A Twist in the Tale is a cunningly constructed, entertaining set of stories from the bestselling author of The Clifton Chronicles and the William Warwick series.

A man calls unexpectedly on his mistress and sees another man leaving her flat. After he accuses her of being unfaithful, an argument ensues, during which he strikes her and leaves her for dead. Departing unseen, he tips off the police so that another man is arrested – and charged. Has he achieved ‘The Perfect Murder’ . . . ?

Elsewhere, a man attends a wine-tasting with a bizarre difference; a self-assured chess champion plays a beautiful woman for stakes far higher than cash; a finance minister must crack the secrets of a Swiss bank; and eating cornflakes leads to a lifelong rivalry. From Africa to the Middle East, London to Beijing, Archer takes us to places we’ve never seen and introduces us to people we’ll never forget . . .