Elvis and Joe: Robert Crais's LA detective noir still going strong

I've been reading the Elvis and Joe series by Robert Crais for as long as I can remember. The first book in the series, The monkey's raincoat, was published in 1987. Crais is now into his 70s with 20 books under his belt. The quality of the books is still top notch, though. Robert Crais started his career writing for TV shows like Cagney and Lacey and Hill Street Blues. I urge you to give the series a go if you love a multilayered and well crafted private eye story with strong characterisation, top notch writing, and a Los Angeles noir vibe.

I have a literary crush on Elvis, a tough, wise-cracking war veteran with a soft spot for the underdog, who partners in his LA detective agency with friend and fellow vet, the enigmatic Joe Pike. Elvis is the face of the agency, but Joe is always in the background, ready to assist. They're a unique pair, bonded through a deep sense of loyalty and shared history. Elvis is clever and insightful with a quirky 'Dad jokes' sense of humour. Joe is enigmatic and dour, scarily capable, and the kind of guy you can depend on to have your back.

Crais's novels are underscored by themes of friendship and loyalty and fighting on the side of the underdog. Elvis and Joe are dedicated to bringing down the bad guys, with empathy and concern for those caught in the bad guys' crosshairs. The novels evoke a sense of the noir, and Crais goes deep into his world-building of LA, never shying away from exploring its ugly side. Elvis drives a yellow 1966 Stingray convertible and often wears Hawaiian shirts, and all that helps to evoke a sense of nostalgic noir. The books' dialogue is snappy and witty, the stories move along at an even pace and nicely build suspense, and the messages are never heavy-handed.

The other quality to Crais's writing is the characterisation of the people Elvis and Joe come into contact with over the course of their investigations. There's usually bunch of these characters in every book, but Crais always manages to give depth to each one. They are all believable and worth the reader's investment, even those who only have a few pages of air time. Crais makes the reader care about what happens to these characters and motivated to stick with the story right to the end.

I have found lately that longtime book series have started to become weaker in quality and storytelling, This is is not the case with the Elvis and Joe books. I have loved every book in the series and I slip into reading each new one like greeting an old friend. You just need to accept that Elvis and Joe don't age (and that Elvis's cranky cat is immortal)! Even though Crais doesn't state when the books are set, if they are following the publication timeline (and details that suggest the time period), then they would both be in their mid 70s by now!

Elvis and Joe are so familiar to me now and I have stuck with them for their believable friendship, a huge drawcard for the novels. Crais has created two authentic characters and has breathed life into them across the long running series. Books 19 and 20 in the series remain as faithful to the characters as the first book, published in 1987. Below are my thoughts.

Series rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Racing the light | Book 19 | Published November 2022 | Read August 2023

Racing the light centres around Josh Shoe, a nerdy conspiracy theory podcaster who stumbles upon information that lands him in trouble with the bad guys. Enter Elvis and Joe. The story unfolds as a quest not only to find the missing Josh but to uncover corrupt politicians and organisational cartels running the city. There's a clever and intriguing connection between the bad guys and Josh's mother, Elvis's client, who has a lot more going on than just being a retired Stanford professor. That she needs personal security tells you something is going on!

There's a fair bit of Lucy Chenier in this book, Elvis's longtime romantic partner, whose son, Ben, has also been in and out of the books since he was young. I'm still not sure how I feel about Lucy. I've stayed interested in the ups and downs of her relationship with Elvis, but in Racing the light, there is a bit too much of the narrative dedicated to her.

Joe is less of a player in Racing the light and I missed his presence. I'd not rate book 19 up there with the best of the series, but I still finished the book feeling satisfied. Even a less-than-stellar Elvis and Joe book is still a good read. Elvis is a skilled investigator and Crais has a nice way of putting all the pieces of the puzzle together in each case. I'll always come back for more.

The big empty | Book 20 | Published January 2025 | Read March 2025

In book 20, Elvis is hired by instafamous muffin baker, Traci Beller, to find out what happened to her father, Tommy, ten years ago. Tommy disappeared without a trace from the small Californian town of Rancha on his way home one night. Both the police at the time and the detectives later hired by Traci's mother believed Tommy abandoned his family. Traci refuses to entertain this idea. Elvis takes on the case, but it seems a lost cause until he uncovers some new information from a local woman and her daughter. Following the trail leads to an attack on Elvis by a gang of criminals and more violence and murder in the town.

I noted above that Crais's deep characterisation of the peripheral players is key to the enduring success of the series. In The big empty, Crais made me root for Traci to find the truth but wary of what that truth might be. Sadie and Anya, who help Elvis uncover what happened to Tommy, are particularly well drawn and authentic. I also especially loved Lori, the snarky young woman who works in a local bottle shop and helps Elvis and Joe out. Crais is an absolute master at drawing these secondary characters, making them believable, compelling and multi-dimensional.

Crais nicely builds the suspense again in this latest outing, deftly showing the process of Elvis uncovering the truth. I did guess most of what was going on (and the blurb gave too much away, I thought), but there were still a few surprises at the end. The book is pretty dark, but Crais handles the story and subject matter with sensitivity. There is a distinct switch in the mood as the story unfolds, from an instafamous muffin baker and Elvis's wise-cracking to the dark ending, but it makes for a compelling read.