Missing, presumed dead! (False Impression - Jeffrey Archer)

Member Name: MaryanneH

Product:	False Impression - Jeffrey Archer
Date:	24/04/06 (134 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good read

Disadvantages: Its Archer

The first novel featuring the tragedy of September 11th 2001 was going to come along sooner or later and I am sure that over the coming years there will be many more to follow, but Archer took on the task which had to be handled with a degree of sensitivity.

The Story

The book opens with an English Aristocrat, Lady Victoria Wentworth, being murdered on the night before the collapse of the Twin Towers, it then cuts to New York on the morning of 9/11 where Anna Petrescue is preparing for her morning jog around Central Park, prior to an important meeting at her work. This meeting did not go according to her plan, as she was sacked and is in the process of being escorted from the building when the first plane hit the North Tower. The nature of her former bosses illegal and highly immoral business practises have become very clear to her, and when she escapes the Tower, and realises that she has been listed as ‘missing presumed dead’ she is able to do something to ensure that he does not succeed in his plan. This involves travelling around the world, stealing a Van Gogh, forgery and all along she is being chased by both the FBI and the assassin responsible for the death of Lady Victoria, one believing her to be guilty, the other wanting to kill her.

So how was it?

I actually really enjoyed it, although having read many of Archers other novels, his style has become very predictable which made it an easy rainy Sunday afternoon read, and I correctly guessed every twist and turn that he put in, but it was certainly worth reading for the filling in of the details. The plot is strongly based in the art world, about which I know very little, but this certainly doesn't impede any enjoyment as many of the pictures mentioned you may well have heard of, if not it doesn't really matter and the Van Gogh at the centre of the story is pictured on the back inside cover.

Curiosity in the macabre is ever present, and it is an instant hook for the book, the part the collapse of the Twin Towers plays in the plot is relatively small and simply provides a convenient starting point for the overall story. There are many other scenarios that could have been invented to provide the same situation that did not include something that could be considered so raw and insensitive to the survivors of the tragedy, however it is handled with a large degree of artistic detachment, there is very little emotion involved which would not have worked in the book, although I am a little surprise that there is no mention of this at all in an acknowledgement, dedication from the author or anything. In an interview, Archer (I don’t feel he deserves the courtesy of his title) did say that he had been nervous about the reception of this section of the book, particularly introducing it to America, which he did after he had already launched it in Europe and Australia, for the American market he had reduced the number of pages dedicated to the tragedy and his American publishers came back and asked for more. However, I am fortunate in that whilst I do have friends and relatives in New York, all were safe, I am not sure how I would feel about reading this as a work of fiction had I been directly affected in any way. As for a section in the book related to the escape from the Tower, it did appear to be very plausible and realistic; there have been so many conflicting accounts of that day that this could certainly match some of them. It was certainly an anxious time for everyone, and everyone will remember where they were at the time it happened. Archer himself was of course residing courtesy of her majesty.

As with many of Archer’s novels, the characters in the book are less believable. It would be refreshing if he wrote about an overweight, academic failure, but no, they are all perfection, with their first class university degrees, the perfect villain, the perfect hero naturally with the perfect body, they are all the best at what they do with everyone at the top of their game and at the height of physical fitness but I suppose that makes for good escapism. Archer has been described as a master story teller, and whilst I do not dispute that his stories are enjoyable reading, I think that over the years I have possibly read too many of his novels and find his style often repetitive (not that I could do any better) He is able to provide a sense of drama, but in the same way the Wizard of Oz caused every schoolteacher to forbid the use of ‘they woke up and realised it was all a dream’ (although they forgot to tell the writers of Dallas) Archer overuses many of the devises that he uses to create dramatic effect although you would not notice this if you just read one or two of his books.

So do I recommend it?

At the moment the book is only available in hardback, £8.08 on Amazon, and to be honest I don’t think it is worth that, once it is available in paperback it is a good holiday read, or do what I did and borrow a copy.

I am sure this book will open the floodgates of Twin Tower collapse novels, and I am also sure that it is only a matter of time before a better one comes along, but for the time being this is an enjoyable read.

Thank you for reading.

Summary: What would you do if presumed dead following the collapse of the Twin Towers