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Too Many Coincidences: The Year of Short Stories – March
Too Many Coincidences is part of The Year of Short Stories and is one of a limited number of digital shorts released to celebrate the publication of Jeffrey Archer’s magnificent seventh short-story collection, Tell Tale.
Taken from To Cut a Long Story Short, Jeffrey Archer’s fourth collection of short stories, Too Many Coincidences is a gripping short read featuring Archer’s trademark wit and memorable characters.
For Ruth Anderson continuing her whirlwind love affair with Max Bennett is made infinitely easier with the death of her husband. However, the perfect marriage she envisaged starts to disintegrate as Max becomes increasingly inattentive and reluctant to spend time with his new wife. Now, looking back, Ruth might have to consider whether their affair began with one coincidence too many . . .
Be sure to look out for more from The Year of Short Stories collection, including Caste-Off and The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office.
Taken from To Cut a Long Story Short, Jeffrey Archer’s fourth collection of short stories, Too Many Coincidences is a gripping short read featuring Archer’s trademark wit and memorable characters.
For Ruth Anderson continuing her whirlwind love affair with Max Bennett is made infinitely easier with the death of her husband. However, the perfect marriage she envisaged starts to disintegrate as Max becomes increasingly inattentive and reluctant to spend time with his new wife. Now, looking back, Ruth might have to consider whether their affair began with one coincidence too many . . .
Be sure to look out for more from The Year of Short Stories collection, including Caste-Off and The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2018
247 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Archer
628 books12.6k followersJeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 14, 2018
Master storyteller Lord Jeffrey Archer has chosen to please his fans with a new venture; a short story released each month. Those familiar with Archer’s work will know that he can not only spin long and involved pieces, but also the short story that compacts adventure into a handful of pages. March brings about an interesting story that begins on a boat, or two. When Angus Henderson and Max Bennett meet after their boats bump into one another, they strike up a business relationship that could be highly beneficial. However, with Angus away for a time, Max sets his eyes on Mrs. Henderson, much younger than her husband. Ruth finds herself drawn to Max, who makes his move and leaves a mark on her heart. Working with Angus to settle some real estate matters, Max has the couple visit him in London to finalise proceedings. However, Angus takes ill and is soon sent to the hospital, where he dies, surrounded by family. Smitten with Max, Ruth agrees to marry him in short order and they continue what has been a whirlwind romance. However, something changes and soon Ruth notices that her husband is spending more time away. Longer periods of time apart lead Ruth to turn to another suitor, as she worries about how this second marriage will go. It is then that things take an interesting turn, forcing Ruth to realise she never really knew Max Bennett at all. Archer has done it again with a masterful story that can be consumed in a single setting. Short story aficionados will likely have much praise for Archer, whose ability to spin a tale leaves him in a class all his own.
Lord Jeffrey Archer’s work is always full of unique perspectives, be they complete novels or shorter story such as this one. I am so pleased to have come across this collection and will review each storey based on its own merits, binging with the five before me to catch up, before awaiting each instalment on a monthly basis thereafter. With little time to waste, Archer weaves backstories and character development for the protagonists, who come to life under his pen. The story, unique but with a flavour of some past pieces by this masterful author, keeps the reader intrigued and the fast-pace of the narrative leaves little time to catch one’s breath. Archer lays down a strong foundation and then uses his style to build up a story that the reader cannot help but love, adding a twist towards the end that is sure to blindside many. It is always refreshing to have some Jeffrey Archer pieces on hand, as he is able to take the reader on journeys never imagined while enjoying a cup of one’s favourite beverage. Brilliant work!
Kudos, Lord Archer, for a masterful new story collection. How you find so many effective ideas that produce high quality publications I will never know.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Lord Jeffrey Archer’s work is always full of unique perspectives, be they complete novels or shorter story such as this one. I am so pleased to have come across this collection and will review each storey based on its own merits, binging with the five before me to catch up, before awaiting each instalment on a monthly basis thereafter. With little time to waste, Archer weaves backstories and character development for the protagonists, who come to life under his pen. The story, unique but with a flavour of some past pieces by this masterful author, keeps the reader intrigued and the fast-pace of the narrative leaves little time to catch one’s breath. Archer lays down a strong foundation and then uses his style to build up a story that the reader cannot help but love, adding a twist towards the end that is sure to blindside many. It is always refreshing to have some Jeffrey Archer pieces on hand, as he is able to take the reader on journeys never imagined while enjoying a cup of one’s favourite beverage. Brilliant work!
Kudos, Lord Archer, for a masterful new story collection. How you find so many effective ideas that produce high quality publications I will never know.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
July 14, 2018
If this had been a long story I would not have continued to the end. I have read other stories in the collection by Jeffrey Archer and I was well impressed. This story however was very boring and predictable and I heaved a sigh of relief when I got to the end.
April 10, 2018
This one was again very interesting and intriguing.
May 26, 2018
A waste of time.
Fortunately, it was a very short read.
Fortunately, it was a very short read.
January 19, 2026
Too many coincidences.
September 6, 2022
Deep Manipulation.... Deep Plans... and a Perfect Crime...
June 15, 2018
Regular read
it is just like another regular read and pretty much predictable story line. Expected more substance from the master story teller.
it is just like another regular read and pretty much predictable story line. Expected more substance from the master story teller.
November 25, 2018
Another fine short story about relationships and how the path of true love can be quite a rocky one.
Max is a charmer in every sense of the word and he brings a mixture of business and romance into his relationship with Angus and Ruth.
Sadly it is Ruth who allows her heart to rule over her mind; becomes dependent on Max rather than the counsel of others when Angus dies.
Never aware of her husband’s financial management into his retirement the young widow some 20 years her late husband’s junior; she is wooed by Max for love rather than her inheritance which she never reveals to him when they marry.
Their relationship quickly evaporates and she quickly realises she married Max on the rebound rather than for mutual love.
Sadly I did not warm to any of the characters. It is clear other motives are at work here. Max is clearly a player and Ruth has few redeeming qualities. Their train crash of a relationship whether planned as a long con or an act of revenge does not sit well with the life she led pre-Max. I’m not sure literatures has room even in a short story for a woman to be presented as so two-dimensional and wooden.
This made the scheming less clever and the twists unsurprising. The plot only works because Ruth is dim even in hindsight.
She has the scope to loose her life, her inheritance and children’s respect. We don’t care sadly, this ultimately kills the story and has the reader making up their own endings long before the last page.
Max is a charmer in every sense of the word and he brings a mixture of business and romance into his relationship with Angus and Ruth.
Sadly it is Ruth who allows her heart to rule over her mind; becomes dependent on Max rather than the counsel of others when Angus dies.
Never aware of her husband’s financial management into his retirement the young widow some 20 years her late husband’s junior; she is wooed by Max for love rather than her inheritance which she never reveals to him when they marry.
Their relationship quickly evaporates and she quickly realises she married Max on the rebound rather than for mutual love.
Sadly I did not warm to any of the characters. It is clear other motives are at work here. Max is clearly a player and Ruth has few redeeming qualities. Their train crash of a relationship whether planned as a long con or an act of revenge does not sit well with the life she led pre-Max. I’m not sure literatures has room even in a short story for a woman to be presented as so two-dimensional and wooden.
This made the scheming less clever and the twists unsurprising. The plot only works because Ruth is dim even in hindsight.
She has the scope to loose her life, her inheritance and children’s respect. We don’t care sadly, this ultimately kills the story and has the reader making up their own endings long before the last page.
July 17, 2018
One of the few below average works of Jeffery Archer.
July 11, 2018
Thanks to my habit of not remembering the titles of the stories, I have read this fourth time. I even read this once in Urdu. And yes, the story really does have too many coincidences. Perhaps the author wanted the readers to figure it out. I know I didn't.
A fine tale of betrayal.
A fine tale of betrayal.
October 6, 2019
An interesting read.
Only Jeffrey Archer can make a short story as intriguing as any other novel. This one is a quite interesting story and be read at one go.
Only Jeffrey Archer can make a short story as intriguing as any other novel. This one is a quite interesting story and be read at one go.
April 22, 2019
A thin storyline way too predictable
June 21, 2018
Short and smart.
Right from the beginning Jeffery has established an air of suspense.
With an amazing climax that sweeps you right off your feet.
Right from the beginning Jeffery has established an air of suspense.
With an amazing climax that sweeps you right off your feet.
June 12, 2024
Entertaining short read
While I'm a fan of tales from Jeffry Archer, his short reads to celebrate the year of short stories are amazing too. This is another interesting story, though the end was predictable right from the title.
While I'm a fan of tales from Jeffry Archer, his short reads to celebrate the year of short stories are amazing too. This is another interesting story, though the end was predictable right from the title.
April 6, 2018
common story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2018
Captivating, believable and just the right length for a hour's read. Well done Mr Archer!
April 23, 2018
Interesting and fast paced.
A must read for short story lovers. Its a page turner and well written indeed. 4/5 is my rating for this piece.
A must read for short story lovers. Its a page turner and well written indeed. 4/5 is my rating for this piece.
December 25, 2024
Predictable
The intrigue though was evident had been revealed at the end. It was sustained till the end as usual with him. we
The intrigue though was evident had been revealed at the end. It was sustained till the end as usual with him. we
July 22, 2021
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Too Many Coincidences: The Year of Short Stories; – March, by Jeffrey Archer.
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Brilliantly written, much is merely suggested, and left to reader to deduce - for example about death of Angus - and informative about several points of law.
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"‘If you have been married for less than three years, the law does not apply. You were, however, Mrs Bennett, married for three years and eight days.’ He paused, readjusted his spectacles and added, ‘I have a feeling that Mr Bennett was not only aware of exactly how much you were worth, but also knew the laws of divorce as they apply on Jersey.’
"Three months later, after both sides of solicitors had agreed on the value of Ruth Ethel Bennett’s estate, Max Donald Bennett received a cheque for £6,270,000 in full and final settlement.
"Whenever Ruth looked back on the past three years – and she often did – she came to the conclusion that Max must have planned everything right down to the last detail. Yes, even before they had bumped into each other."
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July 22, 2021 - July 22, 2021.
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Too Many Coincidences: The Year of Short Stories; – March, by Jeffrey Archer.
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
Brilliantly written, much is merely suggested, and left to reader to deduce - for example about death of Angus - and informative about several points of law.
................................................................................................
"‘If you have been married for less than three years, the law does not apply. You were, however, Mrs Bennett, married for three years and eight days.’ He paused, readjusted his spectacles and added, ‘I have a feeling that Mr Bennett was not only aware of exactly how much you were worth, but also knew the laws of divorce as they apply on Jersey.’
"Three months later, after both sides of solicitors had agreed on the value of Ruth Ethel Bennett’s estate, Max Donald Bennett received a cheque for £6,270,000 in full and final settlement.
"Whenever Ruth looked back on the past three years – and she often did – she came to the conclusion that Max must have planned everything right down to the last detail. Yes, even before they had bumped into each other."
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July 22, 2021 - July 22, 2021.
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November 7, 2021
Despite Archer’s reputation as a “master storyteller”, when you read a few of these short stories you begin to see a lot of similarities. In particular, characters who seem to have no conscience or sense of ethics and proceed to coldly exploit legal or procedural loopholes at others expense. The thing which makes this book a little different from the standard Archer fare is that it is told from the point of view of the “mark” rather than the conman himself.
This is another short book, at around 11000 words. A bit more than a short story really, edging into novella territory. I downloaded this book when the whole series was offered free as ebooks from Amazon, but now that I look back they are nowhere to be found. I can only assume that this is because they are now combined into one or more (paid) anthologies rather than being available as individual titles.
The story runs from the moment when Ruth and her husband Angus from Jersey first meet Max, a smooth-talking London estate agent who becomes a friend and business associate of Angus, while secretly sweeping Ruth off her feet. Their clandestine affair continues until Angus dies after some unfortunate meal choices, but it’s not long until Ruth and Max get married. Unfortunately their marriage goes sour, Ruth seeks solace elsewhere, then they divorce. The divorce is not the end of it though, as Ruth finds out that Max had been playing a long game, and has exploited a provision of Jersey law to walk away with several million pounds.
The story is titled “too many coincidences”, presumably in reference to the manner in which Max arranged seemingly-random encounters to carry forward his sneaky plan. For me, though, the book also had too many coincidences which were out of Max’s hands and yet all had to fall precisely into place for his plan to succeed. I just found the story increasingly unbelievable and yet dull at the same time. The characters are cardboard, the settings barely there, and the plot a fantasy of someone sitting at home (or in a jail cell) thinking of ways to get rich.
This is another short book, at around 11000 words. A bit more than a short story really, edging into novella territory. I downloaded this book when the whole series was offered free as ebooks from Amazon, but now that I look back they are nowhere to be found. I can only assume that this is because they are now combined into one or more (paid) anthologies rather than being available as individual titles.
The story runs from the moment when Ruth and her husband Angus from Jersey first meet Max, a smooth-talking London estate agent who becomes a friend and business associate of Angus, while secretly sweeping Ruth off her feet. Their clandestine affair continues until Angus dies after some unfortunate meal choices, but it’s not long until Ruth and Max get married. Unfortunately their marriage goes sour, Ruth seeks solace elsewhere, then they divorce. The divorce is not the end of it though, as Ruth finds out that Max had been playing a long game, and has exploited a provision of Jersey law to walk away with several million pounds.
The story is titled “too many coincidences”, presumably in reference to the manner in which Max arranged seemingly-random encounters to carry forward his sneaky plan. For me, though, the book also had too many coincidences which were out of Max’s hands and yet all had to fall precisely into place for his plan to succeed. I just found the story increasingly unbelievable and yet dull at the same time. The characters are cardboard, the settings barely there, and the plot a fantasy of someone sitting at home (or in a jail cell) thinking of ways to get rich.
March 24, 2020
I don't do book reviews......
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way
August 27, 2019
Predictable.
Ruth cheats on elderly Husband No 1 with soon to be Husband No 2; Husband No 1 dies conveniently after sharing a meal with Husband No 2 and Ruth inherits a fortune, which she doesn't inform Husband No 2 about.
After a while, Husband No 2 neglects Ruth, so she dallies with long-time admirer and to-be Husband No 3, agreeing to file for divorce on grounds of adultery.
Husband No 2 claims a large sum in alimony and Ruth finally realizes what the reader knew all along.
Ruth cheats on elderly Husband No 1 with soon to be Husband No 2; Husband No 1 dies conveniently after sharing a meal with Husband No 2 and Ruth inherits a fortune, which she doesn't inform Husband No 2 about.
After a while, Husband No 2 neglects Ruth, so she dallies with long-time admirer and to-be Husband No 3, agreeing to file for divorce on grounds of adultery.
Husband No 2 claims a large sum in alimony and Ruth finally realizes what the reader knew all along.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2019
Too short, didn’t enjoy the storyline - quite predictable.
Married woman meets man, cheats on husband, hubby dies leaving many a million $s, woman marries the new guy straight away, the guy suddenly changes (of course), man stays married just long enough to meet the divorce laws so he gets a large lump sum on divorce. So the story goes the man met her as part of his plan to get rich.
Lesson learnt, not to read books this short.
Married woman meets man, cheats on husband, hubby dies leaving many a million $s, woman marries the new guy straight away, the guy suddenly changes (of course), man stays married just long enough to meet the divorce laws so he gets a large lump sum on divorce. So the story goes the man met her as part of his plan to get rich.
Lesson learnt, not to read books this short.
May 17, 2019
At times ..predictable
I came across this book as a suggestion and began reading in a place where i had zero access to internet....so had no choice but to stick to it.
Many sequences are predictable and some are felt for you to wonder whether the plots were involved in the scheme or not...not the first choice for a thriller but a good pastime.
I came across this book as a suggestion and began reading in a place where i had zero access to internet....so had no choice but to stick to it.
Many sequences are predictable and some are felt for you to wonder whether the plots were involved in the scheme or not...not the first choice for a thriller but a good pastime.
July 1, 2019
Avoid!
Very very average piece from Jeffrey... The story flows unimaginatively, with no room for surprises to the reader.
The title too, is misleading - there are hardly any coincidences in the story, except for the ending where the usage of the word seems a desperate attempt to justify the title.
Very very average piece from Jeffrey... The story flows unimaginatively, with no room for surprises to the reader.
The title too, is misleading - there are hardly any coincidences in the story, except for the ending where the usage of the word seems a desperate attempt to justify the title.
June 1, 2022
I felt a little disappointed in this short story, I felt like it was rather choppy and in some parts it felt like it jumped between things quite quickly, leaving you a little confused and wanting. It seemed overly rushed in other areas and rather cut off towards the ending of the story. It kind of feels like for a short story, it was forced within a certain amount of words to fit it.
August 10, 2018
Grrrrrrrrr!
I love this story because I hate it, if that makes sense. I do not know whether I am more angry with the wife for being unfaithful (she got her just desserts) or with the 2nd husband for being so mercenary.
I love this story because I hate it, if that makes sense. I do not know whether I am more angry with the wife for being unfaithful (she got her just desserts) or with the 2nd husband for being so mercenary.
November 9, 2018
An okayish short story that was available in Kindle. As a Jeffery Archer fan, this book kinda disappointed me. It was very predictable within few pages into the story. Talka about Ruth remembering how she met Max and the circumstances to their marriage and her current predicament.
November 30, 2018
Having read many other short stories from Jeffrey in this series, I really didn't enjoy this one. It was just 'ok' with the content. It was rather long, a bit of a drag, and to me, the story was quite clear after having read the first two pages. I found this one rather dull.
December 25, 2020
A different kind of short!
Very interesting and believable plot! Shows the true human side of our society and life. It’s refreshing to read something ‘ordinary’ other than thrillers, mysteries, detections, etc.
Very interesting and believable plot! Shows the true human side of our society and life. It’s refreshing to read something ‘ordinary’ other than thrillers, mysteries, detections, etc.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews