Book Review- Jeffrey Archer’s Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.

Book Review- Jeffrey Archer’s Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.

This was Jeffrey Archer’s first novel. The story starts with four men being duped into buying falsely inflated shares in a company named “Prospecta Oil”. The Share prices rise quickly with a falsified report stating that there was oil hidden at the site which Prospecta purchased. However, the share prices plunge soon after as the shares have no value - It was actually a plot by “Harvey Metcalfe” to scam those men of their money (They were not specifically picked - It was a coincidence that those four lost the most money.). Having lost over a Million in total, they decide to team up and get the money back. Thus, each of them creates their own plots to fool Harvey and get their money back. The title, “Not a Penny more, Not a Penny Less” refers to how the protagonist states that they shall only take what is owed to them, no more, no less.

Despite this being Jeffrey Archer’s first novel, I think that it really comes across as being a fun read. The characters are meticulous and go through stages after stages of planning to complete their plots. Each character is also well described, with each character almost taking on a life of their own. Some parts of this novel will make the reader grip the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen next. The twist at the end of the story is also highly amusing!!

Book Review - Jeffrey Archer's As the Crow Flies

Personally, Jeffery Archer is my favourite author. I most enjoy his collections of Short Stories, such as 12 Red Herrings and a Twist in the Tale. For this blog post, I will be talking about his novel, as the Crow Flies. As the Crow Flies is truly an huge story. It spans the life of Charlie Trumper from his Childhood to his later years. Charlie learns the art of trading from his grandfather, and after the death of his grandfather, takes over the family business (His father neglects the family) and takes care of his sisters. However, he leaves soon to enlist in the Army. The army seems to suit Charlie perfectly as he wakes up early than the other recruits and is more readily suited to the hardships they face. He is promoted quickly and they continue to train before heading off to their fist combat mission. However, soon after, his best friend in the army is murdered by an officer who has a grudge against his friend. After the War, Charlie returns to England, where he discovers that a Shop has been set up bearing his name by his Childhood Friend and Business Partner Rebecca. The rest of the story switches the Point of View through the different characters. (I will not spoil the rest of the story by revealing it here)

I find that although this was an extremely long novel, Jeffrey Archer managed to keep it interesting by changing the Points of View. It was also an effective story-telling technique as it allowed the reader to understand what happened during other parts of the story, despite the character not being there. Furthermore, despite introducing several characters, Jeffrey Archer manages to give characters depth in their mannerisms, which can be seen through different points of view. Furthermore, the characters are easy to remember, although many are introduced in the story.