While incarcerated for two years in five different prisons, Jeffrey Archer picked up several ideas for short stories. They range from a tale of The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office to the story of a company chairman who tried to poison his wife while on a trip to St Petersburg - both with unexpected consequences. In another, Maestro, an Italian restaurateur ends up in jail, unable to explain to the tax man how he can afford a yacht, a Ferrari and a home in Florence, while only declaring a profit of £100,000 a year.
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 Alibi 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 total contrast is the accountant, who, in Charity Begins at home, realises he has achieved nothing in his life and sets out to make a fortune before he retires.
