Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
5th out of 18 books
—
23 voters
The Empty Glass
by
J.I. Baker
In the early-morning hours of August 5, 1962, Los Angeles County deputy coroner Ben Fitzgerald arrives at the home of the world's most famous movie star, now lying dead in her bedroom, naked and still clutching a telephone. There he discovers The Book of Secrets--Marilyn Monroe's diary--revealing a doomed love affair with a man she refers to only as "The General." In the f...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
July 19th 2012
by Blue Rider Press
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
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...more
"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...more
12 likes · like · see review
view all 18 comments
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, t...more
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, t...more
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 bo...more
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...more
May 19, 2012
Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by:
Great Minds Think Aloud
Shelves:
may-2012-reads
Marilyn Monroe’s 1962 death: accident? Suicide? Murder?
The coroner, Thomas Noguchi, ruled “probably suicide,” despite the fact that no evidence remained of barbiturate overdose, and evidence was present that her body had been moved. Nearly 50 years later (August 5, 1962, will mark the 50th anniversary of the then 36-year-old actress), conspiracy theories are rife, probably nearly as many as abound over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, reputedly one of Marilyn’s many lovers (along...more
The coroner, Thomas Noguchi, ruled “probably suicide,” despite the fact that no evidence remained of barbiturate overdose, and evidence was present that her body had been moved. Nearly 50 years later (August 5, 1962, will mark the 50th anniversary of the then 36-year-old actress), conspiracy theories are rife, probably nearly as many as abound over the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, reputedly one of Marilyn’s many lovers (along...more
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 ou...more
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 ou...more
Not as informative as I had hoped. Marilyn Monroe is protrayed as a deeply disturbed woman who relied on pills and booze to get her through her days. The book does little to delineate her character other than this stereotyped picture of a woman afraid and relying on others for her comfort. On the morning of August 5, 1962, her body was found in her home, naked, lying face down on her bed and clutching a telephone. Los Angeles County deputy coroner Ben Fitzgerald discovers her diary and begins to...more
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 m...more
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 m...more
1 like · like · see review
Enjoyed the book.....the second half really gets moving! The whole story revolving around MM and her death brings up the old questions of her death....accidental OD or murder....found details of that time very much intact though one very important factor that I could not get out of my mind for the remainder of the story was on page 201 the author writes about Lana Turner, her boyfriend Johnny Stompanado, and the fact that Lana's daughter Cheryl, "eventually shot" and killed him...she didn't sho...more
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 a...more
2 likes · like · see review
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...more
This book was......I don't know...... If you grew up during the Kennedy years and the Marilyn Monroe era; I think you would find it fascinating. The author took some facts and wrote a fiction book...or did he? The style of writing made me think of a 1940's or 1950's B movie. Lots of darkness and sneaking around looking for clues. But the story involved the death of Marilyn Monroe in August of 1962. The main character is an LA County Deputy coroner who gets caught up in the mystery surrounding Ma...more
As far as conspiracy theories go the one described in The Empty Glass seems quite valid.
It’s not that the author offers -fact wise- something new when it comes to the death of Marilyn Monroe; it’s that he takes that incident and turns it into an exciting novel, rich in twists and turns, that keeps the reader guessing from first page to last.
Did Marilyn kill herself or did someone have her killed in a way that looked like suicide? The author and his hero, Deputy Coroner Ben Fitzgerald, have no do...more
It’s not that the author offers -fact wise- something new when it comes to the death of Marilyn Monroe; it’s that he takes that incident and turns it into an exciting novel, rich in twists and turns, that keeps the reader guessing from first page to last.
Did Marilyn kill herself or did someone have her killed in a way that looked like suicide? The author and his hero, Deputy Coroner Ben Fitzgerald, have no do...more
I did not want to review this book. Firstly, because this book is just super painful. I don't mean painful the way that I usually do, I mean this book pulls not a single punch. Just thinking about it is enough to bring down my mood. However, I tend to think of that as a job well done for the author. I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to feel crappy after/during reading this, and I really still do. I actually want to give it three stars out of spite for causing me pain, but it's just to good to do that...more
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...more
3 likes · like · see review
“After a while everything started to blur.” Starting with the first line on the first page I knew I was in for a great read. Don’t know why I knew, but I wasn’t wrong.
First time novelist J.I. Baker has hit the ground running with “The Empty Glass.” Taking the reader on a thrill ride headlong into conspiracy, cover-ups and the possibility of murder in the much debated death of Miss Marilyn Monroe. To be honest the literary world has seen more than its share of books pointing to all sorts of concl...more
First time novelist J.I. Baker has hit the ground running with “The Empty Glass.” Taking the reader on a thrill ride headlong into conspiracy, cover-ups and the possibility of murder in the much debated death of Miss Marilyn Monroe. To be honest the literary world has seen more than its share of books pointing to all sorts of concl...more
James Ellroy could have taken this concept, and knocked it out of the park!
THE EMPTY GLASS is a fictionalized account of the death of Marilyn Monroe, however many of the events and character interactions actually happened, but unless you are an authority on the life of the actress, you can't separate 'Fiction' from 'Reality'. The novel is told from the perspective of Ben Fitzgerald, an employee of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, and it seems that he is being interviewed in some kind of...more
THE EMPTY GLASS is a fictionalized account of the death of Marilyn Monroe, however many of the events and character interactions actually happened, but unless you are an authority on the life of the actress, you can't separate 'Fiction' from 'Reality'. The novel is told from the perspective of Ben Fitzgerald, an employee of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, and it seems that he is being interviewed in some kind of...more
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...more
1 like · like · see review
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 n...more
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 n...more
i was prepared for this book to be an unclear noir as i had read reviews. in my opinion, some of the best books out there are unclear noirs. and certainly, any fictional account of marilyn monroe's suicide as a possible cover-up involving both government, celebrities, and mafia-types is certain to be bleak. but this book really went into bleak city. poor marilyn. the empty glass opened in perfect noir style - a drugged up narrator ranting to a mysterious doctor, presented with a string of number...more
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...more
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 d...more
This novel is written in the form of a noir film. I gave The Empty Glass 4 stars because reading this book was a lot of "brain" work for me.
Ben Fitzgerald presents his Marilyn Monroe theory via his "real time" eyes, actions and narrative. I had to keep focused on the words in front of me to figure out who was speaking, acting, observing in the fog.
With this type of writing style, it was hard to really develop the characters. I felt very distanced from Ben and that made it hard to keep cheering...more
Ben Fitzgerald presents his Marilyn Monroe theory via his "real time" eyes, actions and narrative. I had to keep focused on the words in front of me to figure out who was speaking, acting, observing in the fog.
With this type of writing style, it was hard to really develop the characters. I felt very distanced from Ben and that made it hard to keep cheering...more
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...more
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 d...more
SPOILER: Near the end I was afraid he was going for a Shutter Island ending, with his d...more
ARC Giveaway & Book Review: When the publisher asked whether I wanted to read and potentially review The Empty Glass by J.I. Baker, I wasn’t sure at first. I thought, what more could be said about Marilyn Monroe’s death and why would someone write a novel about it? Then I became intrigued when I read the concept for the novel. We’ve all probably read the many theories about what might have happened but I think nothing has ever really been resolved in most people’s minds. Her death is still s...more
This was a mystery/thriller based on the death of Marilyn Monroe. If you are into the conspiracy theories, the Kennedy family involvement with Marilyn, etc., this book is for you. It is a little disjointed with the style, and sometimes hard to follow if you are not reading the book in one sitting. The narrator is a deputy coroner, and ends up discovering a diary that Marilyn wrote that detailed her involvement with the Kennedy brothers when investigating the death scene. He ends up investigating...more
Marilyn Monroe died August 5, 1962. This novel features Ben Fitzgerald as deputy coroner who finds her diary and follows leads to figure out the last days of her life, which are not a pretty picture. Fitzgerald is beaten up several times, his wife deserts him for a theoretical Mafia person. Their son Max suffers. Robert Kennedy is assumed to have been a suitor.
The Empty Glass refers to the fact that Monroe is thought to have died of an overdose but there is not a glass to swallow them down.
Perh...more
The Empty Glass refers to the fact that Monroe is thought to have died of an overdose but there is not a glass to swallow them down.
Perh...more
For anyone who remembers when Marilyn Monroe died -- or for anyone who wants an interesting take of historical facts, coupled with some fiction....take the time to read "The Empty Glass.
I've always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe (I was in grade school when she died), and it wasn't until I started reading about her life from various biographies -- that there was much more to her death.
"The Empty Glass" really takes the reader behind the scenes of the LAPD -- and names that we now from more cur...more
I've always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe (I was in grade school when she died), and it wasn't until I started reading about her life from various biographies -- that there was much more to her death.
"The Empty Glass" really takes the reader behind the scenes of the LAPD -- and names that we now from more cur...more
**I did win this book for free through the Goodreads first reads contest**
I have to say it did take me a little bit to get in to this book and to understand how the narrator is telling the story, but once I did, it was a great read! I loved how he was able to tie in really simple things as evidence that it was not a suicide, things that I would have never thought twice about.
There is one main character Ben Fitzgerald, and I didn't really connect with him at all, I was able to follow the story th...more
I have to say it did take me a little bit to get in to this book and to understand how the narrator is telling the story, but once I did, it was a great read! I loved how he was able to tie in really simple things as evidence that it was not a suicide, things that I would have never thought twice about.
There is one main character Ben Fitzgerald, and I didn't really connect with him at all, I was able to follow the story th...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book Haven: Win an ARC of The Empty Glass by J.I. Baker | 1 | 6 | Jul 30, 2012 10:00am | |
| The Indie Exchang...: Win an ARC of The Empty Glass by J.I. Baker | 1 | 6 | Jul 30, 2012 09:58am | |
| Bloggers Unite™ : Win an ARC of The Empty Glass by J.I. Baker | 1 | 2 | Jul 30, 2012 09:56am | |
| Book Bloggers Ano...: Win an ARC of The Empty Glass by J.I. Baker | 1 | 1 | Jul 30, 2012 09:56am | |
| Creative Reviews: Win an ARC of The Empty Glass by J.I. Baker | 1 | 1 | Jul 30, 2012 09:55am |
