Sidney Sheldon’s After the Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe is unique in that this is a book plotted along the lines of any great Sheldon novel, and written by another author using Sheldon’s name in the title. We understand that Bagshawe has the blessings of the Sheldon family and in this book she more than vindicates their trust in her talent and ability.
Grace Brookstein is the youngest of the famous and rich Knowles sisters, the daughters of likeable real estate tycoon Cooper Knowles. Her elder sisters are Constance, married to an investment banker Michael Gray, and Honor, who has married Republican Congressman Jack Warner. While her sisters do have a share of the limelight, and also frequent high circles, Grace has met and married Lenny Brookstein, legendary hedge fund manager and a self-made billionaire.
But now Grace is faced with devastation. Lenny had gone missing and is found dead in a boating incident, and Grace is not certain that the death was natural. Around 75 billion US dollars too have gone missing, resulting in thousands of Americans losing their hard-earned money or even their lives’ savings. As Lenny’s business partner, she is now seen as the cause of all their problems, and also for the slump in the American economy. The FBI and other investigative agencies are hard on her.
The friend and business partner who Lenny trusted, John Merrivale, had initially stood by Grace, even hiring a high profile lawyer for her, who keeps assuring her that she will get bail and will eventually be acquitted. But her world comes crashing down, when the jury finds her guilty and she is sent off to jail. She suffers humiliation and bodily harm. Realisation dawns that she has been set up and the person who has made off with those missing billions is someone who must have been very close to Lenny and had his absolute trust, because Lenny usually kept his cards very close to his chest. In the meanwhile, the guys from FBI are doggedly after Grace and keep hounding her even in jail. She desperately needs to uncover the truth, regardless of the dangers, and prove her innocence. Bagshawe is good.
Sidney Sheldon’s After the Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe
Price Rs.250