Jeffrey Archer No More
Archer’s five-decade career spanned bestselling fiction, British politics, and a series of political and personal controversies
British bestselling author and former Conservative MP Jeffrey Archer died suddenly and peacefully at home on Monday, aged 86, just a day before the global release of his final novel, Adam & Eve.
With more than 300 million books sold worldwide, Archer built a five-decade career on ambition, betrayal, money and high-stakes twists.
Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less and The Fourth Estate became international bestsellers.
FROM MP TO AUTHOR
Born into a working-class family, Archer entered politics young. He won a byelection in 1969 and became an MP at 29. But his political career crashed in 1974 after a Canadian business investment left him close to bankruptcy. Archer turned the setback into fiction, publishing Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, which launched his literary career despite lukewarm critical reviews.
POWER, SCANDAL, PRISON
Archer never completely abandoned politics. Margaret Thatcher appointed him Conservative deputy chairman in 1985, but his political ambitions were later destroyed by scandal.
After suing the Daily Star over allegations about his personal life, Archer was convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice after a false alibi came to light. He served time in prison.
THE COMEBACK KING
Yet prison did not end the Archer story. He returned to writing, producing more bestsellers and repeatedly reinventing himself. His career remained a curious mix of spectacular commercial success, political ambition and controversy. In 2014, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. For decades, Archer wrote about people chasing power, wealth and redemption. His own life delivered plenty of all three. And his final plot twist came just one day before his last book hit the shelves.
THE INDIA EFFECT
Jeffrey Archer had an especially unusual relationship with India. He considered it his biggest market and was often baffled by the intensity of his following here. His books were everywhere. Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, The Prodigal Daughter, A Matter of Honour, First Among Equals, As the Crow Flies and later The Clifton Chronicles became staples for generations of Indian readers.