Sidney Seldon is no more

Sidney, the master storyteller and the king of suspense died at 89 years of age. He died of complications from pneumonia at Eisenhower Medical Centre in Rancho Mirage.

I have been an ardent fan of Sheldon and have read almost all of his novels. "Tell Me Your Dreams" is his best work from my point of view. Other notable novels include "The Other Side of Midnight", "Master of the Game" etc.

"I try to write my books so the reader can't put them down," he explained in a 1982 interview. "I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she has to read just one more chapter. It's the technique of the old Saturday afternoon serial: leave the guy hanging on the edge of the cliff at the end of the chapter."

Sheldon says his writing pads and pens were his most treasured posssessions. Once when a fire broke out in the Los Angeles canyon in which they were living, police told them to evacuate. Out of the many valuables they had he took only his yellow pads and pens knowing they would be holed up in a hotel somewhere for days, and couldn't imagine not being able to write.

He says "I will not write about anyplace in the world unless I've been there to personally research it. I always spend time exploring the customs and attitudes of the countries I'm using for locations, and interviewing the people who live there. I've visited over 90 countries thus far. It's my custom to hire a driver to give me a tour of whatever city or town I am in. One night, on a lonely mountain road in Switzerland, I asked my driver where a good place might be to dump a body. I'll never forget the look on his face!"

That's Sheldon for you. A truly great writer. We will miss you Mr Sheldon. But your books will remain with us forever.