Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark

by Tilly Bagshawe

2012

Status

Available

Publication

Harper (2012), Edition: 1st, 400 pages

Description

"When elderly multimillionaire art dealer, Andrew Jakes, is found brutally murdered in his ransacked Hollywood home, his young wife raped and beaten, and his art and jewels stolen, the motive seems pretty clear. But when the investigation doesn't turn up a single, solid lead, the case is closed and his stunning young widow vanishes. A decade passes before Andrew Jakes' estranged son, Matt Daley, does a little digging of his own, only to find that three nearly identical killings have taken place across the globe in recent years. In all cases an elderly, newly wed millionaire is murdered and his wife assaulted. And in each case the widow is the sole beneficiary of the will, but donates all her new found wealth to children's charities... Soon evidence arises pointing to one woman, dubbed by police as the Angel of Death, moving around the globe changing her identity over the years. Matt and former LA investigator Danny Maguire resurrect the old case, but when the so-called widow resurfaces once again it becomes clear that nothing is what it seems... and time is ticking before the Angel of Death claims her next victim"--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ReviewsFromTheHeart
When they say that some people who have great looks will use them to move forward in life, that is exactly what Lyle Renalto had planned to do. Seems like just about anyone would pay for great looks or even fall in love with someone who did no matter how old or young they were. Since becoming a
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well-known attorney to the rich and famous, he believed that his life was taking a turn for the better until he found Angela Jakes.

Now that she has been brutally beaten, raped and left tied to her nearly decapitated older husband, he's about to find out just how far his looks will get him. Danny McGuire is the lead detective assigned to the case which is the most gruesome crime scene he can recall ever seeing in his entire career, and what makes it worse is why Angela Jakes wasn't murdered as well but simply left tied to her husband. Seeing her beauty behind all the bruises and cuts to her face, Detective McGuire will stop at nothing to see that justice prevails and the brutal killer is caught. Only now, the only obstacle in his way is her attorney Lyle Renalto. He duty is to assure that she remains protected and away from the badgering questions of the police.

When he fears for her safety, he has her put on a plane and sent out of the country. Only now it seems that Angela has vanished when Detective McGuire needs to question her further.

After ten years, and no suspects in the case, Detective McGuire still haunted by his failed efforts leaves the United States for Lyon, France and now finds the solitude of working for Interpol helps to quell the demons from his past. Only now it seems that the killer is back on the lose when married older men are being murdered at random and left tied to their brutally beaten wives.

I received Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Sidney Sheldon and Tilly Bagshawe compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. This being my first Sidney Sheldon murder/suspense mystery, I was immediately involved as the reader. Trying to pick up on subtle clues I was along for the ride with Detective McGuire to try and figure this one out. I kinda had an idea but wasn't sure if I was correct or not until the very end. This book does contain some graphic violent crime scenes and some sexuality among the characters so the reader should be warned, it may not be for everyone. Those who are looking for a compelling, edge of your seat ride, will definitely want this one. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member 24girl
In 1996 LAPD Homicide Detective Danny McGuire gets a case that will change his life forever. The wealthy Andrew Jakes is murdered and his much younger wife Angela was brutally raped. Haunted by the look in Angela's eyes Danny works at solving the brutal murder. When Danny finds out Angela lied
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about a something small he goes back to confront her and finds out Angela disappeared. All of Andrew's money was donated to children's charities and she's no where to be found.

Now 10 years later Danny is working with Interpol in France and has put Angela Jakes out of his mind and has found happiness with a fellow officer named Celine. But when he's contacted by Matt Daley his world us turned upside down again. Matt is Andrew Jake's son from a previous marriage and he has evidence that there were more killings just like his father's and each time the young and suddenly wealthy widows disappear. Can Danny convince his boss to re-open the case and will he ever learn what really happened to Angela all those years ago?

I am or should I say was a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon and I have to agree with my initial thoughts on reading Tilly Bagshawe's first Sheldon inspired book, Mistress of the Game. Bagshawe comes close to Sheldon's level but doesn't quite capture the same intensity that he had.

Angel of the Dark had a lot of suspense and pulled me into the story but it fizzled out in the end. It was a little too over the top and I grew to loathe Matt and his obsession. I just wanted to yell at him to get over it already. I do recommend this read if you're a fan of either author but just don't set the bar to high before you turn the first page.
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LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Received for Review
Overall Rating: 2.75

A little different break down than I normally do. I am a total "ender" aka the end of the book can make me look at the whole book differently. I think that should be noted and I want to be fair.

First 3/4 of the Story:
Overall Rating: 4.00
Thriller Rating:
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4.50
Character Rating: 3.50

Last 1/4 of the Story:
Overall Rating: 1.75
Thriller Rating: 2.00
Character Rating: 1.50

First Thought when finished: Can we rewind a few chapters and just end there, please?

What I Loved: The first 3/4 of Angel of the Dark was amazing from a twisty thriller POV! The story had you on your toes and even though you could guess who all was involved--the art of the police figuring it out was brilliantly done. I really enjoyed and pretty much devoured the story in an afternoon--it pulled me in that much!

What I Liked: The characters were complex and added to the story. In thrillers, I don't need to connect to them in order for a story to work for me and that was what happened in this case. I "liked" most of the characters (good and bad) and they were well written. The personal side of the story added to the case.

What made me go huh?: I didn't like the end at all. I can't be more specific (don't want to give stuff away) BUT it kind of ruined the story for me. Luckily, this happened after everything was figured out so it did not ruin the thriller part for me.

Final Thought: I imagine this story will work better for other people better than it did for me.
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LibraryThing member Suzannie1
really liked this book, unpredictable for a chnage which was great , very impressed kept me intrigued to the end .
LibraryThing member moonshineandrosefire
It was his first major murder case - and one of the bloodiest and most violent crimes LAPD detective Danny McGuire would ever encounter. Andrew Jakes, an elderly multimillonaire art dealer, had been brutally murdered in his Hollywood home, his lifeless body tied to his naked young wife. Raped and
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beaten, the lovely Angela Jakes had barely survived the attack herself. Gazing into her fathomless, soulful eyes, Danny swore that he would find the psychopath responsible for such a barbarous act. However, the investigation didn't turn up a single solid lead, and within days of her release from hospital, the stunning young widow - Danny's only witness - had vanished.

For a decade, Danny McGuire could not forget the sweet face of Angela Jakes and the terrible crime that had shattered her life; his obsession with her had nearly cost him his sanity. Now living in France - thousands of miles from the past - Danny has a new life, a new job with Interpol, and a ravishing new wife - he's happier than he's ever been...until he meets Andrew Jakes' estranged son, Matt Daley.

Curious about his father's murder, Matt has been digging into the cold case - and he has made some shocking discoveries. Three killings nearly identical to his father's have taken place across the globe. The victims were elderly, newlywed millionaires, their young wives assaulted. And in each case the widow, the sole beneficiary of the will, donated her newfound wealth to children's charities and subsequently disappeared. Could it be true - could Andrew Jakes' murderer have struck again? If so, Danny knows he must tread carefully or risk losing everything for good.

All the evidence points to a single killer - a brilliant and ruthless criminal who travels across the globe under a string of assumed identities, always keeping one step ahead of the law. Joining forces, Danny and Matt pursue this intriguing shadow from Los Angeles to London, New York to Italy and the French Riviera, in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse against a formidable opponent. In an investigation filled with promising leads and frustrating dead ends, Danny and Matt match wits with a clever criminal. When another murder fitting the profile occurs, Matt heads to Hong Kong, hoping to get answers from the latest widow - Lisa Baring - and perhaps uncover the hard evidence they need to finally solve the case.

However, Matt becomes besotted with the irresistible beauty, nearly derailing the entire investigation, and Danny wonders if Lisa is truly a victim or something more sinister. When a break in the case sends Danny to Mumbai, he realizes he must act quickly, because the shrewd murderer is poised to kill again. In a fast-paced story, full of mystery, glamour, excitement, and spectacular twists that build to a stunning climax, Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark is quintessential Sidney Sheldon from the first page to the last.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It was certainly quite good - I just wasn't expecting the plot to be as convoluted or as intricate as it turned out. For me, solving this mystery took much more concentration than some other mysteries that I've read recently. I have to give this book an B+!

Ever since Sidney Sheldon passed away in 2007, Tilly Bagshawe has taken up his mantle so the legacy continues. I absolutely loved Sidney Sheldon as an author, but I have to say that this book was slightly disappointing for me to read. I just wasn't expecting to work so hard to solve such an intricate mystery.
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LibraryThing member Darwa
In my relentless pursuit of a good summer book I picked this up at the library and started reading this on a flight. It started off wonderfully -- lots of intrigue and mystery. Then it got predictable. The ending was just plain old dumb.
LibraryThing member bri1952
Very very good

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2012

Physical description

400 p.; 4.19 inches

ISBN

0062073451 / 9780062073457

Barcode

1601659
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