The Collected Short Stories

THE PLOT:An amazing collection of 36 shortstories from a master storyteller combining romance, history, danger, twists, international intrigue, and domestic angst.WHAT I LIKED:Obviously with 36 shortstories, one cannot simply provide a generic list of key elements. A really nice mix, particularly some of the ones with twist endings. Here is an overview of each of the stories and the ratings for each.- NEVER STOP ON THE MOTORWAY: Woman driver is chased by a van down the motorway, with the context backlit by recent rapes and murders. Fantastic twist. 5.00- OLD LOVE: Two competitors, one boy, one girl compete against each other in everything including who loves the other more and are inseparable throughout life. 4.50 - SHOESHINE BOY: Mountbatten (sic) pays a visit to St. George's where a drastically underfunded Governor rolls out the red carpet. 4.50 - CHEAP AT HALF THE PRICE: Mrs. Rosenheim wants a bauble from the jewelry store but has to play hustle to get the men in her life to commit to buying it. 4.00 - BROKEN ROUTINE: A man whose routine is unflappable is somewhat disturbed by a brash youth on the train who wants to read his paper and smoke his cigarettes. Nice twist. 4.50 - AN EYE FOR AN EYE: A woman has an alibi for the death of her husband: she was not only in the hospital (although the time is shaky) but also blind...or is she? 4.00- THE LUNCHEON: A up and coming man takes an attractive (married) woman to lunch to try and get business favours. Unfortunately lunch is expensive and he has no budget. 3.50 - THE COUP: Two business rivals are stranded in Nigeria during a coup, and they end up resolving their differences and being the real coup. 3.50 - THE PERFECT MURDER: A man commits an accidental murder of his mistress after finding out she was also stepping out with another man, and manages to frame the man for the murder. Cute twist at end. 4.00- YOU'LL NEVER LEARN TO REGRET IT: David is dying of AIDS and leaving everything to Pat. They trick the insurance company despite his condition and collect handsomely on David's death. But insurance companies are sometimes trickier than one might think, as are their brokers. 3.75- THE FIRST MIRACLE: A cute twist on an old tail has an historical figure running errands around the birth of Christ. 3.50 - THE LOOPHOLE: Two friends get into a heated argument at the club and not only engage in slander but also physical fighting, leading to a legal battle and an eventual settlement, yet the two remain friends. 4.00 - THE HUNGARIAN PROFESSOR: An Englishman visits Hungary for the Olympics and meets a Professor who knows all about England and wants to practice his English and talk about all the sites in London. 4.25- THE STEAL: A tightly-budgeted couple takes a vacation and are forced to endure the overblown ramblings of an obnoxiously rich couple, up to and including the purchase of an oriental rug. 4.75 - CHRISTINA ROSENTHAL: A strange story of a Jewish marathon runner and the gentile woman he fell in love w

I believe this is a complete compliation of Archer's three previous short story books, which each contain 12 stories. I couldn't put down as Archer is a master of the short story! I've read his long fiction and it's great, but he is truly the best short story writer I have ever read. He takes his stories whree you don't expect, then somewhere totally different - sometimes in the last few words!

These are the stories that will keep you turning a page to another until each one ends. Realistically plot-driven, thought-provoking suspense. Ironic twist end. Witty, shrewd characters in some walks of life for some reason, politics frequently in particular. Ironic romance story with four different witty ends. Original ideas that gave birth / inspired and have nourished some of contemporary screenplays. My most favorite is TRIAL AND ERROR: an original, witty story of an unlucky logistics ( haulage truck ) company owner who happened to have married a wrong woman, have trusted a wrong guy professionally and personally, have been in the wrong place at a wrong time just to find the truth that negatively changed his life, ended up in jail for the crime he DID NOT commit and hopefully waited well...impatiently to get out and back to someone who had owed him HIS life.............This 36 short story compilation by one of UK's finest story-telling minds is one of the worthwhile, entertaining readings for almost everyone for sure. If you are a bookworm and a voracious reader of fiction or short story, you MUST have this book. Have a nice day of reading without prejudice.^-^ SP

This collection just thunders along at a hectic pace and you cannot wait to turn over the page to reveal the next twist in the tale. The stories are a mixture of humour, melancholy, utter suspense and bewilderment, and therefore keep the reader moving along at an exhilirating. Its not a book to be read in one sitting but rather savoured at many moments during the reading cycle...!

A fabulous read. Mr Archer's magic combination of irony, wit and suspense come together in so many different ways in this collection. The beauty of a book of short stories is that you never get bored or tired of the story. You don't have a chance-you just have to keep reading!!From murder and suspense in "The Perfect Murder" to bitter irony in "The Chinese Statue" Mr Archer's collection is a broad range of clever stories with the usual Archer twist-just to keep you puzzled!!!Bravo Mr Archer