Synopses & Reviews
An irresistible collection of short stories from bestselling author
Jeffrey Archer
An English lord requires one more chess piece to complete a set that would be worth a fortune. Another man, an accountant, realizes hes achieved nothing in his life—and sets out to make a fortune before he retires. And then there is the authors own favorite, “In the Eye of the Beholder,” about a star athlete who has a fateful run-in with a three-hundred-pound woman. Some of these twelve stories were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, including “Dont Drink the Water,” the tale of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St. Petersburg—with unexpected consequences. Witty, suspenseful, sad, surprising, and unforgettable, Cat ONine Tales is Jeffrey Archer at his best.
“Archer plots with skill, and keeps you turning the pages.” —The Boston Globe
“The economy and precision of Archer's prose never fails to delight. The criminal doesn't always get away with his crime and justice doesn't always prevail, but the reader wins with each and every story.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Illustrations by internationally acclaimed artist Ronald Searle
Review
“One of the top ten storytellers in the world.”—
Los Angeles Times “Archer is a master entertainer.”—Time "Jeffrey Archer served in Britain's Parliament for 19 years - and in Her Majesty's Prison for two. Those two years provide the basis for this collection of stories. His 'mates' teach him prison protocol and divulge the details of their crimes. No doubt Archer enhances their tales with his imagination and narrative expertise, and in this he is aided by the reading of Anton Lesser. If you want an audio experience that is easily divided into satisfying segments of 45-50 minutes each, this is a good choice." - The Roanoke Times
Review
OUTSTANDING PRAISE FOR
JEFFREY ARCHER
“One of the top ten storytellers in the world.” —Los Angeles Times
“There isnt a better story-teller alive.” —Larry King
“Archer plots with skill, and keeps you turning the pages.” —The Boston Globe
“Cunning plots, silken style…. Archer plays a cat-and-mouse game with the reader.” —The New York Times
“Archer is a master entertainer.” —Time
“A storyteller in the class of Alexandre Dumas…unsurpassed skill…making the reader wonder intensely what will happen next.” —The Washington Post
Synopsis
Cat o'Nine Tales is the fifth collection of irresistible short stories from the master storyteller. Ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and Jeffrey Archer's trademark of deliciously unexpected conclusions, this new collection has the added bonus of thirteen charming illustrations by the internationally acclaimed artist Ronald Searle.
Some of these twelve stories were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, including the story of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St. Petersburg---with unexpected consequences. "The Red King" is a tale about a con man who discovers that an English lord requires one more chess piece to complete a set that would be worth a fortune. In another tale of deception, "The Commissioner," a Bombay con artist ends up in the morgue after he uses the police chief as bait in his latest scam. "The Perfect Murder" reveals how a convict manages to remove an old enemy while he's locked up in jail, and then set up two prison officers as his alibi. In "Charity Begins at Home," an accountant realizes he has achieved nothing in his life, and sets out to make a fortune before he retires. And then there is Archer's favorite, "In the Eye of the Beholder," in which a handsome star athlete falls in love with a three-hundred-pound woman . . . who happens to be the ninth-richest woman in Italy.
Jeffrey Archer is the only author to have topped international bestseller lists with his fiction, nonfiction, and short stories. Cat o'Nine Tales is Archer at his best: witty, poignant, sad, surprising, and unforgettable.
Synopsis
Praise for Jeffrey Archer's Short Stories
"There isn't a better story-teller alive."
---Larry King
"Archer is a master entertainer."
---Time
"Archer is a terrific story-teller, and meets the reader's ultimate tests---to want to turn the page to see what happens next."
---Sunday Times, London
"Probably the greatest storyteller of our age."
---Mail on Sunday, London
"Jeffrey Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius."
---Daily Telegraph, London
"Cunning plots, silken style . . . Archer plays a cat-and-mouse game with the reader."
---The New York Times
Synopsis
Twelve short gems from one of the most popular novelists—and bestselling short-story writers of our time
Synopsis
Cat o'Nine Tales is the fifth collection of irresistible short stories from the master storyteller. Ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and Jeffrey Archer's trademark of deliciously unexpected conclusions, this new collection has the added bonus of thirteen charming illustrations by the internationally acclaimed artist Ronald Searle.
Some of these twelve stories were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, including the story of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St. Petersburg---with unexpected consequences. "The Red King" is a tale about a con man who discovers that an English lord requires one more chess piece to complete a set that would be worth a fortune. In another tale of deception, "The Commissioner," a Bombay con artist ends up in the morgue after he uses the police chief as bait in his latest scam. "The Perfect Murder" reveals how a convict manages to remove an old enemy while he's locked up in jail, and then set up two prison officers as his alibi. In "Charity Begins at Home," an accountant realizes he has achieved nothing in his life, and sets out to make a fortune before he retires. And then there is Archer's favorite, "In the Eye of the Beholder," in which a handsome star athlete falls in love with a three-hundred-pound woman . . . who happens to be the ninth-richest woman in Italy.
Jeffrey Archer is the only author to have topped international bestseller lists with his fiction, nonfiction, and short stories. Cat o'Nine Tales is Archer at his best: witty, poignant, sad, surprising, and unforgettable.
Synopsis
An English lord requires one more chess piece to complete a set that would be worth a fortune. Another man, an accountant, realizes hes achieved nothing in his life—and sets out to make a fortune before he retires. And then there is the authors own favorite, “In the Eye of the Beholder,” about a star athlete who has a fateful run-in with a three-hundred-pound woman. Some of these twelve stories were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, including “Dont Drink the Water,” the tale of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St. Petersburg—with unexpected consequences. Witty, suspenseful, sad, surprising, and unforgettable, Cat ONine Tales is Jeffrey Archer at his best.
About the Author
Jeffrey Archer was educated at Oxford University. He has served five years in Britains House of Commons, fourteen years in the House of Lords, and two in Her Majestys prisons, which spawned three volumes of highly acclaimed Prison Diaries. All of his novels and short-story collections---including Kane and Abel, Sons of Fortune, and most recently False Impression---have been international bestsellers, selling over 125 million copies worldwide. Archer is married with two children and lives in London and Cambridge.