Author Description

Product Description No one can weave a web of suspense, deliver a jolt of surprise, or teach a lesson in living like bestselling author Jeffrey Archer. From Africa to the Middle East, and from London to Beijing, Archer takes us to places we've never seen and introduces us to people we'll never forget.Meet the philandering husband who thinks he's committed the perfect murder; the self-assured chess champion who plays a beautiful woman for stakes far higher than cash; and the finance minister who needs to crack the secrets of a Swiss bank. Jeffrey Archer's collection of twelve spellbinding stories will sweep you on a journey of thwarted ambition, undying passion, and unswerving honor that you'll never forget. From Publishers Weekly Archer's ( Kane and Abel ) talent as a raconteur is evident in these 12 distinctive short stories, all of which have surprise endings. Many center on human failings such as jealousy, obstinacy, pettiness or prejudice; 10 are based on "known incidents" that Archer has "embellished." An almost reportorial, straightforward style actually enhances each concluding jolt. In "The Perfect Murder," a married man kills his mistress, cunningly implicates someone else, and ensures that hapless person's conviction. "A La Carte" concerns Mark Hapgood, who grudgingly works as a lowly hotel porter to please his father, then unexpectedly becomes a celebrated hotel chef. The amorous, contented female narrator of "Just Good Friends" turns out to be a cat. The stunning "Christinia Rosenthal" shows the needless tragedy that results when a girl's anti-Semitic parents oppose her marriage to a rabbi's son. Though the plots are rather slight, Archer's understanding of human nature, and his talent for surprise endings, make this volume a must for his fans. First serial to Penthouse and New Woman; Literary Guild alternate; major ad/promo; author tour.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review “Archer is a master entertainer.” —Time“A storyteller in the class of Alexander Dumas...Unsurpassed skill...making the reader wonder intensely what will happen next.”—The Washington Post“There isn’t a better storyteller alive.” —Larry King“Archer...has anextraordinary talent for turning notoriety into gold, and telling fast-moving stories.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer“One of the top ten storytellers in the world”— Los Angeles Times Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. THE PERFECT MURDERIF I HADN’T changed my mind that night I would never have found out the truth.I couldn’t believe that Carla had slept with another man, that she had lied about her love for me—and that I might be second or even third in her estimation.Carla had phoned me at the office during the day, something I had told her not to do, but since I also warned her never to call me at home she hadn’t been left with a lot of choice. As it turned out, all she had wanted to let me know was that she wouldn’t be able to make it for what the French so decorously call a “cind à sept.” She had to visit her sister in Fulham who had been taken ill, she explained.I was disappointed. It had been another depressing day, and now I was being asked to forgo the one thing that would have made it bearable.“I thought you didn’t get on well with your sister,” I said tartly.There was no immediate reply from the other end. Eventually Carla asked, “Shall we make it next Tuesday, the usual time?”“I don’t know if that’s convenient,” I said. “I’ll call you on Monday when I know what my plans are.” I put down the receiver.Wearily, I phoned my wife to let her know I was on the way home—something I usually did from the phone box outside Carla’s flat. It was a trick I often used to make Elizabeth feel she knew where I was every moment of the day.Most of the office staff had already left for the night so I gathered together some papers I could work on at home. Since the new company had taken us over six months ago,