Book info

• Title As the Crow Flies
• Author Jeffrey Archer
• Year 1990
• Genre Thriller

Growing up in the slums of East End London, Charlie Trumper dreams of someday running his grandfather’s fruit and vegetable stall. That day comes all too suddenly when his grandfather dies, leaving him his legacy: his barrow. The onset of World War I takes Charlie far from home to the trenches of Normandy, where he learns to deal with any enemy. Returning to the East End, he finds his barrow stolen – and comes straight into conflict with a dangerous enemy, whose legacy of evil will follow him and his family for generations, even as Charlie strives to fulfil the dream his grandfather inspired.

Thoughts

This is another of those huge saga stories, following a full generation, almost two, from birth to death, and everything that happens in between. It’s reminiscent of Archer’s other works - Cain and Abel style - and is just as good. The thing about these books is they’re not always beautifully written but they’re a page-turner anyway, because you just want to know what happens next.

There were plenty of twists and turns along the way, and several things happened that I really wasn’t expecting. It’s a little bit darker in places than some other books, with some real tragedies occurring along the way, but overall, it’s a really good read. The characters are proper heroes or villains, hard-working and good-hearted, or lazy and manipulative, and it’s fun to boo and cheer your way through, like in a panto.

As long as you don’t take it too seriously, and just enjoy it for the soap opera that it is, I think this is a good, enjoyable read.

Rating: 4 / 5