Robert Crais
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Robert Crais is a contemporary 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. His major literary influences are Raymond Chandler, Ross Macdonald and Robert B. Parker. Crais lives in California's Santa Monica mountains with his family.
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[edit] Overview
Crais's usual protagonist and first-person narrator is private detective Elvis Cole, a wisecracking tough guy with a heart of gold and all the charm of his namesake, Elvis Presley. Almost as well known is Cole's partner Joe Pike, an intimidating ex-Marine who never smiles. Except for Demolition Angel, Hostage and The Two-Minute Rule, all of Crais' books feature Cole and Pike.
The author tackles a variety of subjects in his novels. Free Fall was inspired by the Rodney King riots and Sunset Express dealt with a killer who bore an uncanny resemblance to O.J. Simpson. The most frequently recurring theme in Crais's books is the value of honesty; in his works, the long-term value of coming clean always outweighs the short-term benefits of covering up the problem. Crais also delves into issues of family and loyalty.
Some readers have complained that Crais's style has veered into over-the-top melodrama in recent years and that each book has the same basic structure (usually leading to a shoot-out climax). Others insist that his increasingly cinematic storytelling is how he keeps getting better with every novel. Over the years, his novels have taken a turn for the darker side, with a greater cynicism being expressed in his writing, although the wit and humor of his earlier books are still present. His novels and characters have become more deeply realized, and his extensive use of flashbacks and dream imagery add a greater depth to the present-day narrative.
[edit] Crais on film
In March of 2005, Bruce Willis appeared in Hostage, the first Hollywood adaptation of one of his books. Crais refuses to sell the rights to Cole, Pike, and his other recurring characters, preferring to allow his readers to keep their own personal conceptions of the characters.
[edit] Bibliography
- The Monkey's Raincoat -- Bantam -- 1987
- Stalking the Angel -- Bantam -- 1989
- Lullaby Town -- Bantam -- 1992
- Free Fall -- Bantam -- 1993
- Voodoo River -- Hyperion -- 1995
- Sunset Express -- Hyperion -- 1996
- Indigo Slam -- Hyperion --1997
- L.A. Requiem -- Doubleday -- 1999
- Demolition Angel -- Doubleday -- 2000
- Hostage -- Doubleday -- 2001
- The Last Detective -- Doubleday -- 2003
- The Forgotten Man -- Doubleday -- 2005
- The Two-Minute Rule -- Simon & Schuster -- 2006
- The Watchman -- Simon & Schuster -- 2007
