British best-selling novelist and former politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86, his publisher HarperCollins announced. Archer passed away “suddenly and peacefully between writing sessions,” the publisher said.
Archer sold more than 300 million copies of his novels worldwide, making him one of Britain’s best-selling authors. His early thrillers, including the 1976 debut “Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less,” and “Kane & Abel” in 1979, were global best-sellers.
His final book “Adam and Eve” is set to be published on Tuesday. Kate Elton, chief executive of HarperCollins UK and Archer’s editor, expressed her devastation at the sad news. She described Archer as a writer who brought generations of readers “untold pleasure.” Elton added that he was a “friend,” providing comfort to his fans.
Archer was a former Conservative Member of Parliament and parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the mid-1980s. His political career was cut short by a high-profile libel trial.
In 1987, Archer sued the “Daily Star” for reporting that he had paid for sex. Archer won the case, receiving £500,000, the largest sum awarded in a libel case at the time.
The case was rekindled when he announced his candidacy for mayor of London in 1999. It was his estranged friend who accused him of lying about the story. Archer was charged with perjury and subornation of perjury. He was sentenced to four years in prison but served only two.
He wrote a prison diary, “A Prisoner’s Diary.” The libel trial was infamous for the judge’s remarks about the case. Despite the scandal, his novels continued to sell. According to HarperCollins, Archer’s books have been published in 119 countries.
In addition, his books have been on the “New York Times” bestseller list for 5.5 years. Archer continued to write and promote his novels until his death. He was to give a speech on “Adam & Eve” at the Cheltenham Literature Festival this weekend.
He was recently interviewed on the radio to promote the book.
