Rating: 
Summary: The Way of the Warrior is Death
Review: Elvis Cole is a wisecracking private investigator who likes Falstaff beer, Mickey Mouse, and can tell you exactly which designer made the clothes and accessories the villains wear. A Viet Nam vet who came back determined to preserve what was left of his childhood, a man with a strong hero complex, and, when need be, a stone killer. Now he is working a case for financier Bradley Warren, trying to find a stolen copy of the Hagakure, the ancient Japanese code of behavior for the Samurai.Elvis' clue gathering style is to keep stirring the pot of likely sources and suspects until something floats to the top. This time what comes up is trouble. Warren's family receives several threats, which he chooses to ignore. Suddenly the worst happens and Mimi Warren is kidnapped, leaving no trace. Incensed, Warren fires Cole and the detective decides to continue the case on his own. He promised Mimi he would protect her, and he's not about to let the Yakuza of two countries get in his way. Robert Crais' tactic is to lure the reader in with Elvis Cole's humorous attitude and hard-boiled attitude, and then follow through with a series of severe hammer blows. Even when you know that there is a nightmare waiting to happen, its onset is a shock. Perhaps this is formula writing, but few authors can shift gears as smoothly as Crais can. One moment you are listening in on some sarcastic dialog between Cole and his partner Joe Pike, the next minute they are dealing out badness - and you are liking it. In addition, Crais' characters are never one sided. If anything, they defy the common stereotypes. Cole and Pike don't simply hunt villains and right wrongs; they hold intelligent conversations and understand the issues they must deal with. Good plot, great characters and a fine eye for detail makes 'Stalking the Angel' a memorable story. One that will drive you back to the bookshelves looking for more.
Rating:
Summary: The Way of the Warrior is Death
Review: Elvis Cole is a wisecracking private investigator who likes Falstaff beer, Mickey Mouse, and can tell you exactly which designer made the clothes and accessories the villains wear. A Viet Nam vet who came back determined to preserve what was left of his childhood, a man with a strong hero complex, and, when need be, a stone killer. Now he is working a case for financier Bradley Warren, trying to find a stolen copy of the Hagakure, the ancient Japanese code of behavior for the Samurai. Elvis' clue gathering style is to keep stirring the pot of likely sources and suspects until something floats to the top. This time what comes up is trouble. Warren's family receives several threats, which he chooses to ignore. Suddenly the worst happens and Mimi Warren is kidnapped, leaving no trace. Incensed, Warren fires Cole and the detective decides to continue the case on his own. He promised Mimi he would protect her, and he's not about to let the Yakuza of two countries get in his way. Robert Crais' tactic is to lure the reader in with Elvis Cole's humorous attitude and hard-boiled attitude, and then follow through with a series of severe hammer blows. Even when you know that there is a nightmare waiting to happen, its onset is a shock. Perhaps this is formula writing, but few authors can shift gears as smoothly as Crais can. One moment you are listening in on some sarcastic dialog between Cole and his partner Joe Pike, the next minute they are dealing out badness - and you are liking it. In addition, Crais' characters are never one sided. If anything, they defy the common stereotypes. Cole and Pike don't simply hunt villains and right wrongs; they hold intelligent conversations and understand the issues they must deal with. Good plot, great characters and a fine eye for detail makes 'Stalking the Angel' a memorable story. One that will drive you back to the bookshelves looking for more.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Quick Read
Review: Elvis Cole, a quirky LA detective is recruited by a wealthy business man, Bradley Warren, to retrieve an important Japanese manuscript, called the "Hagakure" which was stolen from Warren's safe. While Elvis is reluctant to take the case he soon discovers that there is more to the story, so decides to uncover the truth. Warren's wife Sheila is a sex starved alcoholic and his daugter Mimi is a deeply unhappy and ignored teenager. The second installment of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series Stalking The Angel is a good quick read. It is hard boiled mystery, which takes the reader on a journey through seedy sections of Little Tokyo to the wealthy mansions of southern California. Crais' Elvis Cole is a quirky detective who has a fondness for Mickey memorabilia. Cole is both skeptical observer and kind-hearted helper. He partners with Joe Pike, who is in charge of the security part of there business. Uncovering a mystery is always an interesting challenge and Crais provides enough twists and turns to challenge even the most astute mystery reader. In fact, the end leaves the reader to decide the answer for one untied thread. A rainy afternoon, a day for relaxation or any excuse for a quick light read pick up Stalking the Angel and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Freakin awesome read. To cool. Not as good as the first, but a definite should read if you liked the Monkey's Raincoat. Anyways check'em out. I am onto the next one. Man i love Elvis and Pike. Good combo with whiplash prose. Sweet!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: AN AUTHENTICALLY CHILLING READING FOR THIS THRILLER
Review: Gifted actor, playwright, and voice artist David Stuart gives authentic reading to the further adventures of Elvis Cole, the shrewd L. A. private investigator created by Robert Crais. Once again Elvis is accompanied by his taciturn buddy Joe Pike in this chase for a missing Japanese manuscript. This is a case Elvis can't refuse as he's given a blank check for his trouble and there is, of course, a gorgeous woman involved. Problems mount when the daughter of the man who hired him is kidnaped by a Japanese mob, the notorious, take-no-prisoners "Yakuza" (think mafia). Despite setbacks Elvis persists in his battle against hedonism, amorality, and unimaginable evil. Another thriller by Crais! - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Stalking the Angel.....A Winner
Review: Hard-boiled and always wisecracking private detective, Elvis Cole and his ever silent partner, Joe Pike are back and better than ever in Stalking the Angel. This time out, he's hired by hotel magnate, Bradley Warren, to find the Hagakure, a priceless Japanese manuscript, that's been stolen from Warren's personal safe in his Holmby Hills mansion. As he and Pike begin their investigation, Warren's daughter is first threatened and then kidnapped from right under their noses and Elvis and Joe are now on a mission to find both the manuscript and the girl, unharmed..... Robert Crais has done it again! Stalking the Angel is a fast paced mystery/thriller, you'll have to finish in one sitting. This is a story that has it all...writing that's smart and spare, with never a wasted word; crisp, irreverent dialogue and suspenseful, riveting scenes. And, as Pike and Cole circle closer and closer to the truth, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, turning pages to the story's shocking and satisfying conclusion. Stalking the Angel is a book mystery fans shouldn't miss.
Rating:
Summary: Stalking the Angel
Review: Hard-nosed private detective Elvis Cole returns ( The Monkey's Raincoat ) to do battle for a teenaged girl kidnapped as part of a scheme involving the theft of a priceless Japanese manuscript outlining samurai behavior. While Cole's wry sarcasm and attempts at ``cute'' often fall flat, his humanity and integrity carry him through an apparently convoluted but mostly transparent plot. Los Angeles settings, Japanese heavies, wild action, and businesslike prose, however, make this better than many.
Rating:
Summary: If you like your detectives with a smart mouth...
Review: I like smart-aleck detectives. People like Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone, Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin, Robert Parker's Spenser, and Robert Crais' Elvis Cole. As you probably can tell from seeing my reading list, I'm pretty much a sucker for humor in any of its manifestations (okay, maybe not puns). Crais' style is close to Parker, yet Crais' competant detective doesn't have the macho baggage that Spenser carries. (To digress, that macho baggage is actually what marks the Spenser books above the crowd, as Parker forces he "independent, macho cowboy" type to interact with the modern, touchy-feely world. You can bet that Spenser is a "sensitive, new age guy.") Cole may not be as macho as Spenser, but he is still fearless--he is a Vietnam vet, after all--but most of the strong, silent type of detective stuff is handled by the secretive partner, Joe Pike, while Cole gets to zing all those one-liners with abandon at anyone who crosses his threshold. The mystery here is one that Parker would have taken to as well. Cole is hired by a wealthy businessman to retrieve on of the last remaining copies of the Hagakure, the book that defines Japanese feudal culture. Along the way, we get to meet the Yakuza (Japan's version of the mafia), some serious dysfunctional families, a cult, and thow in a bit of true love and a nice look at ethics, and you've got a Spenser novel (if you replaced Cole with Spenser and Pike with Hawk).(...)
Rating: 
Summary: Early Crais Novels Leave something to be Desired
Review: I love this author...or at least I love his three most recent novels, L.A. Requiem, (the best Elvis Cole novel so far), Demolition Angel and Hostage. Because I read those later efforts first, I am having some problems with the earlier Elvis novels which are heavy on wise cracking by Cole, big into martial arts and thin in the story line. If you find yourself in an airport and you forgot to bring something to read in line and on the plane, these will do, but I don't recommend going back to these earlier efforts to find the level of writing Crais is putting out now. Most authors burst on the scene and over time find it harder and harder to maintain their edge. Not so here. These early novels are Creative Writing 101 products.
Rating:
Summary: Beginning to like this guy
Review: I read "The Monkey's Raincoat" over a year ago and was so underwhelmed that I only just now read "Stalking the Angel." There's been so much acclaim for this series I figured it deserved a second chance. I'm glad I gave it that chance. I won't rehash the plot - there are other good reviews of it. It's an ok story though I felt the second half of the book was a rather weak resolution to a promising premise. It's Elvis that makes this book sing. He's growing into an intriguing, complicated personality without the dark side (i.e. alcoholism, smoking, anger) seen so often in PI fiction. His quirks are fun (all the cartoon references). More than that, this man knows and loves his food. Even better, he shares more than a few terrific meals with us. I was salivating for all the wonderful Asian food more than once. Bottom-line: I'll be reading the next book in this series soon. For new readers, this is the second book in the series. It's probably not critical to read the first book to enjoy this book.
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