Review: Blue Suede Clues

A fabulous installment in this terrific series. Elvis Presley does the sleuthing!

Freddy “Squirm” Littlejohn sent Elvis a letter and photo. The photo was from four years ago when Elvis was in Germany in the army. It was of Elvis singing with other Army guys at Christmas. Squirm was one of them. His letter asked for Elvis’ help. Squirm was serving a life sentence for a murder he didn’t commit. Holly McDougal had been strangled on the MGM lot.

Elvis went to the California Correction Institution in Tehachapi to see Squirm. He met Bob Reardon, warden of CCI. After his discussion with Squirm, the warden gave Elvis a script. In a recent interview Elvis had asked for a first-class script.

Then Elvis contacted Regis Clifford, Squirm’s lawyer. Elvis quickly concluded that Regis was a drinker. He discussed Squirm’s case. He found out that a makeup artist named Connie Spinelli had told Regis that Holly McDougal was a wild kid. She said that she ‘made a stripper blush to her ankles.’ Unfortunately when Regis went to meet with Spinelli, she had vanished.

He also told Elvis that Miss Nanette Poulette, Squirm’s girlfriend, had given some damning testimony against him which seemed to seal his fate.

Elvis asked around about Spinelli and finally got someone to talk to him. He then called his buddy Billy Jackson and asked for his help in contacting her.

Elvis went to the stunt shack on the MGM lot. He met Will Cathcart, a stuntman and rodeo rider. He showed Elvis around including the bunk room where Holly had died. Will had not been around then. He also gave Elvis a trial ride on Nelly, the stuntman’s mistrees, a harness. While dangling from the harness, he met Mickey Grieves, Squirem’s good buddy who had referred Squirm to his attorney.

I won’t tell you anymore. You’ll have to read to find out how Elvis keeps digging and digging to find out the truth behind the strangling of Holly McDougal. So many times I had to remind myself that Elvis never did all this investigation. It is written so well and with such believability and history interwoven, that I often forget it’s fiction.

Mr. Klein has done a great job in catching the true essence of Elvis and using it in his books.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Dawn Dowdle

Book Review: Blue Suede Clues