New York, 1939. As soon as Harry Clifton sets foot on American soil, having assumed the identity of Tom Bradshaw, he is arrested for murder. He is accused of killing his brother. And when a top Manhattan lawyer, Sefton Jelks, offers his services pro bono, the penniless "Tom," having few options, believes his assurance that he will secure a lighter sentence for him.

But when he is finally found guilty and sentenced, his lawyer disappears, and now the only way for Harry to prove his innocence is to reveal his true identity—something he has sworn never to do, to protect the woman he loves, Emma.

However, Emma comes to New York, having left their son behind in England. She is determined to do everything she can to find the man she was going to marry. She refuses to believe that he was lost at sea, even though she has no proof that he is alive, other than her instinct and a letter. A letter that has remained unopened for a year, on the mantelpiece at Harry's mother's house in Bristol...

After "Only Time Will Tell," Jeffrey Archer continues his thrilling journey into the twentieth century with the second part of "The Clifton Chronicles." Loves, vows, and family ties are severely tested as hidden secrets come to light and the story moves from the slums of Bristol to the mansions of Manhattan...