Customer Reviews
Slurp - By: cluricaune, 22 Aug 2008 
"Elvis, Jesus & Coca-Cola" is Kinky's sixth novel & was first publishedin 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 & western performer. Naturally, Kinky isn't the only 'real' person to appearin the book - for example, Rambam & 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 & requests our hero's helpin retrieving it. Naturally, Kinky agrees - he doesn't think it too hard, believing it's sitting somewhere obvious & 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 timein 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 necessarilyin 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 & a notepad with Kinky's name & number beside the bed. Kinky isn'tin 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 beenin trouble for a while - & 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 within 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 & 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 & 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 & very easily read book. It's also packed with superbly delivered one-liners & - while his quips won't be to everyone's tastes - it was a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Engaging, amusing, sometimes weird - By: , 14 Jun 2001 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 - By: , 31 May 2000 
The ultimatein fun reading, Kinky F's world has suspense, philosophy, acid flash-backs to the 60's, surreal goings-onin Greenwich Village & some of the weirdest characters! I loved this book, I laughed my head off & couldn't put it down (the book), & 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 & 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 - By: , 16 Sep 1999 This book turned me on to the wit & wisdom of `The Kinkster` a country boy made goodin New York & 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 & dont mind laughing out loud!
