The Best Laid Plans.

Author Sidney Sheldon. Country United States. Language English. Genre suspense, thriller. Publisher William Morrow. Publication date: Sep 1997.{ In the month of my Birthday {HEHE}. Pages 384.

STORY PLOT:

When Oliver returns from Paris married to Jan, Leslie vows to take revenge against him. However she keeps her thoughts concealed. This makes Todd Davis, Jan’s father, introduce her to one of his friends, who owns a newspaper. A brief introduction followed by marriage sees Leslie manage her husband’s empire. With his falling health and subsequent death, Leslie becomes the sole owner of his properties. In spite of all the other businesses, Leslie takes an immense liking for the media empire, with which she intends to destroy Oliver. During this part, Dana Evans, who stars in Sheldon’s other novel “Sky is Falling,” appears as an inquisitive reporter who adopts a boy from war torn Sarajevo.

In the meantime, Oliver becomes the president, but during his first term there occur a series of deaths, all due to toxicity of Liquid Ecstasy, a dangerous aphrodisiac that Leslie connects to him. When she is convinced it is Oliver who is behind these murders, she goes on to publish the news of his arrest before it is confirmed. Dana Evans then unmasks the real culprit, while the president reveals a shocking secret.

The book ends with the proposal of a peace pact, brokered by President Russell, among the Arab nations, while Leslie is left wondering if she has gone a bit too far.

PROS:

What I like about Sidney Sheldon books is that the female protagonist always (well most of the time) looks back in their life and think about how and what went wrong, that led them to this state of destruction. At least, the books I’ve read till now, are based on this statement. Isn’t that fun to see a character in complete puzzlement and to find yourself perplexed too thinking and asking the questions as them?

CONS:

The plot twist coming, there was absolutely no action until three fourths of the book and I thought the characters were CREEPY! Looking for the revenge, for something unexpected but I just grew sadder and tired.

What I don’t like about Sidney Sheldon books is that when the female protagonist is getting all the joy in the world possible, sometimes more than that, are never into thinking oh what did they do right to have this state of bliss. They always think that they must have a brilliant fate bestowed upon them. They never sit for sometime thinking this is what should I do continuously. They progress in their lives but their morals degrade. They are exposed to the bad bad world and will let bad things happen to themselves.

This is what happened in this book. I won’t say I liked all the female characters in this book, which I usually do, thinking of their bravery and ready to face anything personality.