Be Careful What You Wish For: A Novel

Written by Jeffrey Archer

Narrated by Alex Jennings

Bestselling author Jeffrey Archer's Be Careful What You Wish For opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma rushing to hospital to learn the fate of their son Sebastian, who has been involved in a fatal car accident. But who died, Sebastian or his best friend Bruno?

When Ross Buchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the egregious Major Alex Fisher, in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.

Back in London, Harry and Emma's adopted daughter wins a scholarship to the Slade Academy of Art where she falls in love with a fellow student, Clive Bingham, who asks her to marry him. Both families are delighted until Priscilla Bingham, Jessica's future mother-in-law, has a visit from an old friend, Lady Virginia Fenwick, who drops her particular brand of poison into the wedding chalice.

Then, without warning, Cedric Hardcastle, a bluff Yorkshireman who no one has come across before, takes his place on the board of Barringtons. This causes an upheaval that none of them could have anticipated, and will change the lives of every member of the Clifton and Barrington families. Hardcastle's first decision is who to support to become the next chairman of the board: Emma Clifton or Major Alex Fisher? And with that decision, the story takes yet another twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Be Careful What You Wish For showcases the master storyteller's talent as never before – when the Clifton and Barrington families march forward into the sixties, in this epic tale of love, revenge, ambition and betrayal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Mar 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781427239372

Jeffrey Archer

Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include the Clifton Chronicles, Kane and Abel and Cat O’ Nine Tales, is one of the world’s favourite storytellers and has topped the bestseller lists around the world in a career spanning four decades. His work has been sold in 97 countries and in more than 37 languages. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction, short stories and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). Jeffrey is also an art collector and amateur auctioneer, and has raised more than £50m for different charities over the years. A member of the House of Lords for over a quarter of a century, the author is married to Dame Mary Archer, and they have two sons, two granddaughters and two grandsons.

Reviews for Be Careful What You Wish For

[vivienner_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another suspenseful episode in the Clifton Chronicles from Archer. His characters are crooks of every type, but the good guys manage to come out on top while the bad guys usually get what's coming to them - usually, but not always - they have to survive for another episode. Some of the plots and conspiracies become a bit tiresome, but I have to admit, Archer can spin out a story and keep the reader's attention. As usual, he ended this with another cliffhanger ending. No option, I now have to get the next one.

[pamjw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another brilliant instalment. Twists and turns from beginning to end. The usual Jeffrey Archer genius

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Book DescriptionBestselling author Jeffrey Archer's Be Careful What You Wish For opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma rushing to hospital to learn the fate of their son Sebastian, who has been involved in a fatal car accident. But who died, Sebastian or his best friend Bruno?When Ross Buchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the egregious Major Alex Fisher, in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.Back in London, Harry and Emma's adopted daughter wins a scholarship to the Slade Academy of Art where she falls in love with a fellow student, Clive Bingham, who asks her to marry him. Both families are delighted until Priscilla Bingham, Jessica's future mother-in-law, has a visit from an old friend, Lady Virginia Fenwick, who drops her particular brand of poison into the wedding chalice.Then, without warning, Cedric Hardcastle, a bluff Yorkshireman who no one has come across before, takes his place on the board of Barringtons. This causes an upheaval that none of them could have anticipated, and will change the lives of every member of the Clifton and Barrington families. Hardcastle's first decision is who to support to become the next chairman of the board: Emma Clifton or Major Alex Fisher? And with that decision, the story takes yet another twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat.Be Careful What You Wish For showcases the master storyteller's talent as never before when the Clifton and Barrington families march forward into the sixties, in this epic tale of love, revenge, ambition and betrayal.My ReviewThis is the 4th installment in the Clifton Chronicles and the story just gets better and better and so do the cliffhangers that send you spiraling into the next book just to see what happens next. The timeline in the book is the 60's and planes are becoming the preferred mode of travel. The Barrington's have just completed their new luxury liner and their enemies are thwarting their every move. The twists and turns in Archer's novel keep you turning the pages and before you know it the novel ends and you're still wanting more. I highly recommend these books to those who love family sagas and I look forward to starting book 5 as soon as possible.

[bereanna · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such entertaining reading. In this one Martinez is after the Clifton and Barrington families. In the end he has hired the ITA to bomb their new luxury ship. Sebastian falls in love with an American girl.

[shannon.dolgos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Intense and wonderful and sad and of course, the cliffhanger....that leaves me wanting more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jessica has fallen in love and leave it to Lady Virginia to ruin it... Don Pedro is still full of hate for the Barrington and Clifton families.... He sends his son to destroy Jessica's paintings, which he does and so much more...

Cedric Hardcastle finds a way to play Don Pedro at his own game, but will the mission be successful, and will they all make it out alive and well...

[olivermagnus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

42. [Be Careful What You Wish For] by Jeffrey Archer - 4.5 Stars

Be Careful What You Wish For is the fourth novel in the Clifton Chronicles, set primarily in England and spanning the years 1957 to 1964. It continues to follow the Clifton and Barrington families as they try to outmaneuver Don Pedro Martinez, an Argentinean smuggler who featured heavily in the prior novel, Best Kept Secret.

I don't recommend reading this book as a standalone novel because you would miss out on some of the history of the drama that is always in high gear in this epic family drama. The series chronicles the life and times of Harry Clifton, his wife, Emma Barrington, and Emma's brother and Harry's best friend, Giles Barrington. There are some incredibly memorable characters throughout the series. I have to admit some of my favorites are the evil ones, especially Lady Virginia and Major Alex Fisher, who try their best to seek revenge on the Cliftons and the Barringtons.

Potential readers should be warned that each and every one of these novels ends with a cliffhanger. The good news is that all seven of the Clifton Chronicles are now published so you won't have to wait for a year to discover how the cliffhanger is resolved. I'm totally hooked on the series and have been listening to it in audio, narrated by Alex Jennings, who is phenomenal. The writing is smooth and the narrative effortlessly takes the reader on an engaging journey through the lives of the characters. Be Careful What You Wish For is everything you would want or expect from a Jeffrey Archer novel. I can't wait to read Book 5 – Mightier Than the Sword.

[carl_alves_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I generally like my novels with a beginning, middle, and end that tells a coherent story, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that Be Careful What you Wish For wouldn’t appeal to me. It lacked those elements, and was written in the style of an old primetime soap opera like Dynasty or Dallas. The prevailing elements of the story involved a feud between the Clifton/Barrington families and Don Pedro Martinez, a Mafioso from Argentina. Although some of the elements of the novel were intriguing, there was also a great deal of fluff that simply didn’t interest me, and I found my attention waning at various times in the novel. By the end, I didn’t much care how the story would be resolved, although I wasn’t anticipating it playing out the way it did.I didn’t find Martinez to be a remotely credible villain. He often came off as a clown, and I don’t think he could have been a successful gangster if he was so consumed with revenge even if it would end in his financial ruin. In the real world, gangsters, at least the ones with notoriety and longevity, don’t act that way. I also didn’t at all care for the fact that Martinez was so hell bent on destroying the Clifton/Barrington families, yet they were so passive about defending themselves. In fact, it took outsiders of the family with less invested than them to actually take on Martinez. As a result, none of the main protagonists impressed me in any way, which was probably why I didn’t care what ultimately happened to them. For a novel to succeed, you must care about the characters, and I did not care for them. I think I will pass on any further novels in this series, and would recommend readers to do likewise.Carl Alves – author of Blood Street

[andrew1theqm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another excellent book in this series, which is very addictive. I hope to continue straight on with the next one - this is always inportant with this series as the author always leaves it on a cliff hanger and you NEED to know what happens next. This one was set in the early 1960s and has plenty of action, as well as the good guys and the bad guys. References are made during the book to some key events, e.g. the U.K. trying to join the EEC, and Nelson Mandela being imprisoned. One of the key characters doesn't survive in the book and I'm not sure the author and I are talking at the moment, but specially the way that person was written out of the series! That moment certainly had an impact on me.

[gpaisley_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Better, some intriguing parts, but writing not really that much better than others. Very readable--finished a couple hundred pages in 2 days.

[jodeneg-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I really liked the other books leading up to this one but after listening to the third disk I just couldn't go on. I couldn't get into all the business end of the story. Too many books to read and stories to hear to waste time. I think others may be fine with this story and it may have picked up later but I don't have time to waste on things that don't grab me right away.

[dwwilkin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lord Archer is still up to his old tricks combining sentimental tragedies and heartwarming moments. But he employs a villain who had a debt that he wishes to pay, that our heroes know about. Further, they allow that villain to continue in his plans without forming plans of their own, but allow, eventually, a friend to aid them. This is something that young versions of the heroes would have taken care of, and done so before the villain was able to cause the worst harm possible to our heroes. Still, near the end the government steps in, but with only some circumstantial suspicions, they allow the villain to leave Merry Old England alive, whilst some of our heroes can still not claim that status, nor at the end with another cliffhanger do we know once again how many we will see in the next book.

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While this can definitely be construed as a nice little thriller with a peppy pace, I was a little disappointed with the general vapidness of the characters. Emma's strength, Seb's ingenuity, Buchanan and Hardcastle's probity and Don Predo's aggression don't really offer any surprises - everyone stays true to the basic sketch and doesn't evolve.I did enjoy the high stakes trading scene and the end offers a surprising twist which is a nice departure from the genre. However, I found that 500 pages was a long read to be rewarded for my patience.I good book for a mindless vacation, but not one I would recommend.

[elainedav · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love this series of books and in my opinion this installment is the best yet! Yes, these books follow a bit of a formula - the prologue reminds you of the cliffhanger in the last book and you know there will be a cliffhanger at the end of this one too. But when you read 60 odd books a year, there is something nice about picking up a series read, reacquainting yourself with familiar characters and quickly picking up a new plot. This particular book is full of twists and turns. It is based in the 1960's and part of the storyline sees the criminal from Buenos Aires team up with the IRA. Suffice to say this results in lots of complications for the Clifton and Barrington families. Brilliant! Looking forward to the next one.

[autumnturner76 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I gave this book two stars because the GSP (grammar, spelling, and punctuation) was spot on. Other than that? Gah.

Archer used to be one of my favorite authors. Used to be. He has now fallen into niche writing... sort of like Stephen King. All his characters are essentially the same, as are his plots. Nothing new, nothing exciting. Sad to say.

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say? I love this series. By this fourth book you know who-is-who and it is almost easy to get right back into the middle of things when you pick up the latest book. I even knew that I would get left hanging at the end---but no matter. I'm just looking forward to the fifth book.....

[timprsnl · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I am so tired of authors who, rather than craft a book designed to satisfy the reader beginning to end, opt to bait and hook readers into buying a series of novels with a 'cliffhanger'.A cliffhanger can be an effective writing tool in crafting a novel, but only if the writer can come up with a satisfying conclusion to some of the plot points within the novel. Archer doesn't seem to be able to do this any longer. He can write, but he's lost his touch when it comes to finishing what he started. Very unsatisfying. With this series, he wants us to buy 7 books to get answers. Sorry ... not happening. There are too many good writers to spend my time and money on an author who sacrifices quality for bait and switch to hook readers into buying future novels. The author is 74 years young. I don't want to be 74 years old when he decides to finish the series.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It’s hard for me to review this book, not because I didn’t like it (I did a lot) but because it is the first book I have read in this series. In fact, it is the first book by Jeffrey Archer I have read. Had I known it was the fourth in an on-going series, I wouldn’t have read it. But, you know what, I’m glad I did.My biggest problems with the book and this review is that I don’t know how much of the story is new and how much is a continuation of the story line. Since I don’t know, I can’t say much about the actual story since I’m not sure what is already known by its loyal followers (and, given how good this book is, I suspect they’re legion) and what would be spoiler so I will say very little about that. Except… The book opens with a bang – a car carrying two young men is forced off the road and one is killed and the other survives although severely injured. This hooked me right away. However, it became clear pretty fast that the murder was no mystery to anyone except maybe me. I realized I was missing a whole lot of background that would have clarified much. However, by this time I was thoroughly hooked on the tale which was surprising because, in many ways, it’s kind of like a soap opera about rich Britishers and I have never been a fan of soap opera except maybe Dark Shadows when I was a kid. I mean, this is one heck of a pageturner and that’s high praise considering half the time I had no clue what was going on and I was still sucked into the story.My one complaint: it ends on one gigantic cliffhanger and, apparently, the next installment won’t be out until 2015. Ah well, that gives me plenty of time to read the first three books so I can find out what the hell was really going on.

[jiraiya_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book starts by following up the last book's cliffhanger, and ends on a cliffhanger of its own.Ensconced in between these two events is a relentlessly page turning storytelling both archaic in its cogs and wheels but also ultra modern in its pacing. This book is the reason why I prefer a less niche genre of historical fiction rather than the more lofty genre of the criminal thriller. Here Jeffrey Archer did himself proud by keeping his events moving fluidly, using a villain of the previous book, one Don Pedro Martinez. Archer writes both for England and the USA, as his perch on the New York Times bestseller list proves. But he knows on which side his bread is buttered. Not even the most stiff upper lip could be immune to the charms of a book with so many twists and turns. Archer is never afraid of making his good guys thoroughly - and unrealistically, good. His villains may be vile but they are never ferocious, sadistic, impulsive, or stupid. I began this book with low expectations and I'm now in no doubt as to how rare is this book's quality and how sharp is Archer's mind. This is the type of work that has a humble aim, that of entertaining. If you don't ask entertainment of a book that's not apologetic of its design, then this book is not for you. If you want to enjoy a story that remains about the same with your brain turned on or off, then may I suggest Be Careful What You Wish For. Can't wait to see what happens in the fifth book.

[samarnold1975 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have friends who will not read a series of books until they have brought them all. Having been frustrated at having to wait until 2015 to see how this ends I am beginning to see there point. That is how good this series of books it. I was frustrated at the end of the last one and I am frustrated at the end of this one. I hate waiting. The story starts exactly where the last left us and continues the story of all the characters we have come to love in the Clifton Chronicles. As the novels progress the author focuses more on the next generation of Clifton's and how there life progresses. The author has also introduced some new characters who are just as engaging as previous characters. The story is full of the traditional intrigue and excitement. I have always loved Jeffrey Archer books and this series is one of my favourites. Can't wait to read the last in the series even if I have to wait until 2015.