Bestselling author and former politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86 at his home in Cambridge.
His passing comes just one day before the release of his final novel, “Adam & Eve,” closing a remarkable career that spanned five decades, sold more than 300 million books worldwide, and left an indelible mark on both literature and politics.
Some of his books sold include the Clifton Chronicles, Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less, The Prodigal Daughter and A Matter of Honor.
Archer’s publisher HarperCollins said the author died “suddenly and peacefully at home” on Monday between writing sessions.
In politics, he served as Conservative MP for Louth from 1969 to 1974, later becoming deputy chairman of the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher. In 1992, Prime Minister John Major elevated him to the House of Lords as Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare.
The former Conservative MP was jailed for perjury in 2001 after being found guilty of lying and cheating in his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star.
He was found to have lied in libel action he had brought against The Star newspaper, in which he was awarded € 500,000 in damages.
Even behind bars, Archer turned adversity into art, where he wrote his Prison Diary trilogy-Hell and Heaven -which offered raw insights into the British prison system.
Archer and his wife, Mary, had celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year. They have two sons and five grandchildren.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described Archer’s death as a “huge shock.”
“I am incredibly saddened to hear this news. He had sent me a lovely message just this morning and was always a great source of encouragement to me personally,” Kemi wrote on X.
