The Best Laid Plans

By Sidney Sheldon

He wanted power; she wanted revenge. The magnificent novel by the internationally bestselling author of The Other Side of Midnight and Morning, Noon and Night.

He wanted power, she wanted revenge…

‘Dear Diary: This morning I met the man I am going to marry.’ It was a simple enough entry in a young woman’s diary which gave not the slightest portent of the elaborate chain of events that was about to occur.

The Best Laid Plans tells the explosive story of the beautiful and ambitious Leslie Stewart, who learns that for some men power is the greatest aphrodisiac; and of Oliver Russell, the handsome governor of a small southern state, who finds out why hell has no fury like a woman scorned.

With the unexpected twists and turns that are the hallmarks of his mega best-selling novels, Sidney Sheldon spins a tale of two equally determined people headed on a collision course. Oliver has a strategy to win the White House; Leslie has a scheme to make him wish he’d never been born. They both should have known that even the best laid plans can go dangerously astray…in a deadly dangerous way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jun 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9780007386826

Sidney Sheldon

The late novelist and screenwriter Sidney Sheldon remains one of the world's top bestselling authors, having sold more than 300 million copies of his books. Are You Afraid of the Dark? is his most recent in a long line of huge bestsellers. He is also the only writer to have won an Oscar, a Tony, and an Edgar. The Guinness Book of World Records heralds him as the most translated author in the world.

Reviews for The Best Laid Plans

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[dcavin-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining, well-thought out. The overall story was better than the book.

[sesquipedaliansays · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[goodwaterreader · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book presents a series of situation or person snapshots which are supposed to make a story, but do not succeed to really make a whole. The change of direction at the end of the book is unexpected and seems far fetched. It is the first book I read from M. Sheldon, and I will probably not read another.

[moonshineandrosefire · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of a woman scorned. When Leslie Stewart meets handsome governor of a southern state, Oliver Russell, she is convinced she will marry him. What follows is a story of revenge that leads from America's bastions of power to the world of newspaper publishing. I give this story a B+! It was a page-turner.

[suri19639 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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!

[lolitabonita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[cindyloumn · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Had it figured out before I got to the end. Plus it was like he couldnt figure out if he wanted the main female to be evil or a heroine. So he brought in another heroine.rating=41/31/98