Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less

When four men lose their life savings to a wealthy Boston swindler in a stock market scam, how will they get their money back? That's the plot of this highly entertaining novel that can best be summed up as: don't get mad, get even. Their goal is to recoup exactly the $1 million they collectively lost, hence the title of the book. With revenge that can be described as "playful" rather than mean-spirited, the book has a light-hearted tone that will leave readers upbeat. As the reader of more than half a dozen novels by Jeffrey Archer and one collection of short stories, I thought it was about time to read his very first novel. Often, after I have sampled an author and decided I like their writing, it is fun to go back and read their first efforts - seeing how they have matured over the years and polished their craft. But in this instance, I had another reason as well: the man himself fascinates me. I realize his personal life is as scandalous as his fictional characters, and if you happen to be a Brit, he probably ranks right up there with the royal family in terms of tabloid coverage. But you have to hand it to the guy: for someone who was on the brink of bankruptcy and forced to step down from political office in financial disgrace, he didn't sit around and moan. He took up pen and paper, wrote his first novel, and launched a stellar writing career. I have no idea if the novel was simply catharsis for him, or if he was confident enough in his abilities to think he could regain his fortunes with just a single book. For those that don't know the story, he invested $1 million of his own money in the early 1970s in a Canadian company that turned out to be a scam. He found himself almost penniless overnight and although he did not ultimately declare bankruptcy, he came awfully close. But the rest, as they say, is history. The fact that he sat down to write rather than just curl up in the fetal position tells me something about the tenacity of the human spirit in this man. So, it was with much anticipation that I got my hands on a copy of "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less," Archer's first novel. I was looking forward to seeing the book that started a remarkably prolific career. And I suspected that more than a few details in the book would be drawn from his personal experience being swindled out of his own life's savings. The book is a wonderful read. Comical, witty, well-paced and well-plotted, Archer shows his skill as one of the world's foremost storytellers. The ending is highly satisfying and includes a twist on the very last page (literally) that puts the icing on the cake.

A good sign, for me, that I have loved a book is when looking at the cover brings back strong emotions, and visualizations of the stories within the story.This definitely is the case for "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less."This story is about a businessman who bilked $1,000,000 out of 4 men. Each of these men are from very different professions. And each of these men decided to get together to devise a plan that will get their money back. They emphasize the exact amount, not a penny more, nor less.For those who don't believe in revenge, deception of the like, I still say that this book is great, because their focus is upon their worthiness, using the crook's, that is Harvey Metcalfe's style and fears against him.As I read this book, I there were so many "wow's," "Uh oh's," and "go for it's," that I was there, a strong part of the plot.And the phrase that has stuck in my mind the most, from this book, the phrase that the 4 men used to guide them to get what is rightfully there's is, "Think Like a Jew. Act Like a Brit."For me, while I understand that this phrase counts upon stereotypes, this means be analytic, decisive and determined, while you remain charismatic - The results are always pleasant.But, it's a great book, anyway.

I got this book firstly as a school-assisgnment but it's one of the few books that I can read again and again.

Couldn't wait to read this each day and was sorry when I finished it because I didn't have the pleasure of anticipation the next day. Jeffrey Archer has woven a thoroughly enjoyable tale of a scoundral - Harvey - who cheats anyone anyway he can. Through an innocent third party, he manages to dupe four men out of a total of $1,000,000. One of these, a university professor, determines to follow his father's motto: don't get angry, get even. The professor puts together a dossier on Harvey and contacts the three other men and convinces them to come up with a way to get the money they lost back. (They had all invested in north sea oil shares that turned out to be worthless.) The schemes they develop and carry out are not only brilliant, but also very humorous reading. The delightful twist at the end had me laughing all through the last chapter. This book is skillfully written and sure to be enjoyed by Archer fans. Anyone who has not read his books, would surely become a fan after reading "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less".

A well-defined storyline full of vivid descriptionand pacy action. A pauper to prince story, a selfbuilt man who does not know that he has cheated the wrong people. They vow to get every penny back but nothing extra. How far do they succeed. The book also has quite a few sharp twists when they are least expected. A must read for any serious Sir Jeffrey Archer fan.