Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Monkey's Raincoat (Elvis Cole #1)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 7,024 ratings · 427 reviews

When quiet Ellen Lang enters Elvis Cole's Disney-Deco office, she's lost something very valuable - her husband and her young son. The case seems simple enough, but Elvis isn't thrilled. Neither is his enigmatic partner and firepower Joe Pike.

Their search down the seamy side of Hollywood's studio lots and sculptured lawns soon leads them deep into a nasty netherworld of dr...more

Paperback, 357 pages

Published (first published 1987)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Best Detective/Mystery Series

53rd out of 921 books — 867 voters

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Best Crime & Mystery Books

237th out of 3,451 books — 7,994 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 24, 2011 Kemper rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, detectives, elvis-cole, bouchercon, signed-by-author

I hated the ‘80s. Hated them while I was living through them and twenty years later I still get slightly queasy when I think about that time. So when I was reading this book written in 1987, and the hero is bragging about wearing white jeans with a white jacket to cover up his shoulder holster, I leaned over and vomited with visions of Sonny Crockett dancing in my head. Fortunately, it got much better.

Robert Crais is one of those mystery writers I’ve been meaning to read for a while now. When I...more I hated the ‘80s. Hated them while I was living through them and twenty years later I still get slightly queasy when I think about that time. So when I was reading this book written in 1987, and the hero is bragging about wearing white jeans with a white jacket to cover up his shoulder holster, I leaned over and vomited with visions of Sonny Crockett dancing in my head. Fortunately, it got much better.

Robert Crais is one of those mystery writers I’ve been meaning to read for a while now. When I came across his first novel in a used bookstore, it seemed like a good time to give him a try. But even aside from the ‘80s setting, we got off to a rocky start.

I just got done with a marathon reading session of the early Spenser books after Robert B. Parker‘s recent death, and all I could think for the first quarter of this book was that Parker should have sued Crais when he had the chance. The main character Elvis Cole seemed like a younger west coast version of Spenser, and his bad-ass friend seemed like a watered down version of Hawk. The wise-ass dialogue, the lavish descriptions of what Elvis was eating, and the tough guy macho schtick caused me to roll my eyes several times because it almost seemed like a parody of Parker. Add in the dated ‘80s element and this thing was headed for 1 star.

Plus, it seemed like Crais was going out of his way to make Elvis a little too quirky. A detective who is a Vietnam vet was a cliché, but ALL the heroes in stories during the ‘80s were Vietnam vets so I can roll with that. But a private detective named Elvis who does yoga and marital arts, decorates his office with Disney mementos, and he has a mean cat that drinks beer?? That’s a writer just reaching to try and make an offbeat and eccentric character. I was not impressed as we were introduced.

Something happened about halfway through the book, though. Crais seemed to find his own rhythm, and Elvis started seeming less like a collection of character traits and morphed into a protagonist I was actually interested in. The story and the action ramped up nicely to a slam-bang ending. If he got that much better over the course of one book, I’m really interested in seeing how much more Crais improved over the years and considering the lists of awards he’s won, it looks like he has been living up to the promise he showed here. (less)

18 likes · like · see review

Feb 13, 2013 Anthony Vacca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

Winter downpour; Even the monkey needs a raincoat.-Basho

It’s this quote at the beginning of the book that, for me at least, saves this from being a rip-off of Robert Parker’s Spenser novels. But I’ve only read two of Parker’s novels so I probably am speaking with a low level of authority. But whatever—I like what I like, and I liked this book. Also, I have been issued an official Goodreads license that makes my opinion right.

But back to the matter at hand, let it be said, that, yeah, there is pr...more

16 likes · like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Dan Schwent rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-and-mystery, 2010

Mort Lang runs off with his son, leaving his wife and daughters in the lurch. Elvis Cole is tapped to find him and promptly ends up in the middle of a plot involving two kilos of cocaine. Can Elvis find the drugs and find Mort and his son?

I have to admit that I wasn't sold on Elvis Cole at the beginning. He felt like a Spenser ripoff with some quirks thrown in for no reason. A wiseass detective that does yoga and is into Disney junk? Then Crais grabbed me and dragged me to the end of the winding...more

24 likes · like · see review

Feb 02, 2009 Marleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not so long ago I read my first Robert Crais book "the Two Minute Rule" and simply adored it. The humanity of the characters touched me greatly. I wanted to read more Robert Crais and so I started to read the Elvis Cole books in the right order and I'm glad I purchased the first three (so far).
This introduction to the Elvis Cole series is a highly entertaining read. The outstanding characters make up for an average plot. I enjoy how well the author pulls off the combo of the taciturn Pike and t...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2013 Christopher rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Crais has become a favorite mystery writer of mine alongside of Michael Connelly. Crais's detective, Elvis Cole, is not only adept but also he can be funny. Humor and drama work hand-in-hand in a way few writers can do. Cole's sidekick, Joe Pike, is an efficient, stoic, and mysterious man we'd all like to have as a friend to save our butts. THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT is the first book in the series and a great place to start. A librarian at the South Pasadena Public library recommended it to m...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

An entry in the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series.[return][return]In Cole's office is a limp, beaten-down woman, Ellen Lang, whose husband Mort and her 9 year old son Perry are missing; she wants Elvis to find them BUT she doesn't want the police involved in any way. Elvis does his best under the restrictions laid out by Ellen. Not only does he have very little luck but the Lang house has been ransacked professionally and without intending to, Ellen involves the police. The case turns nastier as it beg...more

like · see review

Jun 10, 2013 Wayne Zurl rated it 5 of 5 stars

THE MONKEY’S RAINCOAT by Robert Crais

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his part-time partner Joe Pike are in fine form in this early (@1985) mystery. A simple “find a missing husband” case turns into a can of worms—murder, cocaine, Hollywood insiders, a triple kidnapping, an ex-bullfighter turned high-powered criminal, and even a unique version of the common hired muscle—an NFL-sized Eskimo.

Excellent all around and a super ending that wisely stopped JUST before going over the top. This is a th...more THE MONKEY’S RAINCOAT by Robert Crais

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his part-time partner Joe Pike are in fine form in this early (@1985) mystery. A simple “find a missing husband” case turns into a can of worms—murder, cocaine, Hollywood insiders, a triple kidnapping, an ex-bullfighter turned high-powered criminal, and even a unique version of the common hired muscle—an NFL-sized Eskimo.

Excellent all around and a super ending that wisely stopped JUST before going over the top. This is a theatrical, but believable, thoroughly enjoyable PI book. A sticker on my copy says: “Named one of the century’s 100 favorite mysteries by the independent Mystery booksellers Association.” That’s a pretty nice thing to be awarded.

I once read an interview with Robert Crais where he said he wished people didn’t want to read his Elvis Cole series in the order in which they were written, because he feels that his later work is much better than the earlier novels. Crais is still writing his Cole/Pike adventures and this early effort is nothing to be ashamed of.

My one legitimate criticism is that Elvis’s personal thoughts, which Crais uses in every book, were, in the early chapters here not up to par, not as clever, and sort of “bumpy.” They didn’t add to the quick and easy flow of narration with which Elvis tells us the story. They, in some places, broke the smooth cadence Crais developed.

That was my legitimate criticism. Here’s my bitch based solely on an obsessive/compulsive need for accurate detail in cop and PI stories. Crais states that one of the bad guys carried a Smith & Wesson Police Special. Sorry, there is no such animal, although the term is often used erroneously, especially on the Internet. Some people and writers in particular, tend to lump all police duty-style revolvers into this category, making it an unofficial model name—perhaps because most of them are chambered for the .38 special cartridge. In 1985 S&W numbered their models, but the older model designators were still around and prevalent. Smith had A Regulation Police, A Military & Police, and a Chief’s Special, but no Police Special. Colt, the big competitor, has always named their models and had the Official Police, Police Positive, and the Detective Special, but, alas, they too never sold a Police Special. Joe Pike owns a gun store, Bob, ask him.

I rated this 4.5, not because of the picky gun business, but because I believe if Crais rewrote this book today, he would easily smooth out the few minor bumps and have a solid 5.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 17, 2013 Harry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective-mystery

Ok, a few rambling thoughts on Robert Crais. Who is this guy, where'd he come from, how'd he get so popular? Well the first thing to know is that Crais is not from California at all. He is a native of Louisiana, grew up in a blue collar family, and read his first crime novel The Little Sister when he was 15. And that's all it took. Chandler gave him his love for writing. Other authors that have inspired him were Hammett, Hemingway (seems like that's true of all the crime writers), Parker, and St...more Ok, a few rambling thoughts on Robert Crais. Who is this guy, where'd he come from, how'd he get so popular? Well the first thing to know is that Crais is not from California at all. He is a native of Louisiana, grew up in a blue collar family, and read his first crime novel The Little Sister when he was 15. And that's all it took. Chandler gave him his love for writing. Other authors that have inspired him were Hammett, Hemingway (seems like that's true of all the crime writers), Parker, and Steinbeck (huh?).

How'd he get so popular? In short: television and L.A. Requim. Robert Crais has a very impressive resume as a screenwriter for such television series as Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice (damn, I loved that show too!), Cagney & Lacey. But what hits home the most with Crais himself is his work on the 4 hour mini series Cross of Fire which is about the Ku Klux Klan and is probably more relevant to his home state of Louisiana than it is to Hollywood. Following a growing dissatsifaction of a screen writer's constraints, Crais began writing novels. L.A. Requim, which is the 8th Elvis Cole novel, is what landed him as an author that defied all genres and in it outsurpassed even the legendary Ross Macdonald.

Enough about Crais, the guy's good. So, what about Elvis Cole? Naming someone Elvis had to have been a fairly deliberate decision. To me the name seems iconic, Warholish, Disneylandish, a bit theatrical if not cynical. In fact his novels and trinkets therein are suffused with cultural icons: Spider Man mug, Jiminy Cricket (latent fantasy of wanting to be Peter Pan?), and his yellow Corvette. Even his slogan seems hamstrung with Hollywood's obsession with icons: Elvis Cole is The world's Greatest Detective! But in reality there's nothing ridiculous about Cole: he's tough, honest, ponders morality and ambiguity and hypocrasies while staring out the balcony window in his office.Yes, he's cynical, a smart ass, a comic relief in many ways...but behind the seeming humor lies a Dan Wesson .38, the Vietnam War, martial arts and his biggest gun of all: Joe Pike.

Joe Pike, the avenging angel, is a tool used sparingly by Crais. Use him too much and you wonder why he isn't the main character (we know Crais has struggled with this as he produced 4 separate novels featuring Pike as the hero); use him too little and you start wondering why the big guns aren't being pulled out by Elvis. What you want to do is increase the anxiety level of the reader towards the hero, not get the reader frustrated with him. Crais handles this expertly...and uses Pike to increase the anticipation in readers.

The Elvis Cole novels should be considered hard boiled detectives primarily in that Crais deviates from the traditional Romantic tradition found in detective stories and crime fiction by introducing Cole as a detective with a decidedly cynical attitude towards the emotions (i.e. apprehension, horror, terror, and awe such as are found in other crime and thriller stories). And yet, we find sprinkled throughout the books insightful observations of the world as seen through Elvis's eyes. In the following passage, Elvis observes the effects of dry brush fires raging through L.A.:

Picture the detective at work in his office, fourth floor, Hollywood, as the Devil's Wind freight-trains down from the desert. Though dry and brutally harsh, the desert wind is clean. It pushes the smog south to the sea and scrubs the sky to a crystalline blue. The air, jittery from the heat, rises in swaying tendrils like kelp from the seabed, making the city shimmer. We are never more beautiful than when we are burning.

Like I said, it really came together following the publication of his 8th Elvis Cole novel. Pike his side kick, Lou Poitras (Cole's detective friend) gruffy as ever, shifting view points, a relaxation of Cole's zany character...it all came together following L.A. Requim. So, believe me. All in all, you will not be disappointed with the Elvis Cole series. There are a lot of these novels so sit back and enjoy! I most certainly did.

As with all series reviews, this one covers all the Elvis Cole books. So if you've read this review of mine than you've read 'em all.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 04, 2013 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense, pi-mystery

2 ½ stars. My mind kept wandering. I wasn’t pulled in.

Told in 1st person by private investigator Elvis Cole. 1st person can work, but in this book I felt like I was missing things. A boy is kidnaped, a man is killed, a woman is kidnaped. The story would be better if I’d seen those things happening. Instead, Elvis is hired to find a guy. He talks to people. He learns this happened and that happened. A few times Elvis fights or shoots someone. I didn’t care about things. I wanted to know more abou...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 19, 2012 Best Crime Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is my first Robert Crais and also the first in the series of books featuring Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. I always like to start books at the beginning of a series and in this case this first book of his was published back in 1987. The book starts off a little strangely and straight away you can tell that Elvis Cole is not going to be your typical `hero' of a book. He is a Private investigator who has a case trying to locate a missing husband and son for Ellen Lang.

What at first seems like an o...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Andreea Daia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ab, mystery, read-2012

This book has been somehow a disappointment. Not because the plot is bad - it is not, thought pretty standard for a detective story - but because the writing is rather b(l)a(n)d. About a fifth of the book is written in two-word sentences and the remaining contains just marginally longer constructions.

Moreover, the narrative, told in the first voice, only has one speed: jocular-slow. Jocular because Elvis Cole is that type of guy who thinks that the earth will stop spinning if he doesn't crack a...more This book has been somehow a disappointment. Not because the plot is bad - it is not, thought pretty standard for a detective story - but because the writing is rather b(l)a(n)d. About a fifth of the book is written in two-word sentences and the remaining contains just marginally longer constructions.

Moreover, the narrative, told in the first voice, only has one speed: jocular-slow. Jocular because Elvis Cole is that type of guy who thinks that the earth will stop spinning if he doesn't crack a joke every other sentence. Slow because the narrator decides to share with us every single sensorial stimuli that he encounters and every thought (no matter how random) that crosses his mind. Unfortunately by doing so, the rhythm of the story relaxes considerably - not a good thing when it comes to a mystery novel.

I try to stay away from quoting, but in this case I think it's necessary to understand my complaint about the writing technique and the listlessness. Joe Pike, a mercenary friend, just came to the main character's house when the events got incendiary. One might think that his arrival would speed up the pace, but instead we are given this:

"She say this guy Dom's a matador?"
"Yes." The pancakes were good. I wondered if he'd put cottage cheese in them.
"I put cottage cheese in these," he said, reading my mind. "What do you think?"
I shrugged. "Okay."
He ate. "You know what matador means?"

And it goes on and on like this, even when (view spoiler): Cole still tells us jokes and describes the paintings that decorate the environment he is in.

Then of course there is another issue that irked me: Cole is supposed to be a modern chevalier with a mission to empower women. However, pseudo-chevalier might be a better name since one way of "accomplishing" his mission is by sleeping with these women exactly when they are most vulnerable. One could say that things happen (and I agree here). But when this kind of things happen twice (with both female characters of the novel) it strikes me as a very distasteful pattern in a hero. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 10, 2011 Brendan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-thriller, 2011, fiction, mystery

P.I. Elvis Cole is one bad motherf--SHUT YOUR MOUTH--Hey, Man, I'm just talkin' bout Elvis Cole. Okay, he's not Shaft, but he's pretty badass. Crais' detective is a flashback to the ultra-violent detectives of the early pulps, fast talking with a smart mouth and a heavy fist. He's also got a human shark for a partner, a fellow Vietnam vet who never really came home; indeed, Joe Pike seems most at home when he's sneaking through the woods killing people. But unlike many of the early pulps, or the...more P.I. Elvis Cole is one bad motherf--SHUT YOUR MOUTH--Hey, Man, I'm just talkin' bout Elvis Cole. Okay, he's not Shaft, but he's pretty badass. Crais' detective is a flashback to the ultra-violent detectives of the early pulps, fast talking with a smart mouth and a heavy fist. He's also got a human shark for a partner, a fellow Vietnam vet who never really came home; indeed, Joe Pike seems most at home when he's sneaking through the woods killing people. But unlike many of the early pulps, or the modern-day equivalents like men's action novel hero Mack Bolan, Crais brings a strong sense of storytelling and excellent writing to the table.

This first story in the series follows Cole and Pike as they investigate the disappearance of a talent agent and his son. There's plenty of fightin' and a-fussin,' some hard-boiled love, and plenty of scuzzy bad guys who need their clocks cleaned. A few more thoughts:

Crais settles easily into the P.I. genre, dispensing with any back story for the main character in favor of the genre short-hand: Elvis Cole is a P.I., here we go. At the same time, he goes out of his way to make the action scenes reasonable. The physical side of the extreme martial arts Cole and Pike know comes into play throughout the novel, and Crais makes it sound like he knows his stuff. I can't say whether he does or not, but it sounds like he does.
The Los Angeles of the novel feels pretty darn lawless--Cole and Pike get away with a lot of killing for a modern metropolis. But they only kill bad people, so it's okay. Or they torture them to get information, but there's a kid missing, so that's okay too. I really didn't mind when I was reading the story, it was only in the aftermath that I noticed the bloody wake Cole and Pike leave behind them.
They give us the source of the title in an epigraph at the beginning of the novel, but I have to admit to being a little disappointed that there were neither monkeys nor interesting raincoats (much less monkey raincoats) in the novel. Oh well, a guy can hold out hope.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 12, 2011 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

Los Angeles and private eyes go together like M&Ms and trail mix. The mixture of sweet and salty is just perfect. From Spade through Archer (not to mention Chinatown’s Jake) to Bosch and beyond, it is an ideal setting for mysteries where the clock is ticking and the gumshoe has to fight not only the bad guys, but the spread-out venues which eventually define Greater Los Angeles. The Monkey’s Raincoat fits L.A. like a tailored overcoat fits Chicago. That’s almost an ironic observation because...more Los Angeles and private eyes go together like M&Ms and trail mix. The mixture of sweet and salty is just perfect. From Spade through Archer (not to mention Chinatown’s Jake) to Bosch and beyond, it is an ideal setting for mysteries where the clock is ticking and the gumshoe has to fight not only the bad guys, but the spread-out venues which eventually define Greater Los Angeles. The Monkey’s Raincoat fits L.A. like a tailored overcoat fits Chicago. That’s almost an ironic observation because the mystery’s title comes from a saying about even monkey’s needing a raincoat in bad weather. L.A. has some nasty rainy seasons (usually lasting only two-three weeks) and some miserable Santa Ana conditions (when that hot wind blows, the suicide rate jumps like a horse in a steeplechase race), but one doesn’t usually think of L.A. and bad weather in the same context.

This mystery begins with a disappearance. Veteran mystery readers already suspect that the missing person will be D.O.D. (dead on discovery—I know it’s dumb—I just made it up), but there are enough mitigating circumstances that you aren’t positive. The person might have disappeared with an erstwhile and still “wants to be” actress client or the individual in question might have absconded with a valuable brick of narcotics that belongs to someone else. Complicate one disappearance with another (and later, another) and there is a pretty interesting plot here that is more than just a “who dun’ it.”

Of course, regular readers of the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novels know that there will be plenty of corpses lining the boundaries of the mystery and that Robert Crais won’t take them down the simplest path to get there. Official police hostility toward Pike, unofficial police patronizing (read “contempt”) disrespect for Cole, and jurisdictional alpha male urination at Parker Center (and beyond) provide part of the tension that keeps the story at a rapid page-turning rate while a “monologuing” villain (though I use the disrespectful term from The Incredibles, there is nothing humorous about this bad guy) gives one a chance to pause and put the entire mystery into perspective.

Elvis Cole is a charming detective. He must be since almost every female he meets in this novel slinks out of her skirt. But, don’t let that fool you. It is also clear that there is usually an emotional bond between each woman and Cole, such that you suspect he really does have trouble keeping his emotions (read “hormones”) out of his professional life. This doesn’t appear to be mere James Bond-style “love ‘em and leave ‘em” sex (though, it functionally becomes just that when his emotional attraction is shifted). It seems like there is a real vulnerable spot within Cole that doesn’t exist in Pike and really resonates with me. I remember a period in my life when I realized that there had never been a really positive relationship with women for me and, as a result, thought I was falling in love with every woman who accidentally telegraphed a pheromone in my direction. I might be reading into this, but it “feels” like that’s what happens to Cole. On the other hand, while I really noticed it in this early novel in the series, I don’t remember it from the later ones so it could be something that didn’t exist or was jettisoned early. But this emotional involvement, whatever it was, kept me “grounded” and “caring” in this novel and that raised it up a notch in my opinion.

And, even better, there are some minor characters that show some real characterization. In most thrillers or mysteries, these young girls would simply be “victims” or “bait.” In The Monkey’s Raincoat, their conversation sounds just right and their attitudes are just like most modern youth. Yet, underneath the superficiality expressed, we discover some genuine feeling—not overdone, but just enough to ring true and sometimes, exposed through the negative instead of the positive. Frankly, this was the kind of book I expected to read over the course of a train commute or two. Instead, I read it right through.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Debbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

At Sleuthfest one year, I remember author Robert Crais giving a speech about how he published his first novel. It was a private eye novel released at a time when the word was that the private eye novel was dead. That novel, THE MONKEY'S RAINCOAT went on to win the Anthony and Macavity Awards and get nominated for the Edgar and Shamus Awards. Some dead genre, huh? :)

The book launched a successful series of mysteries featuring detective Elvis Cole (yes, Elvis) who (according to the back of the boo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2010 Tim Niland rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-reads

Private Investigator Elvis Cole is a kid trapped in a man's body. Proclaiming fourteen to be the perfect age, he hides his excellent investigatory skills behind an office filled with kitsch and mouth filled with wisecracks. When a woman and her friend come to the office worried about a missing husband and child, Cole takes the case, thinking it will be a snap to solve. Of course, things often aren't what they seem, and Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike will struggle to get ahead as the cas...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 06, 2009 Chuckconnor rated it 5 of 5 stars

If there is one thing which can give you an insight into yourself, then it has to be how much you trust an author - and buy their work on spec, without reading the blurbs or reviews, etc.

Crais has my respect. He has shown he can pace a book, inject humour, create strong characters which have just enough fantasy to them to help you suspend your disbelief. And like a lot of writers these days, Crais has not just stuck with one series/set of characters - rather, like Michael Connelly, some solo cha...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 20, 2013 Scott Rhee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Crais published his first novel featuring his now-famous L.A. private detective, Elvis Cole, in 1987. "The Monkey's Raincoat" was an instant success, garnering nearly every single award for the mystery genre, including nominations for the Edgar and Shamus (which, in the mystery writer's world is akin to the Oscar and the Golden Globe). He deserved every single accolade. Cole is (like Robert Parker's Spenser, who is his most obvious literary blood-brother) a lovable, wise-cracking detectiv...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 22, 2010 Jerry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We enjoyed our first Crais/”Cole” story (“Voodoo River”) so much, we decided to read his whole bibliography in order, and so started with “Raincoat”, which introduces us to Elvis Cole, a wise-cracking, somewhat classic private eye, and his reclusive “enforcer” partner Joe Pike. We may have been led astray by the acclaim and awards attributed to Crais first novel, for while we found it entertaining, we weren’t at all sure it measured up to “Voodoo”, his fifth in the set. We wonder if the original...more We enjoyed our first Crais/”Cole” story (“Voodoo River”) so much, we decided to read his whole bibliography in order, and so started with “Raincoat”, which introduces us to Elvis Cole, a wise-cracking, somewhat classic private eye, and his reclusive “enforcer” partner Joe Pike. We may have been led astray by the acclaim and awards attributed to Crais first novel, for while we found it entertaining, we weren’t at all sure it measured up to “Voodoo”, his fifth in the set. We wonder if the original publication date of 1987, going on 25 years ago, is a factor – the world before ubiquitous PC’s, internet, cell phones, and so forth, was after all a bit different.

The plot was perhaps a little ho-hum – two ladies darken Cole’s door: the client, Ellen Lang, and her domineering but seemingly only friend Janet Simon. The mousy Lang reveals that her hubby, a self-employed casting director, and her young son Perry have gone missing. Apparently hubby’s business is in trouble, and before long Elvis sniffs out seedy connections with various nefarious Hollywood types, with drugs (cocaine) in the mix as well. Hubby soon enough turns up but finding the son is no picnic. You get the drift.

We continue to be amused by Cole’s quick wit – he likely could succeed as a standup comedian if his sleuthing business were to turn down! And apparently he has something irresistible to the ladies, as ere the tale is over, with little provocation, he “scores” with both Land and Simon, which frankly seemed somewhat inconsistent with the plot. A bonus, though, was the exposition of the relationship between the two women, and how Elvis eventually teaches Ellen to not only write her first check (at like age 39) but to almost stand on her own two feet !!

So – a fun enough affair, mildly entertaining, showing good promise for an author’s first outing, and a fair introduction to an interesting leading man. But we thought “Voodoo” was better and might rather decide to switch to a more recent entry in the set before we decide to plow through the entire series, just to make sure we’re attracted enough to these stories to make that kind of investment. Stay tuned.
(less)

like · see review

Mar 29, 2013 Jo-Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: legal-thrillers

The Monkey's Raincoat, begins with Ellen Lang hiring P.I. Elvis Cole to find something very valuable that she has lost – her husband and son. Her husband, Mort, is a Hollywood agent. Ellen believes he has taken their son and disappeared. Unfortunately, the case is a bit more complicated than just a simple missing person. Mort is soon found shot dead in his car, there's no sign of the son and Ellen is missing too. Cole discovers Mort's girlfriend is missing as well. Elvis Cole is now on a mission...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 22, 2013 David Mcangus rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, detective-smart-ass

It's hard to dislike this kind of novel. It's also difficult to fall in love with. It's fun and follows convention so the reader instantly gets a feel for the story and writing. The main characters are likeable and have an interesting past that they aren't fully prepared to reveal at this stage. But they - and in a greater sense the supporting characters - fall back on stereotypical character models too often, which ultimately hurts the work going in to make them realised. This is most apparent...more

like · see review

May 12, 2013 Rhonda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wichita-public-library, leather-jacket-black-2013

All-in-all I found The Monkey's Raincoat enjoyable. The plot was good. There was plenty of action, suspense growing throughout. It was a quick read. Entertaining, but certainly not a literary masterpiece. It was good, light entertainment.

I liked Elvis for the most part, but I must say, I liked Joe better.

In the beginning, I thought Elvis was a very admirable character until he (view spoiler)...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 Mark Soone rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wow....Having read this series completely at a random order it was very strange going back to 1987 and the first book in the Cole/Pike series after having read another 10 or so Crais novels. Very strange indeed as there is a big difference in technology today, when compared to the giant car cell phone that Cole uses, dress that is eerily reminiscent of Don Johnson/Miami Vice. I imagine this book was pretty cutting edge at the time, but it seems very dated. Some books like Sherlock Holmes don't s...more

like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of hard-boiled detective fiction

Shelves: detective-mystery

What drew me to read this was a review from Orson Scott Card recommending the latest Elvis Cole novel by Robert Crais, but since I like to read things in order, I decided to start with The Monkey's Raincoat instead of Taken.

Despite the protagonist's propensity to dress like a Miami Vice extra, and his obsession with Disney trinkets (the reasons for which are not adequately explored), I enjoyed this 80s-era detective story on steroids, which culminated in a finale that read like the climax of Arn...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2010 Rohit Raut rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

A thoroughly enjoyable detective pulp. Robert Crais introduces us to the detective pairing of Elvis Cole - a smooth talking, suave P.I. and Joe Pike - his brooding, hard-as-nails partner.

This time, they're on the case of Ellen Lang, who is missing both her husband and son, and fears neither of them might be alive. As they delve deeper into the case, things turn out to be more muddled than they expected (don't they always?) and it will take every ounce of wit and resolve if they're to get through...more

like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this, the first of a long series, we meet Elvis Cole, L.A. Private Investigator, a literate, wisecracking Vietnam vet. He is determined never to grow up and has a most interesting collection of Disney items in his office, including a Pinnochio clock with eyes that move back and forth. His partner is Joe Pike, although you won’t see him at the office much. He runs a gun shop and is a “soldier” although he’s no longer in the Marines or the police force.

In this book, Elvis is called up to look a...more

like · see review

Jan 30, 2013 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my first Robert Crais book. It's an old one, 1987, so the clothes are dated (Miami Vice whites!)and there are no cell phones or computers in the story. I didn't know what I would think of it, but got a free Kindle edition and decided to try it. (I'm sopping up a bunch of free and easy reads while I recuperate from surgery.) I liked it and will read other Crais novels. It's very much like the late, great Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. Elvis Cole is the PI here. He's a tough guy with...more

like · see review

Feb 13, 2013 Col rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, c

Blurb....
When quiet Ellen Lang enters Elvis Cole's Disney-deco office, she's lost something very valuable - her husband and young son. The case seems simple enough, but Elvis isn't thrilled. Neither is his enigmatic partner and firepower Joe Pike.
Their search down the seamy side of Hollywood's studio lots and sculptured lawns soon leads them deep into a nasty netherworld of drugs and sex - and murder. Now the case is getting interesting, but it's also turned ugly. Because everybody, from cops to...more Blurb....
When quiet Ellen Lang enters Elvis Cole's Disney-deco office, she's lost something very valuable - her husband and young son. The case seems simple enough, but Elvis isn't thrilled. Neither is his enigmatic partner and firepower Joe Pike.
Their search down the seamy side of Hollywood's studio lots and sculptured lawns soon leads them deep into a nasty netherworld of drugs and sex - and murder. Now the case is getting interesting, but it's also turned ugly. Because everybody, from cops to starlets to crooks, has declared war on Ellen and Elvis.

I read this first Crais book probably a year or two after it was first published in 1987. Robert Crais was one of a new breed of writer I wanted to get into when I made the reading jump from the horror genre into crime fiction. Crais along with Robert Parker, Elmore Leonard and James Lee Burke opened my eyes to a different kind of fiction and a far different kind of life on the streets of America than I was used to living in sleepy Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.
Whilst my reading has mainly remained in the crime zone, for the past 20 years, with the odd foray elsewhere, I kind of neglected Crais and his creation Elvis Cole. I still acquired new Crais books along the way, but can’t say that I ever made the actual jump into opening the damn things and getting stuck into them. Cole with his sometime sidekick Joe Pike appeared in a series of 12 or so books, before Pike was given his own showcase by the author. Vaguely recalling the enigmatic Pike, and wanting to read more about his exploits, the OCD within me dictated that I re-visit the first Elvis Cole and start again back in late 80’s LA.
Cole is an interesting enough protagonist in this book; a private investigator for hire, a military background having served in Vietnam, an exponent of some form of martial arts, a practising yoga fiend, wise-cracking mouth, a bit of a loner with only a couple of friends; Pike and Portias – a detective with the LAPD. Crais at time steers Cole close to the stereotypical PI of the genre, but manages to infuse enough depth to the man to allay any concerns that he’s a cardboard cut-out. Cole’s drink of choice seems to be beer rather than the obligatory bottle of bourbon stored in the lower desk drawer.
Crais entertains with his first book, whilst Cole predictably gets to the bottom of the mystery and achieves a resolution of sorts for Ellen; the book was good enough to withstand a second reading 20 plus years after I first cracked its spine. Good enough for me to follow straight on with the second book in the series – Stalking The Angel.
4 from 5
I bought my copy new 20 plus years ago, pre-internet days from some long lost High Street outlet.
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 30, 2012 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, thriller, los-angeles

An early one (1987) of the series with Elvis Cole as an LA PI and Joe Pike his quiet but deadly partner. A woman's missing husband starts the ball rolling that ends up uncovering a lot of bad guys to battle. Walks the good Crais balance between character-driven narrative and manly action. As typical for Crais, he takes advantage of the greed of the film industry crowd as a magnet for the nefarious. Brings out more empathy for Pike's character than I remember in previous books in the series. Sati...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 21, 2013 Ron Lasner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having heard that Crais's Elvis Cole books were worth the reading, I took a chance on the first one and am glad I did.

Did I unreservedly like it? No. I'd actually rate the book more a three and a half stars than a four.

Will I read more in the series? Absolutely, because I devoured the book in little over a day and a half.

The story is well paced and intriguing enough. The main character relates the story in an enjoyable smart-ass manner, cracking-wise with the best of them, shows both competence...more

like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-crime

This is one of those books where the plot is mediocre, but the character saved the book. I am in LOVE with Elvis Cole! He's a P.I. and he's smart, sweet, funny, and can kick some ass when he needs to. He's such a gentleman, an honest to goodness knight in freaking shining armor! He was doing yoga and tai chi before it was the "thang" to do. I LOVE him! Who says good guys are boring?!

I also liked Joe Pike, Elvis' partner (in business, not romantic) and man of mystery. I hope to learn more about...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (32)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

221 users

Mystery > Crime

74 users

Thriller

43 users

Mystery > Detective

34 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

26 users

Suspense

17 users

Action

11 users

Adult

6 users

Novels

4 users

Humor > Funny

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Robert Crais

Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a secondhand paperback of Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister when he was fifteen, which inspired his lifelong love of writing, Los Angeles, and the literature of crime fiction....more Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a secondhand paperback of Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister when he was fifteen, which inspired his lifelong love of writing, Los Angeles, and the literature of crime fiction. Other literary influences include Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Robert B. Parker, and John Steinbeck.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.(less)

More about Robert Crais...

Books by Robert Crais

The Sentry (Elvis Cole, #12, Joe Pike, #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Monkey's Rain...

4 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Monkey's Raincoat

“It's easy to sound good. All you do is leave in the parts where you act tough and forget the parts where you get shoved around.” — 10 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Monkey's Raincoat
avg rating	preview: The Monkey's Raincoat Goodreads rating: 3.96 (7024 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14404.The_Monkey_s_Raincoat?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348618089l/14404.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14404.The_Monkey_s_Raincoat?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais[/url]

The Monkey's Raincoat (Elvis Cole #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website