Crime Fiction Alphabet - Archer, Jeffrey

Thursday, May 24, 2012


I came across the Crime Fiction Alphabet on Clarissa Draper’s blog and thought it was a pretty cool idea. I write mostly romantic suspense, so there's usually a crime somewhere in my stories. The idea behind the Crime Fiction Alphabet is to write something related to crime fiction that’s based around the letter of the week. The post should be up by the end of each week. I thought I could do this because it’s one letter per week. See the rules for the Alphabet in Crime Fiction here. This Meme is run by Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise



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My choice this week is Jeffrey Archer, who is one of my favourite writers. His writing career started with a determination to repay debts owed by a company in which he had invested. He sat down and wrote a book, which sold extremely well. Since then, he has gone on to publish more than a dozen novels and five collections of short stories. His books have sold more than 250 million copies.  I’ve read all but one of his short story collections. 
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Archer’s writing style is deceptively simple. He uses straightforward sentences and weaves them into stories that keep the reader absorbed to the end. The crimes he writes about are usually committed in such a way that I’m left admiring the ingenuity of the criminal.  Also, they’re not usually of the blood and gore variety. One of the things that is fascinating about Archer’s writing is that the endings (think short story) almost always come as a surprise.
The last collections I read were Twelve Red Herrings and Cat o’ Nine Tales.

28 comments:

  1. Yep I do like Jeffrey Archer's straightforward writing. Great choice for the letter A :)

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    1. Lynda, I'm thinking it's about time I read some more Archer.

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  2. Surprising endings. I like them.

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    1. Me too, Julia. I've missed you. Will be along to see what you're up to.

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  3. I have never read Archer as I don't do very many mysteries, but I will definitely give him a shot now.

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    1. Hi, Melissa,

      You can try his short stories. They're entertaining and not heavy in terms of tone.

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  4. They look so good! I'm so glad you're joining the ABC with me. It's nice to have friends along.

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    1. Hi, Clarissa,

      I think this meme is a good one. It might be challenge to find an author for all 26 letter, but we'll see.

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  5. I've never read Archer, but if I were doing this blogfest, my first choice would definitely be Agatha Christie! (Does it count if the A is in her first name? :) Her mysteries are classic and compelling.

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    1. Julie,
      I noticed that a few people did do Agatha Christie or books by her. It seemed like a natural choice. I'm almost ashamed to say I do own books by her, but haven't read any.

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  6. Reading a JeffreyA book this year is one of my goals, great choice.

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    1. Thanks for stopping in, March. Hope you do get around to Archer. He's good.

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  7. I like Jeffrey Archer, too.
    Happy Weekend!

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  8. Wow 250 million copies is a ton. Wouldn't it be awesome to have success like that?

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  9. I have read all his books. I like his short stories with always a twist in the tale.

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  10. I'm impressed. :) Thanks for dropping in.

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  11. This does sound like a fun challenge. And great pick. I went on an Archer kick myself. 250 million copies. geesh. I can't count that high but I sure wish I could.

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    1. 250 million copies is enough to boggle the mind.

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  12. I haven't read anything by Jeffrey Archer. He sounds great!

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    1. Hi, Dawn, thanks for visiting. Archer is good. You should try him.

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  13. I have read Archer's stuff... but a long, long time ago. He definitely has a simple but effective story-telling technique!

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    1. Hey, Michelle, thanks for dropping in. You can't get more effective at storytelling than Archer.

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  14. I have some of his books, but I haven't read them yet.

    I like the sound of Crime Fiction Alphabet.

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    1. Hi, Medeia,
      I only take part in a few bloghops 'cause they're time-consuming, but I couldn't resist this one. Good thing is, it's once per week.

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  15. Looove Jeffrey Archer and periodically go back and dive in with a happy splash. He's timeless.

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    1. So true, Kittie. Timeless is a good way to describe Archer's writing.

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Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you think.