Customer Reviews

Stalking the Angel (Elvis Cole Novels)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Now, if you're wondering how a hardboiled mystery could ever make you laugh, you obviously haven't met Elvis Cole. This is a series I resisted at first - I guess I was put off by the thought of a detective named Elvis. But I'm hooked and I think you will be too! Stalking the Angel hits the ground running on page one and I didn't put it down until the last page was read. Wise cracking Cole adheres to no one's standards and doesn't much seem to care who hires him. When he's approached by Bradley Warren, a pompous executive, to investigate the theft of a priceless manuscript, he takes the job even though the two clash from the first word. Meeting Warren's exhibitionistic wife and troubled daughter dampens what little enthusiasm he has for the case, but when the daughter is kidnapped after Cole promised her he'd watch out for her, it becomes personal. When suspects start dying torturous, violent deaths, Cole enlists the aid of partner Joe Pike and the two leave no stone unturned in bringing the case to a climactic end. Robert Crais presents us with a lovable hero with a smart mouth and eyes that don't miss much. But don't be deceived - this is no cozy. Violence is real, but not unjustified. Ethical lines are understandably blurred and happily ever after isn't part of the deal. Still, it's a highly enjoyable read and we can all look forward to Elvis' latest adventure - LA Requiem, due out in June.

Robert Crais is one of the rare authors of private detective novels to succeed in making me laugh as well as making me biting my nails. The plot is intense. Pike is at the same time hard and tender, and Cole is as much funny as eager to solve the mystery. Always a good reading. You are lucky, you who have not still read any the novels of Crais!

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.

In this second book of the series, Elvis Cole is back, spouting witty dialogue, trying to save the girl, and eliminate the bad guys. Sound pretty much appropriate for a detective story? Not when it involves a Disney-figurine-loving guy driving a yellow corvette.

A priceless Japanese manuscript is stolen and snappy private investigator Elvis Cole is hired to find it. Bradley Warren and the best looking woman he has seen in weeks, Jillian Becker, need Elvis to find the Hagakure, and money is no object thanks to the blank check they left him. In the process, Warren's daughter, Mimi, is kidnapped by the Japanese mafia, making Elvis' work that much harder. Elvis' trail runs cold several times, as the storyline takes several unexpected twists.

Elvis is once again, complimented by his sociopathic, always-wearing-shades partner, Joe Pike. Straight-faced cop Lou Poitras is also back in a minor background role, but always adding a dry humor to the novel. Mimi, the kidnapped daughter, is a very interesting character in this book, as she is the focal point of the investigation, and it is her that brings out Elvis' human side. If anything, STALKING THE ANGEL, opens the readers eyes to Cole's serious, yet sensitive feelings. This human element made for a much more complete novel.

This was a very good book, that reads exceptionally well. The flow is quite nice, with the amusing hero in Elvis taking center stage. This is another solid effort from Robert Crais.

I've read this book as well as the rest of the Elvis Cole series. They are witty and entertaining. It is very easy to become involved with the characters. Elvis Cole is a caring individual who has a witty way of looking at things. Even his cat is funny. Joe Pike, his partner in the detective agency, is straight as an arrow. He can't even smile, his lip just quivers. Each Elvis Cole book in the series seems to be a little better then the one before. I'm totaly hooked on this series. I also recommend Harlan Coben and his Myron Bolitar series. I have read all of Harlan Coben's books. In the process of ordering his books, Robert Crais was recommended to me as an alternative to Harlan Coben and the Myron Bolitar series. This is why I'm reading Robert Crais and I'm hooked. Buy the whole Elvis Cole series. You won't regret it.

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).(...)

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.

After enjoying Demolition Angel, I made the commitment to go back and read all the Elvis Cole books in order. I love to read a series in the correct order to watch the growth of the author (who by Demolition Angel, a stand alone, was a great writer) and his characters. The leap from the Monkey's Raincoat to STalking the Angel was pretty big. Characters have more depth--esp. Elvis. Instead of sleeping around, drinking, and wisecracking, we get a glimpse (and just a glimpse) into Elvis' soul. The book is fast paced and funny, but also sad. Crais has created a terrific series and I plan to read all of them even if takes me years.

A Hard-Boiled Walk on the Seamy Side with Wisecracking Humor

If you have yet to begin the marvelous Elvis Cole series by Robert Crais, you've got a great treat ahead of you! Few series get off to a stronger start than Mr. Crais did with The Monkey's Raincoat, which won both the Anthony and Macavity awards for best novel while being nominated for the Edgar and Shamus awards as well. And the books just keep getting better from there in their characterizations, action, story-telling and excitement.

Elvis Cole is the star attraction, the co-owner of The Elvis Cole Detective Agency. He's 35ish, ex-Army, served in Vietnam, ex-security guard, has two years of college, learned to be a detective by working under George Feider, a licensed P.I. for over 40 years, does martial arts as enthusiastically as most people do lunch, and is fearless but not foolish. He's out to right the wrongs of the world as much as he is to earn a living. Elvis has a thing for Disney characters (including a Pinocchio clock), kids, cats, scared clients and rapid fire repartee. He drives a Jamaica yellow 1966 Corvette Stingray convertible, and usually carries a .38 Special Dan Wesson.

His main foil is partner, Joe Pike, an ex-Marine, ex-cop who moves quietly and mysteriously wearing shades even in the dark . . . when he's not scaring the bad guys with the red arrows tattooed on his deltoids, which are usually bare in sleeveless shirts. Although he's got an office with Elvis, Pike spends all of his time at his gun shop when not routing the bad guys with martial arts while carrying and often using enough firepower to stop a tank. Pike rarely speaks . . . and never smiles. A standing gag is trying to catch Pike with a little twitch of his lips indicating he might possibly be amused. But he's there when you need him. He drives a red Jeep.

Robert Parker's Spenser is the obvious character parallel for Elvis, but Spenser and Elvis are different in some ways. Cole is more solitary, usually being alone when he's not working. Cole is very much L.A. and Spenser is ultra blue collar Boston. Cole is martial arts while Spenser boxes and jogs. What they have in common is that they're both out to do the right thing, with money being unimportant. They both love to crack wise as they take on the bad guys. The bad guys hate the "humor" in both cases, and can't do much about it. The dialogue written for each is intensely rich.

Mr. Crais has a special talent for making you care about his characters, especially the clients and their kids. You'll want to know what happens to them. With a lot of experience in script writing, Mr. Crais also knows how to set the scene physically and make you feel it. He may be out finest fiction writer about physical movement. He gives you all the clues to picture what's going on . . . but draws back from giving so much detail that you can?t use your own imagination to make things better.

I grew up near Los Angeles, and get a special pleasure out of reading his descriptions of the differences in cities, neighborhoods, and buildings in the area. He gets in right . . . and in detail. It's a nice touch!

On to Stalking the Angel, the second book in the series:

"I love to hear the story
which angel voices tell."
--The Little Corporal
Emily Miller

"When the truth is found to be lies,
and all the joy within you dies,
don't you want somebody to love?"
--Jefferson Airplane

When Jillian Becker walks into his office, Elvis Cole thinks she's "the best looking woman I'd seen in three weeks" despite being dressed as a "Serious Businesswoman." She introduces her boss, Bradley Warren, and within three pages Elvis is being asked to find the Hagakure, an 18th century manuscript outlining all proper forms of samurai behavior. The Hagakure has disappeared from Warren's home safe, where it was being stored temporarily while on loan from the influential Tashiro family in Kyoto, before a planned exhibition in Warren's new hotel located in L.A.'s Little Tokyo district. Although the manuscript is insured for three million dollars, the insurance won't begin to cover the losses that Warren will suffer from the Tashiro family taking their business elsewhere.

As the predicament is being explained, Elvis is wisecracking away. Warren doesn't like his attitude and tells him so. Elvis recommends Pinkerton's. Elvis tells Warren that he won't take the case, and that he doesn't like Warren. Warren tells Jillian to leave a blank check. Jillian calms both men down and Elvis has a new client.

The trail of the Hagakure brings Elvis and Joe into some of the most unappetizing situations I remember reading about in hard-boiled fiction. There are Japanese gangsters (the infamous Yakuza), vicious killings, gruesome family secrets, horrible betrayals and dangerous sexual obsessions to deal with.

The story develops in small segments from quite different perspectives, usually in chapters of 4-5 pages in length, like a scene in a drama. Each change adds to a mosaic portrait of the characters and the overall situation. So the story moves fast . . . but without leaving you behind. There is enough material in this book to make three or four novels.

Pay particular attention to the evolution of your perceptions of Jillian and Mimi. Mr. Crais does a nice job of helping you realize all sides of their characters. That's one quality that takes this book above the best of the Spenser books.

After you finish the book, you might find it interesting to think about the dangers that can come from reaching for more than we can handle.

What can you do to resist harmful temptation?

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

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