Britainupdated 38m ago1 min read
HarperCollins Says Jeffrey Archer Dies Suddenly At Home Aged 86
Jeffrey Archer, British author and former Conservative MP, died at age 86. HarperCollins announced he died suddenly and peacefully at home.
Archer dies at 86
HarperCollins said Jeffrey Archer died "suddenly and peacefully at his home between writing sessions" on Monday at the age of 86.
Archer’s final novel, Adam & Eve, was scheduled for release on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Kate Elton called Archer a "master storyteller and an editor's dream".
People said Archer met with his readers and signed hundreds of books at a sold-out event in London a day before his death.
Career, politics, prison
Jeffrey Howard Archer was born in north London on 15 April 1940 and moved with his parents to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset within two weeks. Archer spent five months as a probationary constable in the Metropolitan Police before quitting to become a physical training instructor at a small prep school in Hampshire.
Archer was convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice and that he was sentenced to four years in prison. El Correo said Archer spent two years in prison after corruption-related problems and that he did not retire until two years ago, after reaching the status of peer of the realm.
Final book and legacy
Archer’s debut novel Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less hit shelves in 1976 and he was best-known for the Clifton Chronicles. Archer’s most famous historical fiction, Kane and Abel, was in print in 119 countries and 47 languages.
Archer sold more than 300 million copies worldwide and Archer’s final novel, Adam and Eve, was due to be published this month. Reforma said Archer sold more than 320 million books worldwide over a five-decade literary career and that HarperCollins said Adam and Eve was scheduled for release this month.