CuriousCass

Between the pages

Books.

Reading is transcendental. It transports you to a different time, a different place, opens your eyes and your mind.

Cass’s reading notes · 15 October 2026

Kane and Abel.

Jeffrey Archer · First published 1979

A personal reflection, with a few plot spoilers.

Books. Reading books is transcendental. It transports you to a different time, a different place, opens your eyes and your mind. I have always loved reading. I think that the first book that really changed my life — and there are many — but the first book that comes to mind is Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer.

Imagine: two men, linked by a common birthday. They both follow their ambitions to overcome their past. And don’t we all do that? Can’t you see yourself interchangeably between the two protagonists? The first, William Lowell Kane, is a member of the Boston elite known as the Brahmin; the second, Abel Rosnovski, leaves a life of severe poverty in Poland for Turkey and eventually New York City.

There is definitely a comparison between the Bible characters, the infamous story of one brother so immersed in jealousy that he kills his brother. One who has the world at his feet, the other being raised in the woods in Poland. Abel finding out who his father is because of a birth abnormality! It’s an insane twist.

It also covers people trying to traverse life through the Second World War, and the decisions that need to be made, the life that is lived. The obstacles to overcome, the grind, the rejection — but never giving in. It is a beautiful story that I think anyone can relate to.

I think that everyone should read the book. It is exquisitely written and the story, if that, doesn’t feel like a story at all. I think that we can all find some part of ourselves in the characters. There are great lessons to be learned, and humbling moments, tears, plot twists, the whole nine yards.

I am putting this out as a tidbit, to entice you, dear reader, to read this gem that was published in 1979. Yes, it goes years back, but the story is still very much present.

“Can’t you see yourself interchangeably between the two protagonists?”

Meet the storyteller

Lord Jeffrey Archer.

A small title correction: Jeffrey Archer is a life peer — Lord Archer, not Sir Jeffrey.

Born on 15 April 1940, Jeffrey Archer is a British novelist, short-story writer and former politician. He attended Wellington School and Brasenose College, Oxford, and was a competitive athlete. He became MP for Louth in 1969, leaving Parliament in 1974 after a financial crisis.

Writing became his route to rebuilding his life. His debut novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, appeared in 1976; Kane and Abel followed in 1979 and became one of his defining international successes. His fiction often returns to ambition, rivalry, class, fate and the consequences of a single decision.

He was made a life peer in 1992 as Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare. In 2001 he was convicted of perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, serving two years of a four-year sentence. His prison experiences became the three volumes of A Prison Diary.

His later work includes the seven-book Clifton Chronicles and eight William Warwick novels, alongside short stories, plays and children’s books. According to his official site, his books have sold more than 300 million copies in 47 languages across 114 countries. His final novel, Adam & Eve, was published on 6 October 2026. He is married to Dame Mary Archer, and they have two sons, William and James.

The author’s bookshelf

Jeffrey Archer’s books.

Published works through 15 October 2026, including the series, short stories, diaries and children’s books. First-publication years are shown; collected editions, reissues and adaptations are identified separately.

64 of 64 entries

Standalone novels

  • Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less1976
  • First Among Equals1984
  • A Matter of Honour1986
  • As the Crow Flies1991
  • Honour Among Thieves1993
  • The Fourth Estate1996
  • The Eleventh Commandment1998
  • Sons of Fortune2002

    First published December 2002; some editions dated 2003.

  • False Impression2005

    First published in 2005; the official catalogue lists its 2006 edition.

  • A Prisoner of Birth2008
  • Paths of Glory2009
  • Heads You Win2018
  • Adam & Eve2026

    Published 6 October 2026; announced as Archer’s final novel.

The Kane and Abel trilogy

  • Kane and Abel1979
  • The Prodigal Daughter1982
  • Shall We Tell the President?1977

    Originally a standalone thriller; revised in 1986 to feature Florentyna Kane as the trilogy’s conclusion.

The Clifton Chronicles

  • Only Time Will Tell2011
  • The Sins of the Father2012
  • Best Kept Secret2013
  • Be Careful What You Wish For2014
  • Mightier Than the Sword2015
  • Cometh the Hour2016
  • This Was a Man2016

    Hardback first published November 2016; paperback followed in 2017.

William Warwick

  • Nothing Ventured2019
  • Hidden in Plain Sight2020
  • Turn a Blind Eye2021
  • Over My Dead Body2021
  • Next in Line2022
  • Traitors Gate2023
  • An Eye for an Eye2024
  • End Game2025

    The eighth and final William Warwick novel.

Short stories & collected editions

  • A Quiver Full of Arrows1980
  • A Twist in the Tale1988

    First published in 1988; the official catalogue lists a 1989 edition.

  • Twelve Red Herrings1994
  • The Collected Short Stories1997

    Collected edition of earlier stories.

  • To Cut a Long Story Short2000
  • Cat O’ Nine Tales2006
  • And Thereby Hangs a Tale2010
  • The New Collected Short Stories2014

    Collected edition of earlier stories.

  • Tell Tale2017
  • The Short, the Long and the Tall2020

    Selected stories illustrated by Paul Cox.

Non-fiction & other works

  • A Prison Diary: Volume I — Hell2002
  • A Prison Diary: Volume II — Purgatory2003

    First published in 2003; some editions dated 2004.

  • A Prison Diary: Volume III — Heaven2004
  • The Gospel According to Judas2007

    A fictional reimagining, co-written with biblical scholar Francis J. Moloney; not a canonical gospel.

Children’s & illustrated books

  • The First Miracle1980

    An illustrated Christmas story.

  • By Royal Appointment1980
  • Willy Visits the Square World1980
  • Willy and the Killer Kipper1981
  • The Awesome Adventures of Will and Randolph: The Killer Kipper2021
  • The Awesome Adventures of Will and Randolph: Battle of the Blockheads2022
  • Faraday the Time-Travelling Dog: The Viking Queen!2022
  • Little Kingdoms: Dance of the Underpants2022
  • The Awesome Adventures of Will and Randolph: The Last Dragon Hunter2023
  • The Awesome Adventures of Will and Randolph: The Fallen Heroes2024
  • Faraday the Time-Travelling Dog: The Fall of the Pharaoh2024
  • Little Kingdoms: The Ridiculous Race2024

Plays, adaptations & anniversary editions

  • Beyond Reasonable Doubt1987
  • Exclusive1989
  • The Accused2000
  • A Matter of Honour — Radio Play2022

    Adaptation listed in the official catalogue, not a new novel.

  • Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less — Radio Play2022

    Adaptation listed in the official catalogue, not a new novel.

  • Kane and Abel the Musical2025

    Stage adaptation of Archer’s novel, included in his official catalogue; not a new book authored by him.

  • Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less — 50th Anniversary Edition2026

    Anniversary reissue of the 1976 novel.

Credits & further reading

Cass’s reflection is her own. The biography and bibliography are reference notes, not reviews or ratings of the other books. Publication years can differ by country and edition.