It is 1988. DCI William Warwick and his squad of Scotland Yard officers are charged with investigating Royalty Protection Command. What they discover is a trail of corruption that goes to the very top.

Miles Faulkner, forcibly (and possibly illegally) returned to the UK from Spain, is in Belmarsh prison awaiting a court hearing. His devious lawyer, Booth Watson, is determined to milk Faulkner of his fortune, including an extensive art collection. Faulkner's ex-wife Christina also wants to get her hands on the paintings.

Ross Hogan, one of Warwick's operatives, is charged with protecting a very important individual; however, she proves quite a handful. Hogan doesn't like someone she is associating with, and for good reason, as a plot develops that places national security front and centre.

A renegade organisation is determined to strike at the very heart of British life and its ultimate target is the most high-profile woman in the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Apart from all the double-crossing going on, there is a strong narrative thread and all the various plotlines are expertly drawn together.

Booth Watson is morally bankrupt, more so even than Faulkner, who proves an entertaining character if not an entirely likeable one. I also liked the family dynamics with Warwick, his wife Beth and their children, and his lawyer father Julian.

Despite having read quite a lot of Jeffrey Archer's books over the years, this is the first of his Warwick books that I have come across. I would be very happy to read the four preceding stories.

I was sent a digital ARC of this book by HarperCollins UK, in return for an honest appraisal.

An enjoyable read, although it did place Scotland Yard into an excellent light. And there was a lot of elitism, and I am certain some poetic licence.

All that aside, it was good fun.

4 stars.

Fast, entertaining, engrossing read. A great cast of characters. I haven’t Red the others in this series, although I think it may have provided some more gs ground if I had, this can be enjoyed as a stand alone

Continuing the story of William Warwick who is now a Detective Chief Inspector. As usual Jeffrey Archer's book is unputdownable.

I would thoroughly recommend it.

London, 1988. Royal fever sweeps the nation as Britain falls in love with the ‘people’s princess’.

Which means for Scotland Yard, the focus is on the elite Royalty Protection Command, and its commanding officer. Entrusted with protecting the most famous family on earth, they quite simply have to be the best. A weak link could spell disaster.

Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are sent in to investigate the team. Maverick ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan is charged with a very sensitive―and unique―responsibility. But it soon becomes clear the problems in Royalty Protection are just the beginning. A renegade organization has the security of the country―and the Crown―in its sights. The only question is which target is next in line…

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

This is the latest instalment of the escapades of one William Warwick and takes up where book 4 left off. This time we have the added glamour of the Royal Family to contend with, most notably Diana, Princess of Wales.

There is a lot of artistic license taken with this book but that doesn't matter when you have a story as engaging and fast paced as this. Jeffrey Archer is a wonderful writer and captures 1980's London perfectly. A really enjoyable read.

This is the 5th book in the Detective William Warwick series and although it can be read as a stand alone, I would recommend starting this great series.
When Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are sent in to investigate the Royal protection team.it soon becomes clear there are major problems and the story grows and gains pace from there.
Another excellent book from this brilliant author

Another cracker from Archer! Superb storyline, twists and turns and one of our favourite investigator...recipe for a page turner right there!

Archer has done it again another great page turner with some familiar characters. I am really enjoying these characters and the way they are moving forward

An interesting read, a good plot with intertwining subplots and a complex but interesting main character. I was entertained and intrigued by the characters and story. My main problem was entirely of my own making, as a serial reader of detective fiction I am more used to books which are generally readable in any order irrespective of their place in the series, however this would be much more enjoyable if you are familiar with the story up to this point!

I found this a little hard to follow with the different characters and storylines but it was a interesting plot in the end. It took a while for me to become immersed in the book as I think it starts out slow but it definitely picks up.

It's always a treat to have a Jeffrey Archer novel to finish over the festive period. This one is no exception. The pacing is sublime and the plot development is masterly executed.

It starts slowly but excitement and pace pick up right until the end. There are some very minor quibbles, I'd prefer to see a semiquaver than a demiquaver. Stewards aren't usually waving their arms at the University Boat Race, but as the author states in the afterword, it's the story, not the details that matter.

I'm already excited for the next book in the series and wish the author a restful and productive writing trip to Mallorca in the new year. Thank you for writing such an enthralling and compelling series.

A brilliant story which had me hooked from the start. I found the storyline about the Princess of Wales and the way the Royal Protection Unit work absolutely fascinating to read and was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it ended! That alongside the ongoing story about William Warwick, Miles Faulkner, Booth Watson lead to this being a really enjoyable read. Jeffrey Archer does it again, roll on the next one!

Another great book by Archer. The characters are well thought out and the plot is great too. Found the narrative to be exceptional.

I did not realise this was part of a series before I started reading it, but it can still be read as a stand alone novel. There are lots of different story lines to begin with, which takes some time to get to grips with, but the switch between the storylines is clear, and definitely engaging. Found myself reaching for it more than anticipated, definitely kept me on my toes!

I have not read a Jeffrey Archer book for years. He has still got it. This book was a real page turner, I loved it.

Interesting and intriguing mystery thriller from Archer's William Warrick series. This is the first I've read by Jeffrey Archer in a while - when I picked it up, I didn't realize it was a shorter novel than I'm used to, however, it was enjoyable nonetheless.

I always know Jeffrey Archer will be a reliable and competent read, and Next In Line was exactly that... but honestly, I found it a bit dull. Perhaps it would have helped to have read the previous books featuring these characters- my error as an only occasional Archer-reader- but it just felt like nothing much happened until the last fifth of the book, and even then the excitement, such as it was, felt like a meagre pay-off for the wait.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

👮🏼‍♂️𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄👮🏼‍♂️⁣
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𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦 by Jeffrey Archer⁣
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"Next in Line" is number five in the six part series focusing on Detective William Warwick, with this one is set in 1988 and revolved around two elements - Warwick's department having to bring an old foe into the fold, and the group getting involved with the protection of the Royals, specifically a very well known member of the family 👸🏼...⁣
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I've only read #4 in the series but I enjoyed this one just as much - the older setting of these books works really well, and suits the detective element especially. No snazzy devices and instantaneous information to help here.⁣
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The cast of characters are great, with ex-undecover cop Ross Hogan as a particular favourite of mine. Warwick's relationship with wife Beth is great, and their conversations provide a wonderfully witty element to the story. Plus Beth gets a side storyline of her own here which I enjoyed a lot.⁣
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If you're looking for an old-school detective drama you can't go wrong here, especially as there is a small backlist to enjoy too.⁣
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Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the arc of this title in return for my honest review. I listened to some of it also (it is out since September) and the audio is great as well!

Great story line. protection service corruption and Princess Diana.
I really enjoyed reading this book. was easy to pick up from where you left off.
i will have to go back and read the first 4 as i think there are some bits i missed from previous books.