St. Martin's, Mar 2002, 22.95, 231 pp.
ISBN: 0312262493
In 1963 on the last day of shooting of Kissin Cousins, Elvis feels embarrassed by the movie, his dual roles, and the inane songs. Adding to Elvis' feelings of helplessness is the media frenzy over his romance with his co-star Ann Margaret and the left-handed comments of his current producer. At a press conference, Elvis makes it clear that with a good script he would provide a strong performance.
However, his angst-laden soliloquy backfires, as every lunatic sends in an “Oscar winning” script. The deluge is just one more reason to escape the Colonel, Priscilla, and the media. Elvis chooses the only interesting item amidst the flood, the case of stuntman Freddy “Squirm” Littlejon as his escape vehicle. Squirm is serving a life sentence for the 1960 Hollywood murder of a bit player, Holly McDougal. Squirm includes a picture of himself with Elvis in military uniforms. Elvis takes on the case as a means of escaping his troubles and because he feels a special bond with stuntmen and veterans; Squirm is both. Elvis begins his second investigation (see KILL ME TENDER for his first case).
The premise of BLUE SUEDE CLUES is that a troubled Elvis turns to amateur sleuthing for relief from his woes. The story line is fun for those readers who enjoy the mystery of sighting Elvis in a mall, but the idiosyncrasies of the superstar never surface; the reason many will want to read this novel. Instead Elvis could easily be John Doe, everyman amateur sleuth. The investigation is fun, but except for those in the audience who live Graceland, sub-genre readers will return to author Daniel Klein disappointed.
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases - 10% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 60%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kind of investigator
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- musician
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- California
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
