Bloodline

I had read Sydney Sheldon’s ‘Bloodline’ long back when I was graduating from Lucknow and was completely awestruck by its story, characters and the way the story unfolds. It was an experience nothing less than watching a very well made thriller movie.  I liked the book so much that it is imprinted on my mind even today.  After so many years, still in my mind, Rhys Williams (one of the main characters) is the biggest fictional hero I have ever know through books or movies. (Hmm..or it would be Michael Carleone in Coppola’s Godfather).  I also remember other main characters.

It was a story of a family which owns a drug company. The head of the company is Sam Roffe who has been killed in an accident. He has only one daughter, Elizabeth, as a successor who is very young and there is Rhys Williams, the most trusted man of Sam Roffe , a self made man.

On investigation it was found that it was not merely an accident but a planned murder. There are many people in Roffe clan who are beneficiaries and each one of them has his/her story.. and in personal front they all are in the situation that they want huge money. They are very desperate in wanting the company to be sold off.

After Sam’s death company went through crisis and banks refused to give money on considering next president to be from the family..because banks know they are not good and Elizabeth is too young and new to run the company. Elizabeth got to know one thing that banks can give money only if company goes in the hand of one person...And that was Rhys Williamms.

 It was very interesting to read how Elizabeth saves her company and her life. And who is the main culprit who killed her father and trying to kill her also.

But the most important part of the book, to me, was the story of the man who build this company, the great grandfather of Sam Roffe and how he build the company…Awesome.

Needless to say I had read it in start to finish.

The thing which makes me to write this post is that I always wanted to see this story on screen. I always felt that this book has tremendous scope to be adopted as the screenplay and it would be a blockbuster.

Recently I read that a film on this book with the same name featuring Aundre Hepburn, had been made and released in seventies. It is known as a poorly made movie and a complete disaster. Knowing this I decided not to diminish my love and memories of 'Bloodline'....so, not going for it.