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Elvis, Jesus, and Coca Cola (Kinky Friedman Novels (Paperback)) | 
| Author: Kinky Friedman
Publisher: Bantam USA
Category: Book
Used (28) from £0.29
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 133402
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0553568914
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780553568912
ASIN: 0553568914
Publication Date: January 1, 1920
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| Customer Reviews:
 Slurp August 22, 2008
"Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola" is Kinky's sixth novel and was first published in 1993. As with his other books, Kinky has cast himself as the amateur-PI hero - though he doesn't take too many liberties. The book's Kinky (unsurprisingly) is a cigar-smoking, cat-loving, espresso-guzzling, whiskey-drinking, ex-country and western performer. Naturally, Kinky isn't the only 'real' person to appear in the book - for example, Rambam and Ratso, of the 'Village Irregulars', have real-life incarnations.
Tom Baker, a recently deceased Irish actor, rather than the former Doctor Who - was a good friend of the Kinkster. Tom's final project had been a documentary on Elvis impersonators - a documentary that has, apparently, gone missing. Baker Senior, meeting Kinky for the first time at Tom's wake, is obviously aware of the Kinkster's reputation as a PI and requests our hero's help in retrieving it. Naturally, Kinky agrees - he doesn't think it too hard, believing it's sitting somewhere obvious and has just been overlooked...
Unfortunately, Kinky's life is about to take a complicated turn, with the return of Downtown Judy. Downtown Judy is one of Kinky's many former lovers, who never actually realised she was known as Downtown Judy. (This was largely because Kinky was spending a great deal of time, in a horizontal position, with an Uptown Judy at the same time - something that Kinky, obviously, wasn't about to share with her). Although Kinky isn't at all upset about spending some time in her company again, he isn't too impressed about being restricted to a cuddle on the first night. Unsurprisingly, one Judy leads to another...but not necessarily in the manner Kinky would have liked. He's disturbed, mid-cuddle, by a friendly neighbourhood homicide cop called Cooperman - who's at Uptown Judy's, with his partner, on business. While there's no sign of a corpse, there are reports of a gunshot, a large pool of blood on the floor, drag marks heading towards the door and a notepad with Kinky's name and number beside the bed. Kinky isn't in a great position to help the investigation...IIt's been a while since he'd seen her - but even he when he was seeing her, he didn't know a great deal about her. (Due to the large quantity of Colombian marching powder that was disappearing up his nose at the time, he probably didn't know a great deal about himself either). Cooperman is rather vague about the case, but tells him Uptown Judy had been in trouble for a while - and also advises him to keep well away from the case. It's not bad advise : Kinky later finds out that Uptown Judy's father was a mafia Don, who'd been dealt with in a very final way five years previously by a rival family.
Events conspire against Kinky however. One of Tom's assistants on the Elvis impersonators project was a man known as 'Legs' - in fact, he'd been the first to notice it was missing from the lab. Naturally, Legs is someone Kinky is keen to meet - though Tom's ex-assistant fails to arrive at the meeting they arrange. There's a very good reason - Legs has been killed, in very similar circumstances to Uptown Judy...right down to the notepad featuring Kinky's name and number. Cooperman isn't too impressed either and, given that neither he nor his partner are especially fond of the Kinkster, Kinky knows they'd be happy to appoint him the most obious suspect.
"Elvis, Jesus and Coca-Cola" delivers pretty much what you'd want from a Kinky book : it's not an entirely serious 'whodunnit', but it is a fast moving and very easily read book. It's also packed with superbly delivered one-liners and - while his quips won't be to everyone's tastes - it was a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Engaging, amusing, sometimes weird June 14, 2001
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Not the Kinkster at his absolute best, but a fine addition to the Kinky canon. A great gift for the as yet unKinked - but watch your collection - once Kinked they'll be after more.
 "Turn On" to Kinky Friedman May 31, 2000
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The ultimate in fun reading, Kinky F's world has suspense, philosophy, acid flash-backs to the 60's, surreal goings-on in Greenwich Village and some of the weirdest characters! I loved this book, I laughed my head off and couldn't put it down (the book), and I know that I won't get that "yeh, yeh, very funny, get on with it" feeling when I read more Kinky F's because the guy is genuine and it's cool to hang out with him. And he talks to his cat. Buy this book - buy THEM ALL!
A funny and fascinating story September 16, 1999
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book turned me on to the wit and wisdom of `The Kinkster` a country boy made good in New York and one of the great, laid back characters of our times. Funny, witty, intelligent, brash, dirty, strong, big hearted with plot lines that are both bizarre yet strangely logical, this un put downable book has encouraged me to buy all his output! Highly recommended if you are open minded and dont mind laughing out loud!
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