Hasn't Marilyn Monroe been through enough? Sam Staggs resurrects her for a suspense novel that finds the bombshell on the verge of divulging her relationship with JFK. The Kennedys respond by kidnapping her, faking her death, and holding her captive on a Western farm. Before long, Marilyn escapes. Using an alias and relying on the kindness of strangers, she makes her way to New York. Staggs is clearly a Monroe fanatic, but the message of MMII — ''look what Hollywood did to Norma Jean'' — runs about as deep as Elton John's ''Candle in the Wind.'' But give Staggs credit for making his Marilyn smart, funny, and drug-free. Too bad he didn't come up with adventures to match her charms. When she finally arrives in New York, she gets a job in a bookstore and starts dating a stockbroker. Monroe came back for this? C+
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