Friday, December 21, 2007

"The Monkey's Raincoat" by Robert Crais

Okay, I'm a bit late coming to this book published in 1987, but Jack Getze said Crais be one good writer, so I cracked it open. Besides, the cover's red tag read, "Named one of the century's 100 favorite mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association." That fancy tag and Getze were right, this was a great read. Elvis Cole, a literate, wisecracking Vietnam war vet is an L.A. detective who must find the wayward husband of a mousy wife and pushy female friend. The case mushrooms into something bigger, and Elvis brings in his deadly and mostly silent partner, Joe Pike, as the body count climbs. The story gathers momentum with its tight prose and well-drawn characters until the conclusion when people must decide what they are willing to fight for and die for. Hands down five stars.

2 comments:

Jack Getze said...

So glad you liked Crais. He's really one of our very favorites. The Elvis Cole novels are my top picks, but his stand-alones are mighty fine, too. HOSTAGE, made into a movie with Bruce Willis, is a classic Donald Maass "make it worse" story as events just keep snowballing.

Rick Bylina said...

Crais certainly gives all of us mystery writers something to shoot for.