Without a Trace: A Novel (Random House Large Print)

WOW!!! And WOW!!! This book & story is excellent and one of my favorites of Danielle Steel. She writes beautifully! This story is about a wonderful Parisian man who “dares” to have a second chance in life. He is kind, thoughtful and honest, but his wife is nothing like him. She is spoiled, self-centered, extremely materialistic & cares nothing about him = only what he can provide for HER …money wise and with a gift to her of an ocean-front chateau outside of Paris. On driving home late one night from his office to the chateau and falling asleep on a winding ocean cliff road, his car goes over a cliff and plunges 100 feet down into the ocean. He survives but doesn’t get help. He carefully climbs the rocky cliff back up to the road & walks awhile ‘til he reaches a cabin in the woods to ask for help. The young woman who answers the door is young, beautiful & kind. She invites him inside, and washes & treats his bloody wounds on his hands & face. He is blown away by her kindness & beauty, and after he explains his predicament and secretly admits to himself that he doesn’t want to rest, get help or get back to his home at the chateau where his wife is entertaining friends, he decides to stay with this lovely young woman that he is captivated with and, for a indeterminate amount of time he decides to fake his death and recover from his wounds & accident and hopes to learn more of this beautiful young woman who “took him in” and helped him recover & heal. There is a happy & romantic end to this wonderful story. 👍🏻😊

JAN 2023 : 4 STARS

DESCRIPTION: Charles Vincent seems to have it all—a beautiful wife, two successful children, and a well-paying career. Yet happiness remains out of reach. He is trapped in a loveless marriage and his job is simply a paycheck. But his life changes forever one night as he drives along the Normandy coast, Charles falls asleep at the wheel and veers off the road, plunging thirty feet down the face of a rocky cliff. Miraculously, Charles survives. After gathering the courage to climb to safety, he starts to walk—bruised, bloody, and desperate for help. In the dark of night, he happens upon a cabin where he meets the kind and beautiful Aude Saint-Martin. They have an instant connection as Aude nurses him back to health. Charles has a startling realization: He doesn’t have to go back. He could simply choose to disappear, to walk away from his old life. When his car is discovered, he’ll be presumed dead. It all seems too good to resist. But Aude has secrets of her own, and before long their pasts catch up to them, threatening everything they have fought to build.

REVIEW: As of this book, I’ve read 26 books by Mrs. Steel and have enjoyed everyone. Most received 4 Stars with some 3 Stars mixed in.

FIRST, I would never have bought this book if I knew it was o my 217 PAGES !!! To me, that’s a short story and not worth $14.99 ! JUST RIDICULOUS !!! I will definitely check page count on any book I buy going forward.

At 30% very descriptive and not much dialogue at all, but I know that’s Danielle’s writing style. Great plot which I would have loved to have read in a full length book.

Without a Trace is a gripping story of a man beginning anew after a narrow escape with death. What is more important, having plenty of money without love or love without money? This is the question that the main protagonist, Charles Vincent, in this story must decide.

It appears that Charles has it all in his life, wealth, a family, and an important job. But is this enough for him? We see how much he is tormented by what he no longer has - love. When he nearly loses his life in a car accident, he decides to give up his old life and begin anew but this isn't a simple solution to his dilemma.

I enjoyed this book but found it full of redundancy about the feelings, situations, etc. of the characters and scenes. Evidently, the author felt compelled to keep reminding us of what was already relevant. I have read many of Steel's books but have not noticed this repetition in her previous work.