Тайният дневник на Мерилин

by J.I. Baker, Джеймс Бейкър

Този блестящ психологически трилър, в който се смесват реални факти, конспиративни теории и художествена измислица, превъзхожда традиционните книги за Мерилин Монро със своя нестандартен подход. Нейната драма обаче е само фон на един оригинален и напрегнат сюжет, чийто главен герой също става жертва на политиката и властта.
В ранните часове на 5 август 1962 г. младият следовател Бен Фицджералд е изпратен в дома на Мерилин Монро, която лежи мъртва в спалнята си в Брентуд, предградие на Лос Анджелис. Там той намира дневника й, който разкрива една обречена връзка с мъж, наричан от нея Главния, както и изненадващи истини за крехката ранима жена, която се крие зад звездния образ. „Чувствам се предавана от ръка на ръка, чувствам се употребена”, пише Мерилин.
В следващите дни Бен се натъква на всевъзможни лъжи и противоречия в официалната версия за нейното самоубийство. Скоро шокиращите описания в дневника проникват в живота на младия следовател и той се оказва в капана на сложна конспирация, в която са замесени братята Кенеди, мафията и дори ЦРУ.
Интелигентен съспенс и невероятна атмосфера.
Андрю Грос

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Noir, Crime, Historical, Adult Fiction

350 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2012

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book noir?

"The Empty Glass" is an interesting murder mystery told from an unusual perspective. We're kept guessing who Deputy Coroner Fitzgerald is recounting his story to. It's August 5th, 1962 and Marilyn Monroe has just been found dead in her Brentwood bungalow. Why did it take 5 hours to contact police? Who are all the people in her home when police arrive? Why does the body position look `staged'?

I love how Baker intersperses political and historical information into the story. In fact the book covers some old ground i.e. the Kennedy's connection to Marilyn, US relations with Cuba, possible LAPD corruption, speculation about the role of the Mafia, and possible FBI involvement in Monroe's death, etc. This isn't just a re-hash. Baker includes theories and the why's behind those theories that I'd never heard before and they don't sound like mad innuendo. They seem plausible. Baker's sense of place and time is extraordinary. His descriptions of the city add depth.

Fitzgerald is portrayed as a family man with an estranged wife and a young son he loves. He's had prior scuffles at work so he's perfect to play the fall guy especially since he won't let this murder mystery alone. His family is his Achilles heel and a tool for the bad guys to use. It's his love, especially for his son, that keeps Fitzgerald moving in his investigation. Sadly he's only one step ahead of his pursuers....and sometimes a half a step behind. This is a gritty film nourish book. You can feel the streets of 1960's Los Angeles breath. "The Empty Glass" is as film ready as anything Chandler wrote. My only issue with the book is it feels disjointed and a little too slick. Suspend belief and get ready for a wild ride.

This review is based on an e-galley provided by the publisher.

3.5/5

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just did not see the point of this book at all. The dysfunctional coroner just knows Marilyn was murdered, but no one will listen to him. He steals her diary, which is redacted, so its reading is just ridiculous in audio format, and makes friends with a Hedda Hopper wanna-be. There are fires, overdoses, fights. It really was quite a shambles. I'm certain there are much better conspiracy theory novels out there

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bizarre book, one of the most confusing things I've read in ages (maybe ever!). Eventually one figures out most of it - who is speaking or acting, what's going on - but the guessing isn't much fun without a framework to fit it into. The fictional protagonist is a deputy coroner in Los Angeles at the time of Marilyn Monroe's death who gets in over his head investigating the case. Some of the characters are real: Thomas Noguchi, Bobby Kennedy, Peter and Pat Lawford, Johnny Roselli. The author's version of the events has MM murdered by Bobby K and Lawford, possibly with help from the Mob. MM wrote a diary (real?) which the protagonist absconds with, and much of the action builds around the diary.

The author is billed in the dust jacket bio as the editor or former editor of some pretty impressive publications. For an editor, he makes some astounding errors: he apparently confuses wind wings with windshield wipers (too young to remember wind wings?). "The wind wings went back and forth, clearing my vision of the street ahead..." One sentence begins: "In 1955, Robert Kennedy was chairman of the Senate Select Committee..." and the next sentence says "Senator John McClellan, D-Arkansas, was chairman." Baker also describes MM's bedroom as "15 square feet" (3 x 5?) rather than 15 feet square. And he gives the call letters of a Burbank radio station beginning with a W. (Call letters begin with W for stations east of the Mississippi, K in the west.)

So. It's a plausible theory of MM's death and the reason for it. But you have to be *really* interested to wade through this version of those events.

[Susanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a noir take on the death of Marilyn Monroe, the story chugs along well, a right little page-turner, in fact, keeping the reader curious as to what will happen next all the way to the end of the story.

The only comment I would make on this aspect is that the writing style interferes with the characterization. We’re distanced from our hero, and in a noir you really need to be inside your protagonist’s head, feeling with him and cheering him on (or not, whatever the case may be).

Unfortunately, the odd narration technique not only includes lots of repetition, it makes it difficult to connect with our hero, and you end up not really feeling for any of the characters. Except for maybe despising the fictitious versions of several real people who are very evil in this book, but currently dead so I guess they don’t care.

As a mystery...don’t think of this book as a mystery. Think too much on that aspect and the plot falls apart. (One of the major clues is a sheer impossibility.)

So. I read to the end and I was entertained. I had to consciously work to suspend my disbelief at points, but I was entertained. For me, it was okay. If you have an interest in the mystery surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s death, I’d definitely recommend it.

[Susan Merrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder why there hasn't been more noise about this book. It's much more than a police procedural, a literary detective novel and a really beautifully imagined book about a fictional medical examiner in the week following Marilyn Monroe's death. Baker takes some wonderful risks, writes (and sees) lyrically, and builds character with a fluid, raw skill that reminds me of Peter Hoeg's Smilla.

[Glass House Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

It didn’t hit me until after I read The Empty Glass that it’s been fifty years since Marilyn Monroe died. This should explain why I’ve seen so many books on the actress published recently – fiction and non-fiction. I like to read novels that have roots in historical events – James Ellroy, for one, writes brilliant crime fiction set in the JFK era, and in the last few years I’ve read a number of novels that expand on the Marilyn myths. Glass, in particular, is actually set just after Marilyn’s body is found. She is a primary character, but only in spirit.

Ben Fitzgerald is LA’s deputy coroner. He is called to the now-infamous Brentwood address to determine foul play in Monroe’s demise. Fitzgerald, like any other big city cop in a thriller, has his own personal demons to deal with, but now that he has his hands on Marilyn’s diary he finds the mystery of her death taking over his thoughts.

I don’t have to reveal the “secrets” that unfold here. Baker’s story seems to stay true to the legends of Monroe’s dalliances with the Kennedys and the theories that they had something to do with her death. Here, though, Ben finds an ally in a reporter who seeds clues in his mind and helps him to understand that Marilyn’s death was no accident. It’s up to the reader to decide how much is truth and how much is the author’s imagination.

I love a good “true Hollywood story”-style mystery, and I wanted to like Glass. Unfortunately, I found Baker’s writing style difficult to follow. I couldn’t decide if the author was going for a noir-type narrative in Ben’s voice. Anyway, the style made it difficult for me to really get into the story and sympathize with the characters. The story didn’t need Marilyn to be alive, but it needed something to keep me interested in her death and Ben’s life.

Claire Stone for Glass House Reviews
(c) 2012 Glass House Reviews

[Laurel-Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins with a narrator who is talking to an unknown person, probably a psychiatrist whom he keeps addressing as "you" or "Doc," and these events appear to be occurring at some future point in time.

We then move to the events of August 5, 1962, when Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her sparsely decorated adobe home. She was lying face down, clutching a phone.

In the following pages, we discover that there are time discrepancies; there are concerns about the position of the body and the unlikelihood that someone taking an overdose would be clutching a phone. There is an empty glass that is there...and then not there. A mysterious red diary appears...and then disappears.

Deputy Coroner Ben Fitzgerald is the primary narrator who is frustrated by the apparent cover-up. He is determined to find the answers.

But will his life be at risk as he struggles to learn the truth? Who are the enemies? The Mafia or others unknown? What do the police and even his boss at the Coroner's office have to hide, and why are they fighting his investigation? What lies and deceptions will trouble him in the days ahead?

From the recovered diary and mysterious tapes, our narrator eventually learns some of what transpired, but will it be too late? And how can he protect his young son?

"The Empty Glass" was a captivating mix of fact and fiction that left me with more questions than answers. Told in an unusual narrative style that jumped around from the present to the past and then ahead to the future, I had a hard time making sense of it at times. 3.5 stars.

[Craig Pittman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A big meh. J.I. Baker's debut novel, "The Empty Glass" starts off strong but runs into continuity and character problems and runs out of steam before it reaches the end. The author sets up an interesting main character, alcoholic deputy coroner Ben Fitzgerald, as his hero, and puts him smack dab into a fascinating mystery, namely: Why did Marilyn Monroe die?

Before it's done, the novel connects Monroe to the Kennedy family, the Mafia, Sinatra's Rat Pack and a goon squad from the LAPD. What the novel does not do is 1) make Marilyn come to life, even though we get excerpts from a diary that Ben found; or 2) explain why Fitzgerald -- a self-preserving, self-pitying type who once perjured himself to save his boss -- would pursue this case even after it puts both his job and his family in jeopardy.

To keep us readers moving along, Baker offers a promising little Nick-and-Nora action involving Ben (who is estranged from his wife) and a flirty gossip columnist, but that becomes one of the book's biggest weaknesses as the columnist repeatedly rides to Ben's rescue or feeds him important info like some martini-swilling deus ex machina.

Reading Baker's book made me feel like I was reading warmed-over James Ellroy but without the kick or the broader context.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is in the format of a noir film and told from the perspective of Deputy Coroner Ben Fitzgerald, who quickly surmises that the facts just aren't adding up to the story being put out to the public about Marilyn Monroe's death. One of the first on the scene when the death is reported, Ben observes that there is no water in the room with which pills could have been taken and that Marilyn's body appears to have been moved. The scene had not yet been staged to reflect the public story. When the coroner's report shows no trace of pills or residue in Marilyn's stomach, Ben's suspicions cannot be contained within his delegated role. The story that Ben is telling is being told to a "doctor," but the reader doesn't know who this doctor is until the end of the story. With the suspense and danger of Ben's discoveries and the uncertain setting of his summary of this events leads to a highly engaging read where fiction does reveal much truth.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loosely based on the many conspiracy theories surrounding the death of Marilyn Monroe, some of which are rather far-fetched - although serious questions remain. Disappointingly perhaps, Marilyn herself is only a minor character. And the supposed red diary, FBI tapes, and friendship with Jeanne Carmen are all based on shaky evidence. Obviously this is fiction, but if you know Marilyn's story well, this rendering leaves something to be desired. It is quite similar to Max Allan Collins' recent take on the same subject, Bye Bye Baby, but a lot more confusing. J.I. Baker is a magazine editor, and his style has the gloss of journalism - snappy dialogue, descriptive prose - but due to thin characterisation, and an overly busy plot with too much peripheral detail, The Empty Glass lacks the high suspense that a great crime novel demands.

[Hydra Star · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is, in parts, more than a bit hard to follow. It’s written in a sort of first person noir style, with witty remarks and clever quip exchanges that, while entertaining, sometimes confused this reader. It was only after the first hundred or so pages that I was finally able to get accustomed to this style and sort out enough details concerning the main character that the story started to become enjoyable. I won’t say, however, that this book is horrible. I’m left feeling sort of middle of the road about it.

If you really like film noir or old detective stories, this is a book you’d probably enjoy.

[i · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got me out of a three year reading slump. Judging from the reviews, many people didn’t really get this book. I totally did. While it may have been confusing, the writing style was so new and interesting and really kept me hooked. Solid plot. Perfect pacing & overall really really good. Highly recommend.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Noir mystery set in 1962 about the death of Marilyn Monroe. It incorporates the conspiracy theories about her death being a murder, not a suicide. The framework of the novel was a bit confusing at first, until it's shown that the narrator is telling the story to another person. Pretty bleak, but very atmospheric, with a good dose of paranoia thrown in.

[Mary Ronan Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this book five stars despite quitting after about 100 pages. The Empty Glass by J I Baker is a "modern noir" about the death of Marilyn Monroe. The narrator is an assistant coroner in LA, a colleague of the later-famous Thomas Naguchi. He is called to the scene at Monroe's modest (by Hollywood standards) hacienda and he immediately notes many discrepancies and questionable practices (like calling the studio immediately and then waiting four hours to call the police.) Most of what we are told is historical but some of it is rumor, such as the involvement of the Kennedys and a diary found at the scene.

So why did I quit reading this wonderful book? It's too good. Too well written. I can't take the darkness of the noir and the nervous feeling with which it is drenched. However, for anyone who likes Hollywood, Marilyn Monroe, a little gore, threatening suspense, and an updated sense of the gritty underworld of the 40s, this book would be very rewarding.

[Kayleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel had the sparse, stuttering pace of a Monroe-era noir film. It centers on one deputy-coroner turned gum shoe and his probing into the conspiracy surrounding the death of Marilyn Monroe, as he tells it to the investigator after his own arrest. True to the conspiracy, it's hard to tell which characters are playing for the good guys and in a contest between the LAPD and the Mafia, is there a good side?

SPOILER: Near the end I was afraid he was going for a Shutter Island ending, with his drug induced version of which was right and who was actually the villian switching roles. In the end there are no neat tidy answers and the conspiracy swallows the protagonist.

[Rachel Ewe · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILERS INCLUDED.

When I was 12, I watched a made-for-tv movie on Marilyn Monroe. I had to go to bed before it finished (I begged to stay up past my bedtime but it was a no-go). I asked my babysitter how it ended and the answer offended my sensibilities to the very core: she killed herself. I found that ending hard to understand so I took myself to the public library the next day. It didn't take me long to discover that others, too, found the official version of her death to be implausible and unconvincing

It's almost 30 years later, and my interest In Marilyn hasn't waned. I've read volumes of ink published on her and was keen to read a fictional version of an investigation into her final days and death. Well, that might be overstating it. I have learned to approach fictional accounts of the Monroe legend with guarded optimism.

I. J. Baker, the author of "The Empty Glass", doesn't site the sources he surely consulted in penning this novel. I found this surprising and a little shady/questionable since he most definitely leaned heavily on the investigative work of some of Monroe's biographers, most notably Anthony Summers ("Goddess:...") and, especially, David H. Wolfe ("The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe") Their analyses of Monroe's official death 'narrative' are worthy reads for those wanting to know more, and they definitely feature prominently here. I doubt TEG could exist without them. This review certainly could not.

TEG is a good read on its own merit. As a hardboiled, noir detective novel and snapshot of 1960s Hollywood, it's a lot of fun and very engaging. The prose is reminiscent of Raymond Chandler's. The plot is fast-paced, has a lot of moving parts (owing to the real-life moving parts of Monroe's death) and is skillfully dramatized here. I like how Baker brings to life those who found notoriety in the real-life Monroe death narrative. (Fred Otash, Thomas Noguchi, and Jeanne Carmen, all familiar to a Monroe fan, are fleshed out here).

I've read some other reviews here that fault the author/story of not giving Marilyn herself enough of a voice or place in the narrative. I'd like to address that concern.

On a personal level, I have come to scorn many fictional versions of Marilyn. Maybe because fiction found its way into so many of her biographies. It's easy for a fan to lament the lack of a single, factually-consistent narrative of her life: so many biographers seem to have taken liberties born out of their personal agendas. People can't even agree on her birth name or how it was spelled. Beyond this, it's easy for her to slide into caricature, even when depicted by the most skillful authors (i.e. Joyce Carol Oates' novel "Blonde" is a good example of this). Often imitated, even novelists fall short when they try to duplicate the Monroe persona for fictional purposes.

No, thankfully, Baker doesn't set out to give us a fictional retelling of her life. Instead, he compiles a lot of the disparate and scattered facts about her death and presents it in a crackling noir whodunit. Monroe's death narrative is well served by this style and genre.

In real life, Marilyn's world included a lot of men: some were famous, some were powerful, some were or had ties to the mafia. Most were a combination of all three. All had, if you believe the conspiracy theories, motive to want her dead. TEG brings together all these men, and their motives, and ties them up in a satisfying package.

The infamous and unconfirmed Secret Diary (a juicy piece of Monroe lore) is used to wonderful effect in this story on a couple of levels. At root, this diary both is and isn't the novel's invention. This balancing act is superbly executed and Baker accomplishes it to dazzling effect.

It's challenging to explain this diary in context of the novel and otherwise. In real life, some believe it actually existed though never found. It has become an unsubstantiated element of the conspiracy theories involving Marilyn's death. In TEG, Baker puts this diary in the thick of things: it exists and it exposes people and events just as real-life theorists claim it would have done at the time of Marilyn's death, had it been found. In real life, some say Marilyn was killed because she was getting ready to publicly expose the diary's contents herself. The diary in the novel, therefore, is Baker's creation vis-a-vis literary license, but (and this is crucial) the gist of it reveals real elements of Marilyn's life that are now known but, in 1962, were not.

...Still with me?

For instance: in 1962 the public didn't know Marilyn had and was having an affair with two of America's most powerful (and married) men: the Kennedy brothers. There has been much speculation as to what dangers these affairs subjected Monroe: the Kennedys likely shared information with her. Classified information. And, too, the Kennedys had enemies who stood to gain from exposing and humiliating the brothers. Baker brings all these suppositions about the diary's contents to life: TEG gives us a fictional account of one man's investigation of the (fictional) diary as he pieces together their (real-life) secrets. Ben Fitzgerald accomplishes in weeks what it took Monroe's collective biographers decades to do.


So for those who question the lack of Marilyn's presence in this book, the diary does stand in for her, and serves to give her a voice although when the novel opens she's already dead. In recent years, previously undiscovered writings and personal papers of Monroe's have been made public (although none of them were the famous diary). Baker does well here to capture the essence and voice of Marilyn as disclosed in these papers - their musings were introspective, tended to be free flowing or disjointed (i.e. grammatically and structurally loose), and at times poetic, giving a glimpse into a soul that was lonely, haunted and searching. Baker's version of the legendary Secret Diary is a nice simulation of Marilyn's known writing style.

Also, Baker's use of the Secret Diary does something else quite skillfully and subtly. It serves as a foreshadow of what eventually happens to Ben Fitzgerald, the novel's main character. His undoing not only demonstrates what may well have happened had anyone tried to seriously investigate Marilyn's death in August of '62, but Baker's real slight of hand occurs in Ben's final words. They repeat, verbatim, a segment of Marilyn's "own words" in the Secret Diary. In these shared words we can unite the paths fictional Ben and real life Marilyn followed to a common fate. What ultimately happens to Ben provides a chilling version of what might very well have happened to Marilyn.

Furthermore and finally, in real life, Marilyn gets a lot of flak for being a substance abusing, promiscuous, emotional, paranoid, depressed person in her final months. In real life, those who would have us believe she killed herself point to these aspects of Monroe's life to support the official cause of death. In the novel, a fictional character comes to a bad end all because of his entanglements with some powerful men. This end becomes more poignant when you consider that, in real life, Monroe was tangled up with those same men. Ben's story shows us how the popular characterization of Marilyn's mental state in her final days might be just as contrived as the verdict of probable suicide on her death certificate. It paints a picture of the possible machinations of that contrivance.

Ultimately, even if the diary was the novel's invention, Baker uses this device to reveal the many real-life secrets Marilyn kept, and the novel accurately outlines many contradicting details of her death.

To say I liked the way Baker handles all this would be an understatement. He's writing to fans of Monroe, to those of us who know her story and are familiar with all the questions surrounding her death. He cleverly leads his readers to a version of how truth and fiction may well have been grievously muddied when it comes to the Monroe death narrative.

As a final note, much has been made of Marilyn's final weekend at Cal-Neva Lodge. It remains a mystery. A lot of big names and even bigger men were involved. Baker's imagining of this weekend is dark, tragic and not implausible as far as theories go. Most Monroe confidants were sure Something Disturbing happened there, but were ultimately kept in the dark because no one involved ever said what. She to whom it happened didn't live long enough to tell.

In the end, maybe Marilyn did kill herself. Maybe all this diary business and political intrigue is better left to the stuff of crime fiction. It's possible. But then, Baker doesn't need to invent anything when it comes to rendering her autopsy and toxicology reports; his narrative about those details are in keeping with the facts. In 1962, many people worked to distill and conceal those facts but, thanks to the biographers I mentioned at the beginning of this review, those facts are now known. How did all those drugs get into Marilyn's system without leaving any traces in her digestive track? It's a valid question. She had such high levels of drugs in her system she should have died before digesting it all. Why weren't there any signs of the pills she took in her stomach? Ben joins the many who have asked these questions and more like them. Most of the questions he poses in the novel are questions many have asked before. The timeframe of her death, the hours between her body's discovery and any police presence, the unnatural posture of her body, the dual lividity of her corpse, her housekeeper's role, the lack of running water in her house due to renovations , the lack of drinking vessel in preliminary death scene photos and then the appearance of an empty glass in later reports...all these are examined by the novel but are certainly not the work of this particular (or any) novelist.

They say truth is stranger than fiction. In the novel "The Empty Glass", Baker gives us an intriguing glance into how forces conspire(d) to make Monroe's death a tangle of both.

[Claudia Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing perspective was a little bit confusing to follow, however, loooooooved falling into the Marilyn Monroe conspiracy rabbit hole just wish the perspective it followed was a bit easier to read - really routing for the protagonist plot

[Lily Rosati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was mostly confused the whole time

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my full review @: http://bit.ly/UrHqv0

Synopsis: Deputy Coroner, Ben Fitzgerald is called to the scene of a suicide. When he gets to the scene, it is the suicide of Marilyn Monroe and things aren't lining up that it is a suicide and, although, everyone in law enforcement writes it off as suicide, he can't. On his own, he investigates her death, but are there are people out there who don't want the truth dug up and will do whatever they need to do prevent it from happening? Is Ben trying to make a murder out of a suicide? Will Ben solve the mystery of Marilyn's death or become a victim of dark forces, as well?

My opinion: I love when I find a book that I can't put down and that intrigues me as to its' path. This book was constant in doing this. The storyline was excellently crafted in that how it was laid out and "playing" with the readers mind as to what was real and what was "fantasy" or imagination in the main character's head.

I do have to be honest and say that one of the things that drove me crazy about this book was the first person perspective it was told from. I found it to be distracting and often difficult to follow. As I processed my review after completing the novel, it dawned on me that I couldn't rule out that this was the author's intentions. It had the feel of the 1950's and 1960's detective movies with the gruff speaking detectives who "told a story".

One side note that kind of drove me crazy was that the author talked about the shooting of Lana Turner's boyfriend by her daughter. Problem was that it was a stabbing and not a shooting. I also couldn't figure out the who and why it was important to the story. There were quite a few issues like that, but this one really stood out to me and almost a Hollywood name dropping.

Source: Netgalley for Publisher

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE EMPTY GLASS is an interesting fictitious account of Marilyn Monroe's final days and death, blending facts with popular (conspiracy) theories.

The protagonist of the story is Ben Fitzgerald, the fictional deputy coroner for Los Angeles County, who is called to Marilyn's home the morning after she died. His somewhat simple job of notifying next-of-kin becomes very complicated and dangerous when he finds and steals Marilyn's diary (called The Book of Secrets!!). Some very powerful people find out Ben has the diary, and they're determined to get it back, whatever the cost. Ben is not certain who is after him, but he knows his life is in danger, just as he's sure Marilyn's death was not suicide. He decides to investigate...

One of the big mysteries of the 20th century was what really happened to Marilyn Monroe, so I was curious to read this book. It took me a while to get used to the writing style. Ben is telling his story of the diary fiasco to someone - we don't know who - then, the story suddenly flips to a past event. I had to really pay attention to keep characters, times and places straight.

Though I had some issues with the book, overall I enjoyed reading THE EMPTY GLASS. The author's conclusion about how and why Marilyn Monroe died is quite plausible - I think. It does make me question a major part of the investigation. I read through this book pretty quickly because I had to know how it ended (and I'm not a fast reader!). A page turner, for sure. It was a great choice of book to read on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not resist reading "The Empty Glass", a book that ends the speculation surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death. The story begins when Ben, the L.A. Coroner, arrives at Marilyn's home hours after she is found in her bed of an apparent overdose. Ben takes her diary from the scene and reads Marilyn's book of secrets, which reveals a wounded woman desperate for a normal relationship. Her glamorous life provided clues to what really happened that fateful night while advancing themes of abandonment, betrayal, and love.

The story was set in the 1950's, and the events and dialog mirrored classic film noir, which I loved! Famous people such as Frank Sinatra and Rock Hudson were included in the plot, adding credibility to the premise. I appreciated the inclusion of documents such as a coroner's report and lab analysis, which gave the story a realistic foundation. As the mystery unraveled, so did Ben's life. Suddenly, dastardly characters popped out of nowhere and threatened him and his family. The writing was great, and the short sentences and quick dialog whipped me through the story. Jack and Bobby Kennedy played a prominent role in the story, and the author revealed whether or not they were involved in the murderous plot.

I loved traveling back in time and learning the true identify of Marilyn's killer. Lovers of classic films would enjoy this as much as I did.

Please read more of my reviews on my blog: http://fastpageturner.wordpress.com

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut novel, I think this one was pretty darned good. The author adds an unusual perspective to the reasons for Marilyn Monroe's death. As in real life, evidence seemed to indicate either suicide or homicide, but in my personal opinion, I believe the woman was murdered, not necessarily by the people named in this novel. The novel is written in a very short chaptered noir style, and if one had not known about this actress and her history with the Kennedys and others, I could see where some people could find it very confusing. The novel presumes that the reader already knows the basic facts of the case of this lovely woman's death. Personally, I was 11 years old when this happened and living in the San Fernando Valley and remember being very shocked by the event. I think the author wrote a very heart wrenching book, although it is never clear as to who the "doctor" he is relating the story to is. One can only presume the book ended sadly for all the major characters. It pulled at my heartstrings.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book yesterday and shortly after I was done turned on the television to watch the news and there was a picture of Marilyn Monroe. Turns out that yesterday would have been her birthday, which was kind of creepy because this book is about Marilyn's apparent suicide and the controversy surrounding it. Yet it is so much more than a retelling or rehashing of this story because the author has added a new element to this story. Ben, an asst. coroner is called to the scene of Marilyn's death and from there his life is irrevocable changed, told in flashbacks to a psychiatrist in prison, we follow Ben as he investigated Marilyn's death. Baker has done a wonderful job writing in a paranoid noir style (yes with all the constant smoking and drinking that these novels always included, a style he maintains until the end. Very good read, a thriller that I could not put down until I finished. Readers of the old noir mysteries will love this book. ARC from Net Galley.

[Lisa B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, well, well - this was pretty darn interesting. I was too young in 1962 to remember the death of Marilyn Monroe, but have certainly heard all the stories surrounding the mystery of her last few years and her supposed suicide. I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t so sure the topic would interest me, but boy, was I wrong. This book pulls the different theories surrounding Marilyn’s death together in a very readable, entertaining and fast paced mystery.

This is a debut from Mr. Baker. All I can say is - Bravo! This author is definitely on my list as someone to watch for his next book. What story will you tell us next?


Thank you to Penguin Group/Blue Rider Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.


Publish date: July 19, 2012

[Adriane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing.

This work of fiction is based on the days after Marilyn Monroe's apparent suicide, and the deputy coroner and an investigative journalist, on the trail of what looks to be a government cover-up. People disappear, lies are figured for truth and vice versa, and most of all....everyone is watching you.

I would say this book has a very noir feel to it, and I enjoyed the banter between Ben and Jo. The plot twists constantly keep you guessing... is Ben crazy, a product of his addiction, or is he really being hunted by the dark secret circles of power who are trying to suppress his story?

A great read, I suggest it to anyone who likes mysteries, conspiracies, noir fiction or just Marilyn in general.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

LA Deputy Coroner Ben Fitzgerald becomes intimately involved in the case surrounding the death of starlet Marilyn Monroe in 1952. The story unfolds from a unique perspective which pits Ben at the forefront, almost to the extent of overshadowing Monroe’s suicide. The narrative is very much a retelling of Ben’s life throughout the investigation which leads to him being a suspect for many crimes including abduction, stalking and murder running parallel to Monroe’s re-enactment of her final moments by virtue of a hidden diary. I liked it but was hoping for more Ellroy and Megan Abbott-like writing to compliment the plot. 3.5 stars.

[ceeeeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a juicy read....i love 'alternative history' fiction (when it is well done; much of it is rather schlocky, in my opinion) and have always been fascinated by the trials, tribulations and tragic and mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe....to see the legend extrapolated this way and bring in the possible political ramifications of her associations and how they may have contributed to her death was gripping reading...well-researched, the blurring of the lines between fact and fiction was brilliantly executed...a great 'it could have happened!' story...loved it!....this is another title i will be purchasing in hard copy and i am giving it 4 1/2 stars out of 5

[Merja Pohjola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hmph. Jeanne Carmen. Yes,it is a novel, BUT by writing/reading about these conspiracy theories (at their worst, I might say, no more without revealing the end) we give credence of the rumors plus Jeanne Carmen and the like. Okay, yes, I read it too, but I think I might say I "know better" without sounding too arrogant. I hate to think people who have read nothing but Summers's bio or something come across this and it just makes it so much harder to try and explain why things couldn't go the way conspiracy theorists claim. As I have said before, I read to know the "enemy" and their claims. So I wanna hear everything that is being written - even in novels. Not recommended to anyone, sorry.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an extraordinary book.
A call comes into the station about a celebrity being dead and coroner Ben is on the case. It just so happens that the lovely Miss Monroe is the unfortunate soul. As he sneaks and peaks around, he finds her "diary" and calls the number in the book that is written everywhere.
At home, he realizes what he had and has to go back and get that diary. This is when his life starts to slowly explode right in front of his eyes.
An edge of your seat mystery that will leave you breathless. How one little mistake can turn into a life of regret. One second you have it all and the next you're down in the dirt.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The literary equivalent of film noir. With the familiar troika of the mafia, the C.I.A. and the Kennedys all play into this dark little tale. A field day for conspiracy theorists. Ben Fitzgerald, Deputy Coroner, gets a little too curious about some things that seem out of place at the death scene of a particular well know actress, and it does not prove good for his health. Real life people populate this book, on the periphery, like Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Thomas Noguchi and the beautiful, blonde but deceased actress.