Next in Line

Jeffrey Archer

London, 1988. Royal fever sweeps the nation as Britain falls in love with the ‘people’s princess’. Which means for Scotland Yard, the focus is on the elite Royalty Protection Command, and its commanding officer. Entrusted with protecting the most famous family on earth, they quite simply have to be the best. A weak link could spell disaster. Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are sent in to investigate the team. Maverick ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan is charged with a very sensitive—and unique—responsibility. But it soon becomes clear the problems in Royalty Protection are just the beginning. A renegade organization has the security of the country—and the Crown—in its sights. The only question is which target is next in line…

If you're after a read by the pool this summer, Jeffery Archer is perfect. I've read a few Jeffrey Archer books in the past and have to admit I quite like the storylines. They're excellent escapism fiction. The worlds are always better than we face in real life, which is perfect for escaping today's problems. This is the first William Warwick novel I've read, and I have to say it is easy to read as a standalone.

The book is set in the 1980's and features the Princess of Wales, Diana. There's a problem with the royal bodyguard team, and Warwick is sent in the Hawk to find out the extent. He finds wide spread corruption in every section of the detail. One of his trusted officers is assigned to protect Diana. The book follows both this story and stories left over from previous books, but is still highly readable as a standalone.

I have to admit that Jeffery Archer isn't my first choice of author. Yet they're still perfect escapism novels. The stories are always interesting, and Next in Line is no different. The story is very easy to read, the storyline, whilst a bit whimsical at times, is enjoyable. I'd recommend highly this to anyone who reads Jeffrey Archer or who wants a comfortable read for a summer's afternoon.

Thanks to Netgallery and HarperCollins publishers for allowing me an eARC copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.