Glamorous Notions

A costume designer’s past casts a long shadow over her well-constructed lies in this intriguing story about stolen identities, friendship, and betrayal from the author of A Splendid Ruin and A Dangerous Education.

Hollywood, 1955.

As head costume designer for Lux Pictures, Lena Taylor hears startling confessions from the biggest movie stars.

She knows how to keep their secrets--after all, none of their scandals can match her own.

Lena was once Elsie Gruner, the daughter of an Ohio dressmaker.

Her gift for fashion design helped her win a coveted spot at an art academy in Rome.

While in Italy, she became enthralled by the charismatic Julia,...

A costume designer’s past casts a long shadow over her well-constructed lies in this intriguing story about stolen identities, friendship, and betrayal from the author of A Splendid Ruin and A Dangerous Education.

Hollywood, 1955.

As head costume designer for Lux Pictures, Lena Taylor hears startling confessions from the biggest movie stars.

She knows how to keep their secrets--after all, none of their scandals can match her own.

Lena was once Elsie Gruner, the daughter of an Ohio dressmaker.

Her gift for fashion design helped her win a coveted spot at an art academy in Rome.

While in Italy, she became enthralled by the charismatic Julia, who drew her into a shadowy world of jazz clubs, code words, and mysterious deliveries.

When one of Julia’s intrigues ended in murder, Elsie found herself in the middle of a bewildering sinister international plot.

So she ran.

After fleeing to LA, Elsie became Lena--but she’s never stopped looking over her shoulder.

Now, as her engagement to a screenwriter throws her into the spotlight, she’s terrified her fa?ade won’t hold up.

Will she figure out the truth about her past before everything falls apart?