Center for the literary arts in New York State
THE PRINCESS IS FAKE. THE MURDERS ARE REAL.
Chris Bohjalian
7 p.m. Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Conversation/Q&A
Page Hall - University at Albany Downtown Campus
135 Western Avenue, Albany NY 12203 See map.
Chris Bohjalian, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 24 books, presents his newest novel, The Princess of Las Vegas (2024), one of the most anticipated mystery-thrillers of the year. 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.
Bohjalian’s other novels include The Lioness (2022), a Hemingway-inspired tale of murder on an African safari; Hour of the Witch (2021), a story of suspense set among the Puritans of 17th century Boston; The Sandcastle Girls (2012), a sweeping novel of the Armenian genocide; and Midwives (1997), an Oprah’s Book Club pick.
His 2018 novel The Flight Attendant was adapted in 2020 as an HBO MAX series starring Kaley Cuoco.
Photo credit: Victoria Blewer
About The Princess of Las Vegas (from Penguin Random House)
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.
