jeffrey archer

Every reader who enjoys thrillers has read Jeffrey Archer’s books. His claim to fame and fandom is warranted, as depicted by the popularity of his novels like Kane And Abel, Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, Honor Among Thieves, Sons Of Fortune, and so on. His style of storytelling may be simple but, combined with his special brand of twists and turns, mysteries and revelations, intrigue and unpredictable endings, works in making his books bestsellers across the world.

But what happens when you’re done with his books and crave for others like his? To help you out, here’s a list of books that include works from authors like Ken Follett, Robert Ludlum and Hussain Zaidi that you can gobble up if you love all things Archer.

01

The Odessa File

Frederick Forsyth

Just like Jeffrey Archer is known for his complex and well-rounded plots, Frederick Forsyth’s crime thrillers are also known for their captivating and equally intricate plots. The Odessa File, one of his best-selling crime thrillers, is a novel set in a post-World War II world. The story follows a young German reporter who finds the dairy of a Jewish man who has committed suicide. Overwhelmed by the depiction of torture in the diary, he sets out to find the infamous ‘Butcher of Riga’, who is believed to have been responsible for thousands of deaths during the war. Blending historical facts with fiction, along with a detailed plot, this book is a must read for fans of thrillers.  

Buy it here.

02

Fall Of Giants

Ken Follett

Jeffrey Archer’s Kane And Abel is one of his most popular historical novels and is still read with enthusiasm today. Ken Follett’s writing style has striking similarities to Archer’s, and is best seen in his historical novel Fall Of Giants. The novel follows the follows the story of five related families – American, German, Russian, English and Welsh. This mammoth book moves across different spaces – from the drawing rooms of the privileged aristocracy in Russia, Britain and Germany to the War Room in the White House during Woodrow Wilson’s tenure – to regale a tale of conflict amidst the war.

Buy it here.

03

Airport

Arthur Hailey

Jeffrey Archer’s books depict nail-biting suspense and make for entertaining reads. And if you thought he was the only author who could do justice to this combination, you need to read Arthur Hailey immediately! In Hailey’s Airport, Lincoln International Airport falls victim to a massive blizzard, endangering the lives of thousands of travellers. As airport personnel try to cope with this natural disaster in vain, a lone plane gets caught in the blizzard, causing further problems. In a thrilling drama that lasts for seven brutal hours, we encounter different facets of humanity and nail-biting suspense that doesn’t let us put the novel down.  

Buy it here.

04

The Bourne Identity

Robert Ludlum

It isn’t possible to write a list of book recommendations for fans of Jeffrey Archer and not include The Bourne series there. Written by Robert Ludlum, the spy thriller series begins with The Bourne Identity and is absolutely impossible to put down. The novel introduces us to Jason Bourne, who is saved by some fishermen, but has no recollection of his past, save for the bullets in his body and a Swiss bank account number, found imprinted on a miniscule negative that is surgically implanted in his hip. When Bourne goes to Switzerland to uncover the truth of his identity, he encounters people who are hell-bent on killing him. Readers are kept on their toes until the very end as they follow Bourne on a suspense-filled journey in order to uncover his identity.

Buy it here.

05

Mumbai Avengers

Hussain Zaidi

Who knew that India had its own Jeffrey Archer in the form of one Hussain Zaidi? Just like Archer, Zaidi’s novels are packed with intrigue and impossible to put down. In Mumbai Avengers, five years have passed since the 26/11 incident, and the masterminds behind the attack are still at large. Retired Lt. Gen. Sayed Ali Waris of the Indian Army refuses to rest till the terrorists get what they deserve, and he forms a team of experts to take them down. Even as they are being tracked by the Pakistani Army and the ISI, the team traverses through Sweden, Istanbul, Dubai, Pakistan and Singapore to catch the culprits. Will they succeed, or succumb to death?

Buy it here.

06

The Partner

John Grisham

Jeffrey Archer’s thrillers are second to none, but some authors, like John Grisham, manage to come quite close. It also helps that both are fan favourites and prolific authors as well. The Partner is one of Grisham’s famous novels where a lawyer from Mississippi fakes his death and flees to Brazil, along with $90 million. Four years later, when he is found, he has a new identity, speaks another language smoothly and claims that he is not the Patrick Lanigan that everyone is in search of. Is he really Patrick or someone else? And how is he going to evade everyone who wants a piece of him – his former partners, the client that the stolen money came from, his wife, the insurance companies and the feds?

Buy it here.

07

The Second Lady

Irving Wallace

A politician-turned-author, Jeffrey Archer has made his career writing political novels like Shall We Tell The President that have us utterly engrossed. Though Irving Wallace often wrote books with sexual themes, The Second Lady stands out from the rest. This novel is a classic for fans of political thrillers, where the superpowers America and Russian are at odds once again. In a somewhat outlandish plot, the KGB train an underground agent with similarities to the First Lady to take her place and bring out all of America’s secrets. Getting inside the White House is easy, but will the agent be able to handle the media and her personnel, some of whom seem to be close to uncovering her secret? Wallace’s novel keeps us intrigued until the very end, and is a great airport read for fans of political thrillers.

Buy it here.

Prasanna is a human (probably) who makes stuff up for a living. When she’s not sleeping or eating, you’ll find her in the quietest corner of the library, devouring yet another hardbound book. She vastly prefers the imaginary world to the real one, but grudgingly emerges from her writing cave on occasion. If you do see her, it’s best not to approach her before she’s had her coffee.

She writes at The Curious Reader. You can read her articles here