Books by Gerald Duff

Did Elvis's identical twin, Jesse Garon Presley, really die at birth? Not according to Lance Lee, the hero of Gerald Duff's darkly comic dissection of fame and rock 'n' roll. Lee, who makes his living as an Elvis imitator, claims to be the long-presumed dead twin. In a style that faithfully reproduces Elvis's plaintive bravado, Lance-Jesse recounts being hidden away and passed off as Elvis's "cousin" until he needs to impersonate Elvis to stave off bullies at school; later, he is obliged to "play Elvis" every time The King has an attack of nerves. As performing substitute, Jesse has had a lifetime to enjoy being a goodtiming, honeyloving, non-drug-dependent Elvis.

This novel is set in three Aprils, those of 1967, '68, and '69, in Music City. It presents characters caught up in events ranging from the thoughtful and sincerely well meaning to the truly felonious and certifiably insane. The novel is humorous, yet serious. Its fire is literal and emotional, and it is not to be stoked.