A Twist in the Tale was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1988. Twelve short stories, each constructed around a surprise ending — the form that Archer handles with perhaps more consistent skill than any living writer. The stories span genres (romance, crime, political intrigue, comedy) but share a structural principle: every element in the narrative exists to set up the final reversal.
Archer’s short fiction demonstrates what his novels sometimes obscure: he is a supreme craftsman of plot mechanics. The stories are as precisely engineered as clockwork, with no wasted elements and no fair-play violations — the reader, looking back, can always see that the twist was prepared.
The Archer Twist
Archer’s twist endings belong to the tradition of O. Henry and Roald Dahl — stories where the final revelation recontextualises everything that preceded it. Unlike Dahl’s often macabre twists, Archer’s tend toward the satisfyingly just: the villain gets his comeuppance, the clever get their reward, and the reader feels the pleasure of a mechanism perfectly discharged.
Collecting A Twist in the Tale
First edition (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1988): Boards with dust jacket.
Approximate market values:
- Fine in dust jacket: $25–$60
- Very good: $10–$25
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate appreciation. Archer’s short story collections are undervalued relative to his novels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many short story collections did Archer write? Archer published four major short story collections: A Quiver Full of Arrows (1980), A Twist in the Tale (1988), Twelve Red Herrings (1994), and To Cut a Long Story Short (2000). All feature his signature surprise endings.