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Los Angeles, 3:58 a.m.: Elvis Cole receives the phone call he’s been waiting for since childhood. Responding to a gunshot, the LAPD has found an injured man in an alleyway. He has told the officer on the scene that he is looking for his son, Elvis Cole. Minutes later, the man is dead.
Haunted throughout his life by a lack of knowledge about his father, Elvis turns to the one person who can help him navigate the minefield of his past – his longtime partner and confidant, Joe Pike. Together with hard-edged LAPD detective, Carol Starkey, they launch a feverish search for the dead man’s identity – even as Elvis struggles between wanting to believe he’s found his father at last, and allowing his suspicions to hold him back. With each long-buried clue they unearth, a frightening picture begins to emerge about who the dead man might have been, and the terrible secret he’s been guarding.
At the same time, Elvis has no way of knowing he has awakened a sleeping monster. The further he goes in his investigation, the closer he draws to a merciless killer who is violently connected to the unidentified man’s past. This psychopath believes Cole is hunting him, and he goes on the attack to find Elvis before Elvis can find him.
Crais published his very first novel in 1987. The Monkey's Raincoat introduced mystery fans to Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, a pair of L.A. private investigators who would become his most-beloved recurring characters. Crais's transition from screenwriting to novel-writing was an astoundingly smooth one. The Monkey's Raincoat earned him nominations for the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, and Macavity awards, winning both the Anthony and Macavity for "Best Novel of the Year." Crais's publisher was so overjoyed by the novel's success that he encouraged Crais to keep the Cole/Pike team going. "I started writing these books to get away from writing other people's concepts, like TV and movies," Crais told Barnes&Noble.com. "I never expected to write these guys as a series...but the book proved to be so popular and the characters were so popular that my publisher wanted more." What followed was a series of bestselling mysteries, including Stalking the Angel (1989), Free Fall (1993), L.A. Requiem (1999), and last year's The Forgotten Man.
Although the series was not part of Crais's original plan, he still seems to hold the Cole and Pike team closer to his heart than anything he has previously written. He explained, "The characters have deepened, and I think they kind of reflect what's going on with me and the world as I see it." When asked about whether or not we can expect to see the crime-solving buddies on the big screen anytime soon, he said, "I think I would have a difficult time in the collaborative process when other people suddenly put their fingerprints on Elvis and Joe," further illustrating his personal feelings for his P.I. team.
As much as Crais loves his series, he does occasionally write novels outside of the Cole/Pike world. His latest, The Two-Minute Rule, tells the story of career criminal Max Holman, a recently released-from-prison bank robber who finds himself hunting an entirely different kind of criminal after his son is gunned down. The book has since raked in positive reviews from such publications as Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, and The Library Journal. While The Two-Minute Rule does not feature Cole and Pike, Crais fans will notice one significant similarity between his latest novel and his famous series -- the Los Angeles setting. "I can't think of a better place to set crime novels because of what Los Angeles is. Los Angeles is the main where the nation goes to make its dreams come true. When you have a place like that where so many people are risking their very identities, not just money and cash, but they're risking who they are because it's their hopes and dreams, when you have that kind of tension and that kind of friction, you can't help but have crime."
Fortunately, Crais will never have to succumb to such friction and tension since, for a success story such as he, Los Angeles completely lived up to its promise of being the city of dreams.
"My first job was cleaning dog kennels. It was especially, ah, aromatic during those hot, humid Louisiana summers, but it prepared me for Hollywood."
"My fiction is almost always inspired by a character's need or desire to rise above him-or herself. No one is perfect and some of us have much adversity in our lives; it is those people who struggle to rise above their nature or background that I find the most interesting and heroic."
"Fun details? Like Elvis Cole, I have a dry sense of humor. Sometimes I am so dry that people don't know I'm kidding and think I'm being serious. I enjoy this because their reactions are often funny. Also, I wear beautifully colored shirts like Elvis Cole, only I was wearing them before him. People will say, ‘Look, RC dresses just like Elvis Cole,' and I'll say, 'No, Elvis Cole dresses like me!' I also wear sunglasses like Joe Pike, but not indoors and not at night."
"Elvis Cole wrote two episodes of television. No lie. It happened like this: I had written episodes of Miami Vice and Jag that were rewritten by person or persons unknown -- changed so badly that I didn't want my name on them, so I used Elvis Cole's name as a pen name."
1
They called me to view the body on a wet spring morning when darkness webbed my house. Some nights are like that; more now than before. Picture the World's Greatest Detective, reluctant subject of sidebar articles in the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles magazine, stretched on his couch in a redwood A-frame overlooking the city, not really sleeping at 3:58 A.M. when the phone rang. I thought it was a reporter, but answered anyway.
"Hello."
"This is Detective Kelly Diaz with LAPD. I apologize about the time, but I'm trying to reach Elvis Cole."
Her voice was coarse, reflecting the early hour. I pushed into a sitting position and cleared my throat. Police who call before sunrise have nothing to offer but bad news.
"How'd you get my number?"
I had changed my home number when the news stories broke, but reporters and cranks still called.
"One of the criminalists had it or got it, I'm not sure. Either way, I'm sorry for calling like this, but we have a homicide. We have reason to believe you know the deceased."
Something sharp stabbed behind my eyes, and I swung my feet to the floor.
"Who is it?"
"We'd like you to come down here, see for yourself. We're downtown near Twelfth and Hill Street. I can send a radio car if that would help."
Thehouse was dark. Sliding glass doors opened to a deck that jutted like a diving platform over the canyon behind my house. The lights on the opposite ridge were murky with the low clouds and mist. I cleared my throat again.
"Is it Joe Pike?"
"Pike's your partner, right? The ex-cop with the sunglasses?"
"Yes. He has arrows tattooed on the outside of his delts. They're red."
She covered the phone, but I heard muffled voices. She was asking. My chest filled with a growing pressure, and I didn't like that she had to ask because asking meant maybe it was.
"Is it Pike?"
"No, this isn't Pike. This man has tattoos, but not like that. I'm sorry if I scared you that way. Listen, we can send a car."
I closed my eyes, letting the pressure fade.
"I don't know anything about it. What makes you think I know?"
"The victim said some things before he died. Come down and take a look. I'll send a car."
"Am I a suspect?"
"Nothing like that. We just want to see if you can help with the ID."
"What was your name?"
"Diaz-"
"Okay, Diaz-it's four in the morning, I haven't slept in two months, and I'm not in the mood. If you think I know this guy, then you think I'm a suspect. Everyone who knows a homicide victim is a suspect until they're cleared, so just tell me who you got and ask whatever it is you want to ask."
"What it is, we have a deceased Anglo male we believe to be the victim of a robbery. They got his wallet, so I can't give you a name. We're hoping you can help with that part. Here, listen-"
"Why do you think I know him?"
She plowed on with the description as if I hadn't spoken.
"Anglo male, dyed black hair thin on top, brown eyes, approximately seventy years but he could be older, I guess, and he has crucifix tattoos on both palms."
"Why do you think I know him?"
"He has more tats of a religious nature on his arms-Jesus, the Virgin, things like that. None of this sounds familiar?"
"I don't have any idea who you're talking about."
"What we have is a deceased male as I've described, one gunshot to the chest. By his appearance and location, he appears indigent, but we're working on that. I'm the officer who found him. He was still conscious at that time and said things that suggested you would recognize his description."
"I don't."
"Look, Cole, I'm not trying to be difficult. It would be better if-"
"What did he say?"
Diaz didn't answer right away.
"He told me he was your father."
I sat without moving in my dark house. I had started that night in bed, but ended on the couch, hoping the steady patter of rain would quiet my heart, but sleep had not come.
"Just like that, he told you he was my father."
"I tried to get a statement, but all he said was something about you being his son, and then he passed. You're the same Elvis Cole they wrote the stories about, aren't you? In the Times?"
"Yes."
"He had the clippings. I figured you would recognize the tats if you knew him, me thinking he was your father, but it sounds like you don't."
My voice came out hoarse, and the catch embarrassed me.
"I never met my father. I don't know anything about him, and as far as I know he doesn't know me."
"We want you to come take a look, Mr. Cole. We have a few questions."
"I thought I wasn't a suspect."
"At this time, you aren't, but we still have the questions. We sent a radio car. It should be pulling up just about now."
Approaching headlights brightened my kitchen as she said it. I heard the car roll to a slow stop outside my house, and more light filled my front entry. They had radioed their status, and someone with Diaz had signaled their arrival.
"Okay, Diaz, tell them to shut their lights. No point in waking the neighbors."
"The car is a courtesy, Mr. Cole. In case you were unable to drive after you saw him."
"Sure. That's why you kept offering the car like it was my choice even though it was already coming."
"It's still your choice. If you want to take your own car you can follow them. We just have a few questions."
The glow outside vanished, and once more my home was in darkness.
"Okay, Diaz, I'm coming. Tell them to take it easy out there. I have to get dressed.
"Not a problem. We'll see you in a few minutes."
I put down the phone but still did not move. I had not moved in hours. Outside, a light rain fell as quietly as a whisper. I must have been waiting for Diaz to call. Why else would I have been awake that night and all the other nights except to wait like a lost child in the woods, a forgotten child waiting to be found?
After a while I dressed, then followed the radio car to see the dead.
From the Hardcover edition.
Excerpted from The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
7390762
Posted July 13, 2011
I've read a bunch of his stuff, and he just consistently puts out a superb product. His sense of flow for dialogue, plot, and character development are just head and shoulders above. If you're lookin for good drama/detective genre reading, this won't disappoint you.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 20, 2005
Robert Crais has done it again. Delivering us a novel you can not put down. Elvis Cole is an amazing character in this book. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves a good mystery crime story. Keep em coming Robert, can't wait to see what you come up with next.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 23, 2005
I have recently discovered Elvis and read every single book in about 5 weeks. Would give each one a 4.5 or 5 star rating. Not so with The Forgotten Man. The plot is rather convoluted to give us flashbacks and tell us about the childhood, etc., of Elvis growing up. Frankly, I think Elvis is perfect and I don't need to hear about the past. If it ain't broke,don't fix it. This book was not as good in my opinion and also seemed to lack the typical wisecracking gumshoe and bad boy Pike we have grown to love in previous novels. As much as I hate to say so, I would suggest you skip this one. It is not up to a par with the previous books.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 4, 2011
This story gives more details in the dramatic childhood of Elvis. This is well written story where Elvis is trying to find his father. Could he actually know who he is? This is worth reading. Part of a series that should be read. I really enjoyed it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is my second Robert Crais novel, and if I'm right I have somewhere between 9 or 10 books to go. With that said then I have some excellent books to look forward to. I thought that "The Forgotten Man" was well written, and the story flowed evenly from one chapter to the next. By midway in the story I found it hard to put the book down, but I did and picked it up the very next day. There was plenty of action surrounding the turbulent life of the private detective, Elvis Cole. I highly recommend this book.
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Posted September 20, 2009
Great Book And a Good read if you like mysterys
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Posted June 29, 2009
Since I read this book, I have ordered and read Series 1-6 of Elvis Cole and loved every minute. I am now ordering the remainder of the series. Crais' writing is fun to read. Elvis' lines and on-going commentary is funny and holds your interest from front to back. He is now on my author watch list. I will buy everything he writes.
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Posted November 7, 2008
Elvis turns over every possible stone in this story to find a link to his mysterious father. This book definitely was a page turner I couldn't put down! The end is shocking here, but believable even sad as I became involved with the characters and why a woman would do away with a person she came in contact with, because she jumped to conclusions the way I did during her investigation of her family's murderer.There is a person who just really shocks me here, but I wouldn't want to give that away for someone who may not have read it!
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Posted February 23, 2006
As with all the Elvis Cole books, this was another great read. Crais has created characters that are a joy to read about. Can't wait for the next installment in this great series
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Posted December 19, 2005
I just finished all the Elvis Cole books & really enjoyed them. I would like to see Elvis & Lucy get married. I believe the stories would be just as interesting.
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Posted March 4, 2005
If you were to write out the story line, this may appear to be just another Elvis Cole murder mystery. It is, however, much more than that. It's almost like 'Worlds Greatest Detective meets Fields of Dreams',as Elvis searches for the murderer of someone that, as a dying declaration, says that he is the father that Cole never met. It's also vintage Crais, as he goes deeper into the psyche of his lead character, with all his flaws and weaknesses, and still maintains the excitement of a fine murder mystery. This may be Crais at his very best, as Elvis Cole searches for the killer, while looking deep into himself for redemption, and questions that he may not actually want the answer to.
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Posted February 15, 2005
Robert Crais compiled 116 rejection letters before he sold his first short story. No doubt there are 116 editors that have been kicking their own butts because Crais has become one of todays most popular mystery writers. THE FORGOTTEN MAN is the tenth in his Elvis Cole series that began with THE MONKEY¿S RAINCOAT in 1987. He has also written two stand alone novels and worked on TV shows including Baretta, Cagney and Lacey and Hill Street Blues. Currently Robert Crais is working with Bruce Willis to bring one of those stand alones, HOSTAGE, to the big screen; a major undertaking but one that is sure to catapult the writer into even greater notoriety. THE FORGOTTEN MAN takes Elvis Cole on another adventure that reveals more of his history and provides readers with insight into their favorite detective¿s psyche. Like millions of young people, Elvis Cole never knew his father and his mother was often absent, even when she was with him. The empty spot that this universal phenomenon leaves in the heart of a little boy is only beginning to be acknowledged by teachers, psychologists and ministers. That empty spot will cause a seemingly normal man to go beyond the boundaries of good sense in order to fill it with the knowledge of who his father really is, who he was. In addition to his relentless search for the killer of a man who claimed to be his father, Elvis Cole is still pining for Lucy Chenier. She is his lost sweetheart, who found that loving a detective included a little more danger than she was willing to risk. That danger means absolutely nothing to Detective Carol Starkey, formerly of the LA Bomb Squad, who has become increasingly infatuated with Elvis and longs to take their relationship to the next level. Cole¿s best friend and enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, is also present in a minor but essential role. THE FORGOTTEN MAN continues with the solemn mood and manner that began in L.A. REQUIEM. Elvis Cole, World¿s Greatest Detective (it says so on his business card) is no longer the same wisecracking innocent that solved crimes with abandon in his previous seven adventures. A change took place in L.A.R that impelled a more serious, more introspective Cole to emerge. For fans it has been like watching a favorite nephew grow up; you enjoy and appreciate the adult he has become but sometimes miss the carefree, crazy youth he was. Although tight writing and crisp dialog still move the story there is more emphasis on character development and growing self-awareness. While it has been interesting and enlightening to go down several roads less traveled with Elvis and Joe, I, for one, am ready for another old-fashioned road trip!
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Posted February 22, 2005
If you like crime writing, you've surely read some titles by Robert Crais. If you're lucky, you've read a few of his stories featuring Elvis Cole, a likable, laconic private detective. Cole is tough but totally accessible as readers sympathize with the man who does not know his father and knows too well that his mother was mentally deficient. Cole's is also a man who knows all too well that when the phone rings before sunrise it can only mean trouble. He's right. An LAPD officer calls to ask him to come down and identify a body. When Cole persists in asking why they're calling him, he's told that before the man died he said he was Cole's father. Apparently homeless the man had been found shot in an alley. Voice performer Jack Daniels captures Cole's strengths and vulnerability as Cole tries to unearth the past and discover the dead man's identity. Was he Cole's father? At times, searches reveal what we don't want to discover. That's precisely what happens to Cole. Someone who knew the dead man believes Cole is searching for him. This person does not want to be found, and will kill to make sure he isn't. Listeners will thoroughly enjoy following a path of clues with Cole, his buddy Joe Pike, and LAPD detective Carol Starkey. - Gail Cooke
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Posted February 22, 2005
I started this series more than halfway through with L.A. Requiem. A friend loaned me a beat up old copy and said, 'read this'. I forced myself to read the first ten pages, didn't get into the opening, and then put it away. A month later, on a family trip to Disneyland, I needed something to get me through the flight and grabbed it as we were leaving the house (it seemed appropriate for the trip, anyway). I read the entire book by the time we landed in Orange County. Barely a month later, and I've ripped through the entire series and both of Crais' other novels, and have been patiently suffering the last few weeks for this latest. I've gotta admit, I'm hooked. As usual, the writing is fluid and breezy, the plotting is nicely done with more than a few nifty twists, and Crais handles the evolution and growth of Elvis Cole and his literary acquaintances as if they were personal friends. I would've read the book for the character development alone; the serial killer seemed an almost unneccessary plot point. As per usual, the ending broke me down, and I can't wait for the next in the series (will Cole realize that Starkey's in love with him? Will Lucy stop being a fool and move back to L.A.? What happened to the cat? The soap opera continues...). I do wonder: Just how old is Elvis Cole? And Pike? As Vietnam vet's, they've gotta be pushing 50, even though it reads as if the characters are in their mid-30's. And I've gotta think Crais has a death wish for them. Lucy's right. Just how many times can these poor greybeards get shot and mutilated and keep coming back? As Dennis Lehane noted about his Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro characters; how much more can they take before they're dead? I'd hate to see this series take a hiatus, but...
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.At four in the morning, LAPD Detective Kelly Diaz calls private eye Elvis Cole to inform him that a shooting victim just before dying mentioned him as his son. Elvis is shocked as he never knew the identity of his father though he spent much of his life seeking his paternal shadow.--- Overwhelmed emotionally, Elvis turns to his partner Joe Pike for advice and help especially since the corpse means nothing to him. They fail to learn much more from the police beyond the deceased registered as Herbert Faustina at the Home Away Suites. Could Herbert, if that was the man¿s actual name, really be Elvis¿ father? Detective Carol Starkey, who obsessively desires Elvis in what seems like unrequited love keeps doing little favors to help the sleuth learn more. Hindering Elvis is Frederick Conrad who has covered up a deadly secret for years; believing Elvis killed his fellow conspirator his boss, he plans to murder the sleuth.--- The latest Elvis Cole thriller is very personal as he struggles to determine whether a dying man¿s last words are true only to find himself with Joe watching his back caught up in a dangerous cat and mouse game in which he is the rodent. The dark story line is driven by Elvis who seems human as he switches back and forth between belief and doubt over the veracity of the death alley statement, but also uses people like he does with besotted DEMOLITION ANGEL Carol. Robert Crais provides an outstanding investigative tale that brings home many of the hero¿s insecurities.--- Harriet Klausner
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Overview
Los Angeles, 3:58 a.m.: Elvis Cole receives the phone call he’s been waiting for since childhood. Responding to a gunshot, the LAPD has found an injured man in an alleyway. He has told the officer on the scene that he is looking for his son, Elvis Cole. Minutes later, the man is dead.
Haunted throughout his life by a lack of knowledge about his father, Elvis turns to the one person who can help him navigate the minefield of his past – his longtime partner and confidant, Joe Pike. Together with hard-edged LAPD detective, Carol Starkey, they launch a feverish search for the dead man’s identity – even as Elvis struggles between wanting to believe he’s found...