by: Chris Bohjalian
Goodreads Description:
A Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of money and murder in this twisting tale of organized crime, cryptocurrency, and family secrets on the Las Vegas strip.
Crissy Dowling has created a world that suits her perfectly. She passes her days by the pool in a private cabana, she splurges on ice cream but never gains an ounce, and each evening she transforms into a Princess, performing her musical cabaret inspired by the life of the late Diana Spencer. Some might find her strange or even delusional, an American speaking with a British accent, hair feathered into a style thirty years old, living and working in a casino that has become a dated trash heap. On top of that, Crissy’s daily diet of Adderall and Valium leaves her more than a little tipsy, her Senator boyfriend has gone back to his wife, and her entire career rests on resembling a dead woman. And yet, fans see her for the gifted chameleon she is, showering her with gifts, letters, and standing ovations night after night. But when Crissy’s sister, Betsy, arrives in town with a new boyfriend and a teenage daughter, and when Richie Morley, the owner of the Buckingham Palace Casino, is savagely murdered, Crissy’s carefully constructed kingdom comes crashing down all around her. A riveting tale of identity, obsession, fintech, and high-tech mobsters, The Princess of Las Vegas is an addictive, wildly original thriller from one of our most extraordinary storytellers.
Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓 3/4
Chris Bohjalian is an incredibly versatile writer. No two books are even a tad bit similar. This one was probably not my most favorite of his novels, but I liked that is was contemporary and had a lot of current events woven into it. This was a suspenseful, fun story! Las Vegas seems like a dump of a place to live (no offense).
Holly says: 🤓🤓🤓1/2
I absolutely LOVE Chris Bohjalian – he is a wonderful author, but, this is not one of my favorite books of his. Ha! I just saw Helen’s blog, and she pretty much said the same thing. The story is very original and kind of interesting. If you are a big fan of Princess Diana, you might want to try it. Crissy (the Princess Di impersonator) and her sister, Betsy, can get themselves into some real predicaments. They were pretty poor when it came to judging the character of others – yikes. Not sure how many murders needed to take place before someone started tying things together. My favorite character was the somewhat rebellious, but equally delightful, and thank goodness for her or this book could have had a much different ending, adopted teen-ager daughter, Marisa. If you want to read Chris Bohjalian and haven’t yet, start with something else.
Helen and Holly Hit the Books 