Former Conservative MP and Novelist Jeffrey Archer Dies Aged 86

Bestselling novelist and former politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86, BBC News Entertainment and Deadline both reported. His publisher, HarperCollins, confirmed that Archer died suddenly and peacefully at home on Monday between writing sessions. Deadline reported that no cause of death was disclosed in the initial announcements. [1][2]

BBC News Entertainment reported that Archer sold more than 300 million books across a writing career spanning five decades. His works included the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel, with his final book, Adam and Eve, set to be published this month. Deadline also highlighted his prolific career as both a member of the UK Parliament and a international author. [1][2]

Archer served as the Member of Parliament for Louth from 1969 to 1974, but he did not seek re-election after nearly facing bankruptcy. He rebuilt his fortune through writing fiction. His 1979 novel Kane and Abel remains one of the best-selling books globally, with an estimated 34 million copies sold, contributing to over 320 million total sales worldwide. [9]

In 2001, the former Conservative politician was imprisoned for perjury after a court found him guilty of lying in his 1987 libel lawsuit against the Daily Star, BBC News Entertainment reported. Archer was born in London on 15 April 1940 and spent most of his early childhood in Somerset. [1][9][10]