British best-selling author and ex-politician Jeffrey Archer has passed away aged 86, a day prior to the publication of his last book entitled Adam & Eve. According to HarperCollins Publishing house, Archer "passed away suddenly and peacefully" at his house in England on October 5, 2026. The cause of his death has not been disclosed to the public yet.

Jeffrey Archer was an active writer up until his death. He has been promoting his novel "Adam & Eve" and had plans to attend the Cheltenham Literature Festival to talk about his work.

A Literary Career Spanning Five Decades

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less was Archer's debut novel, released in 1976. Archer made his breakthrough with the novel Kane & Abel in 1979, which became one of his best known books.

His books have sold over 300 million copies in his five-decade-long literary career, as claimed by HarperCollins and other sources. These include Kane & Abel, A Matter of Honour, As the Crow Flies, The Fourth Estate, The Clifton Chronicles and the William Warwick series.

His Last Novel, 'Adam & Eve'

'Adam & Eve', which was published on October 6, 2026, is Archer’s 31st novel and the last novel of his career.

The novel is set during the wartime years of Britain and follows the story of two children who were born on the same day but come from entirely different backgrounds in terms of class. While one is the son of a shepherd, the other is the daughter of an earl.

Archer knew before his death that he wanted 'Adam & Eve' to be his last novel. This was because he wanted to finish his career with a novel he thought to be one of his best works.

From Politics to Bestseller Lists

Prior to his status as an international literary figure, Archer began his career as a politician in Britain. He was first elected as a Conservative MP when he was only 29 years old and served as the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party during the reign of Margaret Thatcher.

Archer’s political career met its end after he got into trouble due to his actions. In 2001, Archer faced conviction for perjury and perverting the course of justice during a libel case and was sent to prison. Later on, Archer wrote about his experience in his three-volume book called “A Prison Diary.”

Even with all the changes that had occurred in Archer’s life, he kept on writing and became one of the leading writers of commercial fiction for many decades.

Now, the arrival of Archer’s last novel Adam & Eve will serve as the last book in the fifty-year-long literary career of Jeffrey Archer.