Jeffrey Archer, who was a best-selling British author, politician, philanthropist, and athlete, died at the age of 86 at his home in London on Monday. The renowned author’s last novel, "Adam and Eve", about the interwoven destinies of the aristocrats and the humble, was planned for publication on Tuesday. The author’s publisher, HarperCollins, said the author died "suddenly and peacefully at home" on Monday between writing sessions.

Archer has sold over 300 million books in his writing career, including the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel, and often set the novels in his hometown of Wellington, Somerset. The writer had a life of ups and downs. From a politician to a jailed MP to a celebrated bestseller, Archer was never out of sight of the media.

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The journey from an MP to a bestselling author

Born in north London on 15 April 1940, Archer’s family soon moved to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. Archer was a student at Oxford University when he joined the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. In 1969, at the age of 29, he emerged as one of the youngest MPs in the country.

His political career came to an end following the collapse of a Canadian investment. At that time Archer faced financial struggles. Archer then chose to write; he published his first book, Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, in 1975.

The book became a hit and opened numerous doors of success and fame to Archer. His literary works were largely based on politics, money, ambition and betrayal, and eventually sold more than 300 million copies worldwide, according to his website.

In 1985, his political career saw a revival, with him being appointed as Conservative Deputy Chairman during the tenure of Margaret Thatcher. Later, he became the member of the House of Lords.

When He ended up in prison

Archer once again made headlines, but this time it was controversial. In 1986, he resigned as deputy chairman after admitting to paying 2,000 dollars to prostitute Monica Coghlan. However, Archer defended himself, saying that he gave the money to her to leave UK.

In 1999, he abandoned his political campaign to become the first elected mayor of London after allegations that he had arranged a false alibi in his earlier libel case against the Daily Star.Two years later, Archer was convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice and sentenced to four years in prison. He was released on parole in 2003.

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Despite the scandals, he continued writing and publishing until his death. Archer retired from the House of Lords in 2024.

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