O Plano Perfeito

by Sidney Sheldon, A.B. Pinheiro de Lemos (Translator)

Para Oliver Russell, não existe prazer que se compare à sensação de poder. Mas quando chegar à Presidência dos Estados Unidos, saberá que poucas coisas podem ser mais devastadoras para as suas ambições políticas que o desejo de vingança de uma mulher traída. O plano perfeito narra a história de paixão, poder, traição e desforra envolvendo a publicitária Leslie Stewart e Russell, que a abandonara para se casar às escondidas com a filha de um senador influente do Kentucky, estado pelo qual se candidatou ao governo.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Romance, Crime

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Sidney Sheldon (1917-2007) was an American writer who won awards in three careers—a Broadway playwright, a Hollywood TV and movie screenwriter, and a best-selling novelist.

His TV works spanned a twenty-year period during which he created I Dream of Jeannie (1965-70), Hart to Hart (1979-84), and The Patty Duke Show (1963-66), but it was not until after he turned 50 and began writing best-selling novels such as Master of the Game (1982), The Other Side of Midnight (1973) and Rage of Angels (1980) that he became most famous.

Reviews

[Ebehi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a Sheldon fan. His books usually make quick reading and are entertaining. He is not one for deep, haunting tales but it snags me everytime the way he can spin almost any story and make me stay up reading it. However, for this one, he seems to have lost quite a bit of his spinning abilities.

There was the usual twist where things don't end up how you would expect. I was mildly surprised with this one but the problem was, it wasn't an "Ah! I've figured it out" moment. I was more like, "are you seriously expecting me to accept this?" It felt like he had cheated me with this story.

He spent a lot of space giving background information on minor characters and it seemed like he was just filling up space. Then at the end he gives some hastily compiled explanation for a character that was actually very central to the story. It just wasn't acceptable.

Now, for the third missing star. Dana. I was given the impression that Leslie was basically the female protagonist here, and Sheldon continues to give this impression by following her story. Then suddenly, he abandons her personal issues and we start seeing her through strangers' eyes, effectively alienating the us. As a reader I had invested a lot in her lifestory and I hated to be cut off like that. Then as if to pacify the reader, he tries to slip in tidbits about Dana, to substitute one herione for another. Frankly, it didn't work. Dana was just not as interesting. And he didn't give enough information to make me care. So I was left with two semi-protagonists I didn't care much about. And no other likable character that I really cared about either.

The end just worsened everything. He could at least have devoted a good segment to how Leslie ended up but she was just glossed over.

So why the two stars? One for coming up with a storyline that helped me through one more sleepless night.
The other star? Well, as I said before, I am a Sheldon fan.

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 4 out of 5]

Srpski prevod nema materijalne i logičke greške koje je imao original... :) Šeldon je bio već u dubokoj starosti kad je pisao ovaj roman... Istraživanja za knjige mu je radio neki asistent koji se nije baš proslavio... a kako se radnja dešava na našim prostorima, i kako je Šeldon na Balkanu omiljen autor nisam mogla da dopustim da razočara svoje verne čitaoce... :)

[Nadia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the first few pages of this book so interesting that I read it through at once. I thought the theme of the novel was about revenge - "Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned" and all that. But halfway towards the end, the plot got so convoluted it might as well be a soap opera in text form. The heroine turned into the villain of the story and a new heroine was introduced. The evil Senator Davis and President Russell (who's not really evil but just a jerk of the highest order) came out unscathed and never get their comeuppance. Leslie Stewart on the other hand, doesn't get her much deserved revenge and also loses out afterwards.

This book smacks so much of sexism - women get treated like doormats or sex objects or victimized that I should have given it just 1 star. But then, I'm judging the book by the whole story and not just by some of the ideas embedded in it.

[Srikari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wait, what? 2 stars?



Yes I know, I know. I couldn't believe it myself. I mean I HEART Sydney Sheldon but this book was annoying. I saw the plot twist coming, there was absolutely no action until three fourths of the book and I thought the characters were CREEPY!
but I didn't give up hope. I went on and on, looking for the revenge, for something unexpected but I just grew sadder and tired. At the end I just wanted to stare into nothingness, wait, then I have to read the book again, it had NOTHING! So at the end of the book I felt bad and cheated.



AND that's what made me feel better!

[Dystopian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guilty Pleasure ;)

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Peace is a simple word, but it has a lot of ramifications. Peace doesn’t have any financial benefits. When there’s a war, countries buy billions of dollars’ worth of armaments that are made here in the United States. In peacetime, they don’t need any. Because Iran can’t sell its oil, oil prices are up, and the United States gets the benefit of that.”
― Sidney Sheldon, The Best Laid Plans


This political thriller is gripping and is absolutely at the top of the group in terms of Sheldon books.

I love the way Sheldon was able to interweave the stories, making them all come together at the end.

SPOILERS:

Sheldon is known for his twists and turns and one reason I love his books is that he has that ability to surprise. I often..usually cannot predict where his books will go. In 'The Best Laid plans" I had not a clue. I was wowed by the ending, so wowed I read the book again. It is really well written and I would be surprised if all the twists and the ending are figured out.

I did feel a bit sorry for Leslie. I don't know if we, the readers, are supposed to or not, and I am aware she did some pretty awful things but she was so bitter and worn down. I could not help feeling bad for her at the end.

The characters of Dana and Peter and Oliver not to mention Matt, the editor with the heart of gold, are created beautifully. I loved reading about Dana the fearless reporter (we need more reporters like her!!) . And I loved her relationship with Matt. I am glad Sheldon did not turn it into a cliche by turning that relationship romantic.

As to who the villain is..never expected that. I have not read reviews yet so it is possible everyone knew and I was just clueless. LOL. But I am glad I did not figure it out as it was a genine shock.

Anyone looking to read the best of Sheldon should consider this one.

[Syndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sidney Sheldon is my first adult novel. How I fondly remember the joy of reading his book. His book opens up my horizon to be curious of other books. Especially romance genre. His work is also a guilty pleasure read.

However for The Best Laid Plans, I do not find it facinating much. It is rather flat and boring. Something is not clicking right.

3 stars

[George Ciuri · Rating 4 out of 5]

another great book by Sydney Sheldon. Thoroughly enjoyed.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sidney Sheldon’s books made me a life long reader and a bibliophile. Few authors can meet the expectations of their readers the way Sheldon does with his novels. The novel has a great beginning and then there is that intriguing flashback when you want to know why did it all happen? The plot thickens as you get further and further immersed in its pace till you reach the climax and put it down with great delight for having solved the mystery! Great engaging read

[Sajede · Rating 2 out of 5]

از اینکه انتقام لسلی انجام نشد ناراحت شدم، شاید قصد نویسنده پنداخلاقی انتقام نگرفتن بود ولی برای من خوشایند نبود.
فکر میکنم نیاز بود شخصیت پردازی بهتر انجام بشه که ارتباط گرفتن با شخصیت ها راحت تر بشه، توصیف هر فرد با چند کلمه برای اینکار کافی نیست.

[Sully (sully.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and betrayal linked in the world of politics.
Written by the master of deceit, Sidney Sheldon <3

Sidney Sheldon's "The Best Laid Plans" intrigues from the very beginning and compels the reader to continue reading until the last page
(Message to the future readers of Sheldon's novels: Forget about peeing! It ain't going to happen until you finish this in just one sit)
OSM SHELDON.

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read it in a handful visits to the toilet at my parents' house. This is the first book by Sheldon I've completed... and probably the last. The writing technique is basic and unskilled. The characters are flat and uninteresting. An example: the omniscient narrator tells us the main character, Leslie Stewart, is very intelligent. He repeats it about three times over the first pages instead of showing it via the character's actions of AT LEAST making other characters say it. The ending is very predictable.

[NAZMUS NOYAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first Political thrillers I have ever read.,
Before reading this book I had no idea how difficult and complicated the world of politics is. This world is full of cold blooded and bunch of greedy human being at the top and we are nothing but a pawn for these masterminds.
Sydney Sheldon is such a strong writer and I'll always remember him for these sort of works.

[Esraa Adel · Rating 4 out of 5]

لا أعرف كل قواعد لعبة الروليت بل شاهدتها فقط في الافلام ، ولكنها كما نعلم فهي تعتمد على الحظ تماما ، فمن خاسر محبط يائس من الفوز وربما يفكر في الانتحار بعد افلاسه إلى رابح لا يصدق حجم ريحه حتى إنه ربما يموت من سعادته المفرطة و هذا يحدث فقط في مجرد لحظة حالفه فيها الحظ ، هذا التناقض ما بين الشعورين الذي يحدث أحيانا بمجرد رمية نرد هو بالضبط ما جعلني أغير رأيي تماما في تلك الرواية التي انهيتها الان.
سيدني شيلدون لاعب محظوظ ركل كرته فاصاب الهدف ، إني اسمع الان صراخ الجماهير إلذي اتى بعد لحظات صمت لا نعرف كم دامت غير مصدق لما حدث.

[ناصر سليم · Rating 3 out of 5]

بهترین نقشه‌های حساب شده
این داستان هم مثل داستان‌های دیگه سیدنی شلدون خواندنی بود و جذاب

شاید دلیل اصلی پرفروش بودن رمان‌های سیدنی شلدون به همین خاطر باشه که از توضیحات اضافی پرهیز داره و خودش هم در مصاحبه با خبرنگاری گفته بود: من طوری می‌نویسم که خواننده نتونه کتاب رو روی زمین بذاره...
تو این داستان هم مثل داستان‌های قبلی شلدون که مطالعه کرده بودم باز هم شخصیت اصلی و قهرمان داستان یک زنِ
بخشی از کتاب :

نقشه حساب شده داستان زنی است که می خواهد مردی را به خاطر بی وفایی اش نابود کند. این کتاب تنها داستان روحیات مردانه یک زن نیست بلکه حکایت یک مبارزه قدرت نیز است. مرد به کاخ سفید راه می یابد و زن روزنامه ای تاسیس میکند تا بتواند او را ساقط کند.

[Joy H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Added 4/25/15. First published in 1997.
Well written. Excellent plot development. Written with amazing clarity, despite the large number of characters and the many shifts in time and place. Easy to read. A page-turner!

The plot concerns the machinations of politicians for power and the role of the media. There's even some romance, such as it is.

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in middle school (2001). My friend was reading it and told me there was a sex scene so obviously I asked her to borrow it. 😂

Since then I've read it at least 3 times, but more important is that I've loaned my copy of this book to a few people (I think we're at like 10 now) and every single one of them devoured the book and said it was great, so I guess there is something right with this book.

That said I tried to re-read recently and couldn't get past the first couple chapters.

I do remember loving all the twists and turns - and thats what (those that have borrowed the book from me) have said they loved about it as well.

I think its a good book but probably really dated. I'm giving it 5⭐️ for nostalgia

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

You just can't go wrong with a Sidney Sheldon book. Love, betrayal, revenge... it has it all. Of all of the characters, I liked Dana the best. She has a heart of gold. I don't believe that the other characters are supposed to be likable. I think that was the point. Leslie is the woman scorned, hell bent on revenge. Oliver is the social climbing politician that only cares about his ambitions and not who he hurts. Senator Todd is only concerned about how much power he can achieve. This was a political thriller at its finest.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Sheldon's worst, but certainly not his best. There's a little too much going on here that felt irrelevant. Nonetheless, a page-turning read, ideal for the beach.

[Vichy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η περιγραφή του βιβλίου είναι παραπλανητική. Ξεκινάμε με ηρωίδα τη Λέσλι και καταλήγουμε με τη Ντάνα... Αυτό δε σημαίνει ότι δεν το ευχαριστήθηκα. Γρήγορο θρίλερ με πολύύύ παρασκήνιο, πολιτικό και δημοσιογραφικό, οι σκηνές εκτυλίσσονται σα ταινία μπροστά σου, με ανατροπές που δεν περιμένεις.Ο κατά λάθος δολοφόνος είναι ο Πίτερ Τάγκερ, η Λέσλι δεν τα κατάφερε να ρίξει τον Όλιβερ, η Ντάνα μεταδίδει ζωντανό ρεπορτάζ που αποκαλύπτει την αλήθεια.

[Meenakshi Reddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a sheldons fan I am really disappointed by this book. The story is very weak and I feel dana evans character was forcefully put to get that ending.Unlike his other books there are no twists except for one .

[The Writer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m still having Sidney Sheldon marathon, folks and this is the third book I have read in the past three days. Yep, you got that right, I read one book a day, nothing difficult with this one as Mr. Sheldon’s works are quite “light and entertaining”.

How can I start with “The Best Laid plans”? Before I picked it up this morning, I only remember that I have read it once and I thought it was awesome, but that was me – 15 years ago perhaps and I’m sure that I have changed a lot since then, including the little segment in my brain that produces something called “opinion”.

The thing is Sheldon books are always entertaining, I guess it’s formulae numero uno if you want to sell your books and he’s quite damn good at it, but then the reality hits you hard in the face as there are only few pages left, you begin to realise that you’ve been cheated and that the author should have devised some sort of “twistier” (is there such word?) plot to make everyone’s happy. At least make me happy!

The Best Laid Plans is a story about a woman who was scorned. Yes, you all know the phrase: Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorned. So is this one. Leslie Stewart – a bright (but nobody) girl suddenly found herself dumped by the Kentucky Governor-to-be Oliver Russell few days before the wedding ceremonies and the fiancee didn’t even bother to tell her that he went off to marry his ex-girlfriend in Paris in exchange for more power. Of course Stewart was pissed. I would be too if I was her and since then she cleverly developed a plan how to acquire more power than Russell and make him wish as if he was never born before.

As Russell’s goddess of luck brought him all the way to the highest political seat in the country – The President of the United States – Stewart’s own ambition led her to be the owner of several newspaper and television companies across the globe, including the influential The Washington Tribune, and you could guess the rest: the war was getting ugly and uglier. It’s always ugly in politics, they say.

The book is alright, it doesn’t suck but doesn’t impress either. What’s the best laid plans anyway? There’s a possibility that I’m too thick to see it through the storyline but there’s a huge chance that the author couldn’t name his works properly (I have seen this before with the previous two I have reviewed: Are you Afraid of the Dark? and Windmills of the Gods). The titles always leave me scratching my head.

Anyway. Like I have previously said: Good for rainy days, when you can’t do a thing outside and the TV programmes aren’t worth watching at.

[Hesamul Haque · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are millions of actions which take place between rags to riches stories in order to obtain the power and Sydney Sheldon does that beautifully keeping in mind the important aspects of dirty and political games happen in real life. The author always creates an everlasting impression of his female protagonists in the reader's mind.
The book is quite fast-paced nowhere to get bored and if you are on a reading hiatus then pick this book and done with the intriguing adventure of acquiring power within a day.

[Madhu (Madhu LovesBooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless to say, I am a Sidney Sheldon fan. And this book has not let me down. AT ALL.
This book also has a stong female protagonist like most of his novels. Leslie Stewart is smart,beautiful,intelligent and in love with the powerful and handsome Oliver Russell,who is aiming to be the President for the United States of America. Leslie works with an advertising agency and tries her best to help Oliver win the campaigns. But of course,she is not as powerful as the Senator,Todd who agrees to help Oliver if he marries his daughter,Oliver's former girlfriend. Wanting to be the president, he breaks off his engagement with Leslie.And that's when everything changes for her.
Love,ambition,betrayal,revenge,murder and definitely,suspense covers this book.Sidney Sheldon's trademark twist in the end never ceased to amaze me. A truly incredible novel!

[Crime Addict Sifat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wore out political assistant stops just before a decision - yet is compelled to run a sad crusade in transit out. He makes an arrangement with a dried up old Scot, Angus McLintock- - a designing educator who will do anything, anything, to abstain from instructing English to engineers- - to give his name a chance to remain in the race. No compelling reason to crusade, sure to lose, et cetera.

At that point an awesome outrage overwhelms his rival, and sadly, Angus is chosen. He chooses to perceive what great a fair M.P. who couldn't care less about being re-chosen can do in Parliament. The outcomes are silly - and with chess, an air cushion vehicle, and the affection for a decent lady tossed in, this extremely entertaining book has something for everybody.

[Sindhuja Anbazhagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Laid Plans by Sidney Sheldon - Wonderful suspense.

I am a big fan for Sidney Sheldon's book. After so many years, I picked up his book with so many expectations. This book dint fail me. Got more thrilled than expected. Guaranteed to keep you turning pages.. He is a master storyteller. The plot centers on two characters : Oliver Russell and Leslie Stewart. Oliver promising to Leslie that he will marry her. But because of Senator Todd Davis's greedy words(marry my daughter and I will make you President), Oliver marrying Jan (Todd's daughter) for political power. Leslie feel betrayed and vows to take revenge.

Such an interesting story and 'cant-put-it-down" type of book.

[Bhavna Alke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's beautiful how Sydney Sheldon completely turns the story around at the end!! Simply amazing! The strong characters portrayed, the variation in each person, and the way all the lives are entwined together. :)

Looking forward to reading more of his books in 2022!

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delicious revenge/love/backstabbing story. Leslie's character's ending is so appropriate and I was surprised to find out who was responsible for Chloe's death.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story until its less than fulfilling ending that left things unresolved for me. 6 of 10 stars

[Ivana Oltovska · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it