the previous one.
In addition to being an enjoyable detective novel what this Over My Dead Body did which took it from a basic police procedural was by having a few pot lines which examined the morals of some of the characters.
So, if you want to read a police procedural a bit above the normal then I can Recommend Over My Dead Body by Jeffory Archer.

This is book 4 in this series featuring Det. William Warwick, a familiar character to fans of this author. As per usual I will recommend you start from book one - always good practise - but with this series I think very necessary as there are a few threads that continue throughout the series and one main storyline which began in book one and is yet to be resolved. Although there is a bit of catch-up and fill-in, I think you won't get the full picture unless you read the previous books.
So, William Warwick is tasked with being a part of the new Met Police Cold Case Squad which he is to join when he returns from New York, he being currently on a cruise ship heading there. Meanwhile the deceased Miles Faulkner is anything but and is currently in Geneva and planning his wedding to his own widow. And that's just the tip of the iceberg to what is going on in this book. We have a death at sea which William tries to get to the bottom of, shenanigans between other members of the Cold Case squad, including a former undercover officer, the many cases that they are trying to solve, and that's without throwing Beth and Christina into the mix... I had to have my wits about me reading this, I can tell you! Bit convoluted, but extremely well plotted and the author manages to keep all the balls in the air well, all the way through.
It's fast paced and the story gets on with itself very well. Pacing matches the narrative throughout and there are scant wasted words and no superfluous padding. Characters - established series and episode extras - are all well drawn and act well according to their remits! I bonded with William from the off in book one and that relationship is still going strong through this book. I also found the crimes being solved in this book to be both fascinating and interesting and it was also good to see how they were solved.
All in all, a good addition to what looks to be a series that will run. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This series is getting better as each book comes along. I thought the addition of DI Ross Hogan as a main character, rather than the undercover Marlborough Man, added depth and a great foil to DCI Warwick's character. I love the relationship between William and his wife Beth, yes it's very upper class, but there's real humour, humanity and married life there. As always Jeffrey Archer is the consummate storyteller, drawing the reader in from the start. This was a great way to spend an autumn Sunday and a brilliant way to hit reset ready for the week ahead. One word of caution - you need to have read the earlier books to be know what this is all about. #netgalley #overmydeadbody

In London, the Metropolitan Police set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit, a cold case squad, to catch the criminals nobody else can. In Geneva, millionaire art collector Miles Faulkner who was convicted of forgery and theft was pronounced dead two months ago but why is his unscrupulous lawyer still representing a dead client? On a luxury liner en route to New York, the battle for power within a wealthy dynasty is about to turn to murder. At the heart of all three investigations are Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick, rising star of the Met, and ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan, brought in from the cold.
Another page turning enthralling read. I’ve long learned that when I start one of the author's books I'm not moving until it's finished & this was no exception. A very well written, well researched book with characters of depth. It's fast paced & drew me in from cover to cover. Another brilliant read buy a master storyteller
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Another instalment in the William Warwick saga and another brilliant read. I loved every minute of this book and read it in one day. Jeffery Archer is the master storyteller. A brilliant tale of foes, old and new and wonderful development in the subplots of all the main characters especially in the live’s of William and his wife and family. The writing is so clever that you’ll not want to finish and like me you’ll be desperate to find out what happens in the next one when you do

Another superb novel in this terrific series!

When the Met creates a new squad to deal with unsolved cases, there is no better person to head it up than Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick. With the recent death of Miles Faulkner, Warwick should be able to rest easy but why is Faulkner’s unscrupulous lawyer still acting on his behalf? With a new addition to the team in the form of Ross Hogan, an ex-undercover officer who is used to being very much a lone wolf, Warwick will need to keep a very close eye on developments. And while accompanying his wife on a luxury cruise liner across the Atlantic, there is the small matter of a wealthy dynasty’s power struggle on board. He certainly has his hands full in this fourth novel!

I’ve been a fan of Jeffrey Archer ever since reading his first novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less; I was completely taken with the clever writing and flawless plotting and have barely missed a book since. I’m very fond of the William Warwick books – each one is a tribute to the author’s clever manipulation of his characters and he has never lost his touch in keeping readers enthralled; in fact, his ability to produce a thrilling and exciting novel has increased with each book. Warwick is as smart as they come, matched only by his wife’s quick wit! Their relationship provides some light-hearted humour to counteract the serious matter of all the crime he has to deal with. This is one author whose books I reach the end of far too soon and I hope there are many more to come. An awesome, first-class read as always, and easily earning all five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Another thrilling instalment from the William Warwick series. Twist and turns galore. An action packed paged turner, I couldn't put it down. Just what you'd expect from Mr Archer. If you've enjoyed the rest of the series you're going to love this.

Jeffrey Acrher still remains a great author.
A cleverly written story with the chase of a clever criminal with many adventures on the journeys taken, but who would ot smart who?
Loved it!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for allowing me to read #OverMyDeadBody by #JeffreyArcher in return for an honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HarperCollins for allowing me to read #OverMyDeadBody by #JeffreyArcher
Ever since Kane and Abel I have loved Jeffrey Archers books.
A natural story teller who cleverly weaves different strands that come together so perfectly.
Detective Chief inspector William Warwick with the metropolitan police is working 4 cold cases along with his team while also trying to find convicted art dealer Miles Faulkner who faked his own death two months earlier.
As his officers each take a case to solve Warwick overseas everything.
A compelling tale that keeps you entertained and confused until the end.
A master of his craft.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book four in the Detective William Warwick Series but can easily be read as a stand-alone. Although I read The Clifton Chronicles for some reason this spin off series has passed me by until now, I will be rectifying that. This is a fast paced, and exciting family saga/police procedural thriller which kept my attention from start to finish.

Briefly, DCI William Warwick and his wife Emma are on a cruise to New York when an unexpected death results in William being asked to take on an investigation into the death. On reaching New York William is summoned back to London, to head up a new Unsolved Murders Unit to try to bring criminals, who have previously escaped justice, to book. He is also keen to find Miles Faulkner, a multi millionaire and obsessive art collector who escaped jail having been convicted of fraud and art forgery. With his handpicked team, including maverick Ross Hogan, a former undercover officer, they set about solving the unsolvable.

This is brilliantly written, lots of different threads all coming seamlessly together and I really enjoyed it. There are heart stopping moments, one in particular that had me “oh no’ing” and which set off a dramatic turn of events. A great read and one I’d happily recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Gripping Murder Mystery from Jeffery Archer
Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick has the help of bright teenager James Buchanan and waiter Franco with his latest case, which starts with a murder aboard a cruise ship. There are hidden identities, rival East End gangs and a dodgy criminal doctor. Written with a light touch, a book you want to keep reading.

Wonderful story. I love Jeffrey Archer’s books, they never disappoint. Although this seems quite a lot different to his others it was still very enjoyable. His writing just flows easily and is very readable. This story was great and I devoured it in a day. A pleasure to read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I love Jeffrey Archer's books but have not read about William Warwick before even though I understand this has been a series. It doesn't matter that you haven't read any others but it is something I need to remedy!!
Again, there was a thoroughly enjoyable storyline with great characters starting on a cruise to New York! Chasing a criminal who is believed dead, William enlists the help of Ross Hogan to track him down.
The book has everything you would want in a crime thriller.

This is my first Jeffrey A. I can hear my dad spinning in his grave. God forgive me, I can't believe I'm saying this but........it was great. Totally unbelievable, absolute nonsense, but I was hooked. It finishes all neat and tidy, no loose ends. It's great fun, dare I say, a caper? Sorry dad.