When Daniel Cartwright proposes to his pregnant girlfriend, Beth Wilson, he has no idea his life will change dramatically in a matter of hours. Before the night is out, his best mate, Beth's brother Bernie, is dead and Danny is accused of murdering him. Even though Danny is innocent, several men dispute his and Beth's accounts of the fight that led to Bernie's death. The police refuse to believe an uneducated East Ender like him over four upper-class men.

From the day of his arrest until the day he's found guilty, Danny believes that justice and truth will prevail. As he comes to terms with the long wait until his appeal is heard, Danny learns the basics of life at Belmarsh prison. He lucks out in the assignment of his cellmates, who show him the ropes and teach him how to stay out of trouble. Beth stays by Danny, the love of her life, but for how long? Most relationships don't survive a lengthy prison term.

As the months pass by, prison life has an unexpected effect on Danny. He makes himself into a better man with the help of cellmate Nick Moncrieff. But the real killer is watching Danny's appeal closely. Will Danny have a shot at clearing his name and leaving prison, or will a scheming killer put an end to his hopes? A risky move gives Danny the chance to gain his freedom but it also means more jail time if he's caught.

A PRISONER OF BIRTH is an exciting thriller sure to keep readers up late at night. Issues of social standing and class are examined as well as the flaws in the British legal system. This isn't a whodunit but rather a quest for vengeance and justice. Mr. Archer has penned an homage to Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo as well as including sly references to Dumas' other famous characters, the Three Musketeers. But this book is much more than a retelling of a classic novel; it's also a social commentary and a love story. Readers will root for Danny as he strives to exact revenge on those who wronged him and killed his friend. A spellbinding read!

Book Summary

 If Danny Cartwright had proposed to Beth Wilson on any other day, he would not have been arrested and charged with the murder of his best friend. But when the prosecution witnesses happen to be a group of four upper-crust college friends—a barrister, a popular actor, an aristocrat, and the youngest partner in an established firm’s history—who is going to believe Danny’s side of the story?

Danny is sentenced to twenty-two years and sent to Belmarsh prison, the highest-security jail in the land, from where no inmate has ever escaped. But Spencer Craig, Lawrence Davenport, Gerald Payne, and Toby Mortimer all underestimate Danny’s determination to seek revenge—and the extent to which his fiancée Beth will go in pursuit of justice.