Perfect Red

In McCarthy-era New York, having the right idea for a book can lead to fame and fortune, but having the wrong idea can turn you from citizen to suspect. When Lucy Lawrence, the secretary of a prominent book editor, becomes obsessed with the world's most glamorous red lipstick, she becomes convinced that it was the story she was born to write. She tackles the rules of social conformity, the dangers of passion and her own beliefs about love as she pursues the story of Perfect Red, and enters into a high stakes game of kiss and tell with the editor's star author, who is in desperate need of a story and a muse. Ultimately, Lucy must fight for the right to tell the tale and for the right of an author to tell her own truth.

"A whipsmart, wildly original ride that's a heady mix of chemistry, politics, mystery, obsession and a 1950's heroine daring to find her way. The writing sparkles on the page, and the essential question — what would you do for your passion? — becomes as provocative as it haunting. Perfect Red is more than perfect — it's absolutely dazzling." — Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures Of You

"With pitch perfect precision, Nash sweeps her reader into McCarthy-era Manhattan and the male dominated, literary world into which one Lucy Lawrence strives to arrive. I can see putting this gem of a book squarely in the hands of readers of historical and literary fiction as well as those looking for a page-turning escape." — Linda McLoughlin Figel, {pages} a bookstore