Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady's maid, Eva Huntford, investigate after a guest is found dead at a posh, but small gathering at the home of her sister, Julia, where the presence of outspoken French fashion designer Coco Chanel and her entourage adds both glamour and tension to the proceedings.

"Little black dresses. Fake pearls. Jersey knit. Blazers. Ballet flats. Today--and for nearly the last hundred years--we all see some version of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel every time we pass a woman on the street. But few among us realize that Chanel's role in the events of the twentieth century was as pervasive as her influence on fashion, or how deeply she absorbed and then brilliantly reimagined the historical currents around her. Here, with unprecedented...

Abandoned by their family, Antoinette and Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel grew up under the guidance of pious nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. When they came of age, the sisters set out together with a fierce determination to prove themselves worthy to a society that has never accepted them. Their journey propelled them out of poverty and to the stylish cafés of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy--...

"From Tilar Mazzeo, the author of the bestselling The Widow Clicquot, a captivating new book that shares her journey to discover the secret behind the creation, iconic status, and extraordinary success of Chanel No. 5, the world's most famous perfume"--

Follows the early life and career of fashion doyenne Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel.

"Award-winning author Susan Goldman Rubin introduces readers to the most well-known fashion designer in the world, Coco Chanel. Beginning with the difficult years Chanel spent in an orphanage, Goldman Rubin traces Coco's development as a designer and demonstrates how her determination to be independent helped her gain worldwide recognition. Coco Chanel focuses on the obstacles Chanel faced as a financially independent woman in an era when women were...

"Pamela Binnings Ewen's newest novel reveals the story of Émilienne, once the most beautiful, sought-after woman in Paris during the Belle Époque, the era of peaceful years just before World War I. As a girl, Émilienne fights her way through poverty in Montmartre, drawn to the lights of Paris below. Soon, she stars at the Folies Bergère, mistress of kings and princes, known as the most beautiful woman in Europe. But, happiness is elusive, and...

Dramatization of the French fashion designer's personal and professional life.

Presents designer Coco Chanel's early life in an orphanage, where her sewing genius leads her to become a cabaret performer, hat maker, and international fashion icon.