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Cat O' Nine Tales: And Other Stories Audiobook
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(3.01) - 4,791 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Cat O'Nine Tales is the fifth collection of irresistible short stories from the master storyteller and bestselling author Jeffrey Archer. Ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and Archer's trademark of deliciously unexpected conclusions, some of these thirteen stories were inspired by the two years Jeffrey Archer spent in prison, including the story of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St Petersburg—with unexpected consequences. 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 Perfect Murder 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 Charity Begins at Home, an accountant realizes he has achieved nothing in his life, and sets out to make a fortune before he retires. And then there is Archer's favorite, In the Eye of the Beholder, where a handsome star athlete falls in love with a three-hundred-pound woman...who happens to be the ninth richest woman in Italy. Jeffrey Archer is the only author to have topped international bestseller lists with his fiction, non-fiction, and his short stories. Cat O'Nine Tales is Archer at his best: witty, sad, surprising, and unforgettable.
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"Archer proved that money is the main cause of troubles and how it influences our way of living. From a legal perspective, Jeff told the stories that allow the readers to understand the grounds for crime and the loopholes or weaknesses within the legal system. It is not a straight forward storytelling, but always with unexpected twists that linger in our mind for a while..."
— Digitalenviromentalist (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“One of the top ten storytellers in the world.
— Los Angeles Times -
Archer is a master entertainer.
— Time -
Jeffrey Archer served in Britain's Parliament for 19 years - and in Her Majesty's Prison for two. Those two years provide the basis for this collection of stories... If you want an audio experience that is easily divided into satisfying segments of 45-50 minutes each, this is a good choice.
— The Roanoke Times
Cat O' Nine Tales Listener Reviews
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" Nine of the 12 stories are based on accounts the author learned while incarcerated for perjury. Classic Archer short stories, complete with unexpected endings. "
— Craig, 2/20/2014 -
" A good selection of short stories, all related to prison. Inspired by the prison sentence that the author served for tax evasion. All had a twist to them. I enjoyed these. "
— Jan, 2/19/2014 -
" A wonderful collection of short stories and impossible to predict endings ! "
— Karthik, 2/16/2014 -
" Nice collection of short stories. After the first one, I started to expect the unexpected, and was not let down by Archer. A good collection, and a good set to read, just before shut-eyes. "
— Joseph, 2/14/2014 -
" Still in the process of this witty mini mysteries book. "
— Wendy, 2/13/2014 -
" Picked this one up when someone else returned it - actually, the illustrations caught my eye first and caused me to look further. I'm glad I picked it up, because I enjoyed it - I think it was exactly what I was in the mood for. These short little crime stories are from the criminal's perspective, causing one the interesting dilemma of rooting for the "bad guys". Nicely told. "
— Penwiper, 2/9/2014 -
" good one-time read...stories get better as the book progresses! "
— Amrendra, 2/1/2014 -
" My rating is in actuality a 3.5 average..I just cannot justify giving this 4 stars so rounded down rather than up. 3.5 is more accurate based upon my reading, but 4 stars does not seem accurate. I love Jeffery Archer and consider him among the premier short story writers of our era. This collection however is not among his best short works that I have encountered. Don't get me wrong it is still a worthwhile read for Archer fans and short story enthusisats. The ironic thing is this collection contains 12 works, based upon prison and criminal themes. 9 of the 12 are based upon stories Archer gleaned during his own imprisonment while the other 3 are his own creations. the ironic thing is his 3 original stories were for me the least interesting of the collection. had this book contained only the 9 stories, I very well might have gone 4 stars although that would still be borderline at best. Archer is still brilliant and able to weave brilliantly detailed and descriptive scenes with both likeable and unlikeable characters in such a short stretch...but not up to the level I hold him! 01 The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office- 2.5 stars This falls somewhere between, it was OK and I liked it. A decent enough yarn about a man and wife who have a buisiness venture go south...in order to recoup their finances they debate and plot how to recoup their investment...how far would you go...how will they???? 02 Maestro- 3 stars This was a nice little spin (Pun intended) on money laundering. 03 Don't Drink The Water- 5 stars I so totally enjoyed this one! Very cool story w/ an unfaithful spouse, a jilted mate, a potential divorce, a nice estate, a unique way to deal with a problem...and of course a nice little twist thrown in as well. 04 It can't be October Already- 4 stars If not for a slightly disappointing ending, I may have gone up to 5 stars for this one. 05 The Red King- 5 stars A very cool story of theft, deception and fraud...and still smelling like a rose. A brilliant read, for those who like an intense game of chess! 06 The Wisdom of Solomon- 4 stars Now that is justice! 07 Know What I mean? - 3.5 stars This was a cool little story about a guy who keeps looking for loopholes in the law, only to abondon his family time and time again so that he can return to jail. Can he ever go straight? 08 Charity Begins at Home- 4 stars This was a very cool story. A seemingly law abiding citizen, and his female counterpart hatch a brilliant plot to hide money, not declare it on their taxes...and get away with it???? 09 The Alibi- 3 stars A very short tale...and semi enjoyable, made even moreso by it's shortness. A brilliant plan, a horrific revenge...but nothing ever goes as planned! 10 A Greek tragedy- 2 stars This is likely my least favorite in this collection...perhaps the only thing that saved it from 1 star was that it was short enough to not make me hate it forever and ever! 11 The Commissioner- 4 stars A brilliant read! Do ex-cons deserve a second chance (I know, of course they do!)? A police commissioner goes out on a limb to say that they do, then is faced with the chance to practice his preaching rather than just have it be good public relations. can this ex-con go straight...and if not how does one deal with it? 12 The Eye of the Beholder- 2 stars Again not my favorite of this collection by a long shot...this just never generated any steam. "
— Mark, 1/28/2014 -
" Nice collection of short stories. After the first one, I started to expect the unexpected, and was not let down by Archer. A good collection, and a good set to read, just before shut-eyes. "
— Joseph, 1/27/2014 -
" I always have a book of short stories on the go somewhere in the house ... this one was quite ecclectic ... some I loved others not so much. "
— Christine, 1/25/2014 -
" Unlike Jeff and his stories... "
— Sarjeet, 1/24/2014
About Jeffrey Archer
Jeffrey Archer is an author of fiction, nonfiction, and plays, including numerous New York Times bestsellings, of which three made the #1 bestsellers spot. He was educated at Oxford University. He served five years as a member of the British parliament in the House of Commons and has served twenty-seven years as a member of the House of Lords. Now published in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, all of his novels and short story collections—including Kane & Abel, Only Time Will Tell and This Was a Man—have been international bestsellers.
About Anton Lesser
Anton Lesser has, as an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, played many of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles, including Troilus (Troilus and Cressida), Edgar (King Lear), Petruchio, Romeo, and Richard III. He is a frequent radio contributor and has recorded many audiobooks, including much of the work of Charles Dickens. Lesser’s narration has won him seven AudioFile Earphones Awards.