I loved the unique protagonist and setting of this novel: a Princess Diana impersonator who lives and works in a casino just off the Las Vegas strip, and rarely falls out of character. I also loved the fact that the beginning of the book, where you get to know the princess, aka Crissy Dowling, and her very unusual and interesting life, does not in the least prepare you for what happens next. I didn’t expect the story to turn quite so dark, but it was fascinating. My only complaint was that I didn’t quite understand how or why Crissy and her sister Betsy became the target of the evil-doers; their involvement just seemed to happen too easily and I felt that something was missing. But, beyond that element the story unfolds quickly, with a lot of action. Chris Bohjalian is able to take so many quintessential Vegas elements and put them together into a book which evokes a classic 1960s Rat Pack-esque vibe but is very much a 21st century tale. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Interesting characters, but somewhat of an odd plot. Not very relatable and I can't say I liked any of the characters enough to feel invested. I like Bohjalian's earlier work, but as with The Lioness, it seems as if he's stretching for deliberately unusual settings/plots to keep things interesting. Not one of my favorites.

This was well written and a good story/premise, but this just wasn't for me. I guess the genre this falls under isn't my jam, because I just found my mind wandering while trying to read.

Chrissy Dowling plays to a Vegas full house every night as Lady Diana.. She likes her life and if the lines blur between her true self and Diana, that’s okay isn’t it. When her estranged sister Betsy, daughter and boyfriend move to town at the same time the owner’s of her casino are murdered, and a group of gangsters want to take over, her world suddenly becomes a lot smaller. A novel of identity, Vegas and family, Bohjalian shows himself to be a master of every genre.

I love the idea of this book. A famous sister who has paved her way to being one of the top impersonators on the strip. Then a sister who has not always been easy to get along with who moves to Vegas. When their worlds collide, they come together fast and furious. Little could they know that the people around them have plans for them both, and they are not always as straight forward as they seem. I felt like the pacing of this book sometimes went incredibly slow. Also, some of the revelations I am not quite sure were necessary. I did enjoy having Brit interject every now and then throughout the story. Her perspective, while not always super detailed, helped tie together the end of the book nicely.
Thank you to Double Day Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This book was not good. I have read so many other Chris Bohjalian books that I have thoroughly enjoyed, but this was not one of them.

It was predictable from the very beginning. Absolutely no surprises and way longer than it needed to be.

Also, I know that at this point, we're going to have novels with characters reflecting on the pandemic times. What I wasn't expecting was the very random and wildly unnecessary "first hand" reflection on the shooting in Las Vegas at the country music festival. It was out of place and so forced.

The Princess of Las Vegas reminded me a bit of The Flight Attendant because of the main female character involved in a murder in an exotic locale. The setting was a bit usual for a Chris Bohjalian book and it took a bit gettin used to but the characters were terrific and the story quite compelling. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a sneak peek.

The Princess of Las Vegas is a compelling and fascinating book that you don't want to miss out on. Crissie is our princess, who has based her career on a tribute show to Princess Diana. Her story, set in Las Vegas, third rate casino is an arresting story of a performer’s life until… Somehow, her stability and reasonable success is upended when her sister Betsy moves to Vegas with her newly adopted daughter. Now Crissies carefully built house of cards comes crashing down and she is faced with the dilemma of what to do next.

Such a fun different read by Chris Bohjalian, I thought it was a good outlook into a world that I haven't really thought about before.

Thanks Netgalley for a fun read!

Chris Bohjalian is a favorite author of mine. One of the things that I admire in his storytelling is that all of his stories are different and not formulaic. The Princess of Las Vegas is the story of Crissy Dowling, a Princess Diana impersonator with her own residency show at an off-strip aging casino. The book starts off with a bang with the murder of the casino owner staged to look like suicide.

To further add to the stress in Crissy's life, Betsy, Crissy's estranged sister is moving to Las Vegas along with her newly adopted foster daughter Marissa. Also making the move is Betsy's her new boyfriend, an investment banker who is now working for a cryptocurrency company called Futurium.

This was a fast-paced thriller. I was most intrigued by Crissy and her backstory, it was interesting to see what things in her history set her up to be the person that she is today. One of my favorite characters was Marissa and I enjoyed the chapters from her point of view. It was great how the youngest person had the clearest vision of what was happening.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this great book!

I was so excited to get an advance ereader copy from one of my favorite authors, thanks to @netgalley.
Once again, Bohjalian proves he is at the top of his game. Now, full disclosure, I am British and a huge royal fan (and remember Charles & Diana's wedding, and the subsequent drama and tragedy) so was immediately drawn in by the premise of a Diana impersonator and all the royal references and Brit speak sprinkled throughout the novel. But, if you are not an Anglophile, I do believe you will still enjoy this fast paced story of corruption, family connections and the underbelly of Las Vegas.
Bohjalian is a master at developing believable characters and writes female narrators very well in my opinion. I loved the backstory of the two sisters growing up in Vermont as much as the current day story set in Vegas. I sure hope this is optioned for a movie as it would be fabulous to see this brought to life!
I usually take my time reading a book, but this one I devoured in two days and now have a long wait until the next novel from one of our finest contemporary writers.

Crissy is a Princess Diana impersonator in Las Vegas at the Buckingham Palace. She is estranged from her sister Betsy, a social worker, living in Vermont. Betsy adopts a teenage daughter, Marisa, and with her new boyfriend decides to move to Las Vegas. When the owners of the Buckingham Palace are found dead, the plot gets twisty. Betsy boyfriend is working for a crypto currency company and gives Betsy a job within the company. A story of greed, obsession and high tech mobsters.

What a fun read - a thriller with a contemporary plot, tying cryptocurrency, casinos, gambling and a Princess Diana tribute performer all into a fast-paced read. Told from 3 different voices, the princess, her sister, and her adopted daughter all have secrets that are revealed to the reader, but not the other characters. Writing style and plot development were top-notch.

This was such a good book!!Lots of glimpses at the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas.
The main character is a Diana impersonator and has a sister who looks a lot like her. Fast paced mystery with Russian gangsters and politicians and crypto currency.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

Oh I do enjoy a Chris Bohjalian book and this was no exception. After his last few dabbling in historical fiction The Princess of Las Vegas is a departure. After a Diana impersonator learns her sister and new teenage niece are moving her way Chrissy’s life is turned upside down after her bosses untimely deaths and bedding a questionable Russian. It becomes a thrill ride of crime, murder, and crypto. Tangled in with her almost identical sister family secrets become unearthed as they all fight to stay alive.
This like all his books was remarkable and a page turner. Thanks to netgalley and Doubleday publishing for the arc.

This was a memorable book with interesting twists and turns. The Las Vegas backdrop made for some interesting characters and the relationship between the sisters was believable. Great story and even better ending. What I thought I wouldn’t appreciate was reading about the seedy part of Las Vegas, but this book has such an original Vegas theme that those worries were quickly abated. An interesting and quick read.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

I read an advanced copy through NetGalley, and I’m so glad I chose this one! It was a fun read - easy enough to have fun on vacation but weighty and unique enough not to count as a “beach read”. Two sisters get mixed up with the mafia in Las Vegas, and adventure follows. I would love to see this end up as a show on HBO (Max?) like The Flight Attendant. The pacing is well done, the different viewpoints have clear voices - would love to have had more from Marisa.

The Princess of Las Vegas
Chris Bohjalian
Mar 19
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a sneak peek at this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
As always, another great book by one of my favorite authors. Very original thriller that I highly recommend! The story of Princess Diana impersonator and her estranged sister becoming embroiled in a murder investigation. Well done!
5 stars

Good read that has the right suspense to keep you interested. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas and these sisters learn that lesson.

Pandemic, cryptocurrency, Russian oligarchs, family secrets and fake British accents. A lot of the phrasing is awkward in this story that feels forced from the beginning. I wanted so much to love this book, since I am a long time fan of Bohjalian. The Double Bind is probably the last book of his that kept me on my toes the entire time I was reading it. Sadly, this one feels like it was churned out to meet publishing obligations, and to fit a screen adaptation.

I loved this one! I started reading it the night before a trip to Vegas and I finished it while I was there. It made it extra fun to read it in the same setting that the book took place, but you will enjoy it no matter where you read it!

The author does a great job writing strong female characters (I loved the Flight Attendant by him also!) and this book follows in that tradition.

Crissy and her sister Betsy are two independent women who have worked hard to put their painful past behind themselves. They have grown apart over the years but suddenly find themselves thrown back together and in a situation that slowly begins spiraling out of control.

A wonderfully suspenseful read!

Thank you to #netgalley for this ARC of #theprincessoflasvegas