Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Monkey's Raincoat (Elvis Cole, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

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

Open Preview

The Monkey's Raincoat

(Elvis Cole/Joe Pike #1)

Robert Crais

3.98 · Rating details · 20,883 ratings · 1,042 reviews

Taking the mystery community by storm, this Elvis Cole novel was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, and Macavity awards and won both the Anthony and Macavity for Best Novel of the Year.

When Ellen Lang's husband disappears with their son, she hires Elvis Cole to track him down. A quiet and seemingly submissive wife, Ellen can't even write a check without him. All she ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for

Paperback, 201 pages

Published March 1st 1992 by Crimeline (first published July 1st 1987)

More Details... edit details

Friend Reviews

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

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Monkey's Raincoat, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Little Red Riding Hood by Trina Schart Hyman

The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen

Inside Your Wardrobe

517 books — 87 voters

Books That Should Become TV Series

128 books — 72 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

3.98 ·

Rating details

· 20,883 ratings · 1,042 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Jul 18, 2009 Kemper rated it liked it

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

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 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. ...more

flag 69 likes · Like · see review

May 03, 2018 Em Lost In Books rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, 1980-89, 2-star, br-with-smitha

I have been meaning to start this series since last year and had high hopes as many of my friends are Elvis Cole fan. But this didn't work for me.

Case was decent enough but there was just too many twists for a simple case. Cole didn't make a good first impression.

Hope second book will be better than this

flag 60 likes · Like · see review

Nov 16, 2017 carol. rated it it was ok

Shelves: thriller, mystery

If you've followed my reading recently, it's no secret I've been enjoying Robert Crais' Elvis Cole books. Somehow, I started with book three, Lullaby Town, perhaps because it was the first book in the series with an above four-star average. Thank goodness I did, because what a difference five years makes in personal changes and skill. Crais' first book, The Monkey's Raincoat, is full of one P.I. trope after another, with a 1980s plot ripped off from Miami Vice, and characters created with the de If you've followed my reading recently, it's no secret I've been enjoying Robert Crais' Elvis Cole books. Somehow, I started with book three, Lullaby Town, perhaps because it was the first book in the series with an above four-star average. Thank goodness I did, because what a difference five years makes in personal changes and skill. Crais' first book, The Monkey's Raincoat, is full of one P.I. trope after another, with a 1980s plot ripped off from Miami Vice, and characters created with the depth of pop psychology from Donahue.

We begin in Elvis' office, where he's busy staring at his Pinocchio clock. Ellen Lang arrives, best friend dragging her through the door. Ellen's husband, Mort, is missing, and even more importantly, her son. It becomes rapidly apparent that Ellen is essentially an abused wife, psychologically if nothing else. Her friend, Janet, is technically there to support her, but badgers, eye-rolls, and criticizes as she tries to get her to answer questions. Elvis wisecracks from the start, much to the confusion of Ellen and the annoyance of Joe, as well as Reader Carol. Elvis somewhat unwillingly takes the case, later asking around and discovering Mort has a girlfriend on the side. Not long after, Ellen and Mort's home is tossed, requiring Elvis to come to the rescue and wisecrack with the cops. When Mort is found dead, the case suddenly becomes even more serious--but not so serious that Elvis can't take time out from protecting to have sex with the best friend.

I hate to expound too much further at the risk of spoilers, but these details barely made it to short-term storage. As Elvis investigates, he learns about a shadey co-worker at the studios and a recent party they all attended, thrown by a famous personality and former top matador. In true villain fashion, he and Elvis have a dramatic moment where they size up each other's... egos. Ellen disappears and Elvis keeps trying to call up Joan to offer support, but she's totally frosty to him. This will make it okay for when Elvis goes on to sleep with other women. There's a little detecting, a little lying to the cops, stakeouts, a shoot-out or two, and a miraculous makeover courtesy of a supportive dude. Hurrah!

Joe Pitt is introduced, but in his case, he hasn't become the completely taciturn individual in later books. It's kind of a nice change for his character. The cat is also introduced and is appropriately cranky. There's a nice surprise twist at the end, but now that I think about it, it doesn't square in the least with the earlier characterization(s).

Overall, it was diverting, if a bit eyerolling. Unless you have time in your life to be a series completionist, I'd generally advise skipping this and starting at Lullaby Town instead. It isn't until that book five, Voodoo River, that an overarching emotional plot begins. I plan to have my mom start at that one, but I'll go on to the next in true completionist fashion.

It's a solid four on the oink scale, two-and-a-half on the personal enjoyment one. Skip unless you feel forgiving, because Crais will go on to do much better than this.

For those of you who aren't old Americans, I have links to my cultural references on my blog. ...more

flag 53 likes · Like · see review

Apr 19, 2010 Dan Schwent rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010, crime-and-mystery

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

flag 50 likes · Like · see review

May 29, 2018 Ij rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, 2018, fiction, crime, kindle, thriller

Great read!!!

I already have the 2nd book in the series.

flag 49 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2018 Bill Kerwin rated it really liked it

Shelves: detective-mystery, 20th-c-amer

Browbeaten into seeing a detective by her best friend Jane, Elvis Cole’s client Ellen Lang is still reluctant. She doesn’t wish to cause any trouble for her husband Mort—even though he’s cheating on her, even though he has threatened to leave. But now Mort has disappeared, and their son Perry has disappeared with him.

Elvis signs on to find them both, and soon discovers that talent agent Mort, desperate to keep his failing business afloat, has become involved with sketchy people with even sketch
Browbeaten into seeing a detective by her best friend Jane, Elvis Cole’s client Ellen Lang is still reluctant. She doesn’t wish to cause any trouble for her husband Mort—even though he’s cheating on her, even though he has threatened to leave. But now Mort has disappeared, and their son Perry has disappeared with him.

Elvis signs on to find them both, and soon discovers that talent agent Mort, desperate to keep his failing business afloat, has become involved with sketchy people with even sketchier connections. Before long Ellen’s apartment is ransacked, a death and another disappearance follow, and Elvis realizes he has a dangerous case on his hands.

I’m almost two-thirds done with my re-reading of Robert Parker’s Spenser series, and I’ve been looking around for another series to read once I’m done. After this first Elvis Cole mystery, I think I’ve found what I need. Crais clearly loves his Spenser, and has adopted many of Parker’s tricks and tropes: wisecracks, sharp scenic descriptions with random bystanders, great tough guy dialog, detailed (too detailed!) descriptions of meals, and even a cute animal (not a dog like Pearl this time, but instead a feral cat that drinks beer.)

Cole is much like Spenser too: a smart-ass with a smart-mouth who is still essentially a boy scout, a man with few illusions who yet strives to be a boy’s version of a knightly hero. The Disney décor of Elvis’ office makes his boyishness clear right away: his desk is covered with Jiminy Cricket figurines, and one of his walls sports a Pinnochio clock, whose eyes move disconcertingly from side to side. And Cole is aware of this boyishness: “I have quite a charming smile,” Elvis says, “Like Peter Pan. Innocent, but with the touch of the rake.” And when Elvis the boyish hard-ass needs an even harder-ass than himself, he calls on his own personal “Hawk” Joe Pike, tight-lipped gun store proprietor and mercenary-for-hire.

I found these similarities to Parker attractive, but if you find them both imitative and irritating, hang on at least until you reach the last half of the book. The plot gets darker, the writing less derivative, and the book concludes with a dramatic attack by the good guys on the bad guys—one of the best sustained action sequences I’ve read in a long time. ...more

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Jonathan Peto rated it really liked it

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers, novels

Unless something surprising shapes up as I write this, I don't think I have anything new to add to the general consensus that other reviewers have established for this novel, the first mystery in a series that features private eyes Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. If you've read Robert B. Parker's novels, and I haven't, this may strike you as a rip-off, or so I've heard. However, it seems to be a good rip-off, the kind with promise, because the book starts well and gets better and better, apparently, wh Unless something surprising shapes up as I write this, I don't think I have anything new to add to the general consensus that other reviewers have established for this novel, the first mystery in a series that features private eyes Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. If you've read Robert B. Parker's novels, and I haven't, this may strike you as a rip-off, or so I've heard. However, it seems to be a good rip-off, the kind with promise, because the book starts well and gets better and better, apparently, whether or not Parker's oeuvre is weighing on you.

I enjoyed Elvis Cole's tough guy, first person narration/banter from the get-go. It was ridiculous at times, but in a good way because it was interesting, inappropriate, or odd, like when he tells the client's friend in chapter 1 that he'd "like to lick chocolate syrup off your body." Don't be offended or turned off, the context actually makes it palatable, and Elvis Cole turns out to be a really nice guy, despite a few issues left over from the Vietnam War and despite an interest in Disney merchandise. Details like that don't make him a fully rounded character right away, but I warmed to him as he went about trying to help a woman named Ellen Lang locate her husband Mort and son Perry. His partner Joe Pike does not make an appearance for a long time and we only hear about him from secondary sources, which was an amusing way to build him up because he is one of those over the top mercenary characters, whose presence Crais makes more than acceptable. I suspended disbelief and skeptical humphing completely and let Pike be Pike and I am a better person and reader for it. I don' think the novel twists and turns through virgin territory, but Crais showed in this book, his first I believe, that he could make the most of plot as well as character: some spice gives each scene a robust health. Pike proves human for example. Ellen Lang matures. Cole mutes his banter when necessary.

Despite the fact that it takes place in the horrid 80s, you could do much, much worse and probably not much better, though I haven't read mysteries widely enough to bet on it.

...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Dec 14, 2015 Lawyer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, detective-fiction, hard-boiled, mccavity-award-best-first-novel, 20th-century, hard-boiled-detective, elvis-cole-1, robert-crais, joe-pike, 20th-century-100-best-mysteries

The Monkey's Raincoat: The P.I. Who Didn't Want to Grow Up

“ ‘Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy.’ The Blue Fairy said that. In Pinocchio.”- Elvis Cole Licensed Investigator, State of California

photo blue-fairy-pinocchio--large-msg-130877503679_zpsk2vtfu80.jpg

A dream is a wish your heart makes...

Mr. Cole, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Yeah, with you and the big guy, Joe Pike. Don't tell him I said so. I don't want him to jump to the wrong conclusion. But, after all, he said you ta ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

May 23, 2013 Tim rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This Cole novel is not up to par with other Cole stories with much better plots. There is nothing redeeming here. 1 of 10 stars

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Nov 25, 2017 Jim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller, books-read-2017

This is the first book in the Elvis Cole series and the first book by the author that I have read. The book was originally published in 1987 and feels dated when you read it. In addition to things like pay phones it comes across like one of those television PI's from the 1970's or 80's. Magnum P.I. or Rockford. The setting is LA and the author wrote scripts for television so I guess that is understandable. The characters are not very well developed.

We meet Elvis Cole in his office staring at his ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Sep 13, 2011 The Pirate Ghost (Formerly known as the Curmudgeon) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book, kindle-book, recommended, crime-action-adventure, colorful-supporting-characters, good-read, series

I started with Elvis Cole #13, which was actually Joe Pike #1. As the second book of the series, I liked Joe Pike #1 best. Having said that, this was a walk in the past for me. I'd call it an entertaining story, more your basic Magnum P.I./Mike Hammer Gumshoe detective novel. Perhaps more along the lines of "Rockford Files" with a more active and ass-kicking, younger James Garner.

What a walk down memory lane, where consensual sex with strangers was possible, people actually used pay phones with I started with Elvis Cole #13, which was actually Joe Pike #1. As the second book of the series, I liked Joe Pike #1 best. Having said that, this was a walk in the past for me. I'd call it an entertaining story, more your basic Magnum P.I./Mike Hammer Gumshoe detective novel. Perhaps more along the lines of "Rockford Files" with a more active and ass-kicking, younger James Garner.

What a walk down memory lane, where consensual sex with strangers was possible, people actually used pay phones without needing a "calling card," and there is always the wonderful retro 70s fashion trends. I didn't see a "puka-shell necklace" but i bet Cole's got one with his "liesure suit" because he hates wearing ties.

Realistically, this is a sound, well written and edited Private Eye story. It's got some Noirish tendencies, but only because it want's to fake being "tough and gritty." I'm not sure women will appriciate how their gender is written in this book, but, as books from and about this era go, it's better than most. The archaic formula of an authority stuborn anti-hero, the mob, and a damsel in distress works here, as it always has. Unfair to the damsel, but still, fun to read, and, since our hero is handsome young and unattached, there's a little something for him from the victim's best friend. Ahh.. the seventies and eighties... back when you could get laid in High School with out taking an STD test, and, the begining of the "if your not, your a minority" era. but I digress...

Cole's likeable, sensitive, thoughtful, and every bit the anti-hero on a white stallion and ill fitting chainmail. Not all of the ladies were written as the weaker, fairer, more preyed upon sex, one or two actually had some teeth and willingness to use them or had found a place where they could be individually strong.

As in the previous Crais book I read, Joe Pike is more interesting than Elvis Cole but in this one, less available. I do like the observations about humanity, personal growth and finding the string to change that Crais writes into this book, as he did "The Watchman." Elivs and Joe Pike have a spirituality about them that makes their observations and "heart to heart" talks with the victims and other characters fun and enjoyable to read.

I also applaud and cheer the growth his "victim" goes through as Crais wrote it. Cole and Pike tend to be agents to promote growth and understanding of life in others, yet, change little themselves. It's one thing to write weak, helpless damsels in distress. It's another to write them from weakness to stronger, more indpendent personalities. All healing approved of by me as it appears in this book.

It's a worthwhile read, not as good as "The Watchman" but certainly worth the time to read.

Bottom line. 3.5 to 4.5 depending on what you expect the book to be. Not enough Joe Pike.

Some violence, managable, but "noirish" enough to have a cringe factor high enough that it may affect those people sensitive to such things.

I'd also say that the roles for female characters seems more in keepign with the 1970s and 1980s. Emerging sense of equality, but still, the book is written to a publishing format from the Mike Hammer/Mickey Spilane days where a Dame is needed to play the Damsel in distress, the bitchy sex object and the snarky, improved, damsel of the last ditress the characters saved somebody from. It's a formula, and, it works here if taken in context with the time it was written and written about.

...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Nov 13, 2015 Carolyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime

Set in the Hollywood of the 1980s this feels a bit dated, but only because it was written then as the debut novel of screenwriter Robert Crais, who wrote scripts for Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice amongst others so it has that authentic 1980s feel about it. At first Crais' PI, Elvis Cole seems like a wise-cracking smart-arse but he grows on you as his smart, compassionate side comes out. Apart from quoting Jiminny Cricket and being a yoga and martial arts practitioner, Cole is a Vietnam vet wh ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Nov 14, 2008 Ryan Mishap rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-crime

The start of the Elvis Cole series and supposedly a popular, well-done mystery. This was bad. The mystery wasn't that interesting, the female characters not very believable, and the hero is a dick--and I don't mean that like as a detective.
For example, he doesn't like his client's friend because she is apparently a strong woman who thinks her friend is wasting her time. So Elvis, to get her to shut up, says, "I'd like to pour choclate on you and lick it off." Now, would anybody ever say that? ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Aug 13, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction

When Ellen Lang walks into Elvis Cole detective agency she asks him to find her missing husband Mort & their son Perry as they are nowhere to be found the case seems simple enough but Elvis isn't thrilled neither is his partner & gun dealer Joe Pike.

Their search down the seamy side of Hollywood's studios lots & sculpted lawns leads them deep into a nasty world drugs, sex & murder. Everybody from cops to starlets & crooks turn on Elvis & Pike, i found this to be okay but i ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: action

My first introduction to Robert Crais' work was through the Joe Pike character. Having read several of the books and being "introed" to Elvis Cole, I (true to my usual form) went back and got the first volume.

Pretty good book. Related in first person rather than third as the Pike books were/are we get Cole's voice telling the story. Pike in the first book I read told one of their client's that "Elvis thinks he's funny"...it's true, he does. Cracking jokes along the way Elvis chronicles the story ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

May 12, 2019 S.P. Aruna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The first of the Elvis Cole series.
When Cole takes on a job to find missing husband Mort and young son Perry for housewife Ellen Lang, it looks like a simple case of a husband running away with his son. But of course, things are more complicated, eventually leading to a despicable Hollywood agent and a high profile Mexican criminal.

For crime fiction readers, we have seen plenty of these formula books, right up to Nelson DeMille . The protagonist a wisecracking private investigator, who exhibits ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Eric rated it really liked it

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

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 25, 2009 Marleen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: robert-crais

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

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 Jim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3series, 2fiction, mystery-thriller, 1paper

That was a fun thriller with a couple of very memorable characters. I see Joe Pike has his own series & I'm intrigued. Luckily, I got the first 2 of his series with this book. Hopefully there won't be as many attempts at humor. They got rather flat after a while.

The writing wasn't bad. Good action scenes, but I didn't appreciate all the road directions through L.A.. They didn't mean a thing to me. Maybe if I knew the area. As it was, they read like filler.

All in all, it was fun.

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Scott Rhee rated it really liked it

Shelves: series-detective, mystery

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

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 19, 2014 Sean Peters rated it liked it · review of another edition

Hello friends,

My first Robert Crais book, many author friends recommended Robert Crais to me. His main character is this Elvis Cole, a PI, with a sense of humour, with lightens the book and the reading.

The reason for three stars, well after so many gripping, fast paced, tense and powerful stories of recent reads by David Baldacci, Simon Kernick, Lee Childs, Daniel Silva, Sharon Bolton, Karin Slaughter this was a little lightweight, no strong villains, no strong twists, no shocks, no brutal murde ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 30, 2013 Steve rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Better than the first time around. I love these guys as much and in a different way than Spenser and Hawk. Spenser and Hawk have a tough guy relationship, but more funny than tough. Elvis and Joe have a one sided funny relationship, but both never give an inch when the sh!t hits the fan. I love Joe's arrows...always move forward! Great book and great series!

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Debbi Mack rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-reads

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 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 book) "quotes Jiminy Cricket and carries a .38. He's a literate, wisecracking Vietnam vet who is determined never to grow up." Wow ... looks like someone at Bantam took your basic kitchen sink approach to writing that one. In any case, some detective, huh?

Anyhow, Elvis is hired by shy, quiet Ellen Lang (or is it her slightly bossy friend, Janet Simon? no, it's Ellen) to find her missing husband, Mort, and their son, Perry. This involves many stakeouts, driving around Los Angeles, glimpses of Chicanos, encounters with big guys, the exchanging of banter (witty!), more stakeouts, more Chicanos, a visit to a washed up producer, a big black guy (yikes!), he's cool (ah!), Poitras (a fat cop -- more banter), girlfriends, parties, drugs, gangsters, mix-ups ... big problems ...

This book did more than live up to my expectations. I can see how in the late 1980s when it was published how this book must have blown a breath of fresh air into a genre that had been done and done again, especially in LA. Like Robert B. Parker's Spenser, Elvis is a white knight character in the tradition of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe. Ellen Lang is a woman abandoned and so incapable of handling things, at least at first, she can't even write a check without collapsing into sobs. (Keep in mind, it is the late 1980s. However, I had to suspend my disbelief just a teeny bit on that one. Even if Ellen was originally from Kansas. I mean, I know she's not in Kansas, anymore, but really? C'mon!)

Even now, though, the writing is as fresh as ever. Rather than describe, I'll quote a favorite excerpt:

"The welterweight came around the corner, firing as fast as he could pull the trigger. One of his slugs caught the doorjamb and kicked some splinters into my cheek. I shot him in the face, then shoved Ellen through the kitchen and half carried her around the house and out onto the street. The Tattooed Man popped out of the front door and fired five shots -- bapbapbapbapbap -- then dove back into the house.

"Porch lights were coming on and someone was yelling and Wang Chung was coming out over somebody's radio. I shoved Ellen into the Corvette, fired up, and ran over two garbage cans pulling away. I was shaking and my shirt was wet with sweat and I wasn't having a great deal of luck seeing past the little silver flashes that bobbed around in front of my eyes. I drove. Slow. Steady. Just trying to get away from there. I think I ran over a dog."

Okay, you get the idea. And that's not even the wisecracking part, okay? Because that's there in abundance. Oh, plus the parts with the cat. They're priceless.

And, of course, there's Elvis' partner, Joe Pike, the totally awesome quiet, but deadly ex-Marine with an occasional thing for lipstick (don't ask -- read the book) whose office has no furniture. Some partner.

Needless to say, the story builds up to a highly suspenseful and nail-biting finish. (I'm surprised my fingers weren't reduced to bloody stumps.)

And, in the end, even if Elvis never grows up, it seems at least one of his clients might be able. :) Wow, some story!
...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 30, 2017 Brian Poole rated it really liked it

The Elvis Cole series got off to a highly entertaining start with The Monkey’s Raincoat.

L.A. private detective Elvis Cole takes on the case of Ellen Lang, an emotionally paralyzed housewife convinced that her floundering husband has taken off with their young son. What at first looks like a messy domestic squabble mushrooms into something a lot more dangerous, putting Elvis, his client and his enigmatic partner, John Pike, in the crossfire between some highly connected criminals and some law enf The Elvis Cole series got off to a highly entertaining start with The Monkey’s Raincoat.

L.A. private detective Elvis Cole takes on the case of Ellen Lang, an emotionally paralyzed housewife convinced that her floundering husband has taken off with their young son. What at first looks like a messy domestic squabble mushrooms into something a lot more dangerous, putting Elvis, his client and his enigmatic partner, John Pike, in the crossfire between some highly connected criminals and some law enforcement types they’re not sure they can trust.

Robert Crais came up with a winning lead character in Elvis Cole and The Monkey’s Raincoat introduced readers to his world, circa the late ‘80s, in memorable fashion. Elvis had all the quirks and layers fans of the detective genre expect, including a past as a Vietnam vet, an affinity for martial arts and a love of Jiminy Cricket. But Elvis stands out from many of his peers for one very crucial reason: he’s fun. Crais didn’t push the Vietnam angle too hard, working it in enough to give context to the character without overwhelming him. He also didn’t saddle Elvis with a big, dark backstory weighing on him. Elvis took a lot of lumps, but his irrepressible sense of humor and whimsical spirit carried him quite well. He’s an entertaining, active hero that fans can enjoy and root for.

Crais did a decent job with the supporting cast as well. Ellen Lang’s journey over the course of the story was well-handled, with Crais convincingly sketching the portrait of a woman learning to be self-reliant after years of a limiting marriage. Pike might have collapsed under the weight of his signifiers if Crais hadn’t given him a functional personality and believable bond with Elvis. And put upon police detective Lou Poitras was an agreeable foil for the hero, the duo’s somewhat fraught friendship coming across credibly. Crais didn’t junk up the main plot with ancillary beats that went nowhere; his plotting was lean and logical, marked by several well-developed action sequences and engaging bits of procedural work.

For genre fans who haven’t previously discovered the Elvis Cole series, The Monkey’s Raincoat is a worthwhile foray. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 06, 2009 Chuckconnor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2018 Barbara Talbott rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Elvis Cole is such an entertaining private eye. He is ruthless and funny at the same time. His partner is Joe Pike, silent but deadly. They are hired to find Ellen Lang’s husband and son. Drugs are a major part of the story, plus murder and kidnapping. Really exciting book.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 Leon Aldrich rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller-fiction, favorites, 2012-reads

I never believed in UFOs, ET sightings or abductions. At least not until now. It is obvious that alien technology has been used on two people. First on Robert Crais. He had bio-engineered author creative brain cell enhancement augmentation. It had to be. He is just too damn good of a writer for there to be any other plausible explanation. So I have to go with space aliens.

And Cathy DuPont had alien "bookworm" viral injections. How else would she know I would instantly love this author? She sent ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 18, 2016 Nate rated it liked it · review of another edition

My first Crais novel and a pretty good one, although not as great as I had hoped. His PI Elvis Cole is certainly charismatic and funny, but kinda seemed like an updated Philip Marlowe at times, but Marlowe’s funnier and cooler. His partner Joe Pike actually was the most interesting character, but that’s probably because I love that hard-as-nails vigilante archetype so much. The case itself had enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages, though, and I never figured out the ending before ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 23, 2012 Mike rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'd originally read this a few years ago, but had missed the exploits of Elvis and Joe, so decided to revisit the series.
This was a good start, but I found that the quality improves over time.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2018 Kevin Dowson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It's been a while since I danced with Elvis Cole, and I had somehow missed this, the first in the series. While all the ones I have read hold up well as stand-alone stories, I somehow feel weird about not starting at the beginning - it's a kind of reading OCD with me I suppose.

The Monkey's Raincoat is not over-laden with background about Elvis or Joe Pike. We do get a little backstory but there isn't an awful lot to distinguish this as the first in the series or differentiate it from the second ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: The Monkey's Raincoat / Robert Crais - 3.5***	2	16	Nov 06, 2016 04:44AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Mystery

490 users

Fiction

186 users

Mystery > Crime

150 users

Thriller

101 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

74 users

Mystery > Detective

71 users

See top shelves…

About Robert Crais

Robert Crais

2,921 followers

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. 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. ...more