The Clifton Chronicles: Book 5, Mightier than the Sword (2015) by Jeffrey Archer
Clifton Chronicles have had readers hanging for the next chapter from the beginning, and book 4 was no exception. Book 5 deviates from the series slightly - someone might have pointed out to the author that clear definitions of good people separated from bad is not quite considered literature by elite, and confusion or at least grey shades must be stroked in. So he has gone major in the adorable little boy who has grown up, unlike his adopted sister and in reality half sister of his mom (if not of both his parents) who got killed in the earlier one, and takes the pick for being shaded grey. He is good, but feels the need to prove himself adequate as a man in providing for his life on his own, and strays from being perfect on a level understood by all good people, albeit within law. This provides the shading, while the major themes are Virginia Fenwick, Major Fisher and co championing vendetta against Barringtons for being good, trying to destroy them, not quite succeeding yet but not quite failed completely either, nor quite vanquished themselves - that is left for the book 6, surprisingly, since initially readers were promised only five books in the series. Since readers are hooked, more the better, and the series could go on as long as the author lives.
This one introduces a new factor, that of cold war and suppression of authors in particular and intelligentsia in general by former Soviet regime; one is reminded of various real life figures who suffered this in the figure of Babakov whose book about Uncle Joe has been all but completely destroyed and has only Harry Clifton for a possible saviour, since not only he champions his cause, using his own status as an author célébré, but also uses his status as a peripheral diplomat to travel to USSR to get a hidden copy out, and has other arrows to his bow when caught. It would be delightful if Archer did not make officials of USSR look quite so stupid, apart from smug, but then he is looking at the world from English point of view, only slightly less obvious than US and France - and of course, Germany - in its derogatory view of the world in general and anyone opposing the west in particular.
Giles Barrington's new involvement meanwhile comes as a surprise, it is all too facile, and while he is sincere and his object d'amour not yet obvious about whether she is indeed involved or is a weapon used by east block to trap a member of parliament of England. It could be both, and then one would have the wait to see which way she finally steps.
Oh, and the ship did not sink - nor was there loss of life, unlike promised at the end of the last book. But the miscreants escaped, for the most part, including and especially the south american rich villain Martinez. So threats to Barringtons, while dormant, continue, apart from the Fenwick. Perhaps the two are to be brought together in the next book or one after that? Readers of course hope the Barringtons survive and the good win.
