Impersonators Books

Rarely are sequels as entertaining or as well written as their predecessors. In this case, Christy Barritt not only manages to match the appeal found in Hazardous Duty, but has actually exceeded the fun.

This time Gabby St. Claire, crime-scene cleaner finds herself scrubbing up another mystifying scene when she literally stumbles upon a dead Elvis impersonator. The laughs never stop coming. Yet, we feel for Gabby's struggles as she sorts out her personal life and begins the road to a spiritual journey and self discovery.

And what of her would-be competitor, Chad Davis? As annoying as he is handsome, could they possibly team up without conflict? Even he comes under suspicion as Gabby pieces together the myriad of clues leading to a double murder. Adding the threats against her own life.

In characteristic lovable humor, Christy Barritt has woven a delightful tale that can be enjoyed by any age and gender.

Are you tired of thinking about rising gas prices, the falling stock market, and the static real estate trend? Moments after you begin to read Suspicious Minds you will find yourself transported to another place - a hilarious one. I read this book while my husband was asleep in another room and literally had to clamp a hand over my mouth to drown the laughter.
The tongue-in-cheek Elvis quips are too funny. Gabby St. Clair becomes even more lovable in this book. I can't wait for the third.

Gabby St. Clair cleans up crime scenes for a living. Not a job most of us would want, but someone has to do it, and she needs the money. When a client calls about a potential mold remedial job, she takes it on too. She has to wiggle through a crawl space draped with cobwebs and dirt, dodges snakes and spiders, and finds plenty of mold. She also finds something she never expected: Elvis, fancy pantsuit and all, and guess what--he really is dead. Except he turns out to be a guy named Darnell Evans, an Elvis impersonator, whom several people might want dead. Gabby sets out to find the killer, and gets herself into a heap of trouble. Another humorous suspense from Christy Barritt, featuring her klutzy, wise-cracking amateur sleuth, Gabby St. Clair.

In Suspicious Minds crime scene cleaner Gabby St. Clair is back, larger than life and up to her cleaning eyeballs in another murder. Not only do we get to see the quirky yet lovable Gabby again, but the cast of oddball neighbors hold starring roles in the book as well. Add a new love interest in the form of surfer dude, Chad Davis and you've got a zany mystery that no one could resist.

I certainly couldn't. I zipped through the fun murder mystery in a night and sat forlornly waiting for another. What? Murder fun? If you think murder can't be a hoot, Barritt proves you wrong when Gabby branches out from crime scene cleaning to crawl space mold remediation. But the moldiest thing she discovers in the disgusting spider infested space is the body of Elvis. Yes, Elvis. A tribute artist, that is.


Gabby, the wannabe forensic investigator and soon to be one if she finishes college, can't help but investigate the murder. And if that isn't enough to keep her busy, one Chad Davis surfer and retired morgue attendant turned crime scene cleaner gives Gabby a run for her cleaning business.


Suspicious Minds is the second book in The Squeaky Clean Mystery series from Christy Barritt. Barritt has penned a terrific second novel that combines a strong mystery, boat loads of humor, and romance. Gabby is a loveable, witty, and caring character. But Barritt doesn't leave us merely with a fun read, she brings non-Christian (Gabby is gonna get me for this) closer to faith and along the way shows believers how they might be misconstrued by seekers. And there's a more serious thread about loneliness running through the book as well.


Please run, don't walk to your nearest book store and pick up Suspicious Minds and if you haven't read Hazardous Duty, the first in the series, snatch up one of those as well. You'll race right through them and like me, sit in longing for the third book.

A kooky red head, a dead Elvis, a live Elvis, a surfer, an animal rights advocate, too many good looking men, danger, confusion, blood, guts and murder...
This book has it all!
Gabby St. Claire, a crime scene cleaner, finds more than a mess in a moldy crawl space. There's a dead Elvis in there. She meets a variety of oddballs during her unauthorized investigation of the crime and someone desperately wants her to mind her own business!

Christy Barritt addresses some very serious topics in a book that is easy to read, fun, and deep at the same time.

"Like me this book plays with men. Provocative, irreverent, acerbic and witty, it offers one gigantic intellectual orgam after another." - Margi Clarke

One of the most interesting - and funniest - books I've ever read, and certainly by far the best on masculinity. I especially enjoyed the masterpiece chapter on the movie 'Top Gun' which completely convincingly interprets it as a gay movie and shows how Cruise's real interest is Val Kilmer not Kelly McGillis.

Shortly after this book was published Quentin Tarantino appeared in a film called 'Sleep With Me' arguing this exact point. I wonder if he had a copy of Simpson's book in his dressing-room?

"Mark Simpson detects and dissects the myths of machismo and its attendant media circus with refreshing gusto and wit."`

`These smashingly provocative essays by the spunky Brit writer Mark Simpson... detonate myths, stereotypes and icons, gay as well as straight. The psycho-social line separating homo and hetero maleness, he fulsomely shows, is much fuzzier than Robert Bly and Pat Buchanan find it to be.'

`This set of high-spirited essays displays more insight into the masculine mystique than has the decade of earnest men's studies that preceded it. Simpson has an unerring eye for the inner logic and pretences of a wide range of masculine enterprises and symbols. ` - Choices

Great mirrored cover, a must for the completist.Very entertaining!

"Wise men say, only fools rush in. But I can't help falling in love with you." That should help put you in the mood for reading this review. "You ain't nothin' but a hound dog!"

Although this book is about impersonating Elvis, I was intrigued about the many details about how Elvis achieved his effects on his audience.

The author is an Elvis impersonator who is president of the Elvis Impersonators International Association. You will learn almost everything you need to know to look, sound, and act like Elvis in a way that will stimulate those who meet you. After this book is widely read, Elvis sightings should definitely soar!

You get instructions for creating your own Elvis costume for around $170 (if you do your own sewing and can rent some blue suede shoes). If you are like me, you didn't know that Elvis used lots of make-up in his stage appearances. You will learn how to put that make-up on yourself, as well as dye your hair the right color (yes, Elvis dyed his hair, too).

If you are simply a loyal Elvis fan, you can be more like him by using only the products he did (Brut, Colgate toothpaste, Wella Balsam shampoo, Neutrogena soap, Scope and Listerine), so you can smell as nice as he always did.

The book contains instructions for making your entrance, putting together songs in the way Elvis would have done, and making a splashy exit. I never would have thought of hiring people to pretend to be your bodyguards.

You are cautioned to keep your act and costuming in sync.

If you do decide to become an impersonator, you get lots of marketing advice as well.

After Elvis died, many people resented impersonators. Since then, many people hunger for more Elvis and the impersonators have gotten better. Somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000 people now do Elvis impersonations. After this book, that number and quality will surely grow.

There is a lot of good humor in the book about what it is like to be an impersonator. Sometimes you can pick up tickets left for Elvis at the box office. Other times you may get a chance to advise on or appear in a movie, as the author did.

The many wonderful photographs of Elvis make this book fun to look at for Elvis fans.

There was only one let-down. The author says, "I firmly believe Elvis is dead." Maybe I'll have to go see an impersonator show after all.

You can enjoy this book as a serious look at Elvis, as a serious look at being an Elvis impersonator, or simply as good humored fun. In any dimension, you'll enjoy yourself!

After you have finished reading and enjoying your Elvis reveries, I suggest that you think about what else may be missing from your life that you once greatly enjoyed. How can you recapture that? This may mean revisiting old haunts, taking on new "old" experiences, or making new friends who share the old preferences. In any event, allow yourself to be real about what you once enjoyed. You can enjoy your youth at any age!

"Uh, thankya, thankya . . . very much!"

Being from Jacksonville, and a big fan of Rick's, I recommend this book for everyone whether you want to be Elvis, Priscilla or Lisa Marie!! Full of memorable pics of Elvis, Rick performing and pics of him with Celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker from "Honeymoon in Vegas". The book is colorful, entertaining and fun for any library! Rick is the "King" of showman himself, so slip into your blue suede shoes, lean back relax and enjoy "Be Elvis" - it rocks just like Rick and the forever King!

As a collector of the unusual , I found this highly entertaining. I have seen plenty of Elvis impersonators in my day, and this struck me as amazing that there is a how to book...

A great gift for an elvis fans everywhere

This is the most comprehensive study of cross dressing I've seen.

The text covers the subject very well - not just here in the United States, but a large portion of it covers the scene in London and Paris as well.

The illustrations are great, and show what can be done.

This is not a "how to" book as much as a "here it is" book. Everyone who is at all interested in cross dressing will, I'm sure, find it very worthwhile. Just looking at the photos is worth the price.

There probably won't be another croosdressing book for a long time that covers the field as thoroughly, and the cover photo alone makes it a worthwhile addition to anyone's coffee rable!

Eve

Eve

As the proprietor of a drag performance club in New York, I eagerly awaited the release of this book, which had been rumoured about for almost a decade on the scene. Well, this book was worth the wait!

Brubach does a workmanlike treatment of the material, including some outstanding documentation of Parisian icon J. Alexander, but it's O'Brien's photos that make this book a must for anyone interested in transvestism, drag or late 20th century glamour. This former student of Walker Evans certainly carries on the documentary tradition brilliantly here, with this non-cliched, deeply sensitive portraiture.

Masterfully done by a man (photographer Michael James O'Brien) & a woman (Holly Brubach), who share a real appreciation of the fine art of cross- dressing & its trials & triumphs, this is the best, most caring analysis of drag & its artists I've ever read & the empathy & depth of perception caught by the photos (some color, some b/w) is alone more than worth the full price of admission (which I was glad to pay in the bookstore!)

Initially I picked this book up on the strength of the wonderful photographs by Michael James O'Brien. However it was the broad scope of Holly Brubach's look at the phenomenon of drag in different cultures and the depth of her observations about gender, which ultimately delighted me.

Ms. Brubach writes with a keen eye and ear for ironic details. Her expertise in the field of fashion and the arts gives her a unique perspective from which to write about drag, but if you think this subject superficial prepare to be surprised. Her humor, necessary to exploring such a subject, often had me laughing out loud. Highly recommended!

A great book with a ton of humor and heart. I recommend it highly!

In this book, Pearsall takes on the bane of all teens: a parent who embarrasses you! Hey, it doesn't get any worse than a semi-normal dad changing careers to become an Elvis impersonator. You can't help cracking up (and being glad it's not you) as Josh--the main character--has to deal with everything from his dad's new sideburns to his "gigs" around town while Josh is trying to fit in at a new school. Other interesting characters abound in this book from bizarro chic Ivory (possible girlfriend?) to dog collar-wearing Digger to old lady neighbor Gladys--all who want to befriend Josh as he desperately tries not to draw attention to himself! The book is a fast and good read--I think of Deliver Us from Normal by Kate Klise or Al Capone Does My Shirts by Choldenko as comparable books. It's funny, sometimes painful to read as Josh tries to cope, and ultimately rewarding in the end (I won't tell--you'll have to read it yourself!)

THis is suck a cute story, i would say mostly those who love tomboish girls who do their own thing.

I loved this installation of the series, can't wait for the next book.

This book is one of the best biographies I have read in years. Mainly because it captures Sarria not as a dry historical figure, but captures who he is and the way he remembers his life and his rich and eccentric personality as well. Gorman tells about his personal struggles and views while writing this book in an article that can be found at http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/mattsmind/gorman.html

This semi-autobiographical story of Jose Sarria, the founder of the Imperial Court System in San Francisco CA in 1965, is a remarkable read. Jose has been aware of his Gay identity since childhood and never had a problem with it. In this book we learn of his many experiences from World War II to several World Fairs to the history of the Imperial Court system. Throughout the book, Jose's voice is clear and to the point. Reading his quotes is like having tea with him. You laugh and cry and learn to love a remarkable man. He's Gandhi in a dress and still going strong! Perfect reading for the beach or for gift giving.

Princess DaisyMae Imperial Court of New York

Rick Koslowski's "The King" is a unique story of an enigmatic Elvis impersonator who's making his reputation in the Vegas strip and in the world. A mystery man who hides his face behind a golden helmet, his performances are mesmerizing, so much so that his fans start believing he really is Elvis Presley. When a former tabloid journalist makes it his personal mission to find out The King's true identity and debunk this strange performer's comeback as Elvis, he runs into more than he bargained for!

Writer/Artist Rich Koslowski keeps raising the bar - and then jumping over it. Fresh from his incredible graphic novel 'Three Fingers' comes 'The King'.

The quirky humor of 'The Three Geeks' and his other early works is a bit muted here but it has been replaced with a richly matured skill at storytelling that tackles deeper topics like faith and belief in the absence (or in the face of) hard evidence.

The artwork is also worthy of note - rather than rely on garish coloring, the simple 3 tone artwork relies shading and shadow to emphasize the unfolding story.

Not just for comic book fans or Elvis junkies - this is a well crafted story that is well worth the time spent reading it. Again and Again.

I'v been following this series from the begining and I have to say it is one of my Favorite.

I love this series, it's just so innocent. (even though by this point makoto is having a few impure thoughts about ito ;} ). The story isn't the most origional one out there, but I still wait for the delivery truck impatiently for it. The chemistry is well handled, and enjoyable. This was my first Shoujo series, so it holds a special place in my heart so to speak. I'm a total tomboy so I normally wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole, I bought it on a whim, desperate for ANYTHING to read, and discovered an addiction, I immediatly ran all over metro ATL to find the other four out at the time and ended up devouring them all in one sitting. My husband even liked it! (took like 6 months to talk him into it)

My only complaint is ito's totally self destructive tendancy to worry about Mako's feelings! Hello! any more attraction and his hormones will start glowing. But I guess it wouldn't be half the fun if they had a happlily ever after in the first book.

This volume takes off exactly where the last left off, and doesn't disapoint the reader. The story continues to progress in its usual hilarious fashion.