A Twist in the Tale [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Archer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1989

Twelve short stories with a twist in the ending from Jeffrey Archer, the author of "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less", "Kane and Abel" and, most recently, the play, "Beyond Reasonable Doubt".

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Archer's ( Kane and Abel ) talent as a raconteur is evident in these 12 distinctive short stories, all of which have surprise endings. Many center on human failings such as jealousy, obstinacy, pettiness or prejudice; 10 are based on "known incidents" that Archer has "embellished." An almost reportorial, straightforward style actually enhances each concluding jolt. In "The Perfect Murder," a married man kills his mistress, cunningly implicates someone else, and ensures that hapless person's conviction. "A La Carte" concerns Mark Hapgood, who grudgingly works as a lowly hotel porter to please his father, then unexpectedly becomes a celebrated hotel chef. The amorous, contented female narrator of "Just Good Friends" turns out to be a cat. The stunning "Christinia Rosenthal" shows the needless tragedy that results when a girl's anti-Semitic parents oppose her marriage to a rabbi's son. Though the plots are rather slight, Archer's understanding of human nature, and his talent for surprise endings, make this volume a must for his fans. First serial to Penthouse and New Woman; Literary Guild alternate; major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Archer is a master entertainer." --Time

"A storyteller in the class of Alexander Dumas...Unsurpassed skill...making the reader wonder intensely what will happen next."--The Washington Post

"There isn't a better storyteller alive." --Larry King

"Archer...has anextraordinary talent for turning notoriety into gold, and telling fast-moving stories."--The Philadelphia Inquirer

"One of the top ten storytellers in the world"-- Los Angeles Times

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (January 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671671480
• ISBN-13: 978-0671671488
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,929,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey Archer was educated at Oxford University. He has served five years in Britain's House of Commons, fourteen years in the House of Lords and two in Her majesty's 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 False Impression--have been international bestsellers. Archer is married with two children and lives in London and Cambridge.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short Stories with Unexpected Endings, November 10, 2002

By 

Imperial Topaz (Marrakesh, Morocco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Twist in the Tale (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a big fan of Jeffrey Archer. I love his long novels and deep characterizations. This book was a bit different for me. When I first purchased it, I didn't know it was a collection of short stories. After reading the first story, I left it sitting by my beside for several weeks, then picked it up and read the rest in two days. The only reason I set it aside was that it surprised me when the first story ended--that's when I discovered it was a book of short stories. (I enjoy Jeffrey Archer so much that I bought it quickly, just looking at his name on the cover, passing through an airport, not noticing this book was not a novel like all his others.)

Most of these stories can be read in 30 minutes, while the first story might take one hour. The book is very appropriately named, because the very end of each story has a bizarrre "twist" that you don't expect. The twist happens literally in the last sentence or two of each story, and the reader is completely surprised.

Compared to most novels, these stories move incredibly fast. In spite of that, characterization is revealed well, as the stories move. There is quite a variety in the stories presented--in one story, he even writes as a woman. I highly enjoyed this book. Anyone who enjoys either short stories, or loves Jeffrey Archer's novels will enjoy it, too. The only reason I have rated it four stars instead of five, is that I personally enjoy novels much more than short stories-short stories end far too quickly for me.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Book That Reaffirms My Faith In Shortstories, August 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Twist in the Tale (Mass Market Paperback)

The modern shortstory, let's face it, is a dying artform. Yes, there are journals and literary magazines dedicated to publishing them but unless the words "Ellery Queen" or "Isaac Asimov" appear on the cover odds are you won't find them on your average magazine stand. It is even more deplorable in bookstores. It is rare to see a collection of shortstories from anyone to whom the phrase "best selling author" applies to. So I find it great that every once in a while Jeffrey Archer serves up a new set of clever yarns. He's published several but this one is the best. The tales are written well and are good entertainment on their own face but he goes the extra mile by pulling surprises in the end. And I do mean the end. Frequently in this set the line that opens your eyes is the final one. Running the gamut from the fairly amusing "The Steal" to the tragic "Christina Rosenthal" there is, if nothing else, something for everyone. Absolutely first rate.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, June 18, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: A Twist in the Tale (Mass Market Paperback)

It was the first book I had read from Jeffrey Archer, it would definitely not be my last. The stories were all hilariously written and I couldn't stop myself from reading on and on..