The Monkey's Raincoat

It's really too bad I don't have a lot more of Robert Crais on my reading list. I fell in love with wisecracking private investigator, Elvis Cole, immediately. (My only other Crais is a Joe Pike mystery.) But, back to Elvis Cole. With Cole's affinity for Disney characters, yoga, and a cat named nothing, he is a bundle of personality and then some. He's thirty five years old, former military and security, likes to look at the ladies and isn't above saying something outrageous just to see someone's reaction. What's not to love? I took to his sarcastic kindness right away.
When we first meet Elvis, he is about to launch into a new investigation involving a weepy woman's missing husband and son. All clues lead to Mr. Missing taking off with show more a sexy young girlfriend until he is found shot to death in the Hollywood Hills. What starts off as a simple missing case has now evolved into a murderous mystery involving high stakes drug deals gone wrong and bad ass thugs who will stop at nothing to regain the upper hand. It is up to Elvis and his silent (in more ways than one) partner, Joe Pike, to find Ellen's missing son and bring him back, dead or alive. The details are a little dated (these are the days of calling from street corner payphones and Wang Chung hits), but still a good read.
Mousy mom Ellen Lang was a mystery to me. She didn't get Cole's joke about the humor of paramedics (keeping one "in stitches") yet she understood that two years at the "University of Southeast Asia" meant a stint in Vietnam. Throughout the entire book she wasn't consistent to me. Someone who was consistent and I wanted more of was Joe Pike. The inside flap described him as an enigma and that just scratches the surface of Pike's personality. Can't wait to read more about him later. show less

Genre: Private Investigator, #1 Elvis Cole mystery

First Line: "I'm sorry, Mr. Cole, this has nothing to do with you."

Several years ago people began mentioning Elvis Cole to me. Hmm...my last name, my mother's favorite singer.... I duly filed away the information. The people doing the mentioning probably thought I'd blown them off, to which I would reply: Just because I don't lay rubber the second you mention an author I might like doesn't mean I'm not paying attention. Sometimes I think part of my brain is an aquifer; it takes time for some of these authors to percolate down to the Do Something Level. I finally reached the Do Something Level with Elvis Cole, and now I've got a big smile on my face knowing what I've got in store for show more me.

Elvis Cole is a private investigator with a shadowy partner, Joe Pike. Joe isn't around all that much, which suits most people just fine. Let's face it-- the man scares people to death, and according to Elvis, "Pike thinks Clint Eastwood talks too much." Elvis has a life that suits him just fine. A Vietnam vet, his hero is Peter Pan, and he thinks very highly of Jiminy Cricket. (So do I. Jiminy taught me how to spell encyclopedia.) I also have to admit that the Pinocchio clock he has on his office wall fascinates me. Peter Pan...Jiminy Cricket...Pinocchio...when Ellen Lang walked into his office to hire him to find her missing husband and son, I knew that I was about to embark on a rather unusual investigation. I was led to a viper's den of criminals, drugs and sex, but I feared not, for Cole and Pike were with me.

By the time I finished, I had some new friends in Elvis and Joe. (I have a healthy respect for Joe, but he doesn't scare me. Yet.) The investigation itself isn't all that complex or unusual, but it moves quickly and taught me to pay attention to small clues and subtle nuances. The real reason why this book is such a standout rests squarely on the shoulders of Elvis Cole. It's as though, once he made it out of Vietnam in one piece and decided he wanted to be Peter Pan, his decision stripped away several layers of adult apathy and cynicism. This man can eat ice cream, watch an obnoxious customer torment the counter girl...and be incapable of pretending it isn't happening. When Mr. Obnoxious is persuaded to leave, Elvis leaves his business card with the girl. "If anyone ever bothers you...let me know."

And that's the strength of Elvis Cole--he cares. If that's what happens when a person decides to be Peter Pan, I say we should all start flapping our arms and taking flying lessons. In The Monkey's Raincoat, Robert Crais has set his stage with two superb characters in Cole and Pike, and I just happen to have Acts Two (Stalking the Angel) and Three (Lullaby Town) waiting in the wings.

Now if I could only find myself one of those Pinocchio clocks.... show less

I am the reason that author's of series have to write novels so that they can stand alone. That's right, I don't read series in order all that often. I started with Lee Child's 61 Hours, Michael Connelley's City of Bones, JK Rowlings' Goblet of Fire, Jo Nesbo's Nemesis and Matthew Reilly's Scarecrow. Long time fans don't appreciate readers like me.

The first Elvis Cole novel I read was Sunset Express, which I enjoyed immensely. I decided to read the series the right way, so I went out and bought the first three Elvis Cole novels. Robert Crais kicked off this series with Monkey's Raincoat, which was a shorter crime thriller.

Wit, humour, action, a weeping widow and drug dealers: mix and stir. Crais is definitely an author I'm trying to show more emulate and enjoy his writing and characters. I'm looking forward to the next two instalments. show less

Now I know why this was picked as one of 100 favorite mysteries of 20th century by Independent Booksellers Assoc. Tightly written with indelible characters and mile-a-minute pacing. First in the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike books, Elvis shines as the kick-ass P.I. looking for the kidnapped husband and son of a distraught Southern California woman. Sharp-witted and dogged in his pursuit of justice, he tangles with both the police and drug kingpins to find the woman's son and the killer of her husband. A book you won't forget; I literally couldn't put down. Highest recommendation.

I picked up this book thinking it would a lighter read, but it actually had a real noir feel, with well written action sequences. Recommended.

The first in his Elvis Cole series, I really enjoyed The Monkey’s Raincoat by Robert Crais Interesting characters that you want to know more about (especially the mysterious partner Joe Pike) and a story that holds your attention with snappy dialogue and fast-paced action.

Set in the late 1980’s in L.A., this is a trip down memory lane via the fashions, music and trivia that is mentioned over the course of the book. Elvis Cole is a Vietnam vet who has become a Private Investigator. Quirky doesn’t even begin to describe Elvis with his Disney decorated office, marital arts, flippant tongue and beer drinking cat. This particular case involves a missing husband and son along with stolen drugs, played out on the fringes of show more Hollywood.

Flashy and stylish but with lots of substance, The Monkey’s Raincoat is an extremely promising debut and I can hardly wait to see what happens to Elvis next. show less

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 show more 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. show less