Best-selling novelist and former politician Jeffrey Archer dies at 86

Renowned British author and former politician Jeffrey Archer passed away at the age of 86, according to his publisher HarperCollins. Archer, who penned over 300 million copies of his high-energy thrillers, left behind a legacy including bestsellers like "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less" and "Kane & Abel." His final novel, "Adam and Eve," is set to be released on Tuesday.

Archer, born on April 15, 1940, in north London, relocated to Weston-super-Mare, Somerset at a young age. His political journey began in 1969 when he won a seat for the Lincolnshire constituency of Louth. He held the position for five years before ascending to the role of Conservative Party deputy chairman under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the mid-1980s.

Archer's political career took a dramatic turn in 2001 when he was convicted of perjury during a libel lawsuit he filed against The Star newspaper. He was sentenced to prison and subsequently released in 2003, returning to the House of Lords until his retirement in 2024.