Member Review
Review by
Aravind R, Reviewer
Jeffrey Archer is eighty-four and is churning out novels like he is fifty or more years younger. His latest, An Eye for an Eye, is the seventh in the William Warwick series to be published within five years!
Simon Hartley, leading the English delegation to Saudi Arabia to negotiate a three-billion-pound arms deal, gets arrested for a murder committed by a powerful man in front of his own eyes. His fate and that of the arms deal, in turn, hinges on the testimony of a woman, a British citizen, whose life is in danger thanks to her connection to both the killer and the victim. Getting the woman out of the country in secret and keeping her safe is essential, and the task lands with Chief Superintendent William Warwick’s team. Miles Faulkner – team Warwick’s archenemy – is out of prison after serving three years and has already planned his move to destroy Beth Warwick’s – William’s wife – career in the art world. Booth Watson – the devious advocate of Miles – catches a handsome fish in the form of some invaluable antique documents in the hands of an unsuspecting, recently widowed lady during one of his funeral-chasing expeditions and takes the proposal to his biggest client. Things become deadly when two of these matters become interlinked, and another murder is committed. Already overstretched, team Warwick, especially Chief Inspector Ross Hogan, must employ all means – legal and less so – to thwart the enemies’ plans.
Spanning three continents with a couple of murders thrown in, An Eye for an Eye is a bit more intense than the previous one and is as enjoyable. This one, too, like most Archer novels, is plot-heavy, without much time for character development. However, most of the primary characters are already well established, and the new ones are described adequately to do the job. As always, Archer’s prose is simple and flowing, and the plot progresses swiftly with several twists, a few of them unexpected. Apart from the main story, the personal lives of Warwick, Ross, and Christina – Miles’s ex-wife – also find space in the entertaining narrative. Archer provides authentic descriptions of the nineties London and many historical titbits about art and other matters. There are places where the actions of a few characters are questionable, and the usual irritants like the formalities connected with the royal affairs, Warwick’s lack of contribution, and the somewhat dated narration are present in this volume also. Still, Archer’s storytelling has a charm that makes one forgive these issues. The ending of An Eye for an Eye has a hook that will make the readers – at least this one – want to know what happens next.
I had a good time reading An Eye for an Eye, but I would be thrilled if Archer finishes this series with the next one and follows that up with something contemporary.
My gratitude to HarperCollins UK for the Digital Review Copy of An Eye for an Eye through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
Simon Hartley, leading the English delegation to Saudi Arabia to negotiate a three-billion-pound arms deal, gets arrested for a murder committed by a powerful man in front of his own eyes. His fate and that of the arms deal, in turn, hinges on the testimony of a woman, a British citizen, whose life is in danger thanks to her connection to both the killer and the victim. Getting the woman out of the country in secret and keeping her safe is essential, and the task lands with Chief Superintendent William Warwick’s team. Miles Faulkner – team Warwick’s archenemy – is out of prison after serving three years and has already planned his move to destroy Beth Warwick’s – William’s wife – career in the art world. Booth Watson – the devious advocate of Miles – catches a handsome fish in the form of some invaluable antique documents in the hands of an unsuspecting, recently widowed lady during one of his funeral-chasing expeditions and takes the proposal to his biggest client. Things become deadly when two of these matters become interlinked, and another murder is committed. Already overstretched, team Warwick, especially Chief Inspector Ross Hogan, must employ all means – legal and less so – to thwart the enemies’ plans.
Spanning three continents with a couple of murders thrown in, An Eye for an Eye is a bit more intense than the previous one and is as enjoyable. This one, too, like most Archer novels, is plot-heavy, without much time for character development. However, most of the primary characters are already well established, and the new ones are described adequately to do the job. As always, Archer’s prose is simple and flowing, and the plot progresses swiftly with several twists, a few of them unexpected. Apart from the main story, the personal lives of Warwick, Ross, and Christina – Miles’s ex-wife – also find space in the entertaining narrative. Archer provides authentic descriptions of the nineties London and many historical titbits about art and other matters. There are places where the actions of a few characters are questionable, and the usual irritants like the formalities connected with the royal affairs, Warwick’s lack of contribution, and the somewhat dated narration are present in this volume also. Still, Archer’s storytelling has a charm that makes one forgive these issues. The ending of An Eye for an Eye has a hook that will make the readers – at least this one – want to know what happens next.
I had a good time reading An Eye for an Eye, but I would be thrilled if Archer finishes this series with the next one and follows that up with something contemporary.
My gratitude to HarperCollins UK for the Digital Review Copy of An Eye for an Eye through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.
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