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This review is not spoiler free.
Am I going to do justice to Sheldon's genius with my words? No.
Is there anything stopping me from giving it a sloppy go? Yes, my common sense. But no.
I just wish there was something I could say to define this man. Sidney Sheldon. The biggest writer to ever walk planet earth in my humble opinion. The research that good man did for each one of his books is alone worthy of exceptional praise. Later come all other matters that separate him from his peers and even the whole generations of talented writers that came before and after him. No one can match his brilliance and dedication. Dedication and inspiration that overflowed from his works, that was spilling over the brim from Bloodline. As far as I am concerned, this is his masterpiece.
I thought I had read his best works in the shape of Windmills of the Gods or If Tomorrow Comes. How utterly wrong had I been. On this day, July 23rd 2018, I discovered how wrong I had been. And I'm not throwing all this loosely. I am aware how many times I've said it, wrote it, expressed it, that Sidney Sheldon was a talented writer with breathtaking books but he keeps on surprising me as much as I delve into his writing.
Bloodline is the story of greed, lust, family, betrayal, murder; in the midst of all of this, a twenty-four year old Elizabeth Roffe who has overnight inherited a multi-billion dollar business empire when her father, the original owner of it all, suddenly dies by falling into a crevasse. Never to be found again.
The pressures of the relatives sharing the stocks and wanting to let the company go public so they can sell their shares, the sense that her father had wanted the company to remain private, the small accidents that Elizabeth keeps running into, turn to one thing: someone was desperate for money, and could kill for it. Someone inside the family. But who?
The book had so many twists and turns, so much drama, thrill, suspense that I was literally on the edge of my seat all the time. My heart was in my throat beating, hammering, pounding like a wild animal and I'm not exaggerating, I was breathless most of the time, closing the book at regular intervals to catch some air. Slamming the book shut countless times to ponder over it: theorizing. And I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until I finished the final sentence. The whole time I was reading, which was exactly twenty-four hours with the breaks of sleep, hunger, small tasks, my head wasn't free of the wonder I was reading. No lies, even when I stood up for a glass of water, I kept reeling who could be conspiring. Placing the pieces of the puzzle, trying to come up with answers and solutions and hoping against hope it's not that one person.
About that.
When I was reading, I had taken a liking to the character of Rhys Williams. How could I not? He made is so easy. *fangirling* He was charming, charismatic, mysterious, intelligent and just oh-so-amazing. The perfect could-be villain. All fingers were pointing at him. But then again, all fingers were pointing at all the members of the family. That is what made the book so damn good, I couldn't just come up with one motive. Everyone had a motive. Even Rhys. And I didn't want him to be the bad guy. So I made a deal with the book gods if Rhys turned out to be the villain, I'd give this a one star rating no matter what. And well, guess the wish was granted.
I've seen so many reviews saying the ending was disappointing, that it left them feeling flat and that they were not satisfied. I say, read it carefully! There were no loose ends as such. Sheldon gave closure to all the characters.
Ivo was ruined because his mistress phoned his wife and asked to meet up with her. His secret affair and bastard sons will destroy his reputation, his wife will leave him and he no longer will be part of the Roffe family.
Charles left Helene and ran away. Although Helene says she will get him back. But that should be not easy anymore. I'll come to this part again below.
In addition, Alec dies, Vivian is left to spend her life as a cripple.
Yes what does leave me in some confusion is the end of Anna and Walther. I have two theories: either they were both schizophrenic. Or it was just Walther. The former seems more plausible though a stretch. What is certain is that they were both mentally sick. Who had what is left on us to decide.
Last but not the least, it was not Rhys! And Elizabeth and Rhys can now run the company together and return it to its former glory. Together. Ah!
Helene cannot work on obtaining the company now because Charles has ran away and from what we saw in the meeting and conversation between Helene and Rhys, Rhys has absolutely no interest in her and is aware of her true motives. With no one in the board of directors, her plot would fail. And Rhys and Elizabeth will be more and more careful now that they've suffered and seen so much.
The book was perfect. The last chapter was beautiful, and I have no other way to describe it. The maker of the snuff films finally is revealed with a motive and it just... ends in an ecstasy.
Am I going to do justice to Sheldon's genius with my words? No.
Is there anything stopping me from giving it a sloppy go? Yes, my common sense. But no.
I just wish there was something I could say to define this man. Sidney Sheldon. The biggest writer to ever walk planet earth in my humble opinion. The research that good man did for each one of his books is alone worthy of exceptional praise. Later come all other matters that separate him from his peers and even the whole generations of talented writers that came before and after him. No one can match his brilliance and dedication. Dedication and inspiration that overflowed from his works, that was spilling over the brim from Bloodline. As far as I am concerned, this is his masterpiece.
I thought I had read his best works in the shape of Windmills of the Gods or If Tomorrow Comes. How utterly wrong had I been. On this day, July 23rd 2018, I discovered how wrong I had been. And I'm not throwing all this loosely. I am aware how many times I've said it, wrote it, expressed it, that Sidney Sheldon was a talented writer with breathtaking books but he keeps on surprising me as much as I delve into his writing.
Bloodline is the story of greed, lust, family, betrayal, murder; in the midst of all of this, a twenty-four year old Elizabeth Roffe who has overnight inherited a multi-billion dollar business empire when her father, the original owner of it all, suddenly dies by falling into a crevasse. Never to be found again.
The pressures of the relatives sharing the stocks and wanting to let the company go public so they can sell their shares, the sense that her father had wanted the company to remain private, the small accidents that Elizabeth keeps running into, turn to one thing: someone was desperate for money, and could kill for it. Someone inside the family. But who?
The book had so many twists and turns, so much drama, thrill, suspense that I was literally on the edge of my seat all the time. My heart was in my throat beating, hammering, pounding like a wild animal and I'm not exaggerating, I was breathless most of the time, closing the book at regular intervals to catch some air. Slamming the book shut countless times to ponder over it: theorizing. And I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until I finished the final sentence. The whole time I was reading, which was exactly twenty-four hours with the breaks of sleep, hunger, small tasks, my head wasn't free of the wonder I was reading. No lies, even when I stood up for a glass of water, I kept reeling who could be conspiring. Placing the pieces of the puzzle, trying to come up with answers and solutions and hoping against hope it's not that one person.
About that.
When I was reading, I had taken a liking to the character of Rhys Williams. How could I not? He made is so easy. *fangirling* He was charming, charismatic, mysterious, intelligent and just oh-so-amazing. The perfect could-be villain. All fingers were pointing at him. But then again, all fingers were pointing at all the members of the family. That is what made the book so damn good, I couldn't just come up with one motive. Everyone had a motive. Even Rhys. And I didn't want him to be the bad guy. So I made a deal with the book gods if Rhys turned out to be the villain, I'd give this a one star rating no matter what. And well, guess the wish was granted.
I've seen so many reviews saying the ending was disappointing, that it left them feeling flat and that they were not satisfied. I say, read it carefully! There were no loose ends as such. Sheldon gave closure to all the characters.
Ivo was ruined because his mistress phoned his wife and asked to meet up with her. His secret affair and bastard sons will destroy his reputation, his wife will leave him and he no longer will be part of the Roffe family.
Charles left Helene and ran away. Although Helene says she will get him back. But that should be not easy anymore. I'll come to this part again below.
In addition, Alec dies, Vivian is left to spend her life as a cripple.
Yes what does leave me in some confusion is the end of Anna and Walther. I have two theories: either they were both schizophrenic. Or it was just Walther. The former seems more plausible though a stretch. What is certain is that they were both mentally sick. Who had what is left on us to decide.
Last but not the least, it was not Rhys! And Elizabeth and Rhys can now run the company together and return it to its former glory. Together. Ah!
Helene cannot work on obtaining the company now because Charles has ran away and from what we saw in the meeting and conversation between Helene and Rhys, Rhys has absolutely no interest in her and is aware of her true motives. With no one in the board of directors, her plot would fail. And Rhys and Elizabeth will be more and more careful now that they've suffered and seen so much.
The book was perfect. The last chapter was beautiful, and I have no other way to describe it. The maker of the snuff films finally is revealed with a motive and it just... ends in an ecstasy.