Flag for USA
USA
Flag for USA
USA
Home

Adam & Eve

The final novel

BUY

READ

LEARN MORE

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less: book club questions

Thirteen questions written by Jeffrey himself, for groups that have finished the book. Reading groups have been arguing about this one since 1976.

Download the question sheet Read Chapter 1 Listen to Chapter 1 Watch Jeffrey on this book
13 questions · 3 themes · allow 60 to 90 minutes
Not a Penny More US Cover

I am told that reading groups have been arguing about this book for fifty years, which pleases me more than any review ever has.

So I thought I would give you something better than the usual list. These are the questions I would ask if I were sitting in your front room with a glass of something, and one or two of them I still cannot answer myself.

A warning before you start. These questions assume you have finished the book. If you have not, go away and read it first. I shall wait.

— Jeffrey Archer


The art of the con

Four schemes, four men, and which one you enjoyed most

  1. There are four separate schemes to relieve Harvey Metcalfe of his money, and each man plays to his own strengths. Which did you enjoy most? I have my favourite, and I have never told anyone which it is.
  2. They agree to take back exactly what they lost. Not a penny more, not a penny less. Why does that matter so much to them? And be honest with yourself here. If you had been in that room, would you have argued for taking a little extra for your trouble?
  3. Some readers tell me the schemes are ingenious. Others tell me they had to suspend their disbelief and simply enjoy the ride. Which were you? And does it matter, so long as you turned the page?
  4. The book opens with the mechanics of the fraud itself, laid out in some detail, before you meet a single one of the four men. Did that grip you from the first page, or were you waiting for the revenge to begin?

Morality, justice and revenge

Four men take the law into their own hands. Heroes or criminals?

  1. The law cannot help these men. So they help themselves. Is that justified? I know what I think. I want to know what you think, and whether you would say the same thing out loud in front of a judge.
  2. Harvey Metcalfe ruins people, and yet the book is a comedy. Did I let him off too lightly? Should a story about financial ruin be this much fun?
  3. Harvey is the cleverest man in the book and he is taken in again and again. Does greed always blind the greedy? Or did I simply need him to be fooled so that you could enjoy watching it?
  4. Here is one nobody ever asks me. Which of the four men would you actually want as a friend? They are not all as likeable as each other, and I did that deliberately.

Style, structure and the twist

The ending, the change of gear, and whether it would work today

  1. The ending. You know the one I mean. Did it feel earned, or did you feel my hand on your shoulder steering you towards it? Reading groups divide sharply on this, and I enjoy the argument enormously.
  2. I wrote this book while my own life was in pieces. Can you feel that in the writing? Some readers say the anger is on every page. Others say they would never have guessed. I am curious which camp you fall into.
  3. The book begins with a man losing everything and turns into a caper. That is a considerable change of gear. Did it work, or did the tone shift under your feet?
  4. This was written before mobile telephones, before instant background checks, before you could look up a stranger's entire life in thirty seconds. Could these four men pull it off today? And if not, what would they have to do differently?
  5. For the writers among you. This was a first novel by a man who had never written one. What can you see in it that a more experienced novelist would have done differently, and what can you see that only a beginner would have dared?

Take the questions with you

All questions, free to print and hand round your group.

DOWNLOAD THE QUESTIONS

Questions readers ask about the Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less book club

Are there official book club questions for Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less?

Yes. There are thirteen official book club questions for Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, written by Jeffrey Archer himself and published on jeffreyarcher.com. They are grouped into three themes and are free to read and to download as a printable sheet.

Do the Not a Penny More book club questions contain spoilers?

Yes. The book club questions for Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less assume the group has already finished the book, and several of them discuss the ending directly. Groups should read the novel before opening the question sheet.

How long does a Not a Penny More book club discussion take?

Allow 60 to 90 minutes to work through all thirteen Not a Penny More book club questions. Groups with less time should take one of the three themed sections, which gives four or five questions and around half an hour of discussion.

Everything else readers ask about the book, the title, the ending and the edition is answered on the FAQ page.

All 19 questions answered

Read the story behind the story

The four men are invented. The swindle that started it all was not.

The true story behind Not a Penny More

Reading lists from Jeffrey

If your group enjoyed this one, these are the books Jeffrey would put in front of you next.


Top 10 Unputdownable Heists, Capers & Great Cons

Top 10 Unputdownable Heists, Capers & Great Cons

Top 10 Unputdownable Con Artist Books

Top 10 Unputdownable Con Artist Books
Browse the reading Lists

Ask Jeffrey

How do you solve a plot problem? How do I get a book agent? How do you write a great first chapter? How do you stay motivated through a long novel? How long should it take to write a novel?
See all questions Submit your own question

Read more from Jeffrey

Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less – 50th Anniversary Edition

Read Chapter 1 Listen to Chapter 1

Buy now
Not a Penny More US Cover

Join my community

Sign up to be the first to hear about:

  • New books & promotions
    launches, signed editions, special offers
  • New Reading Lists
    Jeffrey’s personal favourites, refreshed monthly
  • Ask Jeffrey
    answers to readers’ most-asked questions on writing, publishing and more
  • Masterclass
    early access when it launches

View Jeffrey’s Literary catalogue

©2026 Jeffrey Archer - All Rights Reserved

Jeffreyarcher.com is the official home of Jeffrey Archer, one of the world’s bestselling storytellers, with more than 300 million books sold in 47 languages across 114 countries.

Join my community