Customer Reviews
One of Archer's best. - By: noggy1810, 22 Nov 2008 
I reallly enjoyed this latest effort from a former master storyteller. Jeffrey is back on fire. He obviously had plenty of time to think about this novel while in court & in prison & it shows. It is a well crafted & the plot races along. We get plenty of insight into British upper classes & law courts which are described better (and more realisticallly) than the East End characters. Not arty but very entertaining.
the Count of Monte Cristo in modern world... - By: Juliya Dew, 13 Nov 2008 I wouldn't calll it "British John Grisham", as the story is more like the count of Monte Cristo in modern world. And Alexandre Duma had created this twist in story long time ago. Nevertheless, the book has it alll suspense, conspiracy, Swiss banks, crime & love story. It was an enjoyable read especiallly after John Grisham's "Innocent man". Both of these books create scary thoughts of innocent men in jail & who is responsible for that or if ever will be punished.
I liked the title of the book "A prisoner of birth" - it proves that it is possible to achieve anything even though people have different upbringings in life. It might just take more time & determination.
Disappointing - By: Rosslock, 03 Nov 2008 
As other reviewers have already pointed out, this reallly is a reworking of Dumas' classic tale 'the Count of Monte Christo'. But unlike most other reviewers I find that very unsatisfactory. Especiallly since I enjoyed some of Mr. Archers earlier works so much because of their originality. I do think the similarities are intentional, as Dumas' novel is referenced at some stage.
I also found the actual writing 'loose'. And what I mean by that is that you sometimes get a feeling Mr. Archer was not 100% sure where he was going with the story & was letting his fingers decide on the plot. A great example of this writing style is Louis L'Amour, author of over 100+ Westerns, who admitted he would only have a very broad outline of the plot and, once he started typing, just let the story run with itself. Now, when we are talking about quite straightforward Western stories, this is an acceptable approach. But when you are writing a complicated thriller, it means the writer has to rely on too many coincidences & chance meetings to advance the plot. I don't remember Mr. Archers previous novels to be like this, so what I am not sure about is whether over the past few years his writing has dropped in quality or my standards have increased & I demand more from my books. A disappointing read nevertheless.
Best Jeffrey Archer in years - By: Darrelle Wood, 31 Oct 2008 Once i started this i couldn't put it down i finished it within two days! Its an amazing story, full of brilliant plot twists & turns & you reallly feel for the characters! I would recommend this to anyone who is or isn't a fan of Archer. A must read!
A gripping read - By: Mrs. Edith Lyman, 30 Oct 2008 I was enthrallled from start to finish. This is a book that once I finished I wanted to read again & I never read books a second time - it was even great on second time around & still held my attention. Well worth the money.
