Cheryl Crane

Detour is the shocking and sad autobiography of Stephen Crane and Lana Turner's only child, Cheryl. Told from her own perspective, starting when she was old enough to recall snippets of her odd childhood, Cheryl candidly speaks of a nightmarish upbringing filled with nannies, step-fathers, an absentee Hollywood Star mother, and abuse at the hands of all of them. Back in the 1930s and 1940s, when the studios recruited and cultivated teenagers with "Star" appeal, the unforgettable faces we all love on the big screen were, in reality, narcissistic, spoiled monsters with no moral compasses. When they had children, it was often a disaster for the kids. Cheryl's story is horrifying in every respect, and it's a miracle she lived through it. Filled with her encounters along the way with other star-babies, Cheryl relives her rape at age ten by Lex Baxter—an actor that played Tarzan—the accidental murder of Johnny Stompanato—a small-time gangster—who was dating her mother, and her court-controlled incarceration for years until she was eighteen. Interesting and well-documented, this is a story that will curl your toes.… (mehr)

I was very interested in reading IMITATION OF DEATH by Cheryl Crane after I knew a little of the author’s background. Cheryl Crane is the daughter of Hollywood movie legend, Lana Turner. Interestingly, Crane herself committed murder in 1958 at the age of 14 when she fatally stabbed her mother’s abusive boyfriend. The stabbing was ruled to be justifiable homicide because she was protecting her mother at the time. Crane has written an autobiography, Detour: a Hollywood Tragedy – My Life With Lana Turner, My Mother and other books.

IMITATION OF DEATH is the second book in the Nikki Harper Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone novel. IMITATION OF DEATH seems to be a story that is parallel to Crane’s personal life. Today, Crane works in real estate in California. Her heroine, Nikki Harper, also works in real estate and has a mother who is a Hollywood legend. Crane’s personal background in old Hollywood has apparently been a positive factor in creating Nikki and the other characters in this series. Her inside knowledge of celebrity life has enabled her to create a believable and exciting fictional mystery. I found myself fully engaged in this mystery involving celebrities and scandal. The plot is excellent and there’s a surprising twist in the end. I think all mystery lovers will enjoy IMITATION OF DEATH.

RATING: 4

Heat Rating: Mild

REVIEWED BY: Molly Waters

Courtesy of My Book Addiction and More… (mehr)