Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer

The book is the third of seven. It's better than the first but not as good as the second. Harry and Emma's son Sebastian is going through school and Giles Barrington is trying to keep his seat in parliament. The last part of the book sees Sebastian off on an farcical and predictable adventure that had too much detail for me.

It's a story of good guys (the Cliftons and the Barringtons) and bad guys; the good guys are heroic, talented ands smart and the bad guys are despicable. The Barrington family have a knack for acquiring enemies and those emenies seem to enjoy making it their life's work to bring the family down. No doubt I'll be reading the next one, when I've nothing else to read!

A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird

I loved this book. It was definitely one to be read slowly and savoured and not a book to be rushed through. It tells the story of Willa at three stages of her life (8, 33 and 93). Each of these three Willas is able to visit the other using a jam jar that creates a magic ocean in the garden. 

I wasn't sure when I started reading whether the book would really be about time travel or whether it was about mental illness and one Willa was imagining the other two. I found the book a bit slow when the Willas first start meeting each other but the second half of the book was great. Tabitha Bird obviously has a wondeful imagination and it felt like a privilege to have access to it. That's not to say the book is all shiny and bright. Willa has a difficult childhood that she's desperate to escape and something tragic happens to Middle Willa (33) that Silver Willa (93) is trying to prevent. Gumboots and jam drops feaure heavily in the book. The final page is a receipe for jam drops and I'm going to try it. 

Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer

This is the second book in the Harry Clifton series. Harry has taken on another man's identify and ends up in prison for that man's crimes. Emma Barrington and Harry's mother are both told Harry died at sea but Emma goes looking for him. As Harry sits out the start of the World War II in prison, his friend Giles ends up in Tobruk.

This book is much better than the first. There are a series of chapters from each of the main characters perspectives. They cover different events, whereas in the first book they tended to cover the same events but from different perspectives. I'm sure I'll read the next book in the series.