Jeffrey Archer, the British novelist whose gripping tales of ambition, betrayal, love and redemption turned him into one of the world’s best-known storytellers, has died at 86.

Archer died peacefully at his home in London on October 5, his publisher said. His death came just a day before the release of Adam & Eve, his final novel and the latest addition to a literary career that spanned five decades.

Few writers understood the simple pleasure of a page-turner quite like Archer. His stories were filled with characters who wanted more, lost everything, fought their way back and often surprised readers along the way. His writing was straightforward, his plots moved quickly and his endings frequently left readers reaching for the next chapter.

That formula made Archer a publishing phenomenon. His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide and have been translated into numerous languages. Among his best-known works are Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, A Matter of Honour, The Prodigal Daughter, As the Crow Flies and the Clifton Chronicles.

India held a particularly important place in Archer’s literary journey. His popularity in the country became so strong that publishers sometimes released his new books in India before Britain. The unusual strategy was driven partly by the country’s widespread market for pirated books.

Publishers knew that delaying a new Jeffrey Archer title could mean pirated copies appearing on Indian streets before the official edition reached bookshops. Releasing his books early became a way of staying ahead of the pirates while satisfying a fiercely loyal readership.

Archer embraced that affection. His visits to India often drew large crowds, and he frequently spoke about the country’s readers with warmth. He once recalled seeing a young boy selling pirated copies of his books on a Mumbai street. When the boy offered him the latest Jeffrey Archer novel, Archer revealed that he was Jeffrey Archer himself.

The story captured something essential about his relationship with India: his books had travelled far beyond traditional literary circles and found readers in almost every corner of the country.

India also appeared in Archer’s fiction. His short story Caste-Off was inspired by an inter-caste couple he met in Mumbai, while India featured in parts of the Clifton Chronicles. He admired Indian writers, particularly R.K. Narayan, and maintained friendships with several figures from the country’s cricketing world.

Archer’s own life could have belonged in one of his novels.

Born in London in 1940, he entered public life before becoming a full-time novelist. He served as a Conservative MP and later became the party’s deputy chairman. He was appointed to the House of Lords as a life peer in 1992.

His political career, however, ended in spectacular fashion. Archer was convicted of perjury in 2001 after a court found that he had fabricated an alibi during a libel case. He was sentenced to four years in prison and served more than two years before being released in 2003.

The experience became another chapter in an extraordinary life. Archer later wrote about prison and continued to build an even more successful literary career. His personal controversies never stopped readers from returning to his fiction.

The Clifton Chronicles, his seven-book family saga, introduced his work to a new generation. The series followed several generations through war, wealth, love, loss and social change, bringing together many of the themes that had defined Archer’s writing from the beginning.

He continued writing well into his eighties. Adam & Eve, published after his death, centres on two children born on the same day but into dramatically different circumstances — a shepherd’s son and an Earl’s daughter. Their lives eventually cross in a story shaped by class, love and changing social expectations.

Archer had indicated that he might move away from full-length novels but had no intention of completely giving up writing. He planned to continue with short stories, plays and other projects.

That unfinished list now becomes part of his legacy.

Jeffrey Archer’s life was complicated, sometimes controversial and often extraordinary. But for millions of readers, especially those who discovered his books in India, he will be remembered more simply — as the author who could make them promise themselves they would read just one more chapter.

And then, inevitably, turn the page.