Blurb: New York, 1939. Tom Bradshaw is arrested for first degree murder. He stands accused of killing his brother. When Sefton Jelks, a top Manhattan lawyer, offers his services for nothing, penniless Tom has little choice but to accept his assurance of a lighter sentence. After Tom is tried, found guilty and sentenced, Jelks disappears, and the only way for him to prove his innocence would be to reveal his true identity - something that he has sworn never to do in order to protect the woman he loves.
Meanwhile, the young woman in question travels to New York, leaving their son behind in England, having decided she'll do whatever it takes to find the man she was to marry - unwilling to believe that he died at sea. The only proof she has is a letter. A letter that has remained unopened on a mantelpiece in Bristol for over a year.

I had been looking forward to reading this second part of The Clifton Chronicles, because I liked Only Time Will Tell so much. I must have been in a completely different mood back in July or was OTWT really that much better? This book was such a disappointment to me. The story was contrived, far-fetched and totally implausible and the ending was so unsatisfactory. The characters were flat and unrelatable. Because of the way the story is told with chapters from different perspectives, there is much overlap and much repetition. Needless to say, I have no interest in reading the other books (5 more) in these series.

This book is looking for a new reader.