The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

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.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2024; Doubleday; 978-0385547581
audio, ebook, print (400 pages); thriller

When you pick up a book by Chris Bohjalian you know you are going to get a well-written, dramatic story. While I was not thrilled with the subject matter, I still enjoyed the book.

If you liked The Lioness then you definitely want to pick up The Princess of Las Vegas as it has a similar vibe. 

The Princess of Las Vegas is set in present day (unlike The Lioness, which is historical fiction). Social, political, and economic issues of today are alluded to. While it isn't preachy, I kind of wish some of the references hadn't been made as I read to escape these real-life issues for a while. 

I was hoping for more of a thriller like The Flight Attendant, which threw the reader into the suspense early on. I didn't feel like there was a lot of action until the last few chapters. There are a lot of details about Chrissy's show and Princess Diana (I've never really understood American's fascination with her). It took me a while to connect with the character, though she does become a sympathetic character towards the end.

Her sister on the other hand... I didn't really like her and was angry with her for most of the last half of the book. I know that I don't easily trust people, but I think it's stupid for a woman to be so dependent on a man. So while I did feel some sympathy for her plight, I mostly felt she was an idiot for getting herself into the situation in the first place. 

I found it interesting that Bohjalian inserted the perspective of 13-year-old Marissa throughout the novel. I don't think I've another novel of his that has made use of a young adult character in just a way. Given her foster care experience and the fact that kids see and hear so much more than adults give them credit for, she added in details we might not have gotten otherwise. 

The Princess of Las Vegas wasn't my favorite Bohjalin novel (neither was The Lioness, his Skeletons at the Feast holds the favorite spot for me). It had enjoyable moments and I was entertained.

Buy The Princess of Las Vegas at Amazon

Also, check out what Susan thought of The Princess of Las Vegas.

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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