Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer is a gripping political thriller that takes readers on a journey through the cutthroat world of British politics. Set against the backdrop of a controversial trial, the novel weaves a tale of power, betrayal, and redemption. The story follows the lives of several key characters, each with their own ambitions and motivations, as they navigate the treacherous waters of political intrigue and personal vendettas. As the plot unfolds, readers are kept on the edge of their seats, eager to uncover the truth behind the web of deceit and manipulation.
Archer's masterful storytelling and intricate plot development make Traitors Gate a compelling read, offering a thought-provoking commentary on the nature of power and the lengths to which individuals will go to achieve their goals.

Published by HarperCollins on September 26, 2023

For several novels (this one is number six), Jeffrey Archer has been following the stellar career of William Warwick as he has worked his way up the chain of command in London law enforcement. Warwick is a model of rectitude, a perfect officer who has a perfect marriage to a perfect wife and the smartest and most perfectly behaved children in all of England and thus the world. The ideal kids love learning British history because what could be more fascinating than knowing the year that William the Conqueror died? To be fair, British royalty is even more fascinating to every character in the novel. American readers might need to stifle a yawn at the various history lectures and Inside Royalty discussions that fill the pages while the plot pauses for a nap.

William becomes Chief Superintendent early in this novel, continuing his meteoric career ascension. He receives the news of his promotion while orchestrating the transportation of the crown jewels from the Tower of London to Parliament, where the Queen is about to give a boring speech. Readers who love the esoterica of British royal customs (I don’t know how many Americans are in that group) might enjoy all the gushing prose about Her Majesty’s performance of her royal duties. The fascination with the Queen is compounded by drooling descriptions of the red robes with white ermine worn by Lords, the Queen’s carriage, and all the other frivolity that accompanies British pomp and circumstance. Readers who have no interest in such pageantry can skip several sections of the novel. (Many will want to skip past the conversation that extolls the virtues of Margaret Thatcher. Tony Blair takes office during the novel, but characters keep their opinions about Blair to themselves.)

As always, William turns to Detective Inspector Ross Hogan when he needs something shady done and doesn’t want to sully his reputation. As always, the story features courtroom scenes involving William’s father, a barrister with a rigid stick up him bum who usually prosecutes for the Crown but occasionally represents defendants on the condition that they are actually innocent. As always, Booth Watson is an unethical barrister who opposes William’s father while serving the interest of greed. As always, Watson’s greediest client is Miles Faulkner who, as always, is assisted in his efforts at grifting his by ex-wife Christina, unless he happens to be grifting Christina as he does in this novel, as always. At this point, an AI could probably write these novels, perhaps more creatively than Archer.

Courtroom theatrics are generally the best elements in the Warwick novels, although Archer muddles some of the details. In one trial, Williams’ father elicits testimony from Hogan that methamphetamine is more commonly known as ecstasy, when in fact they are entirely different drugs. One might think that a cop would know that, even if the elder Warwick is too busy hobnobbing with members of the upper class to be bothered with knowledge of the cases he prosecutes. In a different case, the narrative three times refers to a witness as the client of Watson when Watson is prosecuting. As a prosecutor, his client is the Crown, not the witness. These are the kinds of errors an editor should have noticed. Still, the central courtroom scene has the kind of Perry Mason gotcha questions that enliven courtroom dramas.

Watson starts off the novel by trying to pull a con on a widow, offering to underpay for her gallery before reselling it at a hefty profit to Miles. William’s wife Beth intervenes to save the widow. Beth is an art dealer but has been invited to apply as the director of a prestigious art museum where she once worked. Beth’s business partner Christina is yet again looking to undercut Beth, making her the worst friend in history and raising questions about Beth’s inability to see what a wretch she’s chosen for a BFF.

Miles keeps getting released (or escaping) from prison so that William can lock him up again. His grand scheme in this novel — well, I mentioned the crown jewels, so you can guess his criminal goal. Another subplot involves Miles’ switch of a real Rubens for a forgery that was donated to the museum where Beth is about to be reemployed. Naturally William wants to switch it back, notwithstanding that the original is now in Miles’ Manhattan apartment. This segment of the novel feels like a space filler, given the recurring theme of Miles and Christina exchanging forged paintings for real ones throughout the series.

The crown jewels caper is less a theft (because what pawn shop will pay a fair price for the crown jewels?) and more an opportunity to embarrass William. There is little suspense as William finds ways to thwart Miles’ various criminal schemes, but the crown jewels plot is at least more original than the switched paintings. In another moderately interesting subplot, Miles tries to set up Hogan for attempting to influence a juror in the drug case by shagging her during the trial. William is certain that Hogan would shag the woman if given the opportunity but is confident that Hogan would wait until after the verdict. It’s good to have friends who understand your virtues and weaknesses.

I suppose there is a final book in this series upcoming, as William has not yet been given the top job. Miles will presumably be released from prison to torment William yet again. I’m recommending this book because readers who haven’t read the other books in the series might not be bored by this one, but I hope Archer soon finds less tedious characters to write about.

RECOMMENDED

Traitors Gate is the sixth installment in the William Warwick series by Jeffrey Archer. If you love detective and family sagas with well-developed characters, this Jeffrey Archer series is very satisfying.

The series continues with a new assignment involving transporting the Crown Jewels. The story also continues to follow criminal activity and revenge related to the art world. Will someone be able to pull off the ultimate heist? This was a fast, entertaining read with a bit of history thrown in. I can't wait to see what William Warwick is up to next!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Huge fan of Jeffrey Archer from his early days of Kane & Abel through the excellent Clifton Chronicles and now the entertaining William Warwick series. Traitors Gate does not disappoint! Thrilling plot, intriguing characters, great dialogue all come together for a great book. Every page is entertaining. I especially loved the British history sprinkled throughout.

Thanks NetGalley and Harper 360. All opinions are my own.

Archer as usual has me on the edge of my seat or rather the page. From chapter one I was hooked, and loved every moment. Can’t wait for the next book.

Jeffrey Archer sets such a high standard for thrilling stories with twists. Traitor’s Gate lives up to this standard. While I really enjoyed the subplot of earlier attempt of the heist of the Crown Jewels, I wish it would have been told by someone older than the children. It would have been more believable if the children spent more time with Tower personnel who could have told the story to the children. Anyway, good job….and now on to the next book. Thanks to #NetGalley and #TraitorsGate for advanced digital copy.

A master criminal has set his sights on stealing the Crown Jewels. I have read all of the other books in the Detective William Warwick series. This is book #6 in the series by Jeffrey Archer. Archer is a master entertainer at telling stories. I love his books and look forward to reading the next book in the series. If you want to know if stealing the Crown Jewels is possible, then read this book. You will not be disappointed and will get a real enjoyment out of reading a story written by Jeffrey Archer.

In TRAITORS GATE, we return to our old friend William Warwick. It's the 6th book in this series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Chief Superintendant William Warwick and his Scotland Yard team is tasked to protect the Crown Jewels while being worn by the Queen during the opening of Parliment. Miles Faulkner considers Warwick his greatest foe. As a master criminal, he has tangled with Warwick on many occasions....see previous books.....and always come up the loser. Each man has an ironclad set of standards, whether law enforcement or criminal, and constantly find themselves on opposite sides of the same crime scene. But this year's plans maybe the first where Faulkner gets away with the goods. Jeffrey Archer is a prolific author of fiction, mystery, police procedurals and even nonfiction. His series are read by millions, including me. If you have not read any of his back library, I see many binge reads in your future. Pick any book and start, you won't be sorry.

If I could, I would give this book 10 stars.I really liked the way the heist was handled. And he integrated the kids into the story. I will never look at the crown the same way again. I have read all of the Jeffrey Archer fiction books.he is one of my favorites.

Rating of 4.5.

Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer returns with another exciting addition to his fun and compelling William Warwick series with Traitors Gate.

London, 1996. There is nothing more sacred nor valuable in the entire realm than the crown Jewels of England. Kept secure within the Tower of London, the jewels are only brought out once a year for the Queen to attend the State Opening of Parliament. Providing security for the transfer between the Tower and the palace is one of the most important jobs done by the Metropolitan Police, and this vital duty is now overseen by Chief Superintendent William Warwick and his crack team. Thanks to all the elaborate precautions around the transfer, the jewels are considered unstealable, but there is one audacious crook who is about to prove them wrong.

For years, William has sought to bring down notorious criminal mastermind Miles Faulkner, a gentleman thief and deadly rogue who has brought nothing but misery to William’s friends and family. But despite the best effort of William and the men under his command, Faulkner has always managed to elude justice as he continues to hatch his despicable plots and thefts.

However, Faulkner also has a vengeful streak, and when William manages to finally get one over on his rival by recovering a stolen artwork, Faulkner decides it is time to get his final retribution against William and everyone close to him. Pulling together a team of rogues and villains, Faulkner sets in place his boldest plan yet: steal the Crown Jewels and ruin the career of William and the other police involved in its protection. Can William stop this plan before everything he loves is destroyed, or has Faulkner finally won their decades-long game of cat and mouse?

Archer continues to impress with his latest William Warwick book, which honestly had me hooked the entire way through. An intriguing continuation of his fun ongoing series, Traitors Gate was a great character-driven thriller that was fun from start to finish.

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I became a Jeffrey Archer fan after reading his seven-book series The Clifton Chronicles where the character of William Warwick was introduced. In this current series, Warwick is a star within the London Metropolitan Police Force. Traitors Gate is the sixth book featuring Warwick, his family, his cohorts and his enemies.

The series picks up in 1996. Warwick is Superintendent and second in command of the elite Royal Protection squad at Scotland Yard. William's wife Beth is working in the world of fine art and has to deal with a case of forgery. Warwick has to contend with his nemesis, Miles Faulkner, a millionaire art collector and thief. Faulkner is out of jail once again and seeks revenge on Warwick and all those who have wronged him. To ruin Warwick, he sets his sights on stealing Britain's Crown Jewels. Warwick puts together an impressive group of criminals who have the best chance of pulling off the caper since the jewels were stolen by Colonel Thomas Blood in 1671.

Archer has delivered another entertaining book with its thrilling race against time jewel heist. Warwick continues to be an appealing character and I love how smart and successful his wife Beth is. Their children are brilliant and are featured more than ever in this installment. Book #6 can be read as a standalone, but it would make the most sense to start from the beginning. It’s planned to be an eight-book series and I look forward to reading the next two. These books are so fast paced that it would be easy to catch up. Archer is regarded as one of the top storytellers out there. He writes so masterfully. What a pleasure.

4.25 stars.

Jeffrey Archer has added a new book to the Warwick series. Always a fun read. Again, the cast of characters has been reassembled, including their nemesis, Miles Faulkner, who keeps reappearing.

This is a new caper about a grand theft that must be stopped by Warwick and Hawk. This is fast moving and always fun.

Thank you Netgalley for this new William Warwick novel.

Traitors Gate continues the saga of Miles Faulkner (recently released from prison and returned to London from New York), William Warwick, Booth Watson, a deceitful lawyer, and several family members including wives and ex wives. The basic theme of this novel is revenge. However, the writing is somewhat pedestrian and the story is extremely dull. It would be difficult to recommend this to any reader. In addition, some portions of the book seem to be a history lesson. What ever happened to the author of Kane and Abel and The Prodigal Daughter?
I thank NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

In Traitors Gate, William Warwick returns. In this book he has 24 hours to deal with a crime involving the Crown Jewels in the Tower of a London. It is fast paced, well written, and very clever. I was glad to have William Warick back in the pages. A great read!

Jeffrey Archer continues his phenomenal William Warwick series and once again he doesn’t disappoint. I always look forward to his yearly book and can’t wait to see edw hay he has in store for 2024!

This is the sixth book in the William Warwick series, and I think I've read them all. I like the William Warwick character, nicknamed 'choir boy' for his staunch moral character and persistance in following protocol to the letter. He has had some great adventures but this one to be was one of the very best.

Description:
THE TOWER OF LONDON…
Impenetrable. Well protected. Secure. Home to the most valuable jewels on earth. But once a year, when the Queen attends the State Opening of Parliament, the Metropolitan Police must execute the most secret operation in their armory as they transport the Crown Jewels across London. SCOTLAND YARD…
For decades, the elite squad at Scotland Yard have been in charge of the operation. And for decades, it’s run like clockwork. THE HEIST…
But this year, everything is about to change. Because a master criminal has set his sights on pulling off the most outrageous theft in history―and with a man on the inside, the odds are in his favor. Unless the team can stop him before it’s too late...

My Thoughts:
Fast-paced and action-packed this one grabbed me at the first and didn't let up until the end. Master criminal Miles Faulkner is back and he's out for revenge against his enemies - especially William Warwick. He will stop at nothing to ruin him. The case involves an impossible to pull off theft of the Crown Jewls from the Tower of London. Warwick and his team must make sure those jewels are kept safe during the time when the Queen needs them to wear for the opening of Parliament until they are safely back at the Tower.

I loved the historical aspects of the Tower of London and the historical figures brough to life in the story - well-researched. This was a fun book to read with a complex plot that kept me flipping the pages. And, of dear, did William break his choir boy image?

Thanks to Harper 360 through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 26, 2023.

Great whodunit! As expected from a master like Archer, a suspenseful mystery that I really enjoyed reading!

Once again, through a never-ending series of ingenious strategic moves by his nemesis Miles Faulkner, William Walker's law enforcement career is placed at grave risk. This is an exciting duel at the highest level, involving responsibility for the Queen's crown and this reader held his breath, unsure at every moment who might prevail. Each time it appears that the current book is the most suspenseful, that view is squashed by the next book. Great fun, could not put it down.

This story continues the conflict between Warwick and Faulkner. Jeffrey Archer written another masterpiece, Faulkner tries to steal the Crown Jewels of England. The plot is fast paced and one gets to learn some of the history of the Crown and the Tower of London. I could not put the book down.

I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Traitors Gate is part of an ongoing series but solid enough to read as a standalone. I’m a big Jeffrey Archer fan and always enjoy his complex, multi-plot thrillers. This one may be my favorite so far with an interesting, historical storyline threaded throughout this swiftly moving novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the opportunity to read this ARC.