by Ian Halperin
First published 2009
In December 2008, investigative author Ian Halperin made a shocking prediction that Michael Jackson had only six months to live. When the King of Pop died exactly six months later, Halperin's five year investigation into Jackson's final years took on new urgency. The book reveals how greed drove those around Jackson to push him toward the planned London O2 Arena concert series in July 2009, despite knowing he could never complete the shows. Friends and associates describe Jackson's desperate attempts to prepare for performances that would have earned millions for his entourage. Behind the costumes and cosmetics, Jackson had become a frail man, mentally and physically unable to deliver what was promised. Both Jackson and his advisors understood this reality, yet the machinery of exploitation continued. Halperin exposes the real forces that shaped Jackson's final days and the tragic circumstances that made his death almost inevitable.
Genres: crime, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, true-crime, investigative-journalism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, true-story
Setting: London, O2 Arena
Period: 2008, 2009
224 pages · Hardcover · Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Content warnings: death, mental-illness