If Tomorrow Comes Mass Market Paperback – 1 Nov. 1988

I read and loved all of Sidney Sheldon’s books back in the 80s when they were first published so was delighted to rediscover them on my Kindle. You have to bear in mind his books were written 30 or so years ago, long before the Internet, mobile phones and sophisticated technology were part of everyday life, so younger readers may not appreciate his books.Our main character, the very likeable and honest Tracy, finds herself framed for a crime she did not commit and in her quest to seek revenge on those that set her up unwittingly ends up becoming one of the greatest con artists ever - but only ever doing over the rich and greedy! OK, so it’s not exactly fine literature or indeed very realistic (especially by today’s standards), but the scams are pure genius, there are so many twists and turns along the way and you’ll find it hard to put the book down. It’s pure fun and escapism. You have to wonder where Sheldon conjured up such a wide criminal mind from and there is no denying Sheldon was certainly an exceptionally brilliant storyteller with a vivid imagination!The book closes with an opportunity for a sequel. Unfortunately, Sheldon was not able to write this in his lifetime but young writer, Tilly Bagshaw, has undertaken this posthumously, writing under the name of Sidney Sheldon. I’ve not yet read the sequel – or any of her other books – and will be interested to see if she is able carry on the great master’s style of writing.

The story is so unbelievable that I did struggle to read it at times. I simply wasn't convinced that Tracy could go from being someone so ordinary to an international con artist. I found Jeff's character far more convincing because right from an early age fraud was all he knew. There were times when the story was quite exciting but overall it was too long and boring in places. After you've read one scam you've read them all and the story became so predictable it was difficult to read to the end knowing what it was going to happen. Entertaining in places but not a patch on Bloodline.

I read a Sidney Sheldon book some years ago and enjoyed it, so when this came up on Kindle as a bargain offer I decided to buy it. I can see why Mr Sheldon was such a best-selling author. It's a gripping book with various strands and full of excitement. And it keeps you on edge until the very end. In a way it has a touch of Riley the Ace of Spies: one scarcely related, exciting incident after another. And another parallel is The Sting.The events are on occasion harrowing and on others are perhaps a bit far fetched. Sometimes (pelota in the Basque country, flamenco and Majorcan caves) you feel you might be reading an interesting travel guide, though on at least one occasion it errs a bit. The ancient churches of the Netherlands date back to mediaeval rather than "pagan days". And the "picturesque (coastal) village" of Alkmaar is an inland city of 95,000 people (with a well known football team). On the other hand we are spared explicit sex scenes and schmaltz, except briefly towards the end.All in all this is a very good read. I found it hard to put down.

Having read a few of Sheldon's books in the past, I took a chance on this when it was on offer. The first thing to mention is that having been written in 1985, it has dated a bit in terms of the opening, although this becomes less of an issue later on.I can't decide what I think to be honest. It is a somewhat odd book - the first third is almost The Count of Monte Cristo in condensed form, with Tracy Whitney replacing the count. A young and beautiful woman she has the world at her feet until she is falsely imprisoned after being framed by a mafia gang and abandoned by her fiancé. Her first days in prison teach her harsh lessons, and she vows revenge, and I think we're set for an interesting story of redemption.However, this races along and before you know it, the story turns into Dirty Rotten Scoundrels crossed with To Catch a Thief as Tracy turns into a master criminal & confidence trickster which takes here to glamourous locations around the world. At every turn, and ruthless investigator is on her tail - a man who could have saved her from prison who has his own reasons for wanting to catch her.Overall this isn't bad - it is well written and keeps you interested. However, I was sort of disappointed - I was quite looking forward to a retelling of the Monte Cristo story in the modern (well modernish) world. That part of the story was wrapped up too quickly for me, and the remainder has a bit too much filler for me.