Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less

Rating:
Summary: Set The Record Straight
Review: A good sign, for me, that I have loved a book is when looking at the cover brings back strong emotions, and visualizations of the stories within the story.

This definitely is the case for "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less."

This story is about a businessman who bilked $1,000,000 out of 4 men. Each of these men are from very different professions. And each of these men decided to get together to devise a plan that will get their money back. They emphasize the exact amount, not a penny more, nor less.

For those who don't believe in revenge, deception of the like, I still say that this book is great, because their focus is upon their worthiness, using the crook's, that is Harvey Metcalfe's style and fears against him.

As I read this book, I there were so many "wow's," "Uh oh's," and "go for it's," that I was there, a strong part of the plot.

And the phrase that has stuck in my mind the most, from this book, the phrase that the 4 men used to guide them to get what is rightfully there's is, "Think Like a Jew. Act Like a Brit."

For me, while I understand that this phrase counts upon stereotypes, this means be analytic, decisive and determined, while you remain charismatic - The results are always pleasant.

But, it's a great book, anyway.

Rating:
Summary: A truly enjoyable read - one of the best books I've read.
Review: Couldn't wait to read this each day and was sorry when I finished it because I didn't have the pleasure of anticipation the next day. Jeffrey Archer has woven a thoroughly enjoyable tale of a scoundral - Harvey - who cheats anyone anyway he can. Through an innocent third party, he manages to dupe four men out of a total of $1,000,000. One of these, a university professor, determines to follow his father's motto: don't get angry, get even. The professor puts together a dossier on Harvey and contacts the three other men and convinces them to come up with a way to get the money they lost back. (They had all invested in north sea oil shares that turned out to be worthless.) The schemes they develop and carry out are not only brilliant, but also very humorous reading. The delightful twist at the end had me laughing all through the last chapter. This book is skillfully written and sure to be enjoyed by Archer fans. Anyone who has not read his books, would surely become a fan after reading "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less".

Rating:
Summary: What a smiling story
Review: My wife found this paperback at a small used bookstore in England. She enjoyed it so much she made it my present on her return. What a great present. It surely shows a great writers ability to pack a great story in so few pages. I have read a lot of his books but this being his first gave me a great feeling reading it knowing what would follow. I will tell all that you are missing a real good story if you don't read this one.

Rating:
Summary: Early novel shines -- almost
Review: In some ways, this is my favourite Archer novel -- the plot and the characters are wonderful.

The book suffers from his lack of experience (it was his first published novel). The story is slow to get started (considering the length of the novel) and the ending is more contrived than the endings of his later books. Occasionally, the dialogue is stilted, and there are viewpoint shifts that happen without notice.

However, Archer is a great storyteller, and this story just keeps moving. Essentially, this is a revenge tale, in which four men swindled by a master con-artist decide to get back exactly what he stole from them. They embark on a series of scams in order to extract the money from the miscreant. The scams are just barely believable, and one of the strengths of the book is the way that the author drags you in and gets you to believe that these exotic plots can work.

This is an excellent short novel, with lots of light suspense and much to admire. It is well worth the time it takes to read.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful story of revenge
Review: Harvey Metcalfe has made a fortune by lying, cheating, and duping people out of their money. Finally one of his victims has had enough, so he joins forces with three others, and each one concocts a scheme to get back the exact amount which Metcalfe took from them, not a penny more, not a penny less. As the tale unfolds, each of the men uses his particular expertise to wreak revenge on the unsuspecting Metcalfe. This is a delightfully constructed story which contains a few surprises up to the very end.

Rating:
Summary: Another fun read by Archer
Review: Archer's books are the ultimate in what I call "What happens next" fiction. That is, you keep turning the pages because you are dying to know the next turn of the plot. On top of that, his final twists always make for a satisfying ending. This book is a shining example of both of these talents. It is not his most smoothly written book, as it was early in his career as a novelist, but it is a very enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Its on a different plane altogether
Review: What can you say or write about this book, which is an ultimate in all fiction books that I have read till date. The ending is marvelous and pure ecstasy. It draws you in slow and steady and before you know it your are hooked. 4 men are cheated out of their money. How they combine together and get their money back forms the background of this novel.
I really can't write more and can only ask that you read it and savor it to the fullest.

Rating:
Summary: Read it all! Not a page more not a page less!.
Review: This is the ultimate monetary vengeance book. Four men who have never met before and who don't know a lot about the stock market are conned into buying the shares of a billionaire businessman for a company that is being wound up by him.

Being gentleman they get together and do not decide to kill their evil enemy, no! They decide that they will rip him off for the exact amount of their loss plus interest. They will however not take a penny more but likewise will not settle for a penny less.

They have four separate cunning plans each involving all four of them. This book is brilliantly written and you will not be able to put it down until you know if these men succeed. It's not that thick a book though is my only disappointment as I would have loved to have read more.

If you love this book or genre read The Money Makers by Harry Bingham it's even better and has a lot more pages.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: Could'nt put it down. Very easy to read. Great story line with great humour. Four men get even..a master scam artist gets a taste of his own medicine. Must Read!!

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read with a great ending
Review: Having read a wide variety of authors, I can say that I truly enjoy Archer's entertaining writing, with his abundant humorous and/or dramatic turns. This book is no exception. An American businessman has bilked four different men with an intricate scheme to the tune of $1,000,000. But one of the men is determined to get his money back.

Gathering the victims together, the four men develop individually elaborate plans to recoup their losses from the infamous Mr. Harvey. Each plan is exceptionally creative, daring, and very entertaining as they get all of their money back, not a penny more, not a penny less.

Archer's style creates a very reader-friendly text, with good pace. And the ending is outlandishly funny. A great read.