Over My Dead Body by Jeffrey Archer (Review)

Over My Dead Body by Jeffrey Archer

Blurb

THE CLOCK IS TICKING IN THIS ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF A THRILLER…

In London, the Metropolitan Police set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit—a cold case squad—to catch the criminals nobody else can.

In Geneva, millionaire art collector Miles Faulkner—convicted of forgery and theft—was pronounced dead two months ago. So why is his unscrupulous lawyer still representing a dead client?

On a luxury liner en route to New York, the battle for power at the heart of a wealthy dynasty is about to turn to murder.

And at the heart of all three investigations are Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick, rising star of the department, and ex-undercover agent Ross Hogan, brought in from the cold.

But can they catch the killers before it’s too late?

Review

I bought this book because I was heavily influenced by the power of radio adverts. I heard the advert for this book so many times that I gave in but I will be honest I do generally enjoy books by Jeffrey Archer so that also influenced me. I haven’t read the previous books in this series but that didn’t cause any problems.

There are quite a few storylines going on within this book but the main one is centred around Chief Inspector William Warwick and Detective inspector Ross Hogan. William and Ross work really well together because William is very analytical and observes everything while Hogan’s experience as an undercover police officer and being ex army makes him think outside the box and on his feet. Hogan is also very happy to break the rules when he thinks it will get results.

The book opens with William and his wife Beth on a cruise to New York and on the cruise William meets a teenager called James who just so happens to be the grandson of the owner and founder of the cruise company. As the cruise goes on a crime takes place and it is up to William to solve the crime along with the help of James who wants to be an FBI agent when he is older.

Another storyline that takes place is when William works out that Miles Faulkner is actually still alive and so the hunt begins again to catch him and bring him to justice. Amongst all of this are also the cold case crimes that the Unsolved Murder Unit are working on. The Unsolved Murder Unit all split off to try and solve the different crimes and meet up periodically to give updates.

I will be honest I did find this all a bit disjointed and I felt the book could have been shorter because I did lose interest at times and got a little annoyed with how stupid some of the characters were. They made silly mistakes which just left the hunt for Miles Faulkner seem never-ending. I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.

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About the author

Jeffrey Archer was born in England in 1940, he is a former politician and author. Archer was a member of parliament from 1969-1974 but did not seek re-election due to a financial scandal that almost bankrupt him. Facing bankruptcy Archer began to write and in so doing revived his fortunes. Archer’s political career has been filled with scandal and in 2001 he was sent to jail for perjury and perverting the course of justice, in 2003 he was released. All his life experiences influence his writing and make for interesting reading.

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Charity Begins at Home by Jeffrey Archer (Review)

Charity Begins at Home by Jeffrey Archer

About the author

Blurb

By all estimates Henry Preston lives an uneventful existence – an accountant with no prospect of making partner and single with a sedate home life. That is until he meets Angela Forster, a fundraiser who specializes in charity events. As he begins overseeing Angela’s accounts, Henry spots an opportunity to live a life he previously thought impossible. With everything at stake, does Henry have the nerve to gamble with their futures for the chance of a better life . . .

Review

Another little short story that I read last week during a gap I had between teaching piano. People who read my blog will know by now that I am a massive fan of Jeffrey Archer’s short stories.

This short story was a nice little read but not spectacular, it just filled some time and kept me amused for twenty minutes, but I could have easily not bothered with the story as well. Basically it did not have me riveted to the story.

I really liked the character of Henry and felt rather sorry for him, he has always been Mr Average and does not expect anything spectacular with his life. However, he may have finally found an opportunity to correct his life from average to good. The problem is can he get away with it?

The character of Angela Forster is of a hard working woman who has not had the best of lives so far, her husband leaving her and she having to start her own business to make ends meet. Otherwise she comes across as a hard working average woman with a good business. Not Archer’s usual striking women who turn all men’s heads.

I’m not sure I entirely agree with this story line as it does seem to push the line of crime pays and if you want a better life crime is the way forward. Overall I could take it or leave it as a story and so have only given the story 3 out of 5 Dragons. A good little read to fill a spare twenty minutes.

Too Many Coincidences by Jeffrey Archer (Review)

Too Many Coincidences by Jeffrey Archer

About the Author

Blurb

Too Many Coincidences is part of The Year of Short Stories and is one of a limited number of digital shorts released to celebrate the publication of Jeffrey Archer’s magnificent seventh short-story collection, Tell Tale.

Taken from To Cut a Long Story Short, Jeffrey Archer’s fourth collection of short stories, Too Many Coincidences is a gripping short read featuring Archer’s trademark wit and memorable characters.

For Ruth Anderson continuing her whirlwind love affair with Max Bennett is made infinitely easier with the death of her husband. However, the perfect marriage she envisaged starts to disintegrate as Max becomes increasingly inattentive and reluctant to spend time with his new wife. Now, looking back, Ruth might have to consider whether their affair began with one coincidence too many . . .

Review

I had a gap when teaching at school and thankfully had my Kindle so I decided to read another short story by Jeffrey Archer. All I can say is thankfully it was a short story otherwise I would have not continued.

This story really got on my nerves I simply could not believe the character of Ruth, she was so easily seduced it was unbelievable and so naive I found it hard to believe a woman could be so shallow. In fact I was rather offended that Archer could create such a woman, I had hoped he had a higher opinion of women.

Too many things in this story were unbelievable for me and I found it a difficult read. In my opinion not one of Archer’s best short stories but it will not put me off from reading the rest.

If you are a strong independent woman than really do not read this story as it will make you cringe. I sadly only gave this short story 1 Dragon out of 5 Dragons, I hope the next short story I read will be better.

The Endgame by Jeffrey Archer (Review)

The Endgame by Jeffrey Archer

About the author

Blurb

Taken from To Cut a Long Story Short, Jeffrey Archer’s fourth collection of short stories, The Endgame is an irresistible, witty and ingenious short read.

After he becomes a widower, wealthy Cornelius Barrington decides to test the loyalty of his family and friends to himself, or his money, by declaring himself bankrupt, enlisting the help of his old friend and trusted lawyer, Frank Vintcent, to make the ruse authentic. Soon though, Barrington is left pondering whether blood really is thicker than water . . .

Review

Today I had a very gap filled day teaching so I thought I would read a short story in the little gaps. This made a nice change from the recent short stories by Jeffrey Archer that I have read as the recent ones have all involved men dropping everything to run after a young pretty woman.

This is a beautiful little story where the main character Cornelius needs to rewrite his will but first he wants to see who deserves his wealth. Cornelius has always suspected that certain members of his family and friends prefer his money rather than himself, so he decided to put his theory to the test.

When Cornelius pretends to be made bankrupt he watches his family and friends reactions to what has happened and finds out who his true friends are. As the story develops it is interesting to see Cornelius’ plan unfold and how each member of his family reacts and how his friends react.

This story shows how money can make people react differently, even act like crazy people and yet there are people out there who money does not touch and who remain true. I really enjoyed reading this short story and I was upset when it ended as I did not want it to end but for the story to develop further. Considering it is a short story there is a lot of content within it and there is never a dull moment. It just shows Archer’s talent as a writer to make a story work so well in such a small space of time. I gave this story 5 Dragons out of 5 Dragons.

To buy the complete book of short stories from Waterstones please click here.

Lady Book Dragon.

New Book: 4/03/2019

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I do enjoy a good short story and have been reading the free Jeffrey Archer short stories on Kindle. Well after a bit of research I discovered they are all in a book and so I bought the book. As much as I love my Kindle, I only really use it when out and about, otherwise I much prefer a real life book.

New book is:-

The New Collected Short Stories by Jeffrey Archer

I will continue to review the individual short stories but I now will be reading them on both formats, I’ve also noticed there are short stories in the book that are not on the Kindle, which makes me very happy.

Happy reading everyone.

To purchase this book from Waterstones Click here.

Lady Book Dragon

Caste – Off by Jeffrey Archer (Review)

Caste – Off by Jeffrey Archer

About the author

Blurb

Jamwal Rameshwar Singh, a hedonistic playboy prince, assumes he will never fall in love but this all changes when he meets Nisha Chowdhury. Their blossoming international relationship continues as she completes her degree at Stanford but even as their love grows, Jamwal knows that his family will oppose the match as Nisha is not of their caste. Will Jamwal choose love or will his family’s wishes prevail?

Review

After reading a few of these short stories I am starting to sense a theme, basically a man sees a beautiful woman and drops absolutely everything to chase her. I picked up this short story over breakfast and soon had it finished and it was a perfect start to the working day.

A classic tale of forbidden love that I absolutely loved. Archer set the book in India which I did not expect at all and was a nice surprise, I particularly liked the random cows on the road during the car race at the beginning. Jamwal is a typical playboy with a phonebook full of women he can call on whenever he feels like but very hard working and a successful businessman. Nisha is a Stanford student studying fashion, who is the most beautiful woman Jamwal has ever seen and guess what when he first sees her he drops all his plans in pursuit of her.

The story is beautifully written and the imagery and detail is fantastic. I loved how Jamwal’s and Nisha’s blossoming relationship is squeezed into the short story and yet it does not feel rushed or in anyway lacking, which proves Archer’s talent as an author. The question of whether Jamwal will choose his family or the love of his life has you on tenter hooks and there was no way I was putting the story down until I had finished the book.

This story took about 20 minutes to read, so an excellent read when you have a bit of time for a mug of tea and your feet up. It is free on Kindle and a wonderful read I can not recommend it enough. I rated this story 5 out of 5 Dragons.

Lady Book Dragon.

One Man’s Meat by Jeffrey Archer (Review)

One Man’s Meat by Jeffrey Archer

About the author

Blurb

One Man’s Meat is part of The Year of Short Stories and is one of several digital shorts released to celebrate the publication of Jeffrey Archer’s magnificent seventh collection, Tell Tale.

Taken from Jeffrey Archer’s third collection of short stories, Twelve Red Herrings, comes One Man’s Meat, an irresistible, witty and ingenious short read.

When Michael Whitaker spots the stunning Anna Townsend on the steps of the theatre, he decides he will do whatever it takes to get to know her. Finding a way to get a ticket for the seat next to her, he then invites her to a drink at the interval. By the end of the play, Michael asks her to accompany him to dinner. But what will her answer be?

What follows are four different endings . . . choose just one, or – if choosing to read all four – they can be read in the following order: Rare, Burnt, Overdone, and À Point . . .

Review

I am back to reading to short stories at breakfast again, after having quite a break whilst I read some other books on my Kindle. I am glad to be back as I really enjoyed this book, especially because you can choose your own ending.

The book features Michael Whitaker who immediately drops everything in pursuit of Anna Townsend and pays no regard to the consequences. Each ending shows a different set of consequences for his actions. Michael is in the restaurant business and Anna is a doctor, two very different professions.

The beginning of the story sees the two characters enjoying the play and getting to know one another over a drink during the interval. At the end of the play Michael asks Anna out to dinner and from there the different endings take place. The fact that Michael drops everything because of just seeing a beautiful woman makes me wonder if the man is of a sensible and sane mind. In my opinion he is a little creepy and not a man to rely on.

Rare is the first ending and in my opinion more of a fantasy, it is more like Michael dreaming it all and it was not my favourite. It seemed a little too unbelievable like the beginning.

Burnt really shows just what a fool Michael is and that chasing this woman could have cost him everything, to be honest this is my favourite because I think the man gets what he deserves. Yes I am being unromantic but the story just does not fit in my mind.

Overdone is my least favourite mainly because I disliked the character of Anna, she suddenly seems to have had a personality change and not for the better. She is rude, irritable and spiky. I actually feel sorry for poor Michael in this ending.

À Point is my second favourite ending because if it has to end in Michael’s favour this is how I would like it to go. It is believable and a lovely ending and the reader is left dreaming of what could happen next.

All in all this was a good short story and I loved the quirkiness of the optional endings. I gave the story 3 out of 5 Dragons mainly because although the story was enjoyable I just found it rather unbelievable. It is a good read that will take you less than an hour to devour, plus it is free on Kindle. So put up your feet and have a nice break with this story and a mug of your favourite hot beverage.

Lady Book Dragon

Review 9: Clean Sweep Ignatius by Jeffrey Archer

Clean Sweep Ignatius

About the author

Blurb

Nigeria’s newly appointed Minister of Finance is determined to make his country sit up straight with his rigorous overhaul of the system, soon earning him the nickname ‘Clean Sweep Ignatius’. But, somehow, large sums of money are still falling through invisible cracks. At his wits end, General Otobi grants Ignatius with the authority to take whatever means he deems necessary to track down the errant funds . . .

Review

Another breakfast short story review! I do like these free short stories on Kindle. This short story was shorter than I expected and took me only about ten minutes to read if that, I had not even finished my bowl of cereal. I was rather disappointed that most of the book was a sample for his latest book.

However short this story is I did enjoy it, it really showed Archer’s talent for getting the point across in as few words as possible. It was a clever story and I did not see the ending at all.

Ignatius is trying to rid the system of crooks and frauds and does everything in his power to accomplish this. General Otobi is desperate to make his government run legally and gives Ignatius all the power he can to rid the system of all the crooks. As Ignatius becomes more successful in his mission he becomes popular with the general public and gets a reputation hence the nickname ‘Clean Sweep Ignatius’.

The story was well delivered and easy to read however I can not say more about it without giving away spoilers. All I can say is if you have a few minutes spare give it a read. A short review for a short story.

I gave the story 3 out of 5 stars due to it just being too short for my liking and in my opinion not his best short story.

Kindle

Lady Book Dragon

Review 7: Members Only by Jeffrey Archer

Members Only by Jeffrey Archer

About the author

Blurb

The course of Robin Chapman’s life changes forever when he is inspired to take up golf when he receives a golf ball in a Christmas cracker. Playing for his local club he visits Jersey and there he falls in love twice, with a local women and with the idea of becoming a member of the Royal Jersey Golf Club. However, his quest to become a member is far from straightforward, there is a long waiting list and then the Second World War threatens to wreck his goal completely . . .

Review

This short story is part of the series of short stories that Jeffrey Archer has been doing, he has written one for each month of the year and this story is September’s. I discovered Jeffrey Archer’s work this year and promptly became hooked. When I got my Kindle I went looking for all the free books and discovered Archer’s short stories and downloaded them all and I have been reading them over breakfast each morning.

This short story had me slightly worried to start with as it mentioned golf, I am not at all interested in golf and I thought if it was mainly about golf I would probably struggle to stay interested. However, I am so pleased I did not give up as it was a really good feel good read that put a smile on my face and thankfully was not mainly focused on golf.

The main character Robin Chapman is a hard working man, who strives to make his father’s family business a success, but also strives to be a good golfer. His quest to join the Royal Jersey Golf Club influences him in most things that he does and his wife also suggests things to help and puts up with his mad ambition to join. Robin never gives up and does not let anything stand in his way, he hopes with persistence and patience he will get what he most desires.

Archer has written a beautiful little story here, that is fast paced and engrossing. His two main characters Robin and his wife Diana are real life and believable, Diana the long suffering wife, supporting her husband’s mad ideas and plans, but also keeping her own career going, and also coping with the worry of her husband when he is doing something dangerous. Robin, who is a genuine good guy, helps his fellow man, works hard and is a loving husband and father. Archer fits so much of these two people’s lives into this short story, you do not realise it is a short story until you suddenly reach the end. Archer’s beautiful writing shines through in this short story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

The rest of the book was a sample of his next book Heads you Win, I did not read this as I have had this book preordered for some time and it arrived last week, so I did not want to spoil the surprise.

If you have a spare minute I highly recommend sitting down with this short story, putting your feet up and having a good read.

A big 5 out of 5 stars from me.

Lady Book Dragon.