Review of False Impression in The Sun

Love him or loathe him, no one can deny that Lord Archer knows how to spin a jolly good yarn.

A twist or lure at the end of every chapter means that instead of putting this book down, you think: "I'll just read one more". And before you know it, it's 4am and you've finished the whole novel.

He cleverly mixes real events - starting with a thrilling escape frp, the North Tower during 9/11 - with a rich collection of characters like a throat-cutting assassin, a crooked art dealer and a hard-up British artistocrat.

On the way, you learn about Van Gogh, art dealers, spying, dodgy banking, bugging and how to break out of a Romanian prison.

And just when you think you've worked out the ending, he bangs in another couple of twists to keep you going.

Intellectuals will nit-pick at the detail and it's trendy to have a pop at Archer just because of who he is and what he's done.

But the 120 million people who have bought his books can't all be wrong - and fans won't be disappointed by this, his first novel since he got out of jail.

It's a proper page-turner, a great holiday read.

Review by Natasha Harding

3 March 2006

The Sun