The Body Double by Emily Beyda begins in an unnamed small-town movie theater but mostly takes place in Hollywood, California.

The narrator doesn’t have a name. She’s been brought to Hollywood in order to be a body double for a famous movie star – both on and off-screen. She spends her time learning everything about Rosanna Feld so that she can become Rosanna. Her only job is to be Rosanna. She’s paid a lot of money to forget her former life.

Max is the man who hires her to be the body double. He’s a sleazeball but the narrator seems to like him. She’s suspicious of him but she overlooks quite a bit to keep him happy.

She does spend some time trying to figure out what happened to the real Rosanna. In the end, her questions are answered. I won’t give away the ending but it was not what I expected.

Recommendation

If you’re interested in stories about Hollywood and movie stars – the glamour and also the seedy parts- then you will probably enjoy “The Body Double.” The book has been compared to the movie “Vertigo.” I cannot believe that I haven’t seen the movie.

If you aren’t a fan of Hollywood or crime fiction, then this book might be too fancy for you.

• I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.
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