Title: Crais introduces Elvis Cole
Product review: Monkey's Raincoat is author Robert Crais first novel, published in 1987. It introduces private detective Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike. While the book has earned a number of awards, I thought it started slow and was a little hard to get into. It did, however, finish in a fury. Crais spends much of the first half of the book establishing Cole as a witty, clever and wise-cracking private detective.The case involves Ellen Lang, who comes to Cole seeking to find her husband, Mort, who has taken their nine-year-old son. Mort is connected to Kimberly Marsh, an aspiring actress and girlfriend. Mort's partner in a talent agency, Garrett Rice, has problems of his own. Mort also was having money problems.Of course, nothing is as simple as it looks. Cole and Pike soon find themselves in the middle of an organized crime feud. Along the way, Ellen, gains some self-esteem and determination, allowing her to play a key role in the outcome.
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