In 1955 the body of a well known tenor player was discovered in the desert outside of Las Vegas. His neck was broken and the cause of death was said to be linked to a drug overdose. Although there is some mystery to his death and how his body arrived in the desert the legacy of his work as a musician is much more clear. This saxophonist was one of the earlier innovators of Be-bop appearing along side other pioneers such as Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon. His style was smooth, elegant and deeply influenced by Lester Young. While he is well known for his discography as a leader and his profile on the LA club scene he also spent time playing in many large ensembles, Count Basie, Earl Hines and Benny Goodman just to name a few.
Due to his strange demise and a well known drug habit there will probably always be a certain amount of speculation surrounding this jazz icon’s death. In recent years a mystery novel was even written loosely based on the events of his death.

Who is the saxophone player and what is the name of the mystery novel and its author?