False Impression by Jeffrey Archer

“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process” said the famous painter Van Gogh. Sometimes I wonder, don’t we all (those of us who love our work) go through this emotion. While reading “False Impression” by Jeffrey Archer, I wondered if he too had lost his mind in the process of churning out best sellers. 

The book starts off on a confusing note, then grips us with the events during and immediately after the 9/11 tragedy that struck the World Trade Centre, America and effectively the whole world. Soon after it thankfully picks up pace and sure enough by the time we reach the last pages of the book we know why Jeffrey Archer books are best sellers!

The reason I started off with a quote by Van Gogh is because he plays a central role in the entire plot. It is he who entices the villain, he who lures the greedy, he who forces the heroine and her friend to take on the grab of saviour, he is responsible for some gruesome murders and for the cross Atlantic travel that our characters undertake.  Don’t be confused, Van Gogh didn’t actually physically appear in a plot set in the 2001; he appeared in the form of his priced Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.

Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh

Like all Jeffrey Archer novels, this one too is a thriller and although it starts off slow, it catches up and you have a roller coaster of a ride. The plot thickens as the main protagonist picks herself up from the dust created by the 9/11 blasts, travels to London, then Bucharest (Romania), then Tokyo and then back. What makes the plot thrilling are the two stalkers (each with their own agenda) that follow her all through! Without giving away too many details; I’d like to say that the book makes for a quick getaway from the daily rigors of life. It is interesting, thrilling and exciting to say the least. Most of the characters are likable but for one or two sinister ones.

Over all, I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to kill time at the airport, railway station or bus station. It does not take too much of your intellect and can be forgotten once you reach your destination. Do note, the book is a best seller and has probably been reviewed a million times, but since I've read the book just now; I've posted my review only now!

Jeffrey Archer with the famous Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear by Van Gogh

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