Book Review: Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer

Title: Nothing Ventured

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Publisher: Pan

Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Nothing Ventured’ marks the start of a brand new series featuring Detective Inspector William Warwick, who is a character written by author Harry Clifton in Archer’s Clifton Chronicles series.

The story opens with William Warwick wanting to join the Metropolitan Police force much to the dismay of his father Sir Julian Warwick QC, who hoped his son would join him in chambers and train to be a barrister. William doesn’t relent and is backed by his mother and his sister Grace.

Joining the London police force straight out of school, he quickly proves himself to his superiors and soon moves from being a patrol officer to fledgling detective for Scotland Yard’s Arts and Antiquities unit. There, he investigates forgeries, counterfeit antiquities, a missing Rembrandt, and a master art thief. 

Throughout the pages we see the character of William Warwick grow more endearing. He’s a well-bred youth full of intelligence and ambition. But we also find him naïve who’s got a lot to learn. Which he does while being surrounded by a distinctive cast of family and colleagues who have the best of intentions in their hearts for him. 

During investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum seven years ago, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery. He falls hopelessly in love with her and the feeling is mutual. However, Beth comes with her own baggage that she's terrified will come to light and strain their relationship. William, the gentleman that he is, rises to the occasion and helps Beth straighten things.

'Nothing Ventured' is wrought with twists, triumphs, and tragedy and Archer cranks it up further with an unexpected ending—a cliffhanger certain to create clamor for the next installment.

Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include the Clifton Chronicles, Kane and Abel and Cat O’ Nine Tales, has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 275 million copies. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction, short stories and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). A member of the House of Lords for over a quarter of a century, the author is married to Dame Mary Archer, and they have two sons, two grandsons and a granddaughter.

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I'd like to thank the publisher for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in, Google

Cover Reveal: Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer

~ Cover Reveal ~

Title: Nothing Ventured

Author: Jeffrey Archer

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Release Date: 5 September, 2019

Nothing Ventured is the incredible and thrilling novel by the master storyteller and bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel, Jeffrey Archer.

This is not a detective story, this is a story about the making of a detective . . .

William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a barrister like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force.

After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery who he falls hopelessly in love with, even as Beth guards a secret of her own that she’s terrified will come to light.

While William follows the trail of the missing masterpiece, he comes up against suave art collector Miles Faulkner and his brilliant lawyer, Booth Watson QC, who are willing to bend the law to breaking point to stay one step ahead of William. Meanwhile, Miles Faulkner’s wife, Christina, befriends William, but whose side is she really on?

Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include the Clifton Chronicles, Kane and Abel and Cat O' Nine Tales, has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 275 million copies. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction, short stories and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). A member of the House of Lords for over a quarter of a century, the author is married to Dame Mary Archer, and they have two sons, two grandsons and a granddaughter.