21 January 2016

Review #323: Sidney Sheldon's Reckless by Tilly Bagshawe



My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"Everyone knows that fracking poisons the air and water. We wanted to show how it tears apart local communities and subverts democracies and corrupts political leaders and eviscerates all the things that Americans value."


----Matt Damon
 

Tilly Bagshawe, an English bestselling writer, who is holding up Sheldon's legacy as a best-selling author of so many crime fiction books. Tilly Bagshawe, herself, is an author, but claimed to fame, when she became the torch bearer of Sidney Sheldon's books even 27 years after his death. Reckless is the third book in the Tracy Whitney series. Although to be honest, the books are getting sold and still breaking all records only because of the name of Sidney Sheldon- known as "prince of potboilers". And all thanks to Tilly Bagshawe, since she is skillfully and perfectly penning out those enthralling feminist stories just like in Sheldon's mannerism. Yes, I believe Sheldon's stories are all very feminist, which all have the same story line- a female badass heroine, who will use mainly her attractive looks and, most of the time, her body to lure the villains. And here I'm just like any other die-hard Sheldon fan, is still reading and rooting and looking forward towards the Sheldon stories every year.


Reckless brings back Tracy Whitney, an unexceptionally attractive once-upon-a-time-con-artist, to action, when another powerful nameless and faceless woman tries to threaten the world in order to get back to Tracy.


Synopsis:

Once upon a time, Tracy Whitney was one of the best thieves in the business. Then she settled down, had a baby, and planned to spend the rest of her days quietly, living anonymously, devoted to her son. But tragic news has forced Tracy to face her greatest nightmare. Now, with nothing left to protect, she returns to the hunt—and she’s more dangerous than ever.

Tracy is not the only woman with a dark and dangerous past. The world faces a new terror threat from a group of global hackers intent on the collapse of capitalism and private wealth and the creation of a new world order. When this group turn to violence, with deadly effect, the mysterious woman pulling their strings becomes the CIA’s public enemy number one.

Only one clever and ruthless woman is capable of tracking down the terrorist: Tracy. But as Tracy discovers, the truth proves as elusive as her target. Hampered by corruption and enemies masked as allies, Tracy will be pushed to the brink, where she must face her darkest demons. But just how reckless will a person become when she have nothing left to lose?


Honestly, I feel the publishers should stop publishing or rather say market Tilly's books under Sheldon's name. I mean, it is okay, every best-selling and famous author leave a legacy of so many great stories throughout their lifetime, and I believe such an author will live forever in the hearts of his readers and fans after his/her death. Similarly, Sidney Sheldon will remain as one of the remarkable authors in the field of crime fiction and thrillers and in fact, he has remain, but I believe a legacy must come to an end, otherwise how can we judge whether the author great or not when he was alive. Every time a Sheldon book comes out, I feel like he is alive. That should not be the case. But as long as money minded people especially, I believe, his agent and publishers and his family members want to earn money out of his name, than Sheldon books are going to publish every year and all the hungry and foolish Sheldon fans and readers will buy a book just like me. If I had some self control, then I wouldn't have waste my hard-earned money on something like this. This habit of mine reminds me of a famous quote by Will Rogers:

“Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people that they don't like.”

There is yet another aspect about Sheldon's books. Most of the readers of Sheldon's books are female. And that has a very obvious reason- the story line has a classic feminist punch with a kick-ass, hot, sexy and equally intelligent heroine who uses "sexism" as well as "sex" to gain power or to reach at the top, who are equally dominating and powerful and always targets the millionaires and top-class politicians for their own purpose. In short, the heroine is a classic Mean Girl. And why do women love such stories? Because we all want to be like Sheldon's heroines in some way in real life- powerful and in control, and not to mention, beauty with brain.

Well I pretty much diverted from the aim of writing a review of Reckless. Well, to be honest, Reckless is not written recklessly, the story itself has so many folds and so many unexpected twists, that it will keep even an occasional reader gripped and glued to the edge of their seats. Although there is not much character development, yet the characters perform their roles with a flair and flamboyancy.

The mystery is really tight that will keep the readers anticipating till the last page and not to mention the mystery will give the readers a roller-coaster ride kind of feel as it is layered with lots of heart-throbbing actions, violence and mind games. In short, an adrenaline-rushing story with a power-packed heroine who would go at any length to give justice to her son. And Sheldon's books are always famous for racy sex scenes, which Tilly Bagshawe has justified perfectly.

Verdict: This is the last ever Sheldon book that I read and I resolute that I will never ever waste my money on a fake Sidney Sheldon novel. Fake because: there can be only one Leonardo da Vinci, and also one Sidney Sheldon and if Vinci's new paintings are exhibited or Sheldon's new stories are published, then those are fake, as those legendary human beings have already left their mark on this planet.

Courtesy: My electronic hard-earned money!
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Author Info:
Matilda Emily N. Bagshawe was born on 12 June 1973 in England, UK. She attended local all-girls Catholic schools near her family home in Surrey. She was a single mother at 17, but she won a place at Cambridge University and took Persephone, her ten-month-old baby daughter with her. As a journalist, she went on to enjoy a successful career in London, and contributed regularly to The Sunday Times, Daily Mail and Evening Standard, before turning her hand to novels. Her first book, Adored as Tilly Bagshawe, was a smash hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 2005, and she hasn't looked back since.
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