Twelve Red Herrings

About Twelve Red Herrings by Jeffrey Archer

Twelve Red Herrings is a short story collection by the British bestselling author Jeffrey Archer, first published in 1994. As the title hints, the book is built around a game with the reader: every one of its twelve stories hides a misleading clue, a red herring, and the pleasure lies in spotting it before the final twist arrives. If you enjoy clever plots, sudden reversals and quick reading, Twelve Red Herrings is an easy book to pick up and hard to put down. Please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock.

What the collection offers

• Twelve separate short stories, so you can read one at a sitting
• Tales of duplicity, love, murder and revenge, each with a twist ending
• A deliberate puzzle element: a red herring placed in each story for the reader to find
• Several stories that the author says were inspired by real incidents, which he then embellished
• A final story that invites the reader to choose among alternative endings

The author: Jeffrey Archer

Jeffrey Archer is one of the best known storytellers in modern English fiction. He is celebrated for novels and short stories that move quickly, rely on strong plotting and finish with an unexpected turn. Twelve Red Herrings sits among his well loved short story collections and shows his habit of building a small world in a few pages and then overturning what the reader thought they knew.

Why short stories like these are worth reading

A short story has to do in a handful of pages what a novel does over hundreds. There is no room for padding, so every sentence must earn its place. For students of English literature this makes collections such as Twelve Red Herrings a useful study in economy: how a writer plants a clue, how he misdirects attention, and how he times a reveal. For the general reader the benefit is simpler. You can finish a story during a bus ride, a lunch break or before bed, and still feel you have read something complete.

Themes you will meet

Without giving away any plot, the stories explore human weakness and cleverness: greed, pride, trust, justice and the surprising ways in which people outwit one another. Many of them show that things are rarely what they first seem, which is exactly the lesson of a red herring. Readers often find that on a second reading they notice the clues they missed the first time, and that is part of the charm.

Who should read Twelve Red Herrings

• Readers who enjoy twist endings and light mystery
• Students and teachers who want short, readable English fiction to improve vocabulary and comprehension
• Anyone new to Jeffrey Archer who wants an easy starting point
• Book clubs and friends who like to guess endings together
• Gift buyers looking for an entertaining English book

How to get the most from the book

Read one story at a time and try to name the red herring before the ending. Keep a small note of your guess, then check it against the reveal. If you are using the book to improve your English, underline unfamiliar words, guess their meaning from context and look them up afterwards. Discuss the stories with a friend, since people often spot different clues. The collection also works well as a read-aloud book for a group, because each tale is short and has a clear ending.

A good choice for your English book shelf

Lafz Bookstore in Srinagar is open to readers of English fiction as well as school, college and Kashmir books. Twelve Red Herrings suits a home library, a college reading corner or a gift for a friend who loves stories with a surprise. Because the stories are self contained, the book is also forgiving: if you have only a few minutes, you can still enjoy a full tale.

Edition details

Title: Twelve Red Herrings. Author: Jeffrey Archer. Language: English. Form: short story collection of twelve stories, first published in 1994. For the publisher, binding and page count of the copy in stock, please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492. Same-day dispatch from Srinagar. Delivery takes about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days across the rest of India.

Frequently asked questions

Who wrote Twelve Red Herrings? The book is by Jeffrey Archer.

How many stories does it contain? It contains twelve short stories.

What does the title mean? A red herring is a misleading clue. Each story hides one for the reader to spot.

Is it a novel? No, it is a collection of short stories, so each tale can be read on its own.

How quickly will it reach me? We dispatch the same day from Srinagar. Delivery is about 1 day in Srinagar and 3 to 10 days in the rest of India.

Looking for more English books like this? Browse our English Literature collection or explore all Literature & Fiction. Follow Lafz Bookstore on Instagram for new arrivals and book recommendations.