Jeffrey Archer Dies At 86, Days Before Release Of His Final Novel 'Adam And Eve'

British bestselling author and former Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer, whose political career was derailed by a perjury conviction, has died suddenly at the age of 86, his publisher HarperCollins said. Archer died “suddenly and peacefully at his home between writing sessions” on Monday, just a day before the global release of his final novel, 'Adam and Eve'.

Archer had been due to appear at the Cheltenham Literary Festival this week to discuss the book, which he described as his final novel after five decades of writing. His editor Kate Elton described him as a “master storyteller and an editor’s dream”. The Sun reported that Archer had been signing copies for fans at an event in London on Sunday.

The author sold more than 300 million books worldwide, according to his website, building a hugely successful literary career despite repeated personal and political scandals. His debut novel, 'Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less', was published in 1975 and drew on his experience of financial difficulties after the collapse of a Canadian industrial cleaning company in which he had invested.

Archer’s novels, often centred on politics, wealth, ambition and sex, included the global bestseller 'Kane and Abel'. HarperCollins said he spent 14 years and five months on Britain's Sunday Times bestseller lists and more than five years on The New York Times bestseller lists.

His political career began early. Archer joined the Conservative Party while studying at Oxford University and won a by-election in 1969 to become an MP at 29. In 1985, then prime minister Margaret Thatcher appointed him Conservative deputy chairman. But he resigned a year later after admitting he had sent £2,000 to prostitute Monica Coghlan, while insisting the payment was intended to help her escape media attention.

Archer later sued the Daily Star after it alleged he had slept with Coghlan and won £500,000 in damages. The case eventually became the centre of a much bigger scandal. During his 1999 campaign to become the Conservative candidate for London's first elected mayor, it emerged that Archer had asked a friend, Ted Francis, to provide a false alibi.

He abandoned his mayoral bid and was expelled from the Conservative Party. In 2001, 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 after serving just over two years.

Archer, who had been appointed to the House of Lords in 1992 on the recommendation of then prime minister John Major, later returned as a politically unaffiliated peer. He retired from the Lords in 2024.

His time in prison became the subject of his three-volume memoir 'A Prison Diary'. Before his death, Archer had also written 'Adam and Eve', a story involving two children from different social classes whose lives unfold against a backdrop of war, love and inequality.

Archer is survived by his wife of 60 years, Dame Mary Archer, their two sons, two granddaughters and three grandsons. His publisher said he died at home while still working on his writing.