Archer’s prison drama

Mar 21 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

JEFFREY Archer's new novel represents something of a comeback effort for the Oxford-educated politician, now perhaps best-known for his spell in prison.

As well as being a bit of a reformed character since his release, Mr Archer put his time in clink to good use – he modelled some of the characters in his new book after people he met in prison.

In the 531-page work, a man wrongly convicted of murder eventually escapes and gets his revenge on his accusers, four upper-class professionals who appear above the law.

Much has already been made of the fact that the author loosely based his new novel on Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo, the classic 19th century thriller in which young Edmond Dantès is wrongly accused of a crime, escapes, becomes rich and then enjoys his revenge.

Nothing wrong with that – and nothing wrong with the book either.

It proves a powerful, if implausible, tale and the short chapters help it to race along.

ANDREW BALDWIN