''The Monkey's Raincoat'' is a 1987

detective novel Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...

Robert Crais Robert Crais (pronounced ) (born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as ''Hill Street Blues'', ''Cagney & Lacey'', '' Quincy'', ''Miami Vice'' and ''L.A. Law ...

. It is the first in a series of linked novels centering on the

private investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike. Cole is a tough, wisecracking ex-

Ranger A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to: * Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...

with an irresistible urge to do what is morally right. The novel won the

1988 Anthony Award Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, which have been issued at the conv ...

for "Best Paperback Original" at

Bouchercon XIX Bouchercon is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher; also the inspiration for the Anthony Awards, which have been issued at the con ...

and the 1988

Mystery Readers International Mystery Readers International is a fan/reader organization open to all readers, fans, critics, editors, publishers, and writers of Mystery fiction. It was founded by Janet A. Rudolph in Berkeley, California. It publishes the ''Mystery Readers Jo ...

Macavity Award The Macavity Awards are a literary award for mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the " mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' ...

for "Best First Novel"; and has since been named one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the

Independent Mystery Booksellers Association Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independen ...

Explanation of the novel's title

The title of the novel derives from a poem by the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Matsuo Bashō born then was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative '' haikai no renga'' form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest ma ...

which is quoted at the start of the novel:

Plot summary

Cole is hired by Ellen Lang to find her missing husband and son and in the end, with Cole and Pike's help, she kills former

matador A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activit ...

and crime boss Domingo Garcia Duran, the man responsible for her husband's death and her son's kidnapping. The facts behind the events leading to Ellen's husband's involvement with Duran and his death are revealed and her son Perry is restored to her.

Characters

* Elvis Cole – Private Detective, protagonist * Janet Simon – Ellen Lang's friend; worked with Eric Filer at Universal * Ellen Lang – Hires Elvis Cole to find missing husband and son, Perry * Mort Lang – Ellen's husband * Perry, Cindy, and Carrie Lang – The Langs' children * Kimberly Marsh – Mort Lang's girlfriend * George Feider – Private Investigator with 40+ years of experience, worked with Elvis * Eric Filer – Worked with Janet at Universal * Garrett Rice – Mort Lang's best friend and co-producer on a project with Mort * Joe Pike – Detective/Elvis' partner * Cleon Tyner – Garrett Rice's hired "security" * Simms and Eddie – Cops on the scene after Ellen's house was tossed * Patricia Kyle – Former Cole client, works at General Entertainment Studios * Clarence Wu – Owner of Wu's Engraving * Lou Poitras – Cole's police contact, a detective out of North Hollywood

Alternative ending

Robert Crais' original outline for the novel had Joe Pike getting killed at the end, so that he would have a moment of tragedy that would push

Elvis Cole Robert Crais (pronounced ) (born June 20, 1953) is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as ''Hill Street Blues'', ''Cagney & Lacey'', ''Quincy, M.E., Quincy'', ''Miami Vice'' an ...

on to the rescue of the boy.

Awards and nominations

for "Best Paperback Original" * 1988

for "Best First Novel" * 1988

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

nominee for "Best Paperback Original" * 1988

Shamus Award The Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) for the best detective fiction ( P. I. = Private investigator) genre novels and short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one si ...

nominee for "Best Original P.I. Paperback"

Release details

*1987, United States of America, Bantam Books , Pub Date 1987, Paperback *1989, United Kingdom, Piatkus Books /978-0-86188-817-7, Pub Date February 1989, Hardback

Footnotes

1987 American novels Novels by Robert Crais Anthony Award-winning works Macavity Award-winning works {{1980s-mystery-novel-stub