End Game by Jeffrey Archer

Jeffrey Archer brings his long-running William Warwick series to a close with End Game, a high-stakes thriller set against the backdrop of the 2012 London Olympics. True to form, Archer delivers a novel that is both fast-paced and intricately layered, weaving together political intrigue, criminal enterprise, and the personal battles of characters readers have followed across eight books.

The premise is as urgent as it is timely. With the world’s attention fixed on Britain during the Olympics, the Games become a prime target for international adversaries intent on undermining the country’s global standing. Commander William Warwick and his trusted colleague Ross Hogan are tasked with safeguarding an event of unparalleled significance, facing threats that range from shadowy terrorist plots to the machinations of their familiar nemesis, Miles Faulkner. The resulting narrative feels both expansive and tightly wound, a series of escalating crises that keep the momentum surging forward.

Characterisation has long been one of Archer’s strengths, and here it takes on a sense of finality. Warwick remains the steady moral compass, a figure of integrity whose determination carries the novel through its most frenetic twists. Hogan continues to embody grit and resourcefulness, while Faulkner once again provides the wily counterbalance, a villain whose presence ensures the stakes feel personal as well as political. Secondary figures, including Warwick’s family and the ever-present Booth Watson, serve as reminders of the series’ wider world, giving this conclusion a sense of continuity and closure.

Thematically, End Game explores the fragility of reputation and the precarious balance between national pride and global perception. Archer’s decision to root the story in the Olympics allows him to reflect on the intersection of sport, politics, and security in an era defined by shifting power structures. By hinting that several of the sabotage attempts described are drawn from real, undisclosed events, he blurs the line between fact and fiction, inviting the reader to question just how close the Games came to catastrophe.

Stylistically, the novel carries Archer’s hallmark clarity and accessibility. Chapters are brisk, often ending on cliffhangers that propel the reader into the next scene. The prose is unfussy but effective, prioritising pace over lyricism, which suits the genre. The structure, moving swiftly between perspectives and locations, mirrors the complexity of the threats facing Warwick’s team and ensures that tension rarely dips.

As the conclusion to the Warwick series, End Game succeeds in delivering resolution without sacrificing suspense. Long-term readers will find satisfaction in the way Archer ties off character arcs, while newcomers will still be able to follow the story as a standalone thriller. The novel offers both the adrenaline rush of a cat-and-mouse pursuit and the bittersweet satisfaction of saying goodbye to characters who have anchored two of Archer’s major series.

Ultimately, End Game underscores Archer’s reputation as a master storyteller who knows how to entertain while engaging with wider themes of power, loyalty, and justice. It is a fitting finale, one that brings the Warwick saga full circle and leaves readers reflecting on the thin line between triumph and disaster on the world stage.

Reviewer: Chris Reed

HarperCollins