A Twist in the Tale
Afsara Benazir
I recently read A Twist in the Tale (1988), a collection of 12 short stories by British author Jeffrey Archer. Each of the dozen stories exceeds the other in its plot twist and narrative, leaving you craving for more. True to the title of the book, each story has a particular twist in the end that is distinctive and enthralling, in keeping with the authors writing style.
The collection starts with The perfect murder, whose plotline is somewhat devious in a way, and ends with Christina Rosenthal, a heart-rending tale of a young man who unfolds his lifes story through a letter to his father. To me, the first and last stories stood out amongst all the others in matter of craftiness, and of course, the twist.
Clean sweep Ignatius and Just good friends can also be termed of the same calibre. The first one unveils the story of an honest, efficient and hardworking finance minister of a country determined to achieve a goal, while the second is about two friends _ lets just say that and not reveal their identities now. Then there is A la carte which takes us through the struggles of an individual, whose one decision changes his life for the better.
Jeffrey Archer, who was once a politician and later dedicated himself to writing, surely knows how to keep the readers anticipating for more, thus proving his prowess as a storyteller.
As much as the stories are crafty and skillfully established, the ingenuity of it all is what will hit you the most. It is as if he takes you on a journey through not one but 12 different worlds, each of them discrete that will leave you incredulous once you have finished.
So, if you want a quick exhilarating read, this is the book for you. A guaranteed captivating read from the very beginning, because ultimately, this is Jeffrey Archer we are talking about. And he is just awesome.
