Jeffrey Archer is one of the world’s bestselling authors, with sales of over 275 million copies in 97 countries, and is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (twenty times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). He was born in London, and brought up in the West Country. He gained a Blue in Athletics at Oxford, was President of the University Athletics Club, and went on to run the 100 yards in 9.6 seconds for Great Britain in 1966. Jeffrey has served five years in the House of Commons as a Member of Parliament, and twenty-nine years as a Member of the House of Lords.
He has written 26 novels, 7 sets of short stories, 3 prison diaries, 3 plays (all of which have been performed in London’s West End) and a gospel. His first novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less was sold to 17 countries within a year. It was also made into a successful serial for BBC Radio 4, and was later televised in 1990 by the BBC. He won the Prix Relay du Roman d’Évasion, a prize that rewards a novel in which readers can ‘escape from everyday life’, for his novel Paths of Glory, and the Prix Polar International Prize for the best international thriller of the year, for his novel A Prisoner of Birth. The Clifton Chronicles, a series of seven novels published between 2011-2017, topped the bestseller lists around the world.
Famous for his discipline as a writer who works on up to fourteen drafts of each book, Jeffrey also brings a vast amount of insider knowledge to his books. Whether it’s his own career in politics, his passionate interest in art, or the wealth of fascinating background detail – inspired by the extraordinary network of friends he has built over a lifetime at the heart of Britain’s establishment – his novels provide a fascinating glimpse into a range of closed worlds.
Jeffrey is also an amateur auctioneer, conducting up to 20 charity auctions a year. He has been married to Dame Mary Archer, Chair of the Science Museum Group, for 55 year, and they have two sons, two granddaughters and three grandsons. He splits his time between London, Cambridge and Mallorca – where he writes the first draft of each new novel.
The fourth book In his new William Warwick novels – the first of which, Nothing Ventured, was published in 2019 – is OVER MY DEAD BODY, and will be out in October 2021.
Follow Jeffrey on Instagram – Jeffrey_Archer_Author, Facebook and Twitter @Jeffrey_Archer
I saw this on a list of great upcoming mysteries and thrillers. The Blurb sounded good, and I have never read a Jeffery Archer book before, so I was keen to try one.
This book has a great start, it immediately jumps into the story, and I was hooked instantly; I didn’t realise it at the time, but it’s part of a series. I read it as a stand-alone book and didn’t feel that I had missed anything by not reading the others first or in order.
Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick leads a new cold case review of several murders. They know who did them, but no convictions were made due to their lawyer, the slimy QC Booth Watson. They focus on four cases but the main thread is the recently ‘deceased’ Miles Faulkner. This is a fast-paced story that flowed well and was entertaining throughout. If you can call them that, my only negatives were the murder outside the art gallery – was she the intended victim? Also, what happened to the baby? Maybe this is due to continue in the next book, where we will find out more. The initial death and meeting of the character who wants to become the head of the FBI felt a little extra to the story but may have made more sense had I read the other books first.
I got a good feel for the characters and what they were like and didn’t feel I missed anything by not reading the other books. The characters were well developed and worked well with the plot. I liked both William Warwick and his partner Ross Hogan, who was bought in from the cold after being an undercover agent. I think QC Booth Watson was the best-written character though, his slimy behaviour and crookedness came through the pages brilliantly. It was also delightful to read about William Warwick’s home life, his warm, caring wife and the lovely little twins to who he enjoys reading ‘PC Plod’ books.
Almost everything in this book was neatly tied up at the end but for a few glaring omissions. For example, what happened to Faulkner’s wife, or did I miss that? Where was the baby? She was mentioned, but I have no idea if she lived with her dad or was still in the hospital. Does Hogan ever leave, or does he stay? I guess some of this will be tied up in future books.
This was a great page-turner with a most;y relevant plot. It was well written, as you would expect from such a famous and prolific author. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you entertained, and it was a reasonably quick read.
The story is set in 198; some parts didn’t add up. For example, mobile phones weren’t that ‘mobile’ back then as they would appear to be in the story, but it’s a minor issue and doesn’t impact the story at all. Hogan going off the rails and facing no disciplinary action is also a little suspect (and concerning!) but does add to the story, though perhaps a little too conveniently. His actions show how grief can affect some people, though, which was an exciting thought.
I believe that this is planned to be a series of eight books, and I intend to read the first three before the next instalment. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery/thriller or reading Harlan Coben or Peter James.
| Title | Over My Dead Body |
| Author | Jeffery Archer |
| Series | Detective William Warwick Book 4 |
| Format | eARC |
| Page Count | 384 Pages |
| Genre | Mystery & Thriller |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Release Date | 12th October 2021 |
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