Book Review: Heads you win by Jeffrey Archer

Description

Leningrad, Russia,1968: When Alexander’s father is assassinated by the KGB, he and his mother must flee if they are to survive. The decision to board a container ship bound for America or Britain comes down to one coin toss. Heads You Win deftly explores the twists and turns of Alexander Karpenko’s life. Not since Kane & Abel have readers been treated to such a triumph of inventive and epic storytelling.

Review: 5 Stars

Jeffrey Archer is called a master story teller for a reason. His books are captivating and spellbinding. This one is no exception. I enjoy thrillers and I usually don’t like to read historical books or overly political books, but when it comes to Archer, the genre becomes irrelevant and the story is all that matters. I have devoured every novel and short story he’s ever published and never have I been disappointed. This book held my attention from the first word and it was a very easy and enjoyable read. 

Often in life we are faced with choices, we take our pick and live our life. Sometimes we do look back and wonder what if we picked differently. What would happen then, where would you be today? This book gives you a taste of that. The story of Alexander Karpenko starts in Russia, circumstances require him to escape from Russia and a coin toss is to decide his future for him. At this point the story splits in to two, Alexander becomes Sasha-headed to London and Alex- headed to New York. The chapters alternate and depict Alexander’s life story resulting from both outcomes of the coin toss. It’s almost like reading 2 books at once! I love that both the stories move towards one goal and almost converge so to say, it reinforces my belief that no matter what path you take in life you will eventually reach your destined destination. The 2 stories are intriguing and chalk out completely different paths for Alexander, yet whether  you are a  humble honest politician or a successful rich businessman all that matters in the end is your true calling. 

The twist at the end of the book is a master stroke. I’m not going to say much since I do not want to give the plot twist away but I will say that this may not be the last we hear of Alexander Karpenko. Heads or tail if you read this book you win for sure. 

Archer has merged real life incidents and politics so well with this fictional character that you begin to wonder if this is fiction at all or a true story! His knowledge and grasp on politics and his master story telling make an immensely satisfying read. The narration makes you want to keep reading and get lost in the plot. This one is another winner by Archer. Highly recommended!

Thank you St Martin’s Press and Jeffrey Archer for giving me an Advanced Reader edition of this book.