Neeve Kearny may be the only person in New York worried about the disappearance of Ethel Lambston. <P>Ethel, a bestselling author famous for her juicy exposÉs, is one of the best customers at Neeve's exclusive Madison Avenue boutique. But Ethel's ex-husband, her parasitical nephew, and the fashion moguls skewered in her latest article all have reason to be glad she's no longer around.<P>When Ethel Lambston is found with her throat cut, Neeve's memories of her mother's long-unsolved murder loom up once again. Now, as an innocent witness in the Lambston investigation, Neeve is drawn into a new nightmare . . . a sinister labyrinth of greed and ambition that will lead her into mortal danger.