The Princess of Las Vegas

Bohjalian’s (The Lioness) latest follows two sisters living completely different lives. First there’s Crissy, a Princess Diana impersonator in Las Vegas. Crissy so identifies with Diana that she has developed an eating disorder and doesn’t ever drop the English accent. Crissy’s look-alike younger sister Betsy has a history of making unfortunate choices. She impulsively adopts a teenager named Marisa and moves to Las Vegas with her sleazy boyfriend, Frankie. Betsy is oblivious to Frankie’s obviously nefarious plans involving his mob-affiliated firm. Then people at Crissy’s casino start to die, and Crissy, Betsy, and Marisa must use their skills to survive. The novel’s action is shown from the points of view of the three women. Saskia Maarleveld narrates Crissy’s chapters, and Grace Experience performs both Betsy’s and Marisa’s. Maarleveld neatly captures Crissy’s faux British accent, portrayed with a weary cynicism. Experience expertly captures Betsy’s difficult character, depicting her as someone who wanders life in a bewildered, reactive way and doesn’t think things through. As Marisa, Experience skillfully embodies a teen who has seen too much and is still hoping for a family.