In the book Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less Jeffery Archer brings us the story of 4 men, plotting together to get back the money they lost to con-man Harvey Metcalf. The book begins by explaining how Harvey starts as a runner in the stock exchange to become a corrupt millionaire. His newest plot has to do with launching an oil company in the North Sea.

".....Although Harvey had mellowed over the years and cut down on his more dubious deals, he could never resist the chance to take a risk if he thought the reward was likely to be big enough. One such golden opportunity presented itself in 1964 when Her Majesty's Government invited applications for exploration and production licenses in the North Sea. At that time neither the Brittish Government nor the civil servants involved had any idea of the future signifigance of North Sea oil, or the role it would eventually play in Brittish politics. If the Government had known that in 1978 the Arabs would be holding a pistol to the heads of the rest of the world, and the Brittish House of Commons would have eleven Scottish Nationalist Members of Parliment, it would surely have reacted in a different way. On May 13th, 1964, the Secretary of State for Power laid before Parliment 'Statutory Instrument-No. 708-Continental Shelf-Petrolium.' Harvey read this particular document with great interest, thinking it might well be a means of making an exceptional killing. He was particularly fascinated by Paragraph 4 of the document which read....."
".....Persons who are citizens of the United Kindom and Colonies and are resident in the United Kingdom or who are bodies corporate incorperated in the United Kingdom may apply in accordance with these regulations for: (a) a production license; or (b) an exploration lisence....."
".....When He had studied the Regulations in their entirety, he had to sit back and think hard. Only a small amount of money was required to secure a production and exploration license.....Harvey couldn't believe it. How easy it would be to use such a license to create the impression of a vast enterprise! For a few hundred dollars he could be alongside such names as Shell, B.P., Total, Gulf, and Occidental....." 

Harvey snatches up a cheap permit and forms Prospecta Oil, quickly going public. He starts selling company stock with the story of a upcoming huge oil strike. Harvey hires a young man named David Kessler to handle his stock and feeds Kessler false imformation about a large oil field. Harvey knows that David will not be able to keep the secret. Thinking he is about to be rich, David goes to an art gallery to buy his first painting where he meets Jean-Pierre, the owner.

".....Jean-Pierre took David downstairs to show him the Impressionist and Modern collection he had built up over many years, continuing to enthuse about Underwood. They celebrated David's first aquisition over a whiskey in Jean-Pierre's office. "What line of business are you in, Mr. Kessler?" "I work with a small oil company called Prospecta Oil, who are exploring prospects in the North Sea." "Had any success?" inquired Jean-Pierre, a little too innocently. "Well, between the two of us, we're rather excited about the future. It's no secret that the company shares have gone from 2 pounds to 4 pounds in the last few weeks, but no one knows the real reason." "Would it be a good investment for a poor little art dealer like myself?" asked Jean-Pierre. "I'll tell you how good an investment I think it is," said David. "I am putting $3000 in the company on Monday, which is all I have left in the world-now that I've captured Venus, that is. We'll shortley be making a rather important announcement." A twinkle cam into Jean-Pierre's eye. To one of his Gallic subelty, a nod was as good as a wink. He did not persue the line of conversation any further....."
David leaks Harvey's bad information to 4 men that make large purcheses of stock. After Harvey sells all his stock at escilating prices, he walks away. David reports to work the next day and the door is locked. David lost $3000. Stephen Bradley, Robin Oakley, Jean-Pierre Lamanns, and Lord Brigsley together lost $1 million. As the police explain the ploy to Stephen he decides that he won't take it laying down and formulates an idea.
".....Silence enveloped the room. It was Jean-Pierre who broke it again: "So what do you suggest, Professor," he said sarcastically. "Do we hold an annual dinner to remind us what fools we've been?" "No, that's not what I had in mind." Stephen hesitated, realizing that what he was about to suggest was bound to cause even more commotion. Once again he rose to his feet, and said quietly and deliberatly: "We have had our money stolen by a very clever man who has proved to be an expert in share fraud. None of us is knowledgeable about stocks and shares, but we are all expert in our own fields. Gentleman, I suggest we therefore steal it back. -- NOT A PENNY MORE, NOT A PENNY LESS." A few second's silence was followed by and uproar. "Just walk in and take it I suppose?" said Robin. "Kidnap him?" mused James. "Why don't we just kill hime and claim the life insurance?" said Jean-Pierre.....Stephen continued. "Please read your dossier carefully. It will brief you on everything that is known about Harvey Metcalf. Each of you must take the document away and study the information, and then return with a plan of how we are, between us, to extract $1 Million from him without his ever being aware of it. All four of us must come up with a separate plan. Each may involve the other three in his own operation. We will return here in fourteen days' time to present our conclusions....."
The four men hatch four ingenious but daring plans to take back the money Harvey stole. Will they get caught? How many of these plans will work? Will they ever see the money again? These questions can only be answered in the pages of Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less. You will be hooked on the intricate ideas and the danger of carrying out each move. It's a great read!