Born in Independence, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge, 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. Early efforts proved unsuccessful but following the death of his father in 1985 Crais was inspired to create his character Elvis Cole. The resulting novel featuring Elvis Cole, The Monkey's Raincoat, won the 1988 Anthony Award for "Best First Novel" and the 1988 Mystery Readers International Macavity Award for "Best Paperback Original" at Bouchercon XVIV and has since been named one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

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

Some readers have complained that Crais's style has veered into over-the-top melodrama in recent years and that each book has the same basic structure (usually leading to a shoot-out climax). Others insist that his increasingly cinematic storytelling is how he keeps getting better with every novel. Over the years, his novels have taken a turn for the darker side, with a greater cynicism being expressed in his writing, although the wit and humor of his earlier books are still present. His novels and characters have become more deeply realized, and his extensive use of flashbacks and dream imagery add a greater depth to the present-day narrative.

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

In March 2005, Bruce Willis appeared in Hostage, the first Hollywood adaptation of one of his books. Crais refuses to sell the rights to Cole, Pike, and his other recurring characters, preferring to allow his readers to keep their own personal conceptions of the characters.

Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels

1. The Monkey's Raincoat -- 1987

• Anthony Award winner
• Macavity Award winner
• Edgar Award nominee
• Shamus Award nominee

2. Stalking the Angel -- 1989

3. Lullaby Town -- 1992

• Anthony Award nominee
• Shamus Award nominee

4. Free Fall -- 1993

• Edgar Award nominee

5. Voodoo River -- 1995

6. Sunset Express -- 1996

• Shamus Award winner
• Publishers Weekly — Best Books of 1996 selection

7. Indigo Slam -- 1997

• Shamus Award nominee

8. L.A. Requiem -- 1999

• Dilys Award winner
• Edgar Award nominee
• Anthony Award nominee
• Shamus Award nominee

9. The Last Detective -- 2003

• Audie Award Finalist

10. The Forgotten Man -- 2005

• Shamus Award nominee

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 (Will be another Joe Pike novel)

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