Book Description :-
The Best Laid Plans is a 1997 novel by Sidney Sheldon. Possible inspiration for the title comes from a paraphrasing of the Robert Burns poem To a Mouse into modern English.Oliver Russell, a man with a desire for power, is fated to rise to the highest office, that of President of the United States. Leslie Stewart, his betrayed fiancée, is a woman dedicated to the single purpose of bringing Oliver Russell to ruin. After amassing her own media empire and marshaling all her forces against him, she stands poised to destroy Russell on the eve of his most dazzling triumph. Thinking only of preventing Oliver from winning the Presidency for a second term, little did she know that she was about to fall into her own trap.
When Oliver returns from Paris married to Jan, Leslie vows to avenge him. However she keeps her thoughts concealed. This makes Todd Davies, Jan's father, introduce her to one of his friends, who owns a newspaper. A brief introduction followed by marriage sees Leslie man her husband's empire. With his falling health and subsequent death, Leslie becomes the sole owner of his properties. In spite of all the other businesses, Leslie takes an immense liking for the media empire, with which she intends to destroy Oliver. During this part, Dana Evans, who stars in Sheldon's other novel "Sky is Falling" appears as an inquisitive reporter who adopts a boy from war torn Sarajevo.
In the meantime, Oliver becomes the president and alongside occur a series of death, all due to toxicity of Liquid Ecstacy.While Leslie is convinced it is Oliver who is behind these murders, goes on to publish the news of his arrest before it is confirmed. Dana Evans in the meantime unmasks the real culprit, while the president reveals a shocking secret.
The book ends with the proposal of a peace pact by the Arab nations, while Leslie is left wondering if she had gone a bit too far.
