Book excerpt: The chilling novel that inspired the iconic film starring Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. As seen on the FX series Feud: Bette and Joan, which chronicles the rivalry between the Hollywood stars during their filming of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The neighbors all whisper about the two sisters who live on the hill: It's Blanche Hudson who lives in that house, you know. The Blanche Hudson, who starred in big Hollywood films all those years ago. Such a shame her career ended so early, all because of that accident. They say it was her sister, Jane, who did it--that she crashed the car because she was drunk. They say that's why she looks after Blanche now, because of the guilt. That's what they say, at least. Nobody remembers that Jane was once a star herself. A fixture of early vaudeville, Baby Jane Hudson performed her song and dance routines for adoring crowds until a move to Hollywood thrust her sister into the spotlight. Even now, years later, Jane dreams of reviving her act. But as the lines begin to blur between fantasy and reality, past resentments become dangerous--and the sisters' long-kept secrets threaten to destroy them. Now with three short stories available for the first time in print, including What Ever Happened to Cousin Charlotte, the basis for the film Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.