2. Synopsis
• A psychological thriller, suspense &
fiction
• A woman suffering from Multiple
Personality Disorder
• Ashley Patterson is having awful
dreams
• She is fearful, paranoid and stalked
• Toni Prescott & Alette Peters also
enter the story.
• The story revolves around these three

4. Multiple Personality Disorder
•
Dissociative identity disorder. (DID)
•
Characterized by distinct and relatively enduring identities.
•
Controversial psychiatric disorders.
•
Distinct identities or personality states
•
Unconscious actions of ‘’alter ego’’
•
“Passive, dependent, guilty and depressed“
•
“Alters" are more active, aggressive or hostile.
•
Majority reports childhood sexual and/or physical abuse.

6. Life of Sidney Sheldon
• Sidney Sheldon (February 11, 1917 – January 30,
2007)
• Writer for novels, movies and television
• First novel, The Naked Face in 1969
• He married Jane Kaufman, Jorja Curtright,
Alexandra Joyce Kostoff
• His daughter Mary Sheldon, became a novelist as
well
• He struggled with bipolar disorder for years

7. Sheldon’s Writing
• Poem published in Wee Wisdom magazine at the age of
10
•
Savored and tasted, relished, but sometimes rejected
• Feministic approach, strong women, often mysterious
• Talent to keep the reader onto the book till the very end
• Opens up the book with an appetizer of mystery
• Visualization and characterization, an art Sheldon is
master at

10. Characters
Ashley Patterson
Antonitte/Toni Prescot
Alette Peters
Jim Clearly
Dennis Tibles
Jean Claude
Richard Melton
Deputy Samuel Blake
David Singer
Dr. Gilbert
Steven Patterson
Deputy Gowling

11. Story Plot
• Three women
Computers
work
at
Global
• Toni and Alette named Ashley Miss
Goody-Two-Shoes
• 5 men have been
castrated & stabbed
murdered,
• Trial starts with the suspect and a
medical theory crops up
• Now David Singer will reveal the
truth

12. The Real Truth
• Jim, Dennis, Richard, Jean and Blake. All 5 were murdered with
the same pattern
• The horror travels from London to Rome, from Quebec to San
Francisco
• Jean’s gift is found in Ashley’s apartment
• DNA samples reveal that Ashley, Toni and Alette are the same
person ASHLEY PATTERSON
• David Singer proves Ashley innocent

13. • Sexually abused by her own father
•
Ashley created Toni at the age of 8
•
Alette came into being at 16
• On recovery, Ashley is freed from
asylum
• Toni appears in the last scene,
contended with the ending

14. Message
• End sexual abuse
• How traumas of childhood
effect
• Issue of MPD
• MPD, doer and deeds are
separate?
• How many Ashleys are we
building today?

16. As A Fan of Sheldon
.
"I try to construct them so when the reader gets to the end
of it, he or she has to read just one more chapter’’.
•
Perfect visualization, Sheldon’s key to success
•
Descriptive and clear scenes that feel real
•
Sheldon exploits he ‘’curious’’ beings in his stories
•
The mystery and suspense grips the reader
•
Both entertainment and a well placed storyline
•
The ending leaves in another shock, Toni or Ashley?

17. Criticism
• Sheldon weaves together many of his time-tested
elements
• Left out the suspense and the layers of feeling
• We finger at the serial murderer all too quickly
• We know before too Ashley’s father is monster
• We never doubt goodhearted lawyer David Singer’s fate
• Psychiatrist Gilbert Keller, HAS to fall in love with Ashley

18. • A prefatory sentence says the novel is based on real cases
• Incredibly slow-moving trial and many events are just
unrealistic
• The novel has a powerful message that is helping to end
child abuse
• Understanding of Multiple Personality Disorder, is
discussed well
• But the art of preaching is not what Sheldon is master of

19. Reader’s Comments
•
‘’I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and the plot is
interesting, without being complicated’’. (Namhla)
•
‘’This was the very first book of Sydney Sheldon that I had read. Now
I’m the type of person that it takes A LOT for me to get into a book
let alone finish one. Once I started reading this book I did not put it
down once till I finished it’’. (Kat Fiscus)
•
‘’I enjoy Sidney Sheldon books, but this one was a no brainer; I
guessed the who, what where and why. I would not recommend this
book’’. (Paulette)
•
‘’The shocking truth about the murders was so easy to figure out I
kept thinking this can't be it, can it? There must be a twist on top of
the twist. I actually came up with a few ideas myself, without much
mental strain, so why couldn't Sheldon have done it? After all, he's
the author here. Bad, bad, bad’’

20. Last Word
• There are some authors whose books we read just so that
the end can thrill us. Sidney Sheldon is of course, one
such author
• Ending leaves you thoughtful, Sheldon’s trap maybe?
• The book nonetheless is readable
• Successful address to the issue of sexual violence against
females
• Sheldon deserves huge amounts of respect for writing this