Beyond the Bridge (Concerning the Man Who Vanished)

In the summer of 1959, Sam Stanton, co-owner of one of the Santa Clara Valley's most successful fruit-growing processors, either did or did not jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.

Either way, his car is found abandoned on the bridge. At first, the possibility of an elaborate kidnapping scheme seems likely. After all, he's worth millions—and why would a man who has everything willingly take his own life? But neither his wife, Carolyn, nor the company receives a ransom demand. And no body washes ashore. After a time, with no evidence to suggest otherwise, the court declares Sam legally deceased. Insurance claims are paid.

Despite an onslaught of frustrating crank calls reporting sightings of Sam in one corner of the world or another, Carolyn secretly maintains hope that he will be found alive. Finally, she receives a believable tip from friends living in Naples, Italy. Unable to resist, Carolyn begins a search that takes her on a wild, sometimes frightening chase—to rescue her childhood sweetheart and the father of her young children. What she finds will break your heart.

This story was inspired by a real case of a real family—and a real woman who received a believable report of her missing husband. Author Marcia Mitchell explores what might have happened if that woman had gone looking, in her favorite real-life setting, mid-century Italy.

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