The Last Time I Saw Paris

PRAISE FOR ELIZABETH ADLER
AND HER NOVELS

 

THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS

“A wonderful voyage depicting one woman's struggle to regain her sense of self-worth and identity…Adler always excels at bringing vivid and lifelike characters into being.”

—
Romantic Times

NOW OR NEVER

“This top-notch romantic thriller is one of the best yet from the author of
The Secret of the Villa Mimosa,
combining tension, sensuality, and great characterization. Highly recommended.”

—
Library Journal

“The novel definitely packs a wallop.”

—
Booklist

“Will keep her romance audience securely hers as she leads them into new territory.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Mesmerizing.”

—
Internet Bookwatch

“Intense, engrossing and exhilarating are just a few words that describe Elizabeth Adler's new release. Ms. Adler's novel brings a wonderful cast of characters vividly to life!”

—
Romantic Times

More
…

SOONER OR LATER

“Thoroughly entertaining…a real page-turner.”

—
The Literary Times

“Swift plotting and sensuous.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“With
Sooner or Later,
Elizabeth Adler adds her special and unique touch to the current bumper crop of mesmerizing suspense novels. Another keeper.”

—
Romantic Times

ALL OR NOTHING

“Sensuously creamy suspense. Call this film noir on silk sheets.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A truly wonderful thriller that you won't be able to put down! This is Ms. Adler's most exciting book yet! Here's hoping we will see more of the adventures of Al and Maria, as this has the feel of a terrific new franchise.”

—
Romantic Times

THE SECRET OF THE VILLA MIMOSA

“Adler is expert at digging deep into her characters' psyches and showing what makes them tick.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Cushy as an ermine throw, smooth as a ride in a chauffeur-driven Bentley, bubbly as Veuve Clicquot, this latest treat from Adler makes murder, thwarted passion, and inheritance disputes delightful.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Adler is a household name to fans of romantic suspense.”

—
Library Journal

“Entertaining. Lust, greed, and murder keep readers on their toes. Adler is expert at digging deep into her characters' psyches and showing what makes them tick. Her villain here is wonderfully portrayed—as are all the other characters in this well-plotted, entertaining work.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Spellbinding. Adler is a true genius.”

—
Affaire de Coeur

“A fun read!”

—
San Francisco Examiner

“Gifted storyteller Elizabeth Adler proves once again why she is truly a master of sweeping, intense, and dramatic novels.”

—
Romantic Times

LEGACY OF SECRETS

“Ingeniously plotted…Spiced with betrayal, revenge, lust and scandal, this is an intoxicating brew, served with panache.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Maudie Molyneux is one of the most delightfully original narrators in recent memory.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“In a narrative that purrs like a Rolls, Adler once again weaves and spins her story threads skillfully.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“Characters will ensnare Adler's fans.”

—
Booklist

THE RICH SHALL INHERIT

“Rises above the genre to surprise, fascinates…genuine pathos, humor, and inventiveness.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Not to be missed! Interesting characterization and exciting plotlines. A modern detective story, a family history, and a murder mystery all at once. Worthwhile reading.”

—
Rendezvous

“Told with charm, wit, warmth, and a good deal of raw suspense. The climax is satisfying. The way things should happen in big, glitzy novels.”

—
Rave Reviews

“Fascinating!”

—
Orlando Sentinel

“Engrossing. The identity of the true heir will literally taunt you until the end.”

—
Macon Beacon
(Georgia)

“Elizabeth Adler weaves the saga and mystery genres together. Elaborately plotted. Dauntless enough to entertain.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A juicy detective yarn glossier than Dulux and sexier than suspenders.”

—
New Library,
London

“Thriller, romance and rags-to-riches saga beautifully bound together.”

—
Oxford Mail,
England

“If you like nothing better than a spellbinding saga to get wrapped up in, this novel is an absolute must. Highly readable. Don't miss it!”

—
Liverpool Echo

“There is death, violence, passion and the mystery is not solved until the very end. And by that time I was entranced by Elizabeth Adler's latest book, and once again find myself longing for her next.”

—
Reading Post,
England

PROPERTY OF A LADY

“Adler's evocation of fleshpots like Manhattan and Hollywood is admirable…widescreen romance/intrigue.”

—
Kirkus Reviews

“A sweeping romantic epic that will absorb readers until the novel's conclusion, when all of the characters and events come together in a rich and fulfilling resolution.”

—
School Library Journal

“Briskly plotted and well-researched.”

—
Publishers Weekly

PEACH

“A well-paced story full of rich characters.”

—
South Bend Tribune

“Enthralling. Utterly satisfying.”

—
Rave Reviews

 

 

 

 

ST. MARTIN'S PAPERBACKS TITLES
BY ELIZABET H ADLER

 

Invitation to Provence

The Hotel Riviera

Summer in Tuscany

The Last Time I Saw Paris

The House in Amalfi

ELIZABETH ADLER

St. Martin's Paperbacks

 

 

 

 

THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS

Copyright © 2001 by Elizabeth Adler.
Excerpt from
Summer in Tuscany
copyright © 2002 by Elizabeth Adler.

Map courtesy of the author

Cover photography © Ryuichi Sato/Photonica

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001020252

ISBN: 0-312-98030-2

EAN: 9780312-98030-6

Printed in the United States of America

St. Martin's Press hardcover edition / July 2001

St. Martin's Paperbacks edition / June 2002

St. Martin's Paperbacks are published by St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

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For all those women who would like to take Lara's journey

And for the man who lived through it
—
and who saved the receipts

And with special thanks to Dexter Rosen, golden retriever,
who still carries his blue blankie everywhere

Lara's Journey

L
ara Lewis looked around the spacious master bedroom of her beautiful San Francisco home. Early morning sun slanted off the tall Venetian mirror, half blinding her, and she quickly closed her eyes again, wondering why she had woken with that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. And then she remembered. Today was her forty-fifth birthday.

Eyes still firmly closed, she reviewed the mental picture. She was married to an eminent surgeon, mother of two grown-up children. The perfect doctor's wife, she had devoted her life to helping her husband and family and today, suddenly, she was middle-aged.

Whenever she looked in that antique Venetian mirror, she saw herself only too clearly; she was too plump, too curvy, dark curly hair pulled back revealing those telltale lines on her forehead. Lara sighed; she needed more than a shot of Botox to help her now.

There was no Lara Lewis Ph.D.; no Lara Lewis famous journalist; no Lara Lewis who had rafted down Whitewater rapids; no Lara who'd flown a plane, or climbed mountains in Nepal—all those women she had once meant to become. All she was, was Dr. Lewis's wife.

Yet, twenty-five years ago, when she married Bill, she had been young, slender, vital, ambitious, and, so Bill had told her, beautiful. It was strange, she thought
with a pang, that beneath that prim doctor's-wife, forty-five-year-old too-curvy exterior still beat the heart of that pretty young woman, eager for all life had to offer.

She turned to look for Bill but the expensive linen pillow had only a slight dent where his head had lain. She could hear the shower running. Bill did not sing in the shower. Not now. He never listened to music anymore either. At least, not with her.

Bill Lewis had dazzled her when she first met him and he still had that effect on her now. It was as though he had mesmerized her, fascinated her, captivated her.
Dominated
her, her friends had warned.

Bill was still a good-looking man, lean and in great shape. His dark hair was streaked handsomely with silver, exactly the way it was supposed to at fifty-three, making him look even more distinguished. He always wore hand-tailored suits, expensive English shirts complete with gold cuff links and a heavy gold Rolex that was a permanent fixture on his wrist. Lara wondered vaguely if he even took it off when he operated. She guessed he must.