Friday, March 12, 2010

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less


Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less
by Jeffrey Archer

Another caper story. After a savvy and wealthy American, Harvey Metcalfe, through a naïve employee, cons four Brits into investing into an oil company that then goes broke—as planned. One of the four, an Oxford don, invites the others to his lodgings for dinner and explains his idea: each of the four will come up with a plan to relieve Metcalfe of his earnings when he comes to England for Wimbledon, a ritual he follows every year. They will recover what they've lost, plus expenses: not a penny more, not a penny less. The four are: Stephen Bradley, Oxford don; Jean Pierre Lamanns, art dealer; Adrian Tryner, a Harley Street doctor; and James Clarence Spencer, Viscount Brigsley, heir to the 5th Earl of Louth. They agree to meet in a week's time to apprise and appraise the various plans. Every one except James comes up with a plan; James, however, has met a girl...The plot begins its many hairpin movements when they implement the various schemes—and as James struggles to devise one. -- recommended by Rianne S. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[ official Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less page on the official Jeffrey Archer web site ]

See more books like this in Rianne's Books With a Twist booktalk booklist


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2 comments:

majorbabs said...

I really enjoy Archer's earliest books, of which this is one. Getting revenge to the penny is one interesting idea and Archer tells it very well. Readers might also enjoy Archer's Kane and Able and the followup book, which title escapes me at the moment.

BookGuide said...

The three books in the "Kane & Abel" series are "Shall We Tell the President?" (1977), "Kane & Abel" (1980) and "The Prodigal Daughter" (1982). Thanks for the comment!