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This tale is one of twelve in Tell Tale, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer’s collection of short stories.
A Wasted Hour is one of those remarkable short stories that you just know has to be true. Kelley, a Stanford College student and aspiring writer, always thumbs a lift back to campus, not only to save money, but in the hope of meeting someone with an interesting story to reveal. But even Kelley couldn’t have been prepared for John, and what he had to tell her…with a twist that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Jeffrey Archer
Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include the Clifton Chronicles, Kane and Abel and Cat O’ Nine Tales, is one of the world’s favourite storytellers and topped the bestseller lists around the world in a career spanning four decades. His work has been sold in more than 100 countries and in fifty-one languages. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction, short stories and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey was also an art collector and amateur auctioneer, and raised more than £50m for different charities over the years. A member of the House of Lords for over a quarter of a century, the author was married to Dame Mary Archer, and they had two sons, two granddaughters and three grandsons. He died in October 2026.
More by Jeffrey Archer
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