From the author of Searching For Grace Kelly, a 1950 lovestruck beauty queen finds herself in dangerous company—and on the run.

Betty Jane Welch reluctantly enters the Miss Delaware contest only to make her mother happy, but to her surprise, she’s the judges’ top choice. Just like that, she’s catapulted into the big time: the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.

Luckily, her pageant-approved escort for the week is the dashing but mercurial Griffin McAllister, and she falls for him hard. But when the spirited Betty unexpectedly wins the crown and sash, she finds she may lose what she wants most: Griff’s love. To stay together, she impulsively agrees to run away with him. And then the chase is on: from the shadowy streets of Manhattan to a cliffside mansion in Newport, as the cops, a cunning socialite, and a scrappy young reporter secretly in love with the beauty queen threaten to unravel everything—and expose Griff’s darkest secret.

“Inspired by a true story, The Night She Won Miss America is part love story, part true-crime saga, written with spirit and panache.”—Vanity Fair

“Expect glamour, grit, and some truly unpredictable twists and turns.”—Town & Country

“A cinematic tale in the tradition of a Douglas Sirk movie, and the perfect book to pack away in your beach bag.”—Adweek

“Delightful…Serves up breathless romance and a heart-pounding plot.”—People

“A heady whirl of gowns, gloves, chaperones, lipstick, escorts, cocktails, and romance. This engaging tale paints an evocative picture of a bygone era and the post-war ideal of young American womanhood.”—Helen Bryan, author of the international bestseller War Brides

Michael Callahan