British author Jeffrey Archer, known for 'Kane and Abel', dies at 86

British author and former Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer died at the age of 86. Archer, who wrote a string of best-selling novels, served as a Conservative MP and was later convicted of perjury. His publisher said he died "suddenly and peacefully at his home between writing sessions".

Death comes ahead of literary festival appearance

His death came just as he was preparing for another public appearance. AFP reported that Archer had been due to appear at the Cheltenham Literary Festival this week to discuss Adam and Eve, which he described as his final novel after 50 years of storytelling. The book was due to be published on Tuesday. The Sun reported that he had been signing books for fans at an event in London on Sunday.

His editor, Kate Elton, called him a "master storyteller and an editor's dream". Archer had revealed in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to his website, his novels sold more than 300 million copies.

Rise in politics and success as a novelist

Archer rose quickly in public life but was repeatedly shadowed by scandal. He joined the Conservative Party while studying at Oxford University and, in 1969, won a by-election to become an MP at the age of 29. His parliamentary career ended in 1974 when he was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy after the collapse of a Canadian industrial cleaning company in which he had invested.

He later turned that experience into fiction. His first book, Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, was published in 1975 and became the first in a run of best-sellers set in the worlds of high finance and politics. Though critics often panned his novels, they made him wealthy. Archer also used his contacts and powers of persuasion to raise millions of pounds for the Conservatives while continuing to hope for a return to politics.

Perjury conviction and fall from public life

In 1985, then prime minister Margaret Thatcher appointed him Conservative deputy chairman, describing him as a model Tory high achiever. But a year later, he was forced to resign over what he called a "lack of judgment" after sending £2,000 to Monica Coghlan, a prostitute. He said he had paid the money only to help her go abroad and escape hounding by reporters, and he sued the Daily Star for suggesting otherwise.

Archer won £500,000 in damages in the 1987 libel case after suing the newspaper over a claim that he had slept with a prostitute. But he was later tried for perjury and perverting the course of justice after a friend admitted he had supplied a false alibi during that case.

In 1992, Thatcher's successor John Major recommended him for a peerage, giving him a seat in the House of Lords. In 1999, Archer launched a campaign to become the Conservative candidate for London’s first elected mayor. Months later, a claim emerged that he had asked a friend, Ted Francis, to provide a false alibi in relation to the Daily Star case. He was forced to abandon his bid and was expelled from the party.

In 2001, Archer was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to four years in prison and was granted parole in 2003.

Mary Archer stood by him through setbacks

Throughout his setbacks, his wife Mary Archer, a scientist, remained by his side. She was praised for her "fragrance" by the judge in the 1987 libel trial and once said: "We've explored the further reaches of 'for better and for worse' than most couples." Archer retired from the House of Lords in 2024. Mary Archer is Chancellor of the University of Buckingham.