Chris Bohjalian’s latest novel, The Princess of Las Vegas, centers around a Princess Diana impersonator named Crissy. Crissy lcarries the impersonation with her everywhere, using British affectations as she interacts with others. Crissy has one sister, Betsy, who is moving to Las Vegas from their hometown in Vermont to begin a career working for a startup tech cryptocurrency company.
When both owners of the Buckingham Palace Hotel are found dead, Crissy is on high alert that something is going on. As more people from her circle are killed, her sister keeps changing her appearance to look more and more like Diana Spencer, she doesn’t know who to trust.
I’ll get right to it and tell you that I loved this book. On the surface it’s a Las Vegas mafia-adjacent thriller but deeper down it’s about sibling rivalry, found family, and focusing on what’s really important. It’ll keep you turning pages, and you will LOVE Betsy’s adopted daughter Marisa, who is wise beyond her years. She’s a regular teen who wants to wear crop tops and dress cute while also being brighter than everyone else in the room.
I always enjoy Chris Bohjalian’s books. I was gifted a copy of The Double Bind for Christmas many years ago, and I loved it. I reviewed The Hour of the Witch in 2022 (Review here), and they both stand out in my head as some of my favorites. I also enjoyed The Guest Room, The Sleepwalker, and Skeletons of the Feast. He’s a great writer and if you’re just discovering Bohjalian, you have a lot of great reading ahead of you.
Release Date: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Doubleday
I listened to this audiobook for free courtesy of my local public library. Yay for libraries!
“Chris Bohjalian has a type. His recent thrillers are about glamorous, imperiled women who may not be trustworthy but whose senses of humor makes us like them anyway…[He] writes with verve and humor, and his depiction of a seedy, past-its prime casino feels just right…Keeps us guessing until the end.”
—Chris Hewitt, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Publisher’s Summary
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.
Chris Bohjalian on The Princess of Las Vegas
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