The Men who Murdered Marilyn, by Matthew Smith (Bloomsbury, £6.99 in UK)

One of these days somebody is going to come up with a stunning new theory about the death of Marilyn Monroe - that she was a …

One of these days somebody is going to come up with a stunning new theory about the death of Marilyn Monroe - that she was a desperately unhappy drunk who accidentally overdosed on sleeping tablets, say, putting a premature end to what had, by her own admission, been a mostly miserable life. Meanwhile the pathetic corpse is periodically exhumed, poked about a bit and reburied with another layer of legend added. In this book, which combines various conspiracy theories in a new and admittedly plausible way, Matthew Smith claims to have the last word on the subject - but I wouldn't hold my breath.

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Arminta Wallace

Arminta Wallace

Arminta Wallace is a former Irish Times journalist