False Impression (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Even though Archer (Sons of Fortune) grounds his international art-thievery thriller in the events of 9/11, this leisurely paced, tepid effort has a musty feel. It's September 10, 2001, and Lady Victoria Wentworth is sitting in spacious Wentworth Hall considering the sad state of family fortunes when a female intruder slips in, slashes her throat and cuts off her ear. The next day in New York, art expert Anna Petrescu heads to her job as art wrangler for wealthy magnate Bryce Fenston of Fenston Finance. The pair's offices are in the Twin Towers, and when disaster strikes, each sees the tragedy as an opportunity to manipulate a transaction scheduled to transfer ownership of a legendary Van Gogh painting, Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear, from the Wentworth estate to the larcenous Fenston. The initially intriguing character, hit-woman and ex-gymnast Olga Krantz, turns out to be too lightweight, both physically and fictionally, to garner strong interest in anything other than her deadly skills with a kitchen knife. Lord Archer has been busy for the past five years or so serving half of a four-year prison sentence for perjury and writing a series of books about his prison experience; his first novel in seven years disappoints. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Archer's legion of fans have been waiting for seven years for his new thriller, and its success will probably depend on how well it sits with them. Some readers may sink right into the murderous plot involving--you guessed it--valuable works of art. Others may read several chapters, get the gist of the story and its characters (plucky heroine, on the run from homicidal financier, tries to keep Van Gogh's last painting out of his evil clutches), and think: for this, we waited? It's not a bad novel, if you don't mind a thriller that feels as though it was assembled from bits and pieces of other thrillers. Certainly Archer's writing skills have not deteriorated over the years, although they haven't improved, either. Some readers, too, may question the wisdom of using the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center as a plot point; this isn't a serious work about terrorism but, instead, simply uses the tragedy as a convenient narrative landmark. On the other hand, for those who found the appeal of The Da Vinci Code to be in its mix of art and conspiracy, this one certainly follows the formula. Expect some demand, but buy with care. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Reprint edition (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312939779
• ISBN-13: 978-0312939779
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #161,623 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A bit pedestrian at times, December 4, 2006

By	David W. Nicholas (Montrose, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Jeffrey Archer does two types of books. On the one hand he does the epic family thing, typically following a group of two or more people through their lives, observing their families, friendships, business triumphs and defeats, and loves and losses. Typically his characters in something like this are either business tycoons or politicians. On the other hand, he also does suspense novels, a sort of poor man's Ken Follett, with a writing style more on par with someone like Jack Higgins, though Archer's books are longer. False Impression falls into the latter category.

The plot centers around a millionaire art collector and megalomaniac who contrives to have people killed and wind up with their property without having to pay for it. He specializes in loaning money to people who have expensive art, and who won't be able to pay off their loans, especially not with the terms he negotiates. The book starts the day before 9/11/01, with him finalizing a "deal" that will bring him one of Van Gogh's self-portraits, worth tens of millions, for next to nothing. He runs into a snag, though, in that his office is in the World Trade Center. Though he escapes unharmed, he finds former and current employees working to sabotage the deal and see that the Van Gogh winds up in proper hands.

This is a reasonably good book, but it definitely has its flaws. The protagonists all sound British, and there's one scene in particular where a pair of truckers attack a woman, intending to rape her, for no other reason than that the author needed the plot device, and of course most Europeans think that sort of thing happens in America all the time. A few days after 9/11, it seems doubtful, to say the least. All of the characters come across as cardboard cut-outs, other than the English Lady who shows up way too rarely in the plot.

The above objections aside, the plot is relatively entertaining, and at least it reads fast. Whatever else he says or does, Archer has no pretensions: he's writing a potboiler, he knows it, and he doesn't bother to try and convince you otherwise. It's a good thing he doesn't.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Prison life seems to have ruined Archer, July 7, 2006

By	Dan Cormier - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: False Impression (Hardcover)

A favourite writer goes to prison, keeps a diary which proves to be an enjoyable read, then, upon his release, writes the worst book of his career. The concept of the book is good, as is the idea to blend the characters into the 9-11 tragedy. The first 20 pages flow with typical Archer style. Then the characters begin to make a series of continuously irrational decisions.

My personnal favourite is when 2 characters independantly consider driving either to Canada or Mexico in order to fly to Europe during the 9-11 grounding of air traffic. The idea that New Yorkers wouldn't know that Montreal is the nearest international airport seem laughable. While there is a direct highway to Montreal, Archer sends the main character to Toronto which reqires a least 6 different highway changes, is in the wrong direction and nearly twice the drive. Once at the border, the border patrol guard turns out to be a world class art historian who apparantly doesn't know that McGill University is in Montreal not Toronto as is claimed by our hero. The guard then remarks that he will "meet" a collegue of the hero when that peron travels up to the conference. The idea that only one border guard is working the dozens of eastern US/Canadian border crossings, with multi-lane checkpoints 24/7 is simply the work of a mind out of touch with reality.

Its fine to change details to enhance the plot and structure of a story, but there is simply no benefit to this sillyness.

Dan Cormier

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PERFECT HOLIDAY READ, March 7, 2006

By	AmericanBookReview "AmericanBookReview" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: False Impression (Hardcover)

Another great thriller from Jeffrey Archer. His first novel in seven yeras, and his first since his release from prison and the diaries of his time there. False Imnpression is an amazing chase around the world, told with his usual style and speed.

The book starts with a breathtaking account of an escape from the World Trade Centre on 9/11. The story follows the heroine (Anna Petrescu who is missing presumed dead) race across the globe, after she uncovers why Lady Victoria Wentworth was brutally murdered. All the time she must stay one step ahead of various villains (a New York banker and his Lawyer / a hit woman and even the FBI).

A priceless Van Gogh is the prize for all the characters, including Nakamura San.

The book is also well researched, and peppered with facts about the art world, the world trade centre, and Van Gogh's paintings. Anyone who liked the mix of the art world, espionage and intrigue in The Da Vinci code, will be equally happy with this novel.

We recommend *****.