Robert Crais's "The Monkey's Raincoat" introduces the iconic detective Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike. The novel establishes their dynamic and sets the stage for the long-running series. It's a classic crime thriller with a focus on character development and intricate plotting. The story involves a missing person case that unravels a web of secrets and danger in Los Angeles. The book's success launched Crais's career and solidified his place in the crime fiction genre.
The Big Empty, the 20th book in Robert Crais's Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series, is a powerful thriller that tests the loyalty of the main characters. The case involves a missing person, the daughter of a vanished man, and a complex mystery that unfolds. The novel explores themes of loyalty, family, and the lengths people will go to find the truth. Crais's signature blend of suspense, character development, and atmospheric descriptions creates a compelling narrative. The book is considered by many to be one of Crais's best works.
In L.A. Requiem, Robert Crais crafts a story that is darker, denser, and deeper than his previous works. The novel revolves around Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike, who are drawn into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse when they are asked to help find the killer of Karen Garcia, a former girlfriend of Joe Pike. As they work with the LAPD, they uncover a web of conspiracy that threatens to destroy their twelve-year friendship and their lives. The book explores themes of honor, friendship, justice, and love, set against the backdrop of Los Angeles with its secrets and complexities[1][3][4].
Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, returns to talk with me about the destruction of the recent LA fires, writing “enlightened” crime fiction, and the 20th in his Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series THE BIG EMPTY.
Robert Crais is the author of 24 novels, 20 featuring private investigator Elvis Cole and his laconic ex-cop partner, Joe Pike. The first in the series, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award.
The 20th in the series, THE BIG EMPTY, is described as an unpredictable and powerful thriller, and "Cole and Pike's toughest case yet, testing their loyalty to their clients and themselves in ways they've never been tested before.”
#1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson said of the book, “Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are right up there with Harry Bosch and Reacher as must reads….It’s close to flawless. Robert Crais has mastered the fine art of storytelling.”
In a previous life Robert Crais was an Emmy-nominated TV writer/producer and spent several years writing scripts for classic television series like Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice.
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In this Part Two of this file Robert Crais and I discussed:
What writing 20 novels for the same hit series means to him
How he became a master of LA detective fiction
Why every novel gets harder than the last
The catharsis of storytelling for both writer and reader
How to keep going
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
How #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Robert Crais Writes: Part One
robertcrais.com
The Big Empty (An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel) by Robert Crais (Amazon)
Robert Crais Author Page on Amazon
Robert Crais on Facebook
Robert Crais on Instagram
Robert Crais on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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