FALSE IMPRESSION - Jeffrey Archer

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It is a known fact that Jeffrey Archer can write suspense novels. Hence, it comes as no surprise when False Impression comfortably falls under the genre. Full of suspense, mystery, thrill, a bit of romance and humour, it is definitely a book worth reading. This novel is exceptionally well written, the language is clear, the plot is concise, and the characters are well developed.

This book takes off with the 9/11 incident. A young, successful spotter, Anna, is fired from her job by her boss, Bryce Fenston, the owner of Fenston Finances, whose offices are in the Twin Towers. She finds out that Fenston is an experienced con artist, and is deceiving Lady Victoria in order to possess one of the most valuable Van Gogh paintings in the world. This takes place right before the two airplanes crash into the towers, sending the entire tower into frenzy. Anna escapes off radar, and determined to serve justice, forms a plan to stop Fenston and help Victoria. Along with plenty of friends to help her through tough times, her close friend and ex-love in Bucharest, her best friend and ex-coworker, her dead client’s sister, and the handsome FBI agent, she also has bountiful enemies, from her overbearing, ex-boss, to a serial murderer, to the nosy, suspicious ex-coworker.

The different, abundant characters are very thoroughly developed. There are multiple main characters that have significant importance on the plot of the book. Moreover, the author’s style is very smooth, drawing the reader in. In addition, Archer writes in third person. He is constantly switching between telling the story through the different characters, and telling the story in its entirety. Despite the different points of view throughout the story, the actual tale is easy to follow. The plot is very carefully crafted and intricately interconnects each main character. Jeffrey Archer manages to move the story from one part the next, without giving clear directions to where everything leads. But every little detail falls into place by the last page.

The negatives are few. In the beginning, there are too many characters being introduced and it gets difficult to keep pace with them. But that clears down after the initial chapters. Also, though in the entirety, the book seems pretty plausible, there are a few places where he diverts from reality, like how Anna carries the painting through different countries without any trouble.

All in all, False Impression by Jeffrey Archer is one of my favourites. Archer completely holds the readers' attentions with twists and turns, and ups and downs as the story progresses. This book is highly recommended, a must-read as well as a must-have.

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