The Bad Always Die Twice

July 11, 2011
Crane, the daughter of movie icon Lana Turner, makes her promising fiction debut with the first in a new series featuring Hollywood realtor Nikki Harper. When the corpse of 1950s TV star Rex March turns up in the bed of Nikki's promiscuous real estate partner, Jessica Martin, the discovery is a double shock as Rex apparently died in a plane crash six months earlier. Nikki utilizes her formidable talentsâa deceptive sweetness, a beguiling smile, and unmitigated chutzpahâto cajole pertinent information out of unwilling persons of interest. But her greatest asset is name-dropping, particularly the name of her famous mother, legendary screen actress Victoria Bordeaux, who eventually adds her own shrewdness and encyclopedic knowledge of Hollywood's secrets to help Nikki's investigation. An amusing and ingenious finale wraps up this good-humored mystery. Crane is also the author of Detour: A Hollywood Story, an autobiography, and Lana: The Memories, the Myths, the Movies.

January 1, 2012

Crane, film legend Lana Turner's daughter, is certainly qualified to write about Hollywood's stars and high-society characters; her previous books include an autobiography, Detour: A Hollywood Story, and an illustrated biography of her mother, Lana: The Memories, the Myths, the Movies. Here, Nicki Harper, daughter of a former screen star, investigates the mysterious second death (the first had been a ruse) of film icon Rex March when his body is found in her best friend's bed. What results is a montage of encounters with crazy characters, each with motives to kill March for a second time. This is a mildly entertaining mystery that may appeal to readers fond of cozies. Renee Raudman seamlessly provides the voices of the various characters. ["This series debut from the daughter of Hollywood icon Lana Turner is over the top with name-dropping and juicy tidbits of life in the fast lane. Starstruck readers will love the glitz and likely overlook the lack of substance," read LJ's review of the Kensington hc, 10/1/11.--Ed.]--Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll.-Penn Valley Lib., Kansas City, MO

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