Among the late Jeffrey Archer’s many, many fans in India is Sethu Iyer from Ahmedabad. ‘How I wish,’ says Sethu ‘he had written a book based in India with cricket as the background!’
Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff
Jeffrey Archer was always one of my favourite authors after I graduated from Enid Blyton in primary school, Agatha Christie and James Hadley Chase in secondary school and entered college and youth.
Along with other thriller writers like Frederick Forsyth, Ken Follet and Sidney Sheldon, Archer novels were a must read and Archer was simply put a ‘First Among Equals’.
My sister introduced me to his Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less which he wrote in his early days when he was himself bankrupt (fiction followed fact). Since its success, he did not look back, making millions along the way.
Archer was a master storyteller, with so much detailing about the places and cities his books were based in.
He used to write long-hand as I read somewhere, which is so fascinating in these times of AI and technology.
He loved India and India loved him but sadly I don’t think he based any novel fully in India though he visited India frequently and his books were released here sometimes even before in other parts of the world.
Apart from writing of course, he was equally passionate about cricket and Indian cricketers like most Indians.
How I wish he had written a book based in India with cricket as the background! Alas, that’s not to be or as one of his books state ‘over my dead body’.
Do share your tribute to this master storyteller.
Have you met him? Watched him promote a book? Maybe got a picture clicked with him? Or have a signed copy? Share your anecdotes and pictures.
Tell us about your favourite Jeffrey Archer books and why you love them so much. You could tell us about the first Jeffrey Archer book your read, the moment you became a fan. Share your feelings about the much-loved author.
Don’t forget to include your name and where you were from.
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