Any few paragraphs give an adequate sample to recognize familiar flavors in a new book by Jeffrey Archer, the bestselling British author, past-politician and ex-convict. False Impression (2005, Macmillan, London, 389 pages) became the popular storyteller’s first novel after a two-year prison stay for perjury.
Naturally, Archer used the jailhouse stint to concentrate on his writing, leading to three Prison Diaries. Incarceration can spur the solitary dedication needed to string together sentences and paragraphs.
With False Impression, a tale of skulduggery in the art world, Archer demonstrates that his skills remain intact. Again, his prose fuses into a better-than-average book.
The story begins with the murder of a wealthy British aristocrat, then the 9-11 terrorist attacks in America. Banker Bryce Fenston, a Romanian immigrant with a sinister past, rejects legal and ethical limits when collecting valuable paintings. His pursuit of a famous Van Gogh, Self-Portrait With Bandaged Ear, pits him against Anna Petrescu, a pristine, well-intentioned and foolhardy art consultant.
Under FBI surveillance, Anna swipes the painting and begins a multinational game of hide-and-seek. Pertinent events unfold in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Romania, Hong Kong, Japan and Russia. Fenston assigns his most ruthless employee, a tiny woman, a former Olympic athlete turned assassin, to follow. More bodies fall.
Archer routinely weaves such tales. His past bestsellers include: Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less; Kane and Abel; The Prodigal Daughter; Honour Among Thieves; The Fourth Estate; The Eleventh Commandment; and Sons of Fortune. His books have sold more than 120 million copies.
Archer’s a master at coaxing the best from every story he tells. With False Impression, most readers will feel relaxed and well entertained, as if reunited with an old friend.
Approval rating: 63 per cent
For more information: www.panmacmillan.com
(September 3, 2007)
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Archer poses with Van Gogh's likeness.
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