Danielle Steel’s ‘Undercover’ Stole My Heart [REVIEW]

Eiffel Tower (Photo courtesy Alex Erde, Flickr)

In Undercover, Danielle Steel delivers a poignant story about two people, Marshall Everett and Ariana Gregory, who are shattered by loss but want to become whole again.

Marshall Everett is a DEA agent who has been working undercover for many years, but suddenly needs to be extracted without letting the one person he loves know. Guilt, loss and a sense of abandonment permeate his thoughts to the point he questions his life choices.

Delacorte Press

Marshall’s personality and tumultuous emotions will touch readers hearts. He is a man who lost everything. However, he slowly responds to the sweet and precocious daughter of the president, Amelia.

Conversing with Amelia, a woman who is forthright, funny and bright, encourages Marshall to navigate the here and now instead of dwelling in the past.

My favorite scene is when Amelia first meets Marshall outside the Oval Office. “I have never seen you before. Did you just get here?” asks Amelia. “Yes, I started today,” says Marshall. “My name’s Amelia. He’s my dad.” She pointed to the Oval Office, and Marshall nodded. “Have you met my daddy yet?” (43).

Danielle Steel develops the rapport between Amelia and Marshall from this passage so well. Amelia’s personality elicits an emotional response from Marshall, even if he feels he isn’t quite ready yet to move on.

With Undercover readers will discover a multi-layered story in which Marshall finds peace, love and a zeal for life because “a little girl in braids with sparkly pink shoes had touched his heart and made it a good day.” (48)

Danielle Steel
(Photo courtesy Brigitte Lacome)

ABOUT DANIELLE STEEL

Danielle Steel is published in 69 countries and 43 languages and has sold 650 million copies of her books internationally. Every one of her books is a bestseller, which is quite a feat since she has written 95 novels, 17 children’s books, four works of nonfiction, and a book of poetry. She founded and runs two foundations, including the Nick Traina Foundation which is named after her late son and finances organizations involved in mental illness and child abuse, and a second which assists the homeless. In 2002 Steel was decorated by the French government as an “Officier” of the distinguished Order of Arts and Letters, and she has written the lyrics for two albums currently being recorded in France. The mother of nine children, she divides her time between San Francisco and Paris.

UNDERCOVER
By Danielle Steel
336 pgs. Delacorte Press. $28.