A Prisoner of Birth

Author: Jeffrey Archer
ISBN: 0312379293
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
Customer Rating:

, based on 74 reviews

Lowest Price: $6.94
By Supplier: Beacon Way Media

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Editorial Review:

International bestseller and master storyteller Jeffrey Archer is at the very top of his game in a story of fate and fortune, redemption and revenge.

If Danny Cartwright had proposed to Beth Wilson the day before, or the day after, he would not have been arrested and charged with the murder of his best friend. But when the four prosecution witnesses are a barrister, a popular actor, an aristocrat, and the youngest partner in an established firm’s history, who is going to believe your side of the story?

Danny is sentenced to twenty-two years and sent to Belmarsh prison, the highest-security jail in the land, from where no inmate has ever escaped.

However, Spencer Craig, Lawrence Davenport, Gerald Payne, and Toby Mortimer all underestimate Danny’s determination to seek revenge, and Beth’s relentless quest to pursue justice, which ends up with all four fighting for their lives,

Thus begins Jeffrey Archer’s most powerful novel since Kane and Abel, with a cast of characters that will remain with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

And if that is not enough, prepare for an ending that will shock even the most ardent of Archer’s fans.

Customer Reviews:

Preposterous Plot, But Still a Pretty Good Read

The premise of the plot: That an illiterate mechanic from London's East End could swap places with a Scottish peer and become a world-class business brain in only a few years -- is simply preposterous. Archer depends here far too much on coincidence and serendipity in his plot and weaves a story that requires the reader to suspend credulity. One finds oneself laughing derisively at the ridiculous plot twists. HOWEVER...the book is pretty well written and once you realize that this is a fairy tale, no less than The Lord of the Rings or The Wizard of Oz, you can sit back and enjoy the book, with all its complicated twists and turns and compelling courtroom dialog. It's a well-written opus, but it's not a serious book. It's a modern-day version of "The Count of Monte Cristo". Read it if you have time to kill and you're bored.

2009-01-06

Wow. One of Archer's Best

This was an exceptionally well-written book that I could not put down. Archer weaves a wonderfully intellectually stimulating read. This book ranks with First Among Equals and A Matter of Honor. This was an outstanding book. Outstanding. I have already pre-ordered his next book due in March.

2009-01-02

Officially Became One of My Top 5's

To start, I have read on average 52-60 novels per year for the past 17 years. That's an average. I started reading this book a little over a week ago and just finished it. Obviously, the second someone is done with a book is not always the most objective time to review a book but I just couldn't wait.

I'll assume you know the plot line and the players. Just think Count of Monte' Cristo meets 'Any John Grisham book' meets Wallstreet (movie) meets Shawshank Redemption. You get the idea.

It has everything and it is done in a very proper and respectful English manner and it is done perfectly. Right this second, out of nearly 1000 books it is my #2. That's got to stand for something.

2009-01-01

Good.

Hmmm...you know Archer. He writes neat fast-paced fiction. His books are certainly not the gentle love story, rib-tickling funny, tear-jerker kind. He's all about unbridled passion, formidable enemies, money, power, and revenge. A prisoner of Birth is too.

A small-time mechanic goes to a regular hangout with his fiance and her brother who also happens to be his best friend, to celebrate his engagement to his fiance. They are provoked by a couple of rich/famous/highly-placed/all guys into a brawl and the would-be brother-in-law gets killed. The mechanic is blamed for it and is sent to prison, away from his fiance who it turns out is pregnant with their child. How he escapes from prison and exacts revenge forms the rest of the story. The plot has been beaten to death, but hey, it's about how Archer writes it.

2008-12-31

Prisoner to My Chair

This was the first book I received on my new Kindle and I can't put it down. This is a courtroom thriller combined with action. All the other reviews saying this is a modern times Count of Monte Cristo are exactly right. Jeffrey Archer's style is brilliant and takes you on an incredible chronological journey of a man up for trial for a crime he did not commit. Archer takes you from one perspective to another without the slightest break or interruption. This book just flows and it is exciting. I highly recommend and the Kindle version is great as well!

2008-12-31

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