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THE EMPTY GLASS

Jim I. Baker

A riveting, paranoiac noir that weaves together true historical events with infamous conspiracy theories to search for the truth behind how Marilyn Monroe died and why.

In the early-morning hours of August 5, 1962, Los Angeles County Deputy Coroner Ben Fitzgerald begins a routine next-of-kin search through the late Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood hacienda. There, he discovers the starlet's so-called "Book of Secrets" - a druggy diary depicting a doomed relationship with a man she refers to only as "The General." The deeper Ben reads into the diary, the deeper he finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy far bigger than he can imagine, and becomes the only person who can reveal the truth about Monroe's life and death. Soon, the paranoid events in the Book of Secrets bleed into Ben's own life, and he finds himself, like Monroe, trapped in a deepening conspiracy. THE EMPTY GLASS is an unforgettable combination of the real-life facts and legendary theories that have dogged Monroe, the Kennedys, the Mafia, and even the CIA for decades - and a thrilling debut from a remarkable new writer. J. I. BAKER is the executive editor of Condé Nast Traveler. Prior to that, he was development editor at Time Inc.; he has also worked at Real Simple, Glamour, Us, and is one of the founding editors of Time Out New York.

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Book Published 2012-07-01 by Blue Rider

Comments

THE EMPTY GLASS comes rampaging out of the gate and keeps on roaring and roistering until the sad, salutary shock of its final pages. After I started, the vivid writing and the presence of the unhappy latter-day Marilyn Monroe kept me reading all the way to the end. I want to tell everyone within the sound of my voice to buy this splendid novel. It's really punchy and really good, and you really should read it.

Stylishly written and perfectly paced, THE EMPTY GLASS is noir fiction re-imagined for the modern era, a novel that is sharp, smart and breathlessly fast-paced, yet somehow manages to convey the slow burn of an old regret. As such, it marks the auspicious debut of a new voice in American suspense.

James Ellroy fans will relish Baker’s impressive first novel, a dark paranoid thriller.

J.I. Baker takes a bold run into Cain and DeLillo territory and scores. THE EMPTY GLASS is chilled and redolent of a good gin martini, leaving you primed to order another.

Italian rights sold to Rizzoli!

A gripping and pulse-pounding conspiracy. Smart, perfectly atmospheric and ultimately heartbreaking, it will stay with you long after the final page.

Baker conjures a suitably paranoid atmosphere and crackling dialogue in this look at the seedy intersection of celebrity, politics, and power.

Riveting, brilliant, and endlessly fascinating. Writing from a wholly original perspective, J.I. Baker has mixed the history and mystery of one of the most intriguing deaths of last century and created a shocking, unputdownable thriller.