cover image The Death of Elvis

The Death of Elvis

Charles C. Thompson, II, James P. Cole. Delacorte Press, $19.95 (407pp) ISBN 978-0-385-30228-9

Thompson, a producer at 60 Minutes , and newsman/editor Cole attempt to clear up the mystery of Elvis Presley's death in 1977 by showing that the real cause was not, as others have proposed, heart attack, cancer, suicide or murder but an accidental overdose of multiple drugs, including codeine, to which the King was allergic. They purportedly spent a decade investigating all aspects of his pathetic last years--marked by depression and inability to cope with reality, by difficult relationships with women and sleazy associates who fawned on him and later cashed in on his death, by addiction to medical drugs and reliance on a doctor who fostered this drug dependency. Every grisly detail of his final hours is examined, as well as the autopsy that followed. Fans hungry for gory particulars about Elvis's death may be morbidly fascinated, but most readers will find this report extremely disagreeable. Photos not seen by PW. (Jan.)