Sidney Sheldon (1917–2007)

No one really ever wrote a more entertaining romantic potboiler than Sidney Sheldon, and The Sands of Time is one of his best. It has loads of color and atmosphere, and characters you root for. Each divergent story-line is as interesting as the last, Sheldon's tremendous gift for storytelling on grand display here.

You won't forget nuns -- though not all are actually nuns -- Lucia, Teresa, Graciela or Megan, nor will you forget the wonderfully colorful portrait of Spain and its conflicts of show more the period when this was written. Like a lot of Sheldon's work, it is soapy but not so much so that we lose interest. In fact, that's actually part of its charm.

Anyone who remembers watching The Other Side of Midnight, then grabbing a copy of the book, knows how much fun it can be to read the master of melodrama. Sheldon's never going to make anyone forget Remarque's Three Comrades, but for sheer entertainment, you can't beat The Sands of Time. If you've got a few days at the beach, you won't be sorry you took this with you. show less

Set in 1970s Spain, this novel explores the fate of four nuns caught in the ongoing Basque guerrilla war to recover the autonomy they had gained under the Republic and lost under Franco. When Jaime Miro, a renowned Basque leader and revolutionary figure, is rumored to be hiding in the Cistercian Convent, Colonel Acoca from the military police orders a raid. Finding that Miro was not there, Acoca unleashes his anger on the nuns, resulting in some being raped and murdered, while the others are show more taken hostage. Fortunately, four nuns—Lucia, Teresa, Graciela, and Megan—manage to escape. Lost and frightened in the remote countryside, they eventually join Jaime and his small band of revolutionaries.

The narrative shifts between past and present, revealing each nun’s backstory as they are thrust into a world from which they have long been protected, forcing them to confront their new reality: fleeing from the police for a cause they scarcely understand. However, not all are entirely innocent. Lucia is revealed to be the ruthless daughter of a powerful mafia boss hiding in the convent after committing murder. Graciela, who entered the convent at fourteen, becomes intrigued by the danger and begins to question her faith. Megan, a nun for fifteen years, discovers a flair for drama and faces a past she cannot escape. Teresa, the oldest of the group, struggles to cope with the chaos and suffers a tragic fate.

Engaging and well-crafted, the story features a tense cat-and-mouse game between Jaime’s group and the police. Meanwhile, the evolving relationships within the revolutionary group and among the nuns add depth. The author also offers a brief history of Spain and its ongoing revolution, which persists today, intertwined with themes of faith and a touch of romance—making for a highly entertaining read. show less

This is one of the best nonstop crime runaway stories with a dash of revenge ever written!

Meet Tracy Whitney, a regular innocent young woman that has had the privileges of life afforded to her by family and marital wealth. That changes as soon as her mother Doris kills herself from being double crossed by Romano and his associate Orsatti. Tracy, being naive, files a civil suit against them. Romano then uses his influence to have her own lawyer set her up and have her thrown in prison for a show more crime she really didn't commit.

Tracy finds herself in jail, as well as pregnant. She doesn't keep the baby as she's raped in prison brutally and loses the baby. Once this gets out she becomes friends with her attackers, and winds up being a model prisoner getting great prison jobs like watching the Warden's son. To make it up to her one of her attackers agrees to help her break out of jail. However, her good nature saving the Warden's son gets her out legit.

When she gets out her prison friends on the outside help her start getting her revenge, and get her into the thief rackets. This is how her life became a roller coaster of whirlwind romances duping fellow thieves, being tracked by a sadistic police detective, and slowly but surely settling scores with the men that took everything from her. In the end she got her cash, her revenge, the law off her back, and her man by her side.

Read it.


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A powerful secret organization, a deadly assassin, a President with a dangerous new agenda—all outsmarted by a woman from Junction City, Kansas! Poor Mary Ashley has no idea what she is in for after being approached by the President of the USA to become his new Romanian Ambassador. She considers it a great honor but declines, not wanting to upend her life and family. She accepts only after her husband is killed in a suspicious auto accident. This political thriller is fast-paced, show more suspenseful, and sometimes very amusing. Smart and fun, I found this book very entertaining and highly recommend it. show less