Books by Jeffrey Archer

‘A gift for plot that can only be described as genius’ - The Daily Telegraph A collection of fifteen pulse-pounding short stories from the number one internationally bestselling author Jeffrey Archer. A man and woman fall in love at a red light. A golf ball falling out of a Christmas cracker changes the course of a young man’s life. A priceless Renaissance oil painting, held by one family for generations, presents a modern-day owner with a tough decision. And an elderly couple’s centenary birthday celebrations mask a shocking secret. In these tales Jeffrey Archer will whisk you from India to Italy, Germany to the Channel Islands. Some stories will make you laugh, others will bring you to tears, but each demonstrates Jeffrey’s mastery of characterization and suspense, and gift for the unexpected, jaw-dropping plot twist. And Thereby Hangs A Tale is an enthralling set of short stories from the bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles and the William Warwick series. Nothing Ventured PB was an instant Sunday Times no.1 bestseller when it published 19.03.2020 ***** Praise for Jeffrey Archer: 'Stylish, witty and constantly entertaining . . . Jeffrey Archer has a natural aptitude for short stories’ – The Times 'Probably the greatest storyteller of our age' – The Mail on Sunday 'Outstanding . . . white-knuckle suspense and witty dénouements' – Daily Express 'Archer hits the bull’s-eye with an exemplary collection of short stories' – Daily Mail

A volatile U.S. ally has fallen prey to the terrorist beast. India is the target of radical Islamic jihadists, and the world watches breathlessly as tensions escalate between the uneasy giant and its longtime nemesis Pakistan—with China waiting in the wings, eager to flex its military might. A nuclear showdown seems inevitable, unless the masterminds at Dreamland can get to the mysterious source of the terror and end it, swiftly and permanently. Every technological wonder the military possesses must be employed to avert an all-out Apocalypse—from an awesome new hybrid Navy destroyer to robot Flighthawks. But the fate of the region and the world will depend on the newest brainchild of the Dreamland team: an unproven instrument of ultimate power code-named End Game.

‘Stylish, witty and constantly entertaining . . . Jeffrey Archer has a natural aptitude for short stories’ - THE TIMES ***** A collection of twelve gripping short stories from the number one internationally bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, illustrated by the internationally acclaimed artist Ronald Searle, creator of Molesworth. A company chairman tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St Petersburg. A con artist ends up in the morgue after using the police chief as bait in his latest scam. From behind bars, a convict manages to remove an old enemy and then set up two prison officers as his alibi. And an accountant realizes he has achieved nothing in his life, so sets out to make a fortune before he retires. These tales are ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and deliciously unexpected conclusions. Some were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, and all feature the mad, the bad and the dangerous to know, as well as a host of poignant and telling characters. As a collection, they confirm Jeffrey Archer’s position as a master storyteller. Cat O’ Nine Tales is an enthralling set of short stories from the bestselling author of the Clifton Chronicles and the William Warwick series. Nothing Ventured PB was an instant Sunday Time’s no.1 bestseller when it published 19.03.2020 ***** Praise for Jeffrey Archer: 'Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius' – The Daily Telegraph 'Probably the greatest storyteller of our age' – The Mail on Sunday 'Outstanding . . . white-knuckle suspense and witty dénouements' – Daily Express 'Archer hits the bull’s-eye with an exemplary collection of short stories' – Daily Mail

William Warwick and Ross Hogan will return, for one last time, in a gripping and unputdownable finale. Available to pre-order now! London, 2012. The eyes of the world are on Britain as the country prepares to host the Olympic Games.​ But the glare of the spotlight makes London a target for some of the most dangerous people on earth. And the moment the bid is won, an international conspiracy is set in motion to unleash a devastating attack that will leave the world in chaos.​ One man stands between triumph and disaster: Commander William Warwick, heading up Scotland Yard's elite team. But as he pursues the shadowy organisation, he sets off a deadly game of cat and mouse which will take him from the bustling streets of London to the hidden corridors of power. Can Warwick stop the assassin before the greatest show on earth becomes a catastrophe ... ​

Find out what happens to the hapless young detective from Naples who travels to an Italian hillside town to find out Who Killed the Mayor? and the pretentious schoolboy in A Road to Damascus, whose discovery of the origins of his father's wealth changes his life in the most profound way. Revel in the stories of the 1930's woman who dares to challenge the men at her Ivy League University in A Gentleman and A Scholar while another young woman who thumbs a lift gets more than she bargained for in A Wasted Hour. hese wonderfully engaging and always refreshingly original tales prove not only why Archer has been compared by the critics to Dahl and Maugham, but why he was described by The Times as probably the greatest storyteller of our age.

An unputdownable story of murder, revenge and betrayal from international number one bestseller Jeffrey Archer.

In the third instalment in the life of Detective William Warwick, following on from Hidden in Plain Sight, international bestseller Jeffrey Archer once again displays his mastery in the art of storytelling. Detective Sergeant William Warwick is tasked with a dangerous new line of work: to go undercover and expose corruption at the heart of the Metropolitan Police Force. His team focuses on Detective Sergeant Jerry Summers, a young officer living an extravagant lifestyle. But Summers develops a personal relationship with a WPC on William’s team and the investigation hangs in the balance. As his undercover officers draw the threads together, William realizes that the corruption may go far higher than his initial assessment, and that more of his colleagues than he thought possible might be willing to turn a blind eye . . . ‘If there were a Nobel Prize for storytelling, Archer would win’ – The Daily Telegraph

International number one bestselling author Jeffrey Archer is a master of the short story form, creating classic tales beloved by his fans and hitting the top of the bestseller lists. This illustrated edition is a collection of his best-loved, previously published stories. In The Short, The Long and The Tall the master storyteller joins forces with renowned illustrator Paul Cox, to re-imagine twenty of Jeffrey Archer's most popular and feted short stories alongside beautifully rendered watercolour illustrations. Find out what happens to the hapless young detective from Naples who travels to an Italian hillside town to solve a murder and ends up falling in love; and the pretentious schoolboy whose discovery of the origins of his father’s wealth changes his life forever. Revel in the stories of the woman who dares to challenge the men at her Ivy League university during the 1930s, and another young woman who thumbs a lift and has an encounter she will never forget. Discover the haunting story about four men whose characters are tested to the point of death. Finally, a short parable about how pointless war is, and how decent people are caught up in the crossfire of their leaders’ ambitions. This will be a must-buy for dedicated fans of both the author and illustrator’s work.

Newly promoted, Detective Sergeant William Warwick has been reassigned to the drugs squad. His first case: to investigate a notorious south London drug lord known as the Viper. But as William and his team close the net around a criminal network unlike any they have ever encountered, he is also faced with an old enemy, Miles Faulkner. It will take all of William’s cunning to devise a means to bring both men to justice, a trap neither will expect, one that is hidden in plain sight .

Nothing Ventured heralds the start of a brand new series in the style of Jeffrey Archer’s #1 New York Times bestselling Clifton Chronicles: introducing Detective William Warwick. But this is not a detective story, this is a story about the making of a detective . . . William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a lawyer like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force. After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery who he falls hopelessly in love with, even as Beth guards a secret of her own that she’s terrified will come to light. While William follows the trail of the missing masterpiece, he comes up against suave art collector Miles Faulkner and his brilliant lawyer, Booth Watson QC, who are willing to bend the law to breaking point to stay one step ahead of William. Meanwhile, Miles Faulkner’s wife, Christina, befriends William, but whose side is she really on? This new series introduces William Warwick, a family man and a detective who will battle throughout his career against a powerful criminal nemesis. Through twists, triumph and tragedy, this series will show that William Warwick is destined to become one of Jeffrey Archer’s most enduring legacies.

From the master storyteller Jeffrey Archer, Heads You Win is the incredible and thrilling novel from the author of the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel. Leningrad, Russia, 1968. Alexander Karpenko is no ordinary child, and from an early age, it is clear he is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, he and his mother will have to escape from Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they are confronted with an irreversible choice: should they board a container ship bound for America, or Great Britain? Alexander leaves that choice to the toss of a coin... In a single moment, a double twist decides Alexander's future. During an epic tale of fate and fortune, spanning two continents and thirty years, we follow his triumphs and defeats as he struggles as an immigrant to conquer his new world. As this unique story unfolds, Alexander comes to realize where his destiny lies, and accepts that he must face the past he left behind in Russia. With a final twist that will shock even his most ardent fans, this is international number one bestseller Jeffrey Archer's most ambitious and creative work since Kane and Abel.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer demonstrates his mastery of the short story in It Can’t Be October Already. In this engaging and funny episode, Pat O’Flynn returns once again for his annual internment in the London jail system. Along the way, he’ll reconnect with the staff and inmates of his sometime-home and perhaps even reach the punchline of his favorite joke. Archer is at his best in this delightful and surprising story.

A young student hitch-hiking home from college meets an old man with an incredible story to tell. Taken from his collection Tell Tale, A Wasted Hour is an ingenious and witty short story sure to delight Jeffrey Archer's many fans and proves why the Mail on Sunday has said that he is 'probably the greatest storyteller of our age'. If you loved this story be sure to look out for The Year of Short Stories, a collection of digital short stories which celebrate the talent of this incredible bestselling author, including The Endgame and The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office.

A gripping short story from master storyteller and #1 New York Times bestseller Jeffrey Archer, released for the first time as a stand-alone e-original. #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer again conquers the short story form in the thrilling Never Stop on the Motorway. This classic story will have readers’ hearts racing along with single mother Diana, attempting to escape a dangerous van on the highway. However, the unplanned high-speed journey is not the only surprise in this hair-raising and riveting story, and Archer keeps his readers guessing until the last moments.

The fifth book in the internationally bestselling Clifton Chronicles from master storyteller Jeffrey Archer "The conclusion's a turbo-charged cliffhanger" Kirkus Reviews Mightier than the Sword opens with an IRA bomb exploding during the MV Buckingham's maiden voyage across the Atlantic - but how many passengers lose their lives? When Harry Clifton visits his publisher in New York, he learns that he has been elected as the new president of English PEN, and immediately launches a campaign for the release of a fellow author, Anatoly Babakov, who's imprisoned in Siberia. Babakov's crime? Writing a book called Uncle Joe, a devastating insight into what it was like to work for Stalin. So determined is Harry to see Babakov released and the book published, that he puts his own life in danger. His wife Emma, chairman of Barrington Shipping, is facing the repercussions of the IRA attack on the Buckingham. Some board members feel she should resign, and Lady Virginia Fenwick will stop at nothing to cause Emma's downfall. Sir Giles Barrington is now a minister of the Crown, and looks set for even higher office, until an official trip to Berlin does not end as a diplomatic success. Once again, Giles's political career is thrown off balance by none other than his old adversary, Major Alex Fisher, who once again stands against him at the election. But who wins this time? In London, Harry and Emma's son, Sebastian, is quickly making a name for himself at Farthing's Bank in London, and has proposed to the beautiful young American, Samantha. But the despicable Adrian Sloane, a man interested only in his own advancement and the ruin of Sebastian, will stop at nothing to remove his rival. Jeffrey Archer's compelling Clifton Chronicles continue in this, his most accomplished novel to date. With all the trademark twists and turns that have made him one of the world's most popular authors, the spellbinding story of the Clifton and the Barrington families continues. THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES SERIES BOOK 1: Only Time Will Tell BOOK 2: The Sins of the Father BOOK 3: Best Kept Secret BOOK 4: Be Careful What You Wish For BOOK 5: Mightier Than The Sword BOOK 6: Cometh The Hour

A quick read from the number one bestselling writer and author of Kane and Abel. These stories previously published in And Thereby Hangs a Tale, Cat O' Nine Tales and Twelve Red Herrings. Four Warned contains four short stories from master storyteller, Jeffrey Archer, packed full of twists and turns. In Stuck on You, Jeremy finds out exactly the best way to steal the perfect ring for his fiancée. Albert celebrates his 100th birthday, and is pleased to be sent The Queen's Birthday Telegram. He is, however, confused . . . In Russia, businessman Richard plots the ideal way to murder his wife. He begins to have a clever idea when his hotel warns him: Don't Drink the Water from the taps. And as Diana, a busy single mother, drives to have dinner with friends, she realizes that a black van is following her. Soon terrified for her life, she does whatever it takes to stick to the warning given to drivers: Never Stop on the Motorway . . . Every reader will have their favourite story – some will make you laugh, others will bring you to tears. And, as always, every one of them will keep you spellbound. Quick Reads is a World Book Day initiative.

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.

The third book in the internationally bestselling Clifton Chronicles from master storyteller Jeffrey Archer "An artful blend of colorful characters, seething resentment, calculated revenge, and a shocking, tragic cliffhanger" Publishers Weekly 1945. The vote in the House of Lords as to who should inherit the Barrington family fortune has ended in a tie. The Lord Chancellor's deciding vote will cast a long shadow on the lives of Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington. Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while his beloved Emma goes in search of the little girl who was found abandoned in her father's office on the night he was killed. When the General Election is called, Giles Barrington has to defend his seat in the House of Commons and is horrified to discover who the Conservatives select to stand against him. But it is Sebastian Clifton, Harry and Emma's son, who ultimately influences his uncle's fate. In 1957, Sebastian wins a scholarship to Cambridge, and a new generation of the Clifton family march onto the page. After Sebastian is expelled from school, he unwittingly becomes caught up in an international art fraud involving a Rodin statue that is worth far more than the sum it raises at auction. Does he become a millionaire? Does he go to Cambridge? Is his life in danger? Best Kept Secret will answer all these questions, but once again, pose so many more. THE CLIFTON CHRONICLES SERIES BOOK 1: Only Time Will Tell BOOK 2: The Sins of the Father BOOK 3: Best Kept Secret BOOK 4: Be Careful What You Wish For BOOK 5: Mightier Than The Sword BOOK 6: Cometh The Hour