Another excellent novel from Jeffrey Archer. A gripping stand-alone, it features rich characters, excellent prose, and believable dialogue. And quite the finale.
If you're a fan of Archer's work, then you should absolutely check this out.

Heads You Win is fantastic and a must read. Jeffrey Archer is a wonderful author and his books are wonderful.

I loved Archer's Clifton Chronicles series and looked forward to reading his newest book, but this one was a let down. Taking a single character and writing about the two paths his life could have gone down just didn't work for me -- it seemed muddled and the ending was confusing and left too many questions. I'll definitely try Archer again, but wouldn't recommend this one.

I saw the supposed "twist ending" coming from a mile away, but that didn't stop the enjoyment of reading another Archer book. I loved hi recent series and wished he would continue with that, however this book was well written and kept my attention throughout.

Although I have loved Jeffrey Archers' previous books, this one was not to my liking. I did not figure out right away that Alex and Sasha were one and the same person. I guess if I had paid more attention to the title, it would have clued me in that it was a telling description of the plot showing how one person’s choice in a moment can affect his destiny. Going back and forth between England and the United States was confusing at best, because it was seemingly one person. However, even though the mother Elena was the same person as well, the wives and peripheral characters differed, depending on which country was the chapter’s focus. I had to keep it straight in my head that Sasha = England and Charlie, while Alex = Unites States and Anna. While it was an interesting read, seeing how their lives progressed on a more or less parallel route, politics was too major a focus with very minute detail. That aspect of it may appeal to someone else, but it was difficult for me to follow and bored me. I kept reading, wondering how Archer was going to bring the two characters back together again, but was very disappointed in the ending. It was an easy way to get rid of Alexander, almost too abrupt after following the parallel lives for so long. Seemed too easy, and not enough thought went into it. The last line of the book left me hanging and shocked that it ended so abruptly. An effortless passage into the next book in the series?

At beat I can say t his book is terribly confusing. Archer writes of a man and his mother escaping The KGB by leaving Russia. What ensues is the story of two men and how their lives differ.. Too bad the two men are one and the same - it just depends on which path one takes. Very confusing. I thought I liked Jeffrey Archer, not I am not so sure I want to purchase another.

It's late in the 1960s and Alex Karpenko and his mother Elena are looking to escape the KGB in communist Russia. Their uncle helps them escape by hiding them in a crate to be loaded onto a cargo ship. On the dock, they must decide if the want to go to America or the UK. The decision is made with the flip of a coin.

It is here that the story gets very interesting because the author decided to write two stories of how their lives play out on both continents. We follow Alex and Elena as their life unfolds in the states. And we follow Sasha and his mother as their life unfolds in Britain. While there are some similarities regarding what happens to each young man, there are also significant differences. But in each case, whether it be Alex or Sasha, they both lead of life of honor, hard work and commitment.

It has been a very long time since I've read a book by Jeffrey Archer and I had forgotten what a masterful storyteller he is. I could not have picked a better book to bring me back into the fold. I immediately became attached to Sasha/Alex and Elena. The all met life's up and downs with grace and integrity. There is quite a surprise at the end that I did not see coming. I thought the conclusion was equal parts sad and brilliant.

This goes on my list of all time favorite books. It was plain and simple just that good.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.

When Alex and his mother escape Leningrad in a crate on a ship destiny is played out. One crate goes to the U.S. and one to England. Stories are told side by side depicting the life to be had in each country as Alex and his ultimately are led back to their homeland. This telling of dual lives a la Sliding Doors and we know a triumphant return in politics no less as President is unlikely.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

I realize this novel will appeal to Jeffrey Archer's fans and will certainly recommend it to patrons and friends looking for a skillfully written saga. Jeffrey Archer is always popular and this book will not disappoint

I cannot even give a spoiler alert for this one.
- The End is depressing.
- Ridiculous, circular story that held so much promise, goes nowhere in the middle and the end.
- This started so well but now it has gotten into a rut: Elena and Alex/ Sasha are 'wondering' in two separate trajectories what would have happened to them if they had taken the other boat: Jesus! Be happy you're out of Khrushchyovka, Leningrad!

Still thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

A struggling family escaping Russia must make a split-second decision at the docks: England or America? Jeffery Archer takes us into the imaginative world of what-if. One storyline follows the crate to England. The other is on the ship to America. What follows is the life of each young boy as he struggles and constantly wonders, “what if we had chosen the other crate?”
I enjoyed the storyline of each of the lead characters in this book; it was a bit confusing for me but I trusted that Archer had it sharp in his head. He’s an excellent author and I’ve enjoyed his novels for many years, Kane and Abel being my first great read. But this one kept me on my toes after the coin toss. The plot: one is based on heads, one is based on tails. Sasha and Alex each lead vastly different lives in England and America. Their stories of struggle, their strong mother Elena, their will to succeed and become the voice for those they most relate to is a common thread. Their lives are colorful; it’s enjoyable watching each go through his own personal struggles.
I trusted that all along the end would expose the means. Without spoiling it, I have to say that’s not what happened.
Jeffery Archer, you’re an astute writer. In my younger years, I could keep up with your logic. You made me work for this one. I loved every line of it
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for making it available.)

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.5 Hearts It is a simple game a lot of us play to make a decision… Heads you Win - Tails you Lose… But do you ever wonder if the decision was the right one after all? Well in this story we find out….

This story walks you through what could happen with either side of the coin.

I found this story interesting but a bit confusing at time. I kept wanting to read it and every time I think I have the end figured out I come across another turn in the road.

I would have given it the other ½ star except I kept having to re-read lines to understand what was going on and like I said parts were a bit confusing. But certainly worth the read.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this collection.

I found the story lines for Sasha and Alex reminiscent of the Clifton Chronicles which I devoured enthusiastically. Loved the idea of two different settings based on the consequences of impulsive decisions. Master story telling with complex character development, heinous villains and wise old advisors. I found the ending to be a bit abrupt, but shocking nonetheless. A good read if you enjoy wide sweeping sagas.

I read very few political thrillers, but for Archer I make an exception. From the beginning one is aware that they are in the hands of a author who has perfected his craft, has a firm grasp of his characters and the plot. His prose is written with clarity, his storyline flows seamlessly. What an unusual but perceptive, history in the making, storyline this turned out to be.

Russia, Alexander's father, a dockworker, secret orginizer of those in opposition to communism, is murdered by the KGB, an act that alters changes their future. His uncle, also s worker on the dock, helps he and his mother escape, they have no other option. Their are two vessels leaving, one for New York and one for England, a flip of the coin determines where they will be heading.

So begins a twin storyline, a storyline that follows them to both locations, or what would have been their lives after chosing which destination. That I found this not at all confusing, so interesting in fact, is the genius, in my opinion, of this author. Where their lives take them will eventually intersect but with very different endings. The last line is a zinger, dare I say brilliant, and I did not see it coming.

ARC from Netgalley.

Sir Jeffrey Archer is reliably trustworthy. His protagonists are heroic, courageous, and invariably possess a fully functional moral compass. I have read many, if not most of his novels, and I am invariably conflicted as I read the last page – gratified by the conclusion and sad to let go of characters I’ve come to care about.

Heads You Win is no exception as the hero is quintessential Archer. Indeed, he is heroic, courageous, and loyal. However, the main character is forced to make a binary decision at an early age which will impact the rest of his life. Faced with our own binary decisions, who has not grappled with the question of how their life would have evolved had they made a different choice? Archer structures this novel around that very question, and the reader finds out how each choice impacts the protagonist’s life. Ultimately, however, we are forced to wonder if the quality of character is the most important driver of our destiny.

This is a novel well worth reading. Lots of action combined with lots to think about. I did find it sometimes disconcerting to move from the protagonist’s life given one choice versus his life given the other choice. There were a couple of very short paragraphs towards the end of the book that seemed to undermine the basic premise of the story. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an E-ARC in exchange for a candid review.

Published by St. Martin's Press on November 6, 2018

Stories about immigrants are particularly important in a time when so many American nationalists seem to have forgotten that they are only Americans because their ancestors were once welcomed as immigrants. Too many Americans also forget the role that immigrants have played in fighting the nation’s wars. Jeffrey Archer provides a powerful reminder of those facts in Heads You Win, a unique novel that explores the two paths a Russian refugee’s life might have followed, depending on whether he boarded a ship bound for England or the United States.

In 1968, Alexander Karpenko’s father, Konstantin, is secretly attempting to organize a trade union when Alex’s friend, Vladimir, betrays Konstantin to the KGB. The betrayal produces Konstantin’s “accidental” death and fuels Alexander’s suspicion that Vladimir bought his way into the KGB by being a weasel. As a result of his treachery, Vladimir is given an education he doesn’t deserve, while the more capable Alex is given a job at the docks. Alex’s mother Elena, with an assist from her brother, decide that Alex will only have a future if he escapes from the Soviet Union.

There are two ships, two choices: England or the United States. He flips a coin. So where does he go? Archer imagines both fates, splitting Alexander in two and exploring both lives. In half of the novel, Alex and Elena travel to the United States. In the other half, Sasha and Elena disembark in England. Sasha’s voyage is more pleasant than Alex’s, perhaps because British seamen more civilized than Americans, but both versions of Alexander manage to survive and prosper, combining their natural talent with hard work to forge successful lives in their adopted countries.

In fact, thanks to his goalkeeping and math skills, Sasha lives something of a charmed life, despite discovering the trouble that a privileged kid can cause for a Russian immigrant. A bit of adversity, however, doesn’t prevent Sasha from helping his mother move over the course of time from chef to acclaimed restaurant owner.

In America, Alex and his mother are dependent on the apparent kindness of a Russian named Dimitri, a man Alex suspects to be a spy. But Alex’s biggest problem, apart from pursuing his dream of wealth while attending NYU, is the draft and Vietnam, a war that will haunt him for the rest of his life. This being America, Elena does not open a posh restaurant, but puts together a chain of pizza parlors.

At Cambridge, Vietnam isn’t on the horizon for Sasha, but a political career seems to be beckoning. Alex, on the other hand, pursues a business career. Both versions of the Russian immigrant would like to return to Russia to run for president and bring true democracy to the country.

The parallel stories are an unusual device. When Alex eventually travels to London and Sasha to New York, we learn that Alex and Sasha both exist, not in separate realities but (within the logic of the story) as two separate people inhabiting the same world, apparently having split in two at the moment of the coin flip. That element of fantasy requires the reader to suspend disbelief, but the twinned stories are so absorbing that I easily accepted the premise that made them possible.

As an idealized story of how an immigrant can make a difference, Heads You Win is admirable. Life for both Alex and Sasha might be too easy — certainly easier than the lives of most immigrants, whose families typically benefit from their hard work after a generation or two — but Horatio Alger stories are inspiring, and this one is captivating thanks to the wealth of detail that Archer brings to both lives. Some parts of the story (including a clever plot that Alex orchestrates near the end) are too improbable to be credible, but in a story that is ultimately a fantasy, improbability can be forgiven. The ending of one story is a surprise, but it might have been the only ending that would not do violence to history as we know it.

The story is one of hope, albeit tempered by realism. It is largely apolitical, although it pointedly rejects nationalism as both versions of Alexander strive to build a world that emphasizes our commonality rather than our differences, a world based on principles of equality and cooperation. In the atmosphere of America First and Brexit, any story that reminds us of the value immigrants bring to a nation and of the evils of nationalism is easy to recommend, particularly when it is executed with the storytelling skill for which Archer is known.

RECOMMENDED

Why was I so surprised by the ending? The clues were there, forget the clues it was almost a hammer strike to the head. It was like a bolt of lightning and I am still wandering around wondering how I got so absorbed in the story that I missed the logical conclusion. That is the definition of great writing and Sir Jeffrey Archer is at the top of his game.

The juxtaposition of the main characters with different lives in different countries over three decades was brilliant, interesting and engrossing. I charged through each section and then KAPOW that ending.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC

In Jeffrey Archer’s Heads You Win the toss of a coin determines the fate of Alexander Karpenko and his mother, They are fleeing Russia and must decide whether to go to London or New York. From here on we have two alternating stories - one as if they go to London and one as if they go to New York. At first I found the back and forth confusing. However, once I settled into the rhythm I enjoyed following both stories. I am conflicted about the ending but still found it to be a good read.

I really liked this book, but I had to take a star away because I am just confused about the ending.

The book begins with Alexander and his mom Elena escaping from Russia in the 1960s. A coin is tossed and that determines whether Alex hides in a crate on a ship headed towards England or one on its way to America. From that point on the book is told in dual situations. One chapter is entitled Alexander and tells about his life in America. The other chapter is called Sasha and tells about his life in England. Who is Sasha? Alexander's nickname in his dual life?

The book really kept my interest and I really enjoyed it. I only gave 3 stars because the last chapters really confused me. Who was who? Is there a book two? Was Sasha and Alexander two different families or just the same person using two different names playing both sides of the coin?
I received an ebook from Netgalley.com in exchange for a review.