Are You Afraid of the Dark by Sidney Sheldon
Sidney Sheldon is one of the world’s best selling authors with eighteen novels that have all hit the New York Times’ bestsellers list. He is the only author to have won an Oscar, a Tony and an Edgar award and he held the Guinness Book of Records in 2004 for being the most translated author in the world.
In addition to his writing, Sidney Sheldon has created several TV shows including “I Dream of Jeanie”, “Hart to Hart”, and “The Patty Duke Show.” He has also won two Academy Awards as well as two Screenwriters Guild Awards for Best Musicals - “Easter Parade” and “Annie Get Your Gun.”
Sidney Sheldon unfortunately passed away in January, 2007 due to complications from pneumonia.
Are You Afraid of the Dark begins with several mysterious deaths occurring in Colorado, New York, Berlin, and Paris. None of the deaths appear to be related and there is no reason to assume that there was any connection between them. Eventually, the police discover that each of the victims was connected to Kingsley International Group (KIG), the largest think tank in the world.
Tanner Kingsley, the head of KIG, requests to meet with two of the victim’s widows in New York. Although he assures them that he is doing everything that he can to locate their husband’s killers the story unravels with chilling suspense as the women attempt to stay alive. Through several curious events, they become paranoid and untrusting of everyone, including each other. In the end, the women discover who the killer is.
Kelly Harris and Diane Stevens are the main characters. They are the widows of two of the murder victims. Kelly is a beautiful model who is at the height of her career and Diane is a successful artist. They are extremely believable because the incidents are described in such realistic detail and the actions of the characters are consistent throughout. Nothing seemed over exaggerated or unrealistic. I actually found both of the main characters to be equally interesting. They each had unique qualities and played an equally important part in the book.
Unfortunately this was the last book that Sidney Sheldon wrote but it was one of his best. It was his same suspense filled, sitting on the edge of the chair type of book. It was a murder mystery with an unbelievable twist…as all his books are. I loved it.
I am always enthralled with his captivating, suspense filled plots that end with an unusual twist. His books always end with the killer revealed and it is never the person that you expect it to be. All of his novels have very realistic settings that could be placed into a real life scenario. There wasn’t anything that I didn’t like about the book but if I had to pick something I would have to say that his style is often difficult to follow if you don’t read the book all the way through in a short amount of time. The chapters bounce back and forth between incidents and often I would forget what had transpired in the previous chapter if I let a couple of days go by.
I have read all eighteen books by Sidney Sheldon. This was the final book. All of them were excellent and I have recommended them to several people including my god kids. They helped me to love reading. Now I am faced with searching for an author with a similar quality and style and I know that it will be a tough act to follow. This book is definitely a 10.
Kerrie Mays
English 180
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