Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described Archer’s death as a “huge shock”.
Writing on X, she said: “I am incredibly saddened to hear this news. He had sent me a lovely message just this morning and was always a great source of encouragement to me personally.”
Paying tribute to the bestselling author, Kate Elton, HarperCollins UK CEO and Jeffrey’s editor, said: “It has been one of the great privileges of my publishing life to have been Jeffrey Archer’s editor.
“He was the master storyteller and an editor’s dream – phenomenally hard-working, utterly committed to completing draft after draft to get every word as perfect as possible, and a true champion of the ‘team’ nature of great publishing.”
HarperCollins said the author had been at the Leicester Square Theatre in London on Sunday, signing books for fans with broadcaster Gyles Brandreth.
Writing on X, Brandreth said: “Just yesterday I did a show with Jeffrey Archer to celebrate his new novel – he said it was to be his last.
“He was in the most wonderful, ebullient form and had such a great reception from a packed house. He was funny, engaging and self-deprecating – a great storyteller to the last.”
Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi paid tribute to the bestselling author on X, describing him as a “dear friend and extraordinary human being”.
He wrote: “His gift for storytelling was matched by his wit, warmth and boundless energy. Life was never dull in Jeffrey’s company.”
