Book: Are You Afraid of the Dark by Sydney Sheldon

In this book, the late Sydney Sheldon has stayed the course in narrative styling but has missed out on one of his trademarks. Let me explain further.

This is the story of Diane Stevens and Kelly Harris, two women so unlike each other, and living so far apart, that it is only the common thread of their husbands getting killed while working on a secret project for the same organization that  could have brought them together.

This is also the story of the young, very bright, and ambitious Tanner Kingsley who joins his equally bright brother Andrew in setting up Kingsley International. He is frustrated that his brother places the welfare of people (the nerve!) over profits that could be made, and when a freak accident renders his brother unfit to lead the organization, grabs the chance to take control of it.

There is something nasty in the death of the two husbands, who worked for the same Kingsley International and the two women, the blond Diane and the African American Kelly go up against the might of the entire army of toughies who are determined to prevent them from discovering the truth or even living…

The story has all the ingredients of the Sydney Sheldon’g twists and ingenious plans of escape by the clever women but lacks sparkle in two ways. First, it seems to be a rehash of many of his earlier works, and second, the usual bombshell at the end is very, very weak.

It is a racy read, nonetheless, and should entertain you if you go in with no great expectations.

I will give it a 5/10

— Krishna

Book: The Pelican Brief by John Grisham

One of the best known books by John Grisham. If you know John’s books, you will also know that it is written in a lighter style. The story’s purpose is to entertain. Again, almost always set in the legal world which John Grisham, as a real life lawyer, knows well.

The story is about Darby Shaw, who is a law student and is in a relationship with a much older professor at the same Law School, Thomas Callaghan. She develops a theory – a brief – about the gruesome murder of two Supreme Court judges, and later, she and Tom both discard the theory as ‘not practical’. Tom, impressed with the way the brief is written, passes it on to a friend in FBI (a lawyer friend of his) who passes it on to the FBI chief Voyles, since he does not have time enough to prepare a serious report. The chief, with his own axe to grind against the President, passes it on to the President and his autocratic adviser and power-behind-the-throne guy Coales.

I personally thought that the story moved slowly until the bomb blast in the car, but that could have been just me.

All hell breaks lose when Darby Shaw is targeted for killing and Thomas ends up getting killed. Suddenly she is on the run and fights to stay alive against an all powerful mafia that claims the life of the FBI lawyer friend of Thomas as well.

Suddenly the report she has discarded as ‘far fetched’, and known as the ‘Pelican Brief’  seems to be uncomfortably close to the bulls eye!

Add in an internationally acclaimed killer called Khamel (based by Carlos?), a billionaire with a dream of making even more money, rivalry between spy services of US, a President who is more concerned with image and a chance to play Golf than in serious administration issues, and you have a potent mixture.

Interestingly woven story, taut, but no food for thought. Just go for the ride.

Let us say 6/10

— Krishna