The Best Laid Plans

This was the second to last Sidney Sheldon book to be released before his death. And it's a hot ass mess on a chitterling cracker. We follow Oliver Russell, who's on the quest to being POTUS. But he's messy and got baggage int he form of Leslie Stewart, his jiltered fiancee who wants to be like a Ted Turner type owning a major network just to make Oliver's life hell. Then there are side characters like Dana that are thrown into the story that give the impression they're important and they're not. The revenge angle between Leslie and Oliver isn't clear, and by the middle of the book you feel like Sheldon phoned it home. It's a boring read.

Sidney Sheldon's "The Best Laid Plans" is a high-powered thriller set all over the country, the world, but most of the fast-paced action takes place in Washington D.C. The story follows three main characters, Leslie Stewart, the Ice princess who's abandonment issues cause her to become power-hungry and cause her ultimate demise, appears to be the protagonist; Oliver Russell, who jilts Leslie for another and rises to the Presidency is the antagonist who, in a surprising twist, is not as bad as readers are led to believe; the real protagonist of this book doesn't show up for several chapters –Dana Evans, the smart reporter, comes into the story late, but has a pivotal role that will be rehashed and reshaped in Sheldon's book "The Sky is show more Falling."

"The Best Laid Plans" is fast-paced. Although the chapters are longer than current suspense novels, Sheldon's prose keeps readers on the edge of their seats. With a magnificent plot twist at the end, this book is great. Some authors have a difficult time concluding a book or exposing a plot twist that can seem hasty and unprofessional, but Sheldon masters it well, which is no surprise since his first novel came out in 1970. The reader suspects Oliver Russell of a rash of murders and all of the evidence would point that way, too, except Sheldon reveals what happens when readers, reporters, and the public make hasty generalizations.

This novel covers Kentucky, Washington D.C., Phoenix, Paris and even Sarajevo, each place has been thoroughly researched by Sheldon, which allows him to include excruciating details that can seem like a form of name dropping, but is really helping the reader set a scene, especially if the reader has visited the locations personally. This small quality that Sheldon incorporates into his books makes them more memorable than most suspense works. While it is easy to forget plotlines and merge them together because of the swiftness of his novels, that is no reason to cast Sheldon aside. His novels were well before their time and have led the way for authors such as James Patterson, Dean Koontz, and others. show less

Het boek was opzicht goed geschreven,maar het verhaal deed me eigenlijk heel weinig.
Het was een verhaal over het witte huis en de verkiezingen voor het presidentschap.Dus het ligt niet aan de schrijven dat ik dit boek niet zo mooi vond maar meer waar het verhaal over ging.
De verhaal lijnen tussen meerder personages waren wel goed en zeker af en toe ook spannend.

Before my wedding, my father had recommended this book, and I managed to finish it on my wedding day. However, I forgot to write a review of it until now. The Best Laid Plans was an exceptional book with a continuously thickening plot and a surprise twist that will fool the best problem-solver. What more could I say? Rating - 5 stars due to outstanding writing and riveting plot

This book is a very interesting read with twists and turns at every corner. Every new page has a new surprise that is unexpected and draws you in. The way Leslie is able to manipulate Oliver into thinking that all is well makes us feel as if its too good to be true, only later is it that we see how she changes his whole idea of a "perfect" life. A very entertaining read!

A well written Sidney Sheldon book, however I found the characters not as likable in this one. A fair bit of time is spent on Leslie and her emotions and motivations yet around half way it seems shes shoved to the rear and Dana becomes the focus.

Sidney's thrown in the usual twist at the end and it's not his best work really.

Yet another "Female-centric" book by Sidney. His characterization never ceases to amaze me. The book is about a strong free willed women, Leslie Stewart and her revenge on her "Almost Husband" Attorney turned governor turned President.
Like all other books of Sidney, this one also has ample twists and turns which keeps the readers hooked. Though the plot as always is unpredictable, one sure can expect similar twists if they are "seasoned" book readers and if they have read other books by the writer.