bookhawk's review against another edition
4.0
Crais has truly created a fantastic series with Elvis Cole as the centerpiece. The abduction of Cole's girlfriend's son leads to a frantic pace of detective work, action, and important views into Cole's past. This was a high 4 star and nearing a five star. Highly recommended.
wegmarken2006's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
lwalker77's review
5.0
Fantastic book! Elvis Cole’s girlfriend’s son is kidnapped. Elvis and Joe Pike try to find the child. A few twists along the way. Also, you get to know Elvis and Joe a little better. I’m a huge fan of this series and Robert Crais. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
henrik_w's review against another edition
4.0
Elvis Cole has been taking care of his girlfriend Lucy's 10-year old son Ben for a couple of days while she has been out of town. The same afternoon that Lucy is coming back, Ben disappears. We soon find out that he was kidnapped while playing in the small canyon behind the house.
The Los Angeles police are called in, but in parallel Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike conduct an investigation of their own. There are almost no leads at all, but Elvis and Joe go to work on what little they have. To complicate things further, Lucy's wealthy ex-husband Richard flies in with investigators of his own.
This is a real page-turner novel, with good detective work by Elvis and Joe. A kidnapping case makes for a good thriller, and the sense of urgency here is heightened by the chapter titles, each stating the hours and minutes that Ben has been missing for.
This was the first novel by Robert Crais that I've read, and it left me wanting to read more by him.
As it happens, this book has a lot of similarities with The Hard Way by Lee Child, which I read not long ago. Both books are kidnapping dramas, featuring ex-military men as the investigators (and both of them feature atrocities committed in Africa). In both of them, the protagonists track the kidnappers by working the few clues available - something that in my mind is done very well in both books. And they both feature action-packed final show-downs (they wouldn't be thrillers if they didn't).
I liked both of them, but with a slight edge for THE HARD WAY. So if you liked this one, check out THE HARD WAY by Lee Child as well.
The Los Angeles police are called in, but in parallel Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike conduct an investigation of their own. There are almost no leads at all, but Elvis and Joe go to work on what little they have. To complicate things further, Lucy's wealthy ex-husband Richard flies in with investigators of his own.
This is a real page-turner novel, with good detective work by Elvis and Joe. A kidnapping case makes for a good thriller, and the sense of urgency here is heightened by the chapter titles, each stating the hours and minutes that Ben has been missing for.
This was the first novel by Robert Crais that I've read, and it left me wanting to read more by him.
As it happens, this book has a lot of similarities with The Hard Way by Lee Child, which I read not long ago. Both books are kidnapping dramas, featuring ex-military men as the investigators (and both of them feature atrocities committed in Africa). In both of them, the protagonists track the kidnappers by working the few clues available - something that in my mind is done very well in both books. And they both feature action-packed final show-downs (they wouldn't be thrillers if they didn't).
I liked both of them, but with a slight edge for THE HARD WAY. So if you liked this one, check out THE HARD WAY by Lee Child as well.
kstets's review against another edition
4.0
“When you see someone, all you see is what they let you see”
boleary30's review against another edition
5.0
Crais is so much better than all the others I have been reading lately, you forget that until you read one, then it is like you wish he would write more
annm1121's review against another edition
This book puts me to sleep every time I try to read it. I guess that's a good thing though some late nights.
xkay_readsx's review
4.0
Reading out of order as some of Cole/Pike books are "free" on audible.
Book blurb says it all....The ending action was good and exciting. We also learn about Elvis Cole childhood.
Book blurb says it all....The ending action was good and exciting. We also learn about Elvis Cole childhood.
martyfried's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't really like this one as much as most of the previous books in this series, perhaps because it simply didn't meet my expectations for an Elvis Cole mystery. The humor was not as good, for one thing. And Joe Pike, my infallible hero, who always saves the day when fighting is required, was not infallible. He seemed to be second-best, and unfortunately, the villain was first. Although, to his credit, Joe did seem to be recovering from a fight with a big bad bear.
And although Elvis did a pretty good job as the world's greatest detective, he seemed a bit desperate and almost lost much of the time. But he too had his problems to deal with. Not only was his girlfriend's son, Ben, missing while staying at his house, but the boy's father blamed Elvis, brought up some bad stuff from his early background that Elvis had neglected to tell his girlfriend that made Elvis look like someone not qualified to care for their son. And the kidnappers seemed to be blaming Elvis due to something he did in the past. I felt sorry for him, but still, he's supposed to be on top of everything, not some pathetic loser. I guess that's why his humor just wasn't up to snuff.
The story was pretty interesting, though, maybe more so than many others. The ending was a bit sad if you're following the ongoing romance, but that's not so important to his real fans.
If this had been my first Elvis Cole book, I think I might have liked it a lot more. Still, a very good read.
And although Elvis did a pretty good job as the world's greatest detective, he seemed a bit desperate and almost lost much of the time. But he too had his problems to deal with. Not only was his girlfriend's son, Ben, missing while staying at his house, but the boy's father blamed Elvis, brought up some bad stuff from his early background that Elvis had neglected to tell his girlfriend that made Elvis look like someone not qualified to care for their son. And the kidnappers seemed to be blaming Elvis due to something he did in the past. I felt sorry for him, but still, he's supposed to be on top of everything, not some pathetic loser. I guess that's why his humor just wasn't up to snuff.
The story was pretty interesting, though, maybe more so than many others. The ending was a bit sad if you're following the ongoing romance, but that's not so important to his real fans.
If this had been my first Elvis Cole book, I think I might have liked it a lot more. Still, a very good read.
papi's review against another edition
3.0
Vintage Robert Crais...in the style of Robert B. Parker, but not as ponderous, a little more light-hearted.