A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer | Review by Paula Marais
Jeffrey Archer fans will be delighted with his latest offering. Reminiscent of Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, Archer’s most recent novel is a whirlwind of intrigue, retribution and masterful plotting, keeping you hooked from the first page. Meet Danny Cartwright, who is wrongfully accused of murdering his best friend, the brother of his fiancée, in a knife attack. Then meet the men who help incarcerate him – a barrister, an aristocrat, a popular soapie heartthrob and a successful partner in a well-known firm. Sentenced to twenty-two years in prison, Danny has not much else but time on his hands to plot his revenge – that and the friends he makes behind bars who believe in his innocence. As Danny’s fiancée fights for justice outside of Belmarsh prison, little does she know how far he has dared to go to settle the scores with the men who put him away. While A Prisoner of Birth may be a little formulaic, Archer’s formula is still one that works. And with his own experiences both inside and outside Her Majesty’s Prisons, Archer offers touches of realism that keep you gripped to the novel’s unexpected conclusion.
(R229, Macmillan, ISBN 978-0-230-53142-0)