Jeffrey Archer, the novelist whose stories he told in more than 300 million books and whose public life was as exhilarating as any of his novels, has died aged 86. His publisher said the author, who was born in London, died peacefully at home on Monday, between writing sessions, a day after his final novel, Adam and Eve, was published.

The timing seems so perfect it is hard to imagine he would have been bothered, but Archer always wanted to move on to the next chapter, the next book tour, the next big thing. And it appears he was just about to do so.

Busy until the very last days

Promoting the latest book in the last week of his life, Archer spoke to the press, travelled to a party in London to mark the publication of the book, and returned to his former school in Wellington, Somerset, where he was welcomed warmly to speak about the occasion of seeing a new line of students at the school. He was also scheduled to appear at the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

People who came into contact with the writer before his death say he was in good spirits and full of vim. Known for the vitality that made him a hugely successful book festival and TV personality, it was the writer’s perfect send-off.

A writer who never stopped

Archer was a staple on bestseller lists for nearly half a century. His work included thrillers, sweeping family epics and short stories — and he wrote them with a breakneck speed, a quick wit and a sting-in-the-tail surprise. His readers knew what they would get: a blazingly swift story, a range of ambitious characters and an ending that could go anywhere.

Competition, wealth, greed, ambition, and the roller-coaster of life and death in fortunes permeate almost all of his writing. More than most novelists, the author knew intimately about those subjects, and many readers believed the intrigue in the novel was also playing out in his personal life.

He also remained true to his origins. His fiction was peppered with Wellington and the Somerset countryside — a reminder that a man who sold books around the world never quite escaped the town he left behind.

The books people remember

The author’s initial coup was in 1976, with Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, a brisk caper about a group of duped investors who set up an ambitious ploy to get their cash back. It featured all that would become Archer’s trademark: an intriguing plot, short chapters and an unflagging relish for entertainment.

3 years later arrived Kane and Abel arrived, the title that would define him. It’s the story of two men born on the same day, one in Boston, the other a poor immigrant, who grow up to become rivals. The book was a hit with readers, and an adaptation on television elevated its author to worldwide fame.

There are more fan favorites, like: First Among Equals, a political thriller about rival politicians fighting to become the prime minister of the UK, and the Clifton Chronicles, a multipart serial about a family saga that spanned over six books.

If you are not familiar with him, here is a very simple introduction:

* Bestsellers: Kane and Abel, the story that made his reputation.
* Next: First Among Equals, a political drama that carries new weight having worked on it.
* For the long haul: The Clifton Chronicles, a sprawling family saga
* For a quick fix: his short stories, where the twist is always the point
* For the concluding chapter: Adam and Eve, his ultimate novel that appeared days after his passing.

From Somerset to Westminster

Born in London in 1940, he was raised in Somerset, a county that was to leave a lasting influence. He then attended Oxford, where he became notorious for being a busy, keen young man in a rush, well before he was a bestseller.

His entry to the political world was swift. In 1969 he gained the Louth seat in Lincolnshire as a Conservative MP, later becoming deputy chair of the party. Supporters believed he was a good politician and speaker, and he had a lot of charm. He left the Commons after a few years and began a career as a writer.

Politics, however, never ceased to tug at him. In 1992, he was appointed a peer and sat in the House of Lords, and he was to be a fixture on the Tory scene for the remainder of his life. Friends and associates would later talk of his obsession with politics, and the extent to which he longed for a far greater career than he lived up to his expectations.

Scandal and prison

Archer’s public record is not one of accomplishment alone. In 2001, the Bristol Crown Court sentenced him to four years' imprisonment for perjury and perverting the course of justice. The case was traced to a libel case which he had filed against the Daily Star in 1987, in which he was awarded damages of 500,000. A court later determined that he had testified to a lie and falsified an alibi.

That was a stumble too far for a man once at the heart of political and literary circles. He served his time and was released in 2003. Instead of fading away, he returned to work, writing about his imprisonment and publishing new novels at a steady rate.

Prison reform Another thing those familiar with him would say is that life in prison changed him, or at least made him less intense. People remarked that he seemed easier-going and more laid-back in his later years, and he was candid about that time in interviews, not attempting to avoid the subject. He re-entered the House of Lords and remained there until his retirement in 2024.
 

Tributes from across politics

The news of his death stirred a storm of responses from politicians. Present and past Conservatives described him as an eccentric character, a generous friend and a wonderful raconteur. Several highlighted his kindness – dispensing writing advice to others, for example, or simply being there for friends in difficult circumstances.

Some saw the contradictions in his life: the brilliance and the mistakes, the charm and the controversy. Even many of his political opponents might have agreed with one statement about Archer’s life: he never bored.

What he leaves behind

Archer is also survived by his wife, Mary, with whom he celebrated 60 years of marriage this year, and their two sons and five grandchildren.

His true legacy, however, is found in bookshelves across the globe. Hundreds of millions of copies, dozens of books and untold thousands of readers who first heard that page-turning feeling in one of his stories. Whatever people thought of his politics or that of his past, it’s hard to find anyone who doubts that he had a talent for a good story.

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