Rating: 
Summary: REALLY MIXED FEELINGS!!!!!
Review: This was my first book by Crais and his first book also. Elvis Cole is introduced as a wisccracking private eye. Ellen Lang hires him to find her husband and son. Later the husband is found shot to death and the son is missing. Elvis, along with Pike, his partner, work on trying to get the son back. They come in contact with major drug dealers, one who thinks Elvis has his drugs. There is much action, one very good cop, and Pike is great. I think Elvis really had to many wisecracks. The ending is very good. I had a bad problem with Ellen Lang. Her husband is found shot to death, she was kidnapped and Elvis got her back, killing two in doing so, her young son is still being held by the drug dealer and she goes to bed with Elvis. I would think that would be the last thing on her mind and should have been the last thing on Elvis's mind. One of the writers on the back of the book compared Crais to Robert Parker, maybe in years to come but not now. The thing with Ellen and Elvis really turned me off. If it had been my child or grandchild kidnapped I would not have wanted sex with someone. Oh, well, to each his own. Have not decided if I will read another Crais or not.
Rating:
Summary: what's all the fuss?
Review: I didn't find this book as funny as other reviewers did. I chuckled only once. And a lot of the plot seemed cliche to me (maybe it was more original when it first came out). I just didn't understand what all the hype was about for this book. On the plus side, however, there are a few good action scenes and it is a quick read. Not a great book, but not a bad book either.
Rating: 
Summary: If it was written by Robert Crais, it has to be GOOD
Review: The humor in this wonderful book is the best I've ever read and his character Joe Pike is the most fascinating "sidekick" of any author around. Mr Crais plots and sub plots with the best and his detail to foods, colors and even architecture described in the story paints pictures that keeps you absorbed during the entire book.
Rating:
Summary: Great first book in the series!
Review: After reading the Monkey's Raincoat for the first time, I immediately went out and read two more of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole series. I was hooked! Crais' main PI character is unlike the typical hard-nosed, no-nonsense detective you'll find in other series. Elvis Cole is eccentric, yet lovable (the guy has an office full of Disney figurines!). Doesn't sound hardcore enough for you? Well if you like a tough guy in your mysteries, Joe Pike, Elvis' Cole's friend, is the antithesis of everything Cole is--mysterious, serious, and a no-nonsense tough guy. You'll love this book for its mix of intrigue and humor. I have heard only great things about "L.A. Requiem", the book by Crais where Joe Pike is the main character. Unfortunately, I haven't had a time to read it yet. But based on what I've seen in The Monkey's Raincoat, you can bet its going to be the next book I read.
Rating: 
Summary: Great first effort... looking forward to more...
Review: This book is a refreshing addition to a genre overflowing with trite, lackluster efforts. Elvis Cole and his zen sidekick, Joe Pike are true characters in every way. The thing that sticks out the most is the honesty. There is no flowery language to embellish weak writing. This is straightforward, tight writing, very much in the Ross MacDonald/James Ellroy way. Instead of telling us how Elvis feels, he shows us through his actions, sometimes contradicting what he is saying/feeling. Some disappointments, though. Women are pretty much just set dressings here, even to the point where there are sex scenes for simply no reason. Also there is an awful lot of mudane driving directions, i.e. "I turned on the 101 and took the Echo Park exit..." blah, blah, blah. That gets tedious and isn't necessary unless you want to have a ten year old idea of how L.A. is laid out. Anyway, great first book, look forward to more.
Rating: 
Summary: This Writing in This Book Was Horrible!
Review: The story was fine, but the writing simply ruined the book for me. Does the writer think we are idoits who have to be reminded several times IN ONE PAGE that it was Jane Doe who did this, Jane Doe who did that, and then Jane Doe said this? What other Jane WAS there?! He repeatedly used the last names of characters to the point where I wondered if HE couldn't remember which Jane was involved just two paragrahs ago. Was the book written by different people? at different times? and then put together without an editor? My mother simply looked at it and said "Bad writing is bad writing." She couldn't get past a few chapters. We have read a lot of books, but this one was simply the worst written I have seen in a long time. If there was a rating less than one star, this book certainly deserves it.
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Summary: My Favorite Mystery Series
Review: If you've never read Robert Crais' amazing Elvis Cole series, this is the place to start. Hilarious and exciting, cleverly plotted and full of twists, these books are a must read for anybody who likes detective or crime fiction. I envy you if you haven't read them!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant with a capital E!
Review: Elvis Cole is my kind of detective! I don't think that there is any other writer quite like Crais and his excellent characters Elvis Cole & Joe Pike. If you like great thrillers that are humorous but keep you entertained and guessing throughout the whole story, then you will love The Monkeys Raincoat. Somehow, Crais is able to depict his characters so lifelike that you can actually imagine all the scenes, especially those with the high body counts! This is the 2nd Crais novel (with Elvis) that I have read & I couldn't put it down! They are truly excellent books that will keep you laughing & guessing all the way to the bookstore when you get another one!
Rating:
Summary: Hold on to your hat
Review: I first learned about Robert Crais when I went to a book signing for John Sandford's "Secret Prey". Someone asked John who he read, and he mentioned Crais. That had me convinced, so I bought the book immediately following the signing. Read this and was hooked. Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are quite a tandem. Start of a very good series. This along with "Stalking the Angel" are the best ones. The style becomes more formulaic down the line, and after several books it's hard to believe that anyone can be involved in this many dramatic shootouts. They are all well worth the read. The story is non stop and I guarantee you'll want to read another.
Rating:
Summary: A ten-star detective novel!
Review: This is a perfect, beautifully crafted detective novel. Not surprising it was nominated for so many awards and won a couple of them. Wise-cracking Elvis Cole and his silent (but deadly) partner Joe Pike are a formidable pair. When Elvis sets out to find Ellen Lang's missing husband Mort and their young son, he can't help but repair her low self-esteem along the way. Elvis cares, and Joe (in his way) cares, too. Crais makes the reader care about all of his characters; this is a fully-fleshed novel that transcends genre, as the best genre writing does. Highly, highly recommended. The action never lets up; it's a great read, one of the best in the series.
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