Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less / Shall We Tell the President?

by Jeffrey Archer

One million dollars - that's what Harvey Metcalfe, lifelong king of shady deals, has pulled off with empty promises of an oil bonanza and instant riches. Overnight, four men - the heir to an earldom, a Harley Street doctor, a Bond Street art dealer and an Oxford don - find themselves penniless. But this time Harvey has swindled the wrong men. They band together and shadow him from the casinos of Monte Carlo to the high-stakes windows at Ascot and the hallowed lawns of Oxford. Their plan is simple: to sting the crook for exactly what they lost. To the penny.

"Marvelously plotted, with just the right amounts of romance, wit and savoir-faire" - Publishers Weekly

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Jeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.

He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).

Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.

Reviews

[Arnold Kanarek · Rating 5 out of 5]

As unrealistic as the plot is, the book is a great read. There is humor, mystery, and enough action to keep you reading.

[Shravan Chitharanjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good Jeffrey Archer story. However, I felt like the author spent too much time on unnecessary detail, which made the overall read a lot longer.

I appreciate detail, but certain parts of the book did make me contemplate skipping through paragraphs of context nobody asked for. Heck, there are a couple of conversations entirely in French, which really added no value to the plot.

There is a good plot twist, but I felt like it came a little too late - at a point where the plot was struggling to reach the climax.

[Victoria Marie Lees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer is a delightful read. The characters are engaging. The plot moves along crisply. And the ending is solid.

Harvey Metcalfe creates plans to cheat others out of their hard-earn money. Stephen Bradley, an academic, Jean-Pierre Lamanns, an art dealer, Robin Oakley, an English doctor, and Lord James Brigsley, a wannabe actor, get caught up in Metcalfe’s latest swindle. But. They want revenge. They want their money back.

The author has figured out how to swindle a swindler. Archer weaves a tale of intrigue on how the four men try to recapture their stolen money from Metcalfe without him realizing he is being cheated. And the plot works! Archer sprinkles humor throughout the novel as the four main characters fine-tune their plans to regain their money.

This interesting story doesn’t end until the very last word. If you enjoy a great plot with interesting characters, you will enjoy Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer.

[Michiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lighthearted read about the story of revenge. The story is a unique one with a few unexpected twists towards the end. It all works out for our protagonists in the end but the book is not without its doubts and trials as to whether it will all come together. The ending culminated too nicely for my taste but it does leave you with the sense that good things can come to those who wait.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a great fan of Archer’s books. This was his first & it is pretty complicated. I listened to it & probably lost something in some of the details of the plot. It was a good story but I’ve liked others better.

[Gandhali Mahajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing book.. One of my all time favorites

[Phani Mylavarapu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very gripping.. must read

[Kerri Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first experience with Jeffrey Archer. It made me seek out his other books. Every book is different.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic, that was a lot of fun!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't fault the guy - whether you like him or not, he writes a good story

[Hiccup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the ending but just didn't enjoy the rest of the book. It was a good book. It just wasn't really for me.

[Bala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this is a debut book of Jeffrey Archer, he showed his mark in this book with charming story line and everything

[Deb Saw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third read of this little caper. I was reading something depressing and needed a pick-me-up. It did the job. I have no idea why I love this silly book so much. The characters are all quite amusing and relatable for the time and the plot is very clever. Sometimes there’s a bit too much detail and things may seem a little impossible but never ridiculously so. I hate that i love this man’s books but I generally do.

Great if you want an easy, fun read

5/5

[Anishka Chaudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good plot that keeps you captivated throughout! Jeffrey Archer has painted a very vivid description, giving smooth transitions between the scenes. He has furnished in depth, information about the target protagonist (Harvey) and unfolds the traits of other important characters as the plot builds up, giving the readers an experience of having witnessed the whole plot as a silent observer!
The title of the novel, which will be entertained in a certain light throughout the plot adds a whole new thrill to the climax, which has a twist!!

[Yacob Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so thrilled in the last two chapter.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book with a "twist" in the plot. Archer delivers another winner!