Are You Afraid of the Dark (2004), a Novel by Sidney Sheldon: summary

The book is 398 pages long and is published by Time Warner Book Group, New York in 2004. Sidney Sheldon was American best-selling novelist. I get familiar with his books since first year at college. His books have been published in 51 languages, and have sold more than 300 million copies around the world. The book is delivered in simplistic conversation. Mysterious death, drama, and environmental science are twisted in interesting plot. This fiction is his last novel, the author passed away at 89 in 2007.

Are You Afraid of the Dark, a Novel by Sidney Sheldon: summary

The book starts out with the death of four people in four cities. A woman was killed in Berlin, a pilot in Denver, a scientist in Manhattan, and an American scientist in Paris. Diane Stevens was in her thirties. She gave dangerous testimony for an Italian Mafia in a court for Anthony Altieri murder trial. Detective Earl Greenburg from Manhattan South Homicide Squad and his teams found the body carelessly tossed down under the bridge. A note was found in his jacket’s pocket and it’s written in Italian. A woman in Berlin was found death. Mark Harris was found death in Paris and there was a note in his pocket.

Pilot Gary Reynolds was in plane crash in Denver. Gary said he was in extreme turbulence, but in nearest airport control stated there was no sign of air turbulence. Attractive blond woman, Diane Stevens, a painter, just lost her husband. Richard Stevens found dead under the bridge. Kelly Harris was an American top model who lived in Paris. Paris Police found a note in her husband pocket – signed name of a Russian name. Three of the victims worked at the same company, Kingsley International Group. Tanner Kingsley, the company’s owner, invited Diane and Kelly to meet him in New York.

Kingsley International Group was a thin tank. It dealt in national security, communications, microbiology, environmental issues. KIG functions as an independent analyst and critic of long-range global consequences for various governments. Eighty-five of its research staff held advanced degrees, and more than sixty percent had Ph.Ds. Tanner and his older brother, Andrew, found the company to assist Third World Countries, they involved in start-up projects. It had eighteen hundred employees around the world. Four of them have died or disappeared mysteriously in twenty-four hours. Andrew Kingsley received Nobel Prize in Physics for innovative work in nanotechnology.

Akira Aso was a brilliant scientist committed suicide killed six years earlier in Tokyo. He was founded dead in a hotel room. A scientist name Madeleine Smith supposedly committed suicide in Zurich, three years earlier. Both Aso and Smith wanted leave the people they worked for and came to KIG.  They were brilliant physicists who worked for a Japanese conglomerate called Tokyo First Industrial.

Some of the women Tanner had been taking out had been worried but not Pauline Cooper. She was personable, witty, and intelligent and called her “Princess”. Tanner was crazy on her and they has planned to marry. Tanner recognized her handwriting and eagerly he read the letter that said Princes would marry a billionaire media tycoon. Princess’s good-bye note has spread quickly through KGI. The employees had been prepared for marriage, Tanner was so devastating. He committed Kingsley Group to assist the army experiment. His brother disagreed. But Tanner ensured him that was the last time the company got off the track. But Andrew got accident that experimental gas. He had changed from a brilliant scientist to a zombie. Most of his days he sat on his chair, but he was happy to be back at Kingsley Group.

Now suddenly Tanner changed the company name to Kingsley group International, just as he planned. Tanner’s whole attitude suddenly seemed lighter. Tanner met Sebastiana at MENSA, the IQ-society. He introduced the brilliant Latin girl to his staff. She was a former Miss Argentina and was married to an American prominent businessman. Diane Steven and Kelly Harris were invited to KIG. The Stevens apartment was wired and filled with cutting-edge technology.

Diane and Kelly found that their husbands were killed by KIG. Some men tried to kill them. They assumed the Mafia tried to kill Diane. Diane talked to Altieri who was bedridden but the Mafia admitted he didn’t know their husband. Tanner hired ex-felon to seize the two widows. Harry Flint seized the two women, and they played a game of cat and mice. Two women have disappeared. Tanner gave the ladies business cards and he planted microdot computer chips to track their exact location. Diane and Kelly studied the other victims from Internet and flew to Berlin and Paris. Franz Verbrugge disappeared and his wife Sonja died mysteriously. Franz worked for KIG. Gary Reynolds died in Denver. The two widows just hit KGI website in Berlin.

Senator Van Luven just informed Tanner that the Senate Selection Committee on environment has decided to appropriate funds immediately increasing the investigation of global warming. The two women flew to Denver to investigate Reynolds’s crash.  Everything was going according to protocol. Gary radioed for permission to land, but he reported a hurricane. The weather monitors were clear. His sister was in hospital, her house burned down. The fire department thought it was caused by an electrical shot. Lois Reynolds whispered them about Prima, the weather control computer.

Gary was going to meet Senator Van Luven. Richards and Mark also were going to Washington to meet Senator Van Luven. They called senator. Senator invited them to her home, office was too public, and it could be dangerous. Senator van Luven introduced her name as Pauline Van Luven. Tanner and Henry Flint were there. The two widows were tied and would drop them into ocean.

Prima, a satellite system, could control the weather any area of the world.  It can stop the rain, cause the storm, tornado, hurricane, cyclone that would stop the world’s economy. Tanner threatened president of Portugal with storms and flooded that would ruin the corps. The president delivered Tanner the ransom money. Diane and Kelly survived, they killed Flint. The two women reported Prima to the top media. Editor of the Newsweek wanted to see weather control computer. Tanner and Pauline were so unhappy to see the unveiling of Prima and the weather project must be destroyed before the journalist found it.

Andrew has instructed to explode the machine.  If Andrew didn’t press the button, it didn’t matter. It was set to explode automatically. Andrew chose to press the button that created tornado for his brother. Kelly and Diane froze watching TV. Tanner Kingsley and former Senator Pauline Van Luven have died on plane crash. The weather bureau has reported an unexpected electrical storm in the area where Tanner’s private plane. There was an explosion at KIG and Prima was completely destroyed. Andrew’s body was found in the wreckage and believed the only victim.

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Sekapur Sirih

Sejak bangku kuliah sudah cukup akrab dengan karya-karya Sidney Sheldon, namun kala itu dalam versi terjemahan bahasa Indonesia. Di perpustakaan kampus dan perpustakaan wilayah banyak ditawarkan karya-karya novel terjemahan dan salah satu yang menjamur adalah karya-karya Sidney Sheldon. Tak jarang pula, persewaan buku dan majalah di sekitar kampus banyak mengoleksi karya Sheldon. Karya-karyanya yang menarik dengan tema drama misteri.

Buku setebal 398 halaman ini diterbitkan pada tahun 2004 oleh Time Warner Books New York. Buku ini menjadi novel terakhir penulis sebelum ia menghembuskan nafas terakhir pada usia 89 di tahun 2007. Fiksi ini sangat mudah dimengerti karena disampaikan dengan bahasa mudah dan sederhana, tentu saja dengan plot kuat. Tepat bagi penikmat pemula novel asing bertema drama misteri yang dikaitkan dengan  tknologi cuaca. Walau sudah pernah membaca novel ini beberapa tahun silam, tetapi buku ini tetap menarik untuk dibaca ulang.

Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Indonesia: Are You Afraid of the Dark (Apakah Kau Takut Gelap) karya Sidney Sheldon

Tiga lelaki dan seorang wanita didapati tewas tidak wajar di empat kota dan tiga negara berbeda. Seorang wanita tewas di Berlin, seorang pilot di Denver, seorang ilmuwan di Paris, dan seorang ilmuwan lain di Manhattan, New York. Para korban diduga terhubung dengan sebuah perusahaan. Dengan pasti juga, ketiga lelaki korban bekerja pada satu perusahaan yakni Kingsley Inernational Group. KIG adalah kumpulan dari para intelektual. Perusahaan itu bergerak di bidang keamanan nasional, telekomunikasi, mikrobiologi, teknologi lingkungan, dan isu lingkungan hidup.

Pendirinya Andrew Kengsley pada awalnya ingin berbagi dan menolong dunia ketiga dan perusahaan pun berkembang hingga memiliki cabang di berbagai negara dengan 18 ribu karyawan. Kini perusahaan itu dalam proyek terbarunya eksperimen cuaca.

Janda dari korban di Manhattan, Amerika Serikat bernama Diane Stevens. Ia seorang pelukis, sebelumnya wanita pirang ini bersaksi pada persidangan Anthony Altieri, seorang kepala Mafia yang didakwa membunuh anak buahnya. Di kota Paris Kelly Harris, seorang model terkenal, wanita berkulit hitam itu juga terpukul dengan kematian suaminya. Kedua pasangan ini adalah pasangan bahagia. Kedua suami mereka terbunuh tidak wajar, polisi mendapati pesan pada kantong masing-masing. Lain pula halnya, pilot Gary Reynolds seorang pilot mati jatuh dari pesawat menggoncangkan saudarinya. Kematiannya sangat tidak wajar.

Tanner adik dari Andrew Kingsley juga tercatat sebagai pemilik perusahaan besar itu. Ia memanggil kedua janda karyawannya ke New York. Lelaki pengusaha ambisius itu ternyata memiliki rencana buruk yakni menghabisi kedua janda yang ia duga akan membongkar kasus kematian suami mereka. Kelly dan Diane bekerja satu tim menguak kematian misterius itu. Keduanya melakukan penyidikan sendiri dari New York, Berlin, Paris dan Denver. Fakta mengejutkan pun mulai ditemui. Anak buah Tanner pun semakin gencar memburu kedua janda.

Sejak saudaranya Andrew menerima hadiah Nobel untuk katogori sains, Tanner mendekati Pentagon. Ia menjual ide terbaru dari Andrew tanpa sepengetahuan saudaranya itu. Tapi dalam percobaan di laboratorium, secara tidak sengaja Andrew celaka hingga membuat manusia jenius itu hanya bisa terpaku di kursi roda. Sifat Andrew dan adiknya Tanner sangatlah bertolak-belakang. Bila Andrew seorang ilmuwan murni ingin menolong kemanusiaan lewat ciptaannya, maka Tanner ialah sosok yang rakus akan uang dan kekuasaaan.

Kisah cinta Tanner pun terbilang suram. Pauline Cooper, wanita rupawan meninggalkannya di saat acara persiapan pernikahan telah dilakukan. Media pun mempermalukan pengusaha sukses itu. Pauline memutuskan menikah dengan seorang konglomerat. Hanya dalam waktu singkat Tanner mengencani istri seorang pengusaha. Wanita Latin, mantan Putri Argentina, dibawanya, dan terang-terangan dikenalkan pada karyawannya.

Jauh di Denver saudari pilot Gary Reynolds sungguh tidak percaya dengan kematian saudara. Pesan terakhir Gary padanya; ingin menghadiri pertemuan di Washington. Ketiga korban lain pun memiliki kesamaan hendak berangkat ke Washinton. Mereka hendak melaporkan potensi rencana jahat KIG. Dua anak buah Tanner adalah mantan kriminal yang keluar dari penjara. Ia sengaja mempekerjakan kedua mahluk sadis itu mengejar kedua janda. Kelly dan Diane pun akhirnya memecahkan teka-teki dengan mencari Senator Van  Luven, orang berpengaruh yang ingin dikunjungi para korban di Washington. Tapi rupanya mereka telah dijebak oleh Senator Van Luven sendiri. Otak pembunuhan para karyawan KIG adalah Tanner sendiri.

Bagian kejutan dalam cerita adalah Senator Van Luven adalah Pauline Cooper, kekasih Tanner dengan panggilan sayang “Princess”. Mereka berdua membuat plot perpisahan. Paula menikahi orang kaya dan berpengaruh. Namun sebenarnya mereka masih menjalin hubungan dan merencanakan plot jahat dengan menggunakan teknologi cuaca ciptaan Andrew. Sang kakak, Andrew, pun sangat terkejut dengan plot mereka, apalagi dengan penyalah-gunaan ciptaan Andrew. Prima adalah proyek mesin pengontrol cuaca. Lewat komputer, mesin itu mampu menciptakan cuaca seperti tornado, angin kencang, hujan dan badai dan menghentikan hujan secara teknologi.

Tentu saja di tangan si jahat Tanner temuan ini akan disalah-gunakan. Dia baru saja memeras dengan mudahnya  Presiden Portugal. Ancaman banjir dan badai yang hendak dijatuhkan pada pertanian negara itu. Kelly dan Diane pun melaporkan Prima pada media terkenal dan bahkan membuat plot undangan palsu untuk pameran mesin cuaca itu. Tanner telah dijebak. Dia sangat tidak bahagia dengan faks dari majalah terkemuka yang ingin melihat Prima dan sejumlah telepon dari media. Proyek itu harus dimusnahkan sebelum diketahui media.

Andrew telah diperintahkan untuk meledakkan alat dan gedung, namun saintis itu memilih menekan tombol penghasil tornado untuk mencelakai pesawat pribadi yang dinaiki Tanner bersama mantan Ketua Senator Bidang Lingkungan, Pauline Van Luven. Sekalipun Andrew tidak menekan tombol itu, gedung akan meledak secara otomatis sesuai pengaturan waktu yang telah dibuat Tanner. Pasangan rakus dan jahat itu pun tewas. Proyek Prima telah hancur dan ledakan hebat terjadi di KGI. Petugas kebakaran menemukan mayat Andrew pada gedung terbakar, dia adalah korban satu-satunya. Misi Diane dan Kelly pun berakhir.

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