“A vivid, atmospheric mystery about 1951 Hollywood…this is a winner.” —David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author

In June 1951, Edna Ferber heads to Hollywood to support her friend Max Jeffries who has found himself blacklisted after the McCarthy hearings in Washington rattled Hollywood with allegations of Communist-leaning sympathies. Edna first met Max when he worked on the 1927 Broadway production of Show Boat, and now he's brought his magic to a new production starring Ava Gardner. Walked off the Metro lot, shunned by friends, Max is “uncredited” on the film because of his political leanings. Edna's visit is one of friendship—nothing more. But all that changes when Max is murdered.

Edna begins socializing with Ava Gardner, currently scandalizing Hollywood with her affair with Frank Sinatra. Edna finds the hard-as-nails temptress a vulnerable, insecure woman whom she comes to like. Max was killed right after a public brawl with Sinatra, and Ava fears her lover will be arrested. Edna plays sleuth quietly, uncovering dark layers of greed, envy, and desire. Against the backdrop of the new Show Boat is the tawdry romance of dream-street Hollywood itself—both parts of the world of “Make Believe.”

The Maltese Manuscript