Dead Like Her

October 26, 2009
Imitating Marilyn Monroe can be fatal as British author Regan shows in her enjoyable third police procedural to feature Det. Chief Insp. Paul Banham and Det. Insp. Alison Grainger (after 2008's Passion Killers
). Banham's serious crime squad has been trying for years to nab London crime lord Eddie Chang, who runs a club called Doubles, for trafficking in drugs, firearms and underage Ukrainian girls. When Marilyn impersonators performing at Doubles start meeting untimely ends, Marilyn look-alikes Det. Constable Isabelle Walsh and greenhorn Millie Payne, a police community support officer, go undercover to investigate. The Marilyn link among the victims leads to some deft plot turns. When revealed, the secrets behind Chang's obsession with the Hollywood goddess make the resolution not only satisfying but especially poignant.