Sons of Fortune
Jeffrey Archer
(Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
2003 St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0312313195

Twins, separated at birth, reunite in the political arena.

Sr. Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

Jeffrey Archer's latest thriller is a powerful story of maternal twins separated by fate & reunited by destiny.

About 18 months back while reviewing Archer's play The Accused I had commented whether the play was the author's last bow, given the fact that he had been sentenced to undergo imprisonment for perjury & was put on suicide watch. I had genuine doubt whether Archer could bounce back...& so after a 4-year hiatus when the ex-Lord has published this novel, I eagerly, but with trepidation, picked up the book--& my verdict--well, without mincing words--it is S-U-P-E-R-B.

The next Archer novel was in the news for quite sometime. First titled Serendipity, later renamed In the Lap of Gods, & finally published as Sons of Fortune it is a story of twins boys, separated at birth (& not by accident!), each pursuing his own career, & finally meeting, rather clashing with each other in a race for Governorship.

Nat Cartwright & Fletcher Davenport non-identical twins grow up without knowing of each other's existence. Though they face similar obstacles, come out successful in their avocation--Nat is a currency dealer while Fletcher is a criminal lawyer--both had never crossed each other's paths. However, when they decide to enter politics, & run for election...it becomes the ultimate showdown.

Sons of Fortune is the best Archer novel in the last decade. Following the fantabulous success of Kane and Abel, Archer was unable to match it in subsequent works. Sons of Fortune successfully combines the elements of both First Among Equals & Kane and Abel & provides interesting reading. It reaffirms Archer's position as the No. 1 storyteller of his generation--surely the O. Henry of modern times.

More from Jeffrey Archer: The Accused, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, The Fourth Estate, Honor Among Thieves, Shall We Tell the President?, The Eleventh Commandment, The Prodigal Daughter & more!
(04/27/03)

Narayan
2003©Narayan Radhakrishnan
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I am a 26 years old lawyer practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Along with my legal practice, I have finished post-graduate studies for both Business Law & Human Rights. I am a self proclaimed numero-uno legal thriller lover & am the proud owner of all of Grisham's & Turow's novels. I enjoy John Mortimer's Rumpole & relish an occasional Martini & a rare Scot(ch)t-oline with a Patterson on the side.

My work A FICTION OF LAW is now about 500 pages in length & features 500 lawyer authors & 2000 legal thrillers covering a 300 year period - inclusive of entries from the USA, UK, Asia, Europe, China, Middle East etc. Still in search of a publisher.
www.keralatourism.org