If Tomorrow Comes by Sidney Sheldon

Book Clubbers Be Warned! Read no further or we'll have nothing to talk about when next we meet. Seriously.

Full Disclosure: I'm a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon. I own most of his books (though I recently discovered, I do not own this one - go figure). I also read most of his books in high school (a long long time ago, before I discovered "literature"). Finally, you will notice that, as much as I adore him, none of his books made my Desert Island list. Given all this, let us proceed.

If Tomorrow Comes is all about a good girl forced to go bad in a world that refuses to let her stay innocent for long. Tracy Whitney is a brilliant but unactualised bank worker who messes with the wrong people; when she's thrown in jail for a crime she didn't commit, she's forced to toughen up or be eaten alive. Who would have guessed that meek little Tracy would turn out to be one of the greatest con artists of all time?

Sidney Sheldon does one thing really well: revenge. I've yet to read anyone who can plan a dish served as cold as he does. Intricate plot details, fascinating facts, lush locations - it's all there. He really is pulp fiction at its best. I clearly remember loving him so much in high school, I used to rummage through the library books sales hoping to find one of his books (I collected all but this one by the time I graduated). I don't remember ever "liking" his main characters (who are, with few exceptions, always women), but I didn't hate them either. They lived glamourous lives and were so clever and charming, I aspired to one day be like them.

Upon re-reading: Tracy Whitney? She's grating. I don't know - maybe everyone called everyone "darling" in the 80's, but it seems so fake to read now. With the exception of her incredibly calculating mind, she's fairly wooden and I actually didn't like her at all. Frankly, I didn't like any of the characters, who seemed to be more like caricatures. Some of the language is stilted and the diction leaves much to be desired (I quote: "I'm so lucky to have met such a handsome fellow" ... can you picture an American talking like that?). It's almost like her actions didn't match with her personality (like a bad actor reading an amazing script).

I will admit - I was having a TCM*.

However, having said all that... the plot is still fantastic. You have to keep it in context (dial-up modems and airport security don't seem to stand the test of time) to fully appreciate its intricacies. And, though I had read it before (I was thirteen the first time), I was still engaged enough to actually read the entire thing in one sitting (four and a half hours were not wasted at the mechanic's). So, if you can get past the flaky bits, I recommend Sheldon for soon-to-be-here sunny afternoons at the cottage or on the beach. But, may I suggest you start with Master of the Game?

* TCM = ThunderCats Moment. By far, my favourite cartoon growing up was ThunderCats; indeed, I had my head shaved for drawing spots in black permanent market all over my hair and forehead as I tried to emulate Cheetara. When I saw the episodes had been released on DVD, I couldn't wait to watch them again and bask in their glow. Alas, they tumbled hard from the pedestal of my memory and I couldn't watch more than two episodes. Ever since then, I avoid reliving anything from my childhood (G.I. Joe, Fat Albert, the Omen) just in case history repeats itself (or fails to, as the case may be).