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[katara]

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

Series:
N/A

Genre:
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Suspense, Adult, Netgalley, Standalone, Novella

Publication Date:
March 26, 2024

Pages Numbers:
400

Read Date:
January 20th, 2024

Date Finished:
January 21st, 2024

Rating:
4.2/5

Blurb:

THE PRINCESS IS FAKE. THE MURDERS ARE REAL • From the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and The Lioness, 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.

Review:

This book had come up on my radar while I was surfing Netgalley to find my next great read when the premise of this novel caught my eye. Crissy is a young woman who has perfected her impersonation of the late Princess Diana on the stage of the fictitious casino named Buckingham Palace. Tickets to her show are normally hard to come by and her fans adore her. She even has a home there in the casino. Everything should be great right? Not exactly. Crissy's peace is upheaved when her sister, Betsy, arrives with a teenager in tow. The two sisters have not had a relatively good relationship in the past. Crissy blames her sister for their mother's death. The reason for her sister's arrival? Her boyfriend, Frankie, who is involved in a company that deals with cryptocurrency, has plans for the three of them. When the casino's owners are found dead, the two sisters become drawn into a web of murder and the Russian mob.

This book was hard to put down. This was the first novel by Chris Bohjalian and it surprised me. What drew me was the whole Princess Diana thing. What surprised me the most was Bohjalian's ability to create complex and flawed characters that felt so real. Our protagonists are a young woman who built up a carefully crafted persona of the late Princess she played on the stage and a sister she had long since cut ties with. Sisters who have not been in touch with each other in quite some time.

Bohjalian draws us into an intricate story weaved with murder, cryptocurrency, and the Russian mob never letting go of its reader until the very last page. I am quite looking forward to reading more from this particular author.

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The Fury by Alex Michaelides
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham


*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.