Shades of Red

Book excerpt: From New York Times bestselling author Doris Mortman comes a novel about the rivalry between sisters, the ruthless determination of their mother, and the seething hatred of an enemy set on destroying them. Vera Hart has it all: a cosmetics empire along with international recognition as the authority in taste, style, and domestic bliss; a devoted daughter; and adulation and acclaim from a legion of fans. But this world is about to come crashing down around her. First, someone is sabotaging her company. Next, her enemies move in and surround her. And then someone begins to kill using the most insidious means possible---cosmetics that bear Vera's name. Martie Phelps is estranged from Vera, her mother. A military doctor in the first Gulf war, Martie has scars and demons she holds close. As a single mother, all she wants is a quiet life with her daughter. Now the glamorous, complicated Vera Hart is making overtures to her: Vera wants Martie back in her life. Greta Hart wants her sister, Martie, to stay gone. Greta has always been the dutiful daughter whom Vera has taken for granted. The current crisis is helping Vera pull Martie closer. And Greta doesn't like it. All three women are searching for answers. Who wants to bring down Vera Hart? How intense can a rivalry between estranged sisters get? And when will the killer strike next? Suspenseful, compelling, peopled with the multifaceted women who are Doris Mortman's trademark, Shades of Red is a page-turner of the first order.