Cat O' Nine Tales

By: Jeffrey Archer

Narrated by: Anton Lesser

Cat O'Nine Tales is the fifth collection of irresistible short stories from the master storyteller and bestselling author Jeffrey Archer.

Ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and Archer's trademark of deliciously unexpected conclusions, some of these thirteen stories were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, including the story of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St Petersburg—with unexpected consequences.

The Red King is a tale about a con man who discovers that an English Lord requires one more chess piece to complete a set that would be worth a fortune. In another tale of deception, The Commissioner, a Bombay con artist ends up in the morgue, after he uses the police chief as bait in his latest scam. The Perfect Murder reveals how a convict manages to remove an old enemy while he's locked up in jail, and then set up two prison officers as his alibi. In Charity Begins at Home, an accountant realizes he has achieved nothing in his life, and sets out to make a fortune before he retires.

And then there is Archer's favorite, In the Eye of the Beholder, where a handsome star athlete falls in love with a three-hundred-pound woman...who happens to be the ninth richest woman in Italy.

Jeffrey Archer is the only author to have topped international bestseller lists with his fiction, non-fiction, and his short stories. Cat O'Nine Tales is Archer at his best: witty, sad, surprising, and unforgettable.

©2007 Jeffrey Archer (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC

Critic reviews

“Jeffrey Archer served in Britain's Parliament for 19 years - and in Her Majesty's Prison for two. Those two years provide the basis for this collection of stories... If you want an audio experience that is easily divided into satisfying segments of 45-50 minutes each, this is a good choice.” —The Roanoke Times

Well Written

And enjoyable. Stories were like a couple chapters. Towards the end the stories change up which was nice.

Excellent pick!

I don't usually like to listen to short stories, but these aren't really short short and they are marvelously engaging, always with a twist at the end. Thoroughly enjoyable listening, and well read.

A Pleasurable Sentence

As only Jeffrey Archer can, his twists and turns leave you both surprised and delighted. You rack your brain trying to figure out if you know how it will end.

enjoyable short stories

If you could sum up Cat O' Nine Tales in three words, what would they be?

enjoyable surprise endings

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cat O' Nine Tales?

In the story, "Don't Drink the Water", the ending was quite unexpected, but very satisfying to have a man who was murdering his wife, get caught in his own trap.

What about Anton Lesser’s performance did you like?

Lesser has a pleasing voice and reads well.

If you could take any character from Cat O' Nine Tales out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Several stories have a narrator who is in the first person, not identified by name, and relates a story from his prison cell. He would make a grand dinner companion.

Any additional comments?

I listened to these stories while making an 800-mile road trip. My route went through fairly deserted deserts in New Mexico. The stories made the miles fly.

Great

Another great book and narrator. Story after story of good listening. Couldn't quit once I got started

Not as Good

I normally love Archer's short stories but these weren't as clever and I found my attention wavering and had to rewind them several times. Listen to the other collections instead.

New Jeffrey archer Novell!!

Was sways Jeffrey Archer weaves an engaging storyVcanyt put kt down!characters are so well frveopef !!

Not as great as I expected

Would you ever listen to anything by Jeffrey Archer again?

Yes, his classic: "A Twist in the Tale

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

It was fine

What character would you cut from Cat O' Nine Tales?

Didn't really bond with any character

Any additional comments?

No