Rex Koko is a washed-up circus clown turned private detective, though not by choice. The series by James Finn Garner is a WWII-era story that follows the “career” of the reluctant, wise-cracking Rex who has quite the reputation to avoid but can’t quite shake. Think of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” but instead of toons, everyone is – or was – a circus act. 

The Rex Koko, Private Clown series takes place in Top Town – a shady ghetto occupied by circus folk waiting for new opportunities for work. Drunk clowns, aging aerialists, and a midget policeman are just a few of the characters you’ll encounter – and that is just the first installment alone. In Honk Honk, My Darling, a trapeze artist hires Rex to find his missing wife. For someone who wants nothing to do with the situation, Rex is quite talented at following the trail but even better at getting himself into the trouble as well. 

Despite this, Rex manages to smart-talk himself out of nearly every situation he encounters – whether it’s a couple of thugs on his tail, or law enforcement suspecting him of having connections to a string of mysterious deaths. Once readers get used to the circus slang and writing style of the series (Garner includes a “parlari” at the end of each novel), they will undoubtedly get into the story and appreciate the light read. 

The second installment of the Rex Koko, Private Clown series is Double Indignity, where Rex gets involved with a crew of big cat tamers from South America. After attending a show, one of the cats escapes and the tamer’s wife asks Rex to track him down. While Rex accomplishes this mission, he unfortunately loses a shoe in the process. His size 42s aren’t easy to replace, so as he attempts to get reimbursed for this loss, he gets more than he bargained for along the way. 

One of the show crewmembers goes missing, and his partner asks Rex to find him. As a result, he learns that there’s more to the show than “trained” cats and props. As the reader, I had a bit of trouble keeping track of the series of events in this one, but I realize that was intentional by Garner. Overall, Rex was just as confused as I was, but everything becomes more clear in the end, with more than one twist to help the reader along. 

In the most recent novel in the Rex Koko, Private Clown series, we have The Wet Nose of Danger. The extravagant dog show industry gets turned on its head when a dozen prized pooches are stolen right under their owners’ (or assistants’) noses. Rex is taken out of his element when a member of the upper-class elite – who happens to be a US Senator’s mother-in-law – hires him to find her missing dog. 

Rex is on the trail once again and pulled in many directions – whether it’s by the elite dog trainer well known in the dog show community, the Senator’s wife trying to make a move on poor old Rex, or other side jobs including missing side-show freaks. Nevertheless, Rex is forced to pull out all of his tricks to stay on the case and out of harm’s way (though not very successful at the latter). 

Readers who have made it this far will finally get some insight as to Rex’s reputation and backstory – which turns out to be pretty heartbreaking. Upon first reading the novels, he comes off as a care-free alcoholic who is just looking to get by; however, over the series we understand that’s not necessarily the case. Overall, I’m glad to have encountered a multi-dimensional character who happens to be a retired circus clown. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing a cosplaying James Finn Garner earlier this year at C2E2. Not only did we discuss his Rex Koko, Private Clown series, but we also chatted about his other famed series named Politically Correct Bedtime Stories, which he came up with while performing for The Second City in Chicago. Readers and listeners can enjoy our conversation on a future episode of The Nerd Cantina Show podcast.