Sunset In St Tropez by Danielle Steel (Hardcover, 2002)

As Diana Morrison laid the table for six at her elegant Central Park apartment, there was no warning of what was to come. Spending New Year's Eve together was a sacred tradition for Diana, Eric, her husband of 32 years, and their two sets of best friends, Pascale & John, and Anne & Robert. The future looked rosy as the longtime friends sipped champagne and talked of all renting a villa in the South of France the following summer. But life had other plans. Just two weeks into the New Year, however tragedy strikes the heart of their close circle as Robert suffers a sudden, unexpected loss. Without hesitation, the others offer total support. Convinced that a change of scenery is just what Robert needs, they urge him to join them on the Riviera in August. But as they soon discover, the ramshackle mansion they rented, sight unseen, is far different from the exquisite villa and sun-drenched gardens touted in the brochure. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling, and beds collapse beneath the.