Sidney Sheldon's The Silent Widow -- Tlly Bagshawe

A Sidney Sheldon Novel
Crooked Lane Books
ISBN: 798-1-64385-093-1
May 2019
Mystery/Thriller

The Hardcover came out in January of 2018, and Sidney Sheldon’s family gave the author permission to write under Sheldon’s name.

Brentwood, Los Angeles, California and Mexico – the Present

Psychologist Doctor Nikki Roberts listens to Lisa Flannagan, a narcissistic client she dislikes, ramble about how she is leaving her married billionaire lover but keeping the apartment he gave her along with all the expensive gifts. Nikki lost her own beloved husband a year previously and she hasn’t quite recovered, which might explain her antipathy towards Lisa. At the end of the session it is pouring rain and the Nikki offers the scantily clad Lisa her raincoat. Unknown to Nikki until later, Lisa is brutally murdered shortly after leaving the office, stabbed repeatedly until a fatal blow is delivered. Police detective partners come to interview Nikki. Mick Johnson is a gruff, overweight and bigoted detective, who believes Nikki is guilty. Detective Lou Goodman is a more polite man who finds the beautiful psychologist interesting and attractive. They return later when Trey Raymond, Nikki’s office assistant murdered in a similar manner. Nikki’s husband Doug had treated the young man like a son after getting him off drugs. The suspicion lands on Nikki.

Nikki, like the readers, will wonder what she did to have someone want her dead. After her bereavement, she only has four regular patients. Since one of them is dead, do the others have something to do with it? And what has this to do with the torture and murder of the man in the prologue or with the disappearance of a teenage Californian girl, Charlotte Clancy, working as an au pair in Mexico ten years ago? Why is Detective Johnson so biased against Nikki?

A Mexican versus Russian drug war is taking place in Los Angeles. Numerous rich and powerful characters are involved in illegal activities, one of whom targets Nikki. The two detectives operate nearly separate investigations that lead to unanticipated events. A convoluted but interesting story where many immoral characters border the line of sanity and many secrets are exposed.