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Charity Begins at Home: The Year of Short Stories – April
Part of The Year of Short Stories, Charity Begins at Home 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 Cat O’ Nine Tales Jeffrey Archer’s fifth collection of short stories, Charity Begins at Home is a captivating short read featuring Archer’s trademark humour and unforgettable characters.
By all estimates Henry Preston lives an uneventful existence – an accountant with no prospect of making partner and single with a sedate home life. That is until he meets Angela Forster, a fundraiser who specializes in charity events. As he begins overseeing Angela’s accounts, Henry spots an opportunity to live a life he previously thought impossible. With everything at stake, does Henry have the nerve to gamble with their futures for the chance of a better life . . .
Taken from Cat O’ Nine Tales Jeffrey Archer’s fifth collection of short stories, Charity Begins at Home is a captivating short read featuring Archer’s trademark humour and unforgettable characters.
By all estimates Henry Preston lives an uneventful existence – an accountant with no prospect of making partner and single with a sedate home life. That is until he meets Angela Forster, a fundraiser who specializes in charity events. As he begins overseeing Angela’s accounts, Henry spots an opportunity to live a life he previously thought impossible. With everything at stake, does Henry have the nerve to gamble with their futures for the chance of a better life . . .
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
102 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Archer
659 books12.5k 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 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 15, 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. April’s addition is a curious tale about a rather beige man, Henry Preston, who sought his mother’s praise and became an accountant. In his dealings with various clients, Preston crosses paths with Angela Forster, an event planner, whose diary is full of galas and fundraisers. Upon reviewing her books for the tax man, Preston discovers that Forster is shortchanging herself quite severely, paying a pittance into her own bank account while these charities are making substantial sums. Working together, Preston and Forster devise a plan to skim a little off to top and launder it in such a way that no one will be able to track it or point the finger. This works well for years, until... Another masterful piece by Archer that keeps the reader in the middle of the action for the short story. Those who love Archer will not be disappointed.
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 story based on its own merits, binging with the five before me to catch up, before awaiting each instalment on a monthly basis thereafter. Another legal sleight of hand here, something Archer has become adept at creating, pitting a seemingly bumbling man against the Establishment. Preston and Forster are both quite interesting characters, though there is little time to dwell on them as the narrative builds and lays the plot out before the reader. The story flows well and does not get too bogged down in minutiae, allowing the reader to speed through this piece in a single sitting. Archer proves that his ability to hold the reader’s attention with a short story is one of his greatest assets, though he is equally able with full-length novels. One can only hope that Archer will keep churning more stories out (he does have eight months left in this year of stories) and that fans will never tire of his unending list of ideas put to the page.
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 story based on its own merits, binging with the five before me to catch up, before awaiting each instalment on a monthly basis thereafter. Another legal sleight of hand here, something Archer has become adept at creating, pitting a seemingly bumbling man against the Establishment. Preston and Forster are both quite interesting characters, though there is little time to dwell on them as the narrative builds and lays the plot out before the reader. The story flows well and does not get too bogged down in minutiae, allowing the reader to speed through this piece in a single sitting. Archer proves that his ability to hold the reader’s attention with a short story is one of his greatest assets, though he is equally able with full-length novels. One can only hope that Archer will keep churning more stories out (he does have eight months left in this year of stories) and that fans will never tire of his unending list of ideas put to the page.
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 15, 2018
A very easy read from the year of short stories by Jeffrey Archer. I really enjoyed reading this story and I am looking forward to reading other tales in this collection. Recommended.
March 2, 2019
Such fun
Frankly, Archer is the king of short stories and despite the brevity, this was fully fleshed and engaging. I smiled all through...such fun.
Frankly, Archer is the king of short stories and despite the brevity, this was fully fleshed and engaging. I smiled all through...such fun.
July 20, 2018
Must read. All the books from 'A year of short stories' by Jeffrey Archer are free on Amazon. People like me who live freebies, get your Kindle edition now.
Much like 'Crime Pays', the reader gets a feeling of the coup. For me, however, it is the later part of the story that holds my attention more. The reason is simple - find out how they got out of it.
* Charity begins at home
* Crime pays
* The man who robbed his own post office
These three stories share a common theme, and something very likable. The main character pulls a heist, and they get caught. It is so real. One would think that fiction should always have the main character winning all the way, with no worry in the world. Which is not always true, these stories tell us.
Much like 'Crime Pays', the reader gets a feeling of the coup. For me, however, it is the later part of the story that holds my attention more. The reason is simple - find out how they got out of it.
* Charity begins at home
* Crime pays
* The man who robbed his own post office
These three stories share a common theme, and something very likable. The main character pulls a heist, and they get caught. It is so real. One would think that fiction should always have the main character winning all the way, with no worry in the world. Which is not always true, these stories tell us.
October 5, 2018
Really enjoyable, as a short story. It was direct, to the point and managed to display the characteristics of a narrative that are seen in longer books.
In a world of finances, those trying to play the system always get caught; even the accountants.
Archer provides a great twist at the end of the book that reflects his ability to create a mystery story in so few pages.
In a world of finances, those trying to play the system always get caught; even the accountants.
Archer provides a great twist at the end of the book that reflects his ability to create a mystery story in so few pages.
Want to read
July 30, 2018💝FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (7/30/2018)!💝
December 11, 2018
One of the best short stories
Jeffery Archer is definitely one of the best story tellers of our time. Take his novels or this one short story, he is a genius in detailing. There are always twists and turns before you actually get to the climaxes. This one is no different. A short but intriguing read !
Jeffery Archer is definitely one of the best story tellers of our time. Take his novels or this one short story, he is a genius in detailing. There are always twists and turns before you actually get to the climaxes. This one is no different. A short but intriguing read !
June 13, 2018
Well plotted but simple theme
As usual very smooth & flowing story. Though pretty common theme of good turning bad, it is well written by the author.
As usual very smooth & flowing story. Though pretty common theme of good turning bad, it is well written by the author.
July 24, 2018
Intrigued!
How very intriguing!
On the surface, the story seems ordinary, some what uninteresting but you will be fooled! The story is masterfully woven and unfolded!
Love it!
How very intriguing!
On the surface, the story seems ordinary, some what uninteresting but you will be fooled! The story is masterfully woven and unfolded!
Love it!
June 1, 2018
Enjoyed
Enjoyed very much.An easy quick read. Love Jeffery Archer books. Looking forward to reading more and more.
Bring it on.
Enjoyed very much.An easy quick read. Love Jeffery Archer books. Looking forward to reading more and more.
Bring it on.
August 16, 2018
Avg, but entertaining
Focus on headline.
Just filling out the minimum number of words so that i can seamlessly put this review through
Focus on headline.
Just filling out the minimum number of words so that i can seamlessly put this review through
April 26, 2018
Charity begins at home
A delightful book totally uncomplicated, Light book to read. I'm an avid fan of Jeffery Archer and would recommend to others who don't want a heavy booked read
A delightful book totally uncomplicated, Light book to read. I'm an avid fan of Jeffery Archer and would recommend to others who don't want a heavy booked read
June 12, 2024
A pleasant short read
This short read by Jeffrey Archer holds a wonderful story inside that puts forward a unique line of storytelling. It's a treat for his fans. A must read!
This short read by Jeffrey Archer holds a wonderful story inside that puts forward a unique line of storytelling. It's a treat for his fans. A must read!
February 28, 2021
Another very short book, just a short story really, as is hinted by the “Year of Short Stories” label on the cover image. 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.
This book, like several of the ones in this series which I have read so far, is essentially about a criminal engaged in a crime. It starts by introducing a somewhat dull accountant who works for a single company for his entire career and only begins to question his life as he is approaching retirement. Almost by accident he meets a woman who catches his interest both romantically and financially, and he sets about constructing a scheme to syphon off money from her charity fundraising business and launder it through a variety of casinos on the premise that income from gambling is not subject to tax.
Just as in Clean Sweep Ignatius and Crime Pays, from the same author, the process of the crime is meticulously planned but somehow emotionless. As readers, we observe the progress of the plan, sometimes in great detail, but on an entirely passive and superficial level. Just as in Crime Pays, the main character accepts a minor prison sentence as part of “the cost of doing business”, and still manages to come out very much ahead, retiring to the Mediterranean with a new identity, a new wife, and millions in the bank.
Most of these short stories seem to be entirely linear. We meet the characters, a plan is created and we watch it play out to its conclusion. There is no sense of jeopardy, no twists, no emotional engagement, and no puzzles other than trying to work out the plan and spot potential problems. The entire story feels like a kind of “thought experiment” by Archer to work through a potential criminal plan. This is slightly unnerving, given that Archer himself is famous for spending time in prison after a questionable stint in politics and before moving on to become a very wealthy author. I can’t help wonder if these books represent in some way the ideas that he rejected, and somewhere in the background is a similarly complex scheme which he will not write about, because he did it himself.
This book, like several of the ones in this series which I have read so far, is essentially about a criminal engaged in a crime. It starts by introducing a somewhat dull accountant who works for a single company for his entire career and only begins to question his life as he is approaching retirement. Almost by accident he meets a woman who catches his interest both romantically and financially, and he sets about constructing a scheme to syphon off money from her charity fundraising business and launder it through a variety of casinos on the premise that income from gambling is not subject to tax.
Just as in Clean Sweep Ignatius and Crime Pays, from the same author, the process of the crime is meticulously planned but somehow emotionless. As readers, we observe the progress of the plan, sometimes in great detail, but on an entirely passive and superficial level. Just as in Crime Pays, the main character accepts a minor prison sentence as part of “the cost of doing business”, and still manages to come out very much ahead, retiring to the Mediterranean with a new identity, a new wife, and millions in the bank.
Most of these short stories seem to be entirely linear. We meet the characters, a plan is created and we watch it play out to its conclusion. There is no sense of jeopardy, no twists, no emotional engagement, and no puzzles other than trying to work out the plan and spot potential problems. The entire story feels like a kind of “thought experiment” by Archer to work through a potential criminal plan. This is slightly unnerving, given that Archer himself is famous for spending time in prison after a questionable stint in politics and before moving on to become a very wealthy author. I can’t help wonder if these books represent in some way the ideas that he rejected, and somewhere in the background is a similarly complex scheme which he will not write about, because he did it himself.
March 23, 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
March 7, 2019
Part of a short story series, most of which I've read. The story is very similar to others by the same author. They're well written and an easy, short read but I feel that the ending of this story has been covered before in others in the series and was not at all unexpected, which was disappointing in the extreme. However, it is an good way to spend twenty minutes or so.
July 22, 2018
enjoyable story
July 27, 2018
There really might not be any age limit to falling in love, and the lengths a person might go to prove it...
August 3, 2018
Brief and Nice
The structure and presentation was nice. Great storytelling. Somethings have been left unexplained. Otherwise , good book for passing ones time.
The structure and presentation was nice. Great storytelling. Somethings have been left unexplained. Otherwise , good book for passing ones time.
August 10, 2018
Awww
I loved it! My kind of story totally. Sweet and simple. I have a smile on my face and warmth in my heart.
I loved it! My kind of story totally. Sweet and simple. I have a smile on my face and warmth in my heart.
September 26, 2018
I’m not a fan of short stories but at least this one has a reasonable plot.
October 1, 2018
Ok
It is just ok for a quick read. Expected more punch packed in it since it is a short story.
It is just ok for a quick read. Expected more punch packed in it since it is a short story.
October 3, 2018
Why cheat and even go to jail for a happy comfortable life after retirement!!!
December 6, 2018
Truly gripping storyteller
January 19, 2019
Another great short story from this brilliant author. Reminded me of one of his others called" the man who robbed his own postoffice".
June 19, 2019
As usual !!
A great short read I enjoyed the main two people always a good twist. I think most people would love this book it's a nice easy read and entertaining !
A great short read I enjoyed the main two people always a good twist. I think most people would love this book it's a nice easy read and entertaining !
October 24, 2019
A good short story to read during your travel!
June 2, 2020
very interesting stories
June 19, 2020
I really don't know why I enjoy these easily guessable, average short reads from Jeffery, but I do, and so I'll keep reading them!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews