Lord Jeffrey Archer needs no introduction. He is an amazing writer, be it novels or short stories. ’’Lord Archer ’’ was also recently in newz for his part in various scams, sex scandals. He is now serving jail time, where he still manages to break laws & be in newz :) It’s interesting to know that he is serving 4 years prison time because the jury discovered he had lied during his trial ! Funny that a man who can write such convincing stories cannot lie and convince a group of 12 people ! LOL :) Of course, like the heroines in his novels, his wife Lady Archer has stood by him in all his ’difficult’ times.
Whatever he may be in personal life, one cannot deny that when it comes to storytelling Archer is surely the best. He will alwayz be my favourite author. I recently read a review for his book Twelve Red Herrings, on MS and I decided to write a detailed review, so that anyone of you who has missed this book would be prompted to read it, ASAP :)
Twelve Red Herrings is collection of 12 short fiction stories. The stories are written in the familiar Archer style - straightforward yet clever word play & a surprise ending.
First let me tell you what the term ’’Red Herring’’ means. This is a term used to signify that something irrelevant that is dragged into a matter only to divert/confuse the subject at hand. By using this in each of his stories Jeffery Archer not only succeeds in fooling the reader, he leaves the reader wanting more !!!
I’m writing the 12 stories, in short according to my liking of that particular story, the titles marked with an asterisk are stories based on true incidents know to Archer & the rest are from his imagination :
Cheap at Half the Price
Consuela Rosenheim is a woman with expensive tastes that require both a wealthy husband and wealthy lover to satisfy. The story tells us of who she manages to be with both her husband and lover but each unaware of the other. This is an amusing story where we see her brilliance in not only keeping both her hubby & lover in dark but also getting the perfect birthday gift she desired - a beautiful necklace.
Trial and Error
In Trial and Error we read about an imprisoned man Cooper who is sure that his supposed murder victim is very much alive. Cooper plans for revenge, to finally carry out the murder for which he has already been sentenced and convicted, knowing very well that due to the construct of the law, the murder cannot be punished as he has already been convicted and served his time.
Dougie Mortimer’s Right Arm
Robert is leaving Cambridge university after being a champion stroker for 3 years. As per his dad’s wish he hunts a memento for the university boat club that they would remember Robert by. This memento is a bronze cast arm of a former Cambridge stroker Dougie Mortimer, who committed suicide after losing in an oar competition & soon his cast arm goes missing. Robert tracks this arm & presents it to the university. However, once again the arm goes missing and hence begins Robert’s search for the arm & the truth.
Do Not Pass Go
tells us the tale of a political refugee Hamid from Iraq, who is now in USA and his unfortunate visit to his homeland. This story keeps the reader gripped till we find that Hamid has once again managed to escape being on the death list.
Chunnel Vision
is the most amusing story in the book. A well-known writer whose latest book has also won awards meets his best friend, after a long time. His friend also a writer, is very eager to tell him the plot of his latest novel. The setting is in a restaurant where his friend narrates his story............ only to discover in the end that it’s exactly the same story for which our hero has already been awarded !! This is a funny story with an end that can be easily guessed mid-way but reading it one cannot help but laugh !
Shoeshine Boy
Ted Barker, a small town governor has an unexpected honored guest Mountbatten, whose wants to visit informally but yet in an unsaid manner his expectations are something more than the red carpet. Amusing tale of how Ted manages to give a perfect welcome to his guest. This one sounds like our regular hindi movie stuff.
You’ll Never Live to Regret It
Is about an about-to-die guy David & how he plans to trick an insurance company to get for his lover. There are some surprises in this story, as things don’t go as per David’s plan.
Never Stop on the Motorway
Diana, is on a weekend visit to her friend’s farm but is pursued relentlessly by a menacing figure in another vehicle. Her ride into the country becomes such a terror that by the last page the reader is pleasantly surprised by the end !
Not for Sale
Sally, a young struggling painter gets the biggest break of her career but not without heartache & a broken leg !!!
Timeo Danaos
is about a bank manager Ted Becker who considers himself a ’’born entrepreneur’’ but is actually a miser looking out for cheap bargains. In search for the perfect dinner set for his wife, a young seller tricks him, but till the end is unaware of this trick.
An Eye for an Eye
a leading lawyer’s attempt to prove his client, who is suspected for murdering her vicious husband, is not blind.
One Man’s Meat
is clearly, the piece d’ resistance of this book. Here Archer has the hero Michael narrating the story where he, seeing a beautiful woman while driving by a theater, stops to pursue her and is also lucky enough to ask her out for dinner ! That is the end of the story or rather beginning of a new story. On turning the page we find a note from Archer that he has written four alternate endings to this tale and the reader may chose any one from the four titles or if he/she prefers they should read all the four as they have been written. Of course, most of the readers - like me - would want to know what will happen? Would she accept his offer? Is anyone of the married? In the reader experiences each alternative. Interestingly, the titles given to the alternate stories are Rare, Burnt, Overdone & A Point. Each gives the story a different turn, just like we often wonder in our lives about what would happened in any situation, had we made a different choice. I liked the ending of second title Burnt, its hilarous !!!
My favourites stories are Cheap at half the price & One Man’s Meat, though all the other stories are equally entertaining.
PS: THANX to those of you who actually read this exhaustive review & those of you who thought this is an exhaustive review please thank MS for its 8000 characters limit coz I wanted to write more !! LOL :)