The Clifton Chronicles: Only Time Will Tell (Book 1)

Ambitious and addictive, Only Time Will Tell is the gripping first novel in Jeffrey Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles, beginning the epic tale of Harry Clifton, a working-class boy from the docks of Bristol.

It is 1920, and against the backdrop of a world ravaged by conflict, Harry’s story begins with the haunting words: ‘I was told that my father was killed in the war’. Destined for a life of hard labour on the docks, Harry’s fate is forever altered when a remarkable gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys' school, granting him entry into a world of privilege he could never have imagined.

Over the course of twenty years, as the Second World War draws nearer, Harry will uncover the awful truth about his father’s death and his secret connections to the powerful Barrington shipping dynasty. Richly imagined and populated with unforgettable characters, this powerful journey brings to life decades of family history in a story that will change Harry's destiny forever.