Robert Crais

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Robert Crais
Robert Crais, Author
Robert Crais, Author
Born (1953-06-20) June 20, 1953 (age 70)
Independence, Louisiana, United States
Pen nameElvis Cole, Jerry Gret Samouche
OccupationNovelist, Screenwriter
GenreFiction, Crime Fiction, Thrillers
Website
http://www.robertcrais.com

Robert Crais (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. He lists amongst his literary influences the authors Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Robert B. Parker and John Steinbeck. Crais lives in California's Santa Monica mountains with his family.

Biography

Born in Independence, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge, he was adopted by a childless couple and raised as an only child.[1] Attended Louisiana State University, where he studied mechanical engineering for a time before turning to writing.[1]

Crais moved to Hollywood in 1976 where he found work as a screenwriter for such television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey and Miami Vice, as well as pilots, TV movies and the NBC mini series Cross of Fire. He was nominated for an Emmy award for his writing on Hill Street Blues.

In the 1980s Crais decided to abandon scriptwriting and become a novelist. Following the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create his character Elvis Cole writing The Monkey's Raincoat, which won the 1988 Anthony Award for "Best First Novel",[2] the 1988 Mystery Readers International Macavity Award for "Best Paperback Original" at Bouchercon XIX,[3] and has since been named one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

Overview

Crais's usual protagonist and first-person narrator is private detective Elvis Cole, an ex-Ranger. Cole's partner is Joe Pike, a former Marine. Except for Demolition Angel, Hostage, Suspect, and The Two-Minute Rule, all of Crais' books feature Cole and Pike, with The Watchman (2007), The First Rule (2010) and The Sentry (2011) centering on Joe 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.

Themes

Robert Crais has stated that "Thematically, again and again my books are about people who are trying to be better than they have been."[4]

Crais on film

In March 2005, Bruce Willis appeared in Hostage, the first Hollywood adaptation of one of his books. Crais has no plans to sell the rights to his Elvis Cole novels, preferring to allow his readers to keep their own personal conceptions of the characters.[5]

Bibliography

Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels

1. The Monkey's Raincoat -- 1987

2. Stalking the Angel -- 1989

3. Lullaby Town -- 1992

4. Free Fall -- 1993

5. Voodoo River -- 1995

6. Sunset Express -- 1996

7. Indigo Slam -- 1997

8. L.A. Requiem -- 1999

9. The Last Detective -- 2003

10. The Forgotten Man -- 2005

11. The Watchman -- 2007

  • The Barry Award winner – Best Thriller 2007
  • Mystery Ink Gumshoe Award winner – Best Thriller 2007
  • Anthony Award nominee
  • International Thriller Writers Thriller Award nominee

12. Chasing Darkness -- 2008

  • Southern California Independent Booksellers Association – Best Mystery Award nominee

13. The First Rule -- 2010

14. The Sentry -- 2011

15. Taken -- January 24, 2012 (USA) April 26, 2012 (U.K.)

Other novels

1. Demolition Angel -- 2000

  • Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee

2. Hostage -- Doubleday—2001

  • New York Times Book Review – Notable Book

3. The Two-Minute Rule -- Simon & Schuster—2006

  • Best Crime Novel of the Year – London Evening Standard
  • Top Ten Best Crime Novels of the Year – Otto Penzler, New York Sun
  • Top Ten Best Crime Novels of the Year – Oline Cogdill, Sun-Sentinel
  • Best Books of 2006 – January Magazine
  • Audie Award Finalist

4. Suspect (2013)

References

  1. ^ a b "Encyclopedia of World Biography". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Macavity Awards". Mysteryreaders.org. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  3. ^ "History of Bouchercon". Bouchercon.info. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  4. ^ Orion Books: Interview with Robert Crais[dead link]
  5. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". RobertCrais.com. Retrieved 2012-06-02.

External links


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