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Elvis Cole and Joe Pike #12
Chasing Darkness
Elvis Cole is Back--In a Desperate Fight to Clear his Name... It's fire season, and the hills of Los Angeles are burning. When police and fire department personnel rush door to door in a frenzied evacuation effort, they discover the week-old corpse of an apparent suicide. But the gunshot victim is less gruesome than what they find in his lap: a photo album of seven brutally murdered young women -- one per year, for seven years. And when the suicide victim is identified as a former suspect in one of the murders, the news turns Elvis Cole's world upside down.
Three years earlier Lionel Byrd was brought to trial for the murder of a female prostitute named Yvonne Bennett. A taped confession coerced by the police inspired a prominent defense attorney to take Byrd's case, and Elvis Cole was hired to investigate. It was Cole's eleventh-hour discovery of an exculpatory videotape that allowed Lionel Byrd to walk free. Elvis was hailed as a hero.
But the discovery of the death album in Byrd's lap now brands Elvis as an unwitting accomplice to murder. Captured in photographs that could only have been taken by the murderer, Yvonne Bennett was the fifth of the seven victims -- two more young women were murdered after Lionel Byrd walked free. So Elvis can't help but wonder -- did he, Elvis Cole, cost two more young women their lives?
Shut out of the investigation by a special LAPD task force determined to close the case, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike desperately fight to uncover the truth about Lionel Byrd and his nightmare album of death -- a truth hidden by lies, politics, and corruption in a world where nothing is what it seems to be.
"Chasing Darkness" is a blistering thriller from the bestselling author who sets the standard for intense, powerful crime writing.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2008
About the author
Robert Crais
129 books4,259 followers Robert Crais is the author of the best-selling Elvis Cole novels. A native of Louisiana, he grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in a blue collar family of oil refinery workers and police officers. He purchased a secondhand paperback of Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister when he was fifteen, which inspired his lifelong love of writing, Los Angeles, and the literature of crime fiction. Other literary influences include Dashiell Hammett, Ernest Hemingway, Robert B. Parker, and John Steinbeck.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.
After years of amateur film-making and writing short fiction, he journeyed to Hollywood in 1976 where he quickly found work writing scripts for such major television series as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Miami Vice, as well as numerous series pilots and Movies-of-the-Week for the major networks. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on Hill Street Blues, but is most proud of his 4-hour NBC miniseries, Cross of Fire, which the New York Times declared: "A searing and powerful documentation of the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to national prominence in the 20s."
In the mid-eighties, feeling constrained by the collaborative working requirements of Hollywood, Crais resigned from a lucrative position as a contract writer and television producer in order to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. His first efforts proved unsuccessful, but upon the death of his father in 1985, Crais was inspired to create Elvis Cole, using elements of his own life as the basis of the story. The resulting novel, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. It has since been selected as one of the 100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.
Crais conceived of the novel as a stand-alone, but realized that—in Elvis Cole—he had created an ideal and powerful character through which to comment upon his life and times. (See the WORKS section for additional titles.) Elvis Cole’s readership and fan base grew with each new book, then skyrocketed in 1999 upon the publication of L. A. Requiem, which was a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and forever changed the way Crais conceived of and structured his novels. In this new way of telling his stories, Crais combined the classic ‘first person’ narrative of the American detective novel with flashbacks, multiple story lines, multiple points-of-view, and literary elements to better illuminate his themes. Larger and deeper in scope, Publishers Weekly wrote of L. A. Requiem, "Crais has stretched himself the way another Southern California writer—Ross Macdonald—always tried to do, to write a mystery novel with a solid literary base." Booklist added, "This is an extraordinary crime novel that should not be pigeonholed by genre. The best books always land outside preset boundaries. A wonderful experience."
Crais followed with his first non-series novel, Demolition Angel, which was published in 2000 and featured former Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Technician Carol Starkey. Starkey has since become a leading character in the Elvis Cole series. In 2001, Crais published his second non-series novel, Hostage, which was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times and was a world-wide bestseller. Additionally, the editors of Amazon.com selected Hostage as the #1 thriller of the year. A film adaptation of Hostage was released in 2005, starring Bruce Willis as ex-LAPD SWAT negotiator Jeff Talley.
Elvis Cole returned in 2003 with the publication of The Last Detective, followed by the tenth Elvis Cole novel, The Forgotten Man, in 2005. Both novels explore with increasing depth the natures and characters of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. RC’s third stand-alone novel, The Two Minute Rule, was published in 2006. The eleventh entry in the Elvis Cole series, The Watchman, will be published sometime in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 904 reviews
October 21, 2017
Wow, I really am addicted to this series. Although I had the next book in order coming from a library, I stopped at my local branch to see what was in stock and found Elvis Cole #12. It was a fast, interesting read with a couple of unpredictable twists.
A fire is spreading through Laurel Canyon, so two cops are going door to door to alert people to the danger. A woman notes that a man with a bad foot hasn't left his place in days. When they break in, they discover him dead, gunshot wound to the head and a book with seven photographs of brutally murdered women in his lap. Detectives soon pay Elvis Cole a visit, blaming him for finding the alibi that set the man free after murder number five. Elvis is racked with guilt and tries to find out what he can about the murdered man and his album. Unfortunately, a LAPD chief has the investigation wrapped within a week. Elvis continues to dig, weaseling information in any way possible, from bribes to families to a little B&E.
This is one of the first times I've deliberately jumped around a series instead of reading each book as it came out or going back to read in order. It's interesting; the things that I enjoyed about book three are still here, but there's been a shift. Elvis is not quite as much of a charmer as he is in the earlier books, and seems uncharacteristically moody and affected by guilt. There are still moments where he is compassionate and gentle, but are fewer, as is the humor. I'll miss it if that's the case for subsequent books.
Plotting was interesting. Initially I felt as if Elvis' involvement hung on the thinnest of pretexts, but I ended up appreciating the various methods Elvis uses to remain involved, always a challenge when one's lead is a private detective. Crais had a couple of fat red herrings, one of which I fell for. I especially enjoyed being surprised because it felt reasonably plausible.
There were also some moments of solid atmospheric writing. I definitely had the feel of the dry heat and the L.A. landscape.
"Our office was a good place to be that morning. There was only the tocking of the Pinocchio clock, the scratch of my pen, and the hiss of the air conditioner fighting a terrible heat. Fire season had arrived, when fires erupted across the Southland like pimples on adolescent skin."
"The canyon behind my house was pleasant during the midday hours, with a slight breeze that brought out the hawks to search for rabbits and mice. Somewhere below, a power saw whined in the trees, punctuated by the faint tapping of a nail gun. Someone was always building something, and the sounds of it were encouraging. They sounded like life."
Another solid entry into a series with above average writing. Sadly, though this one did involve both a serial killer and a cat, Crais is smart enough to keep the focus on the mystery and the character interplay, not reliving each murder. Very enjoyable because of the plot twists and solid writing.
Rounding up from 3.5 stars because it deserves it on the P.I. Detective Scale
A fire is spreading through Laurel Canyon, so two cops are going door to door to alert people to the danger. A woman notes that a man with a bad foot hasn't left his place in days. When they break in, they discover him dead, gunshot wound to the head and a book with seven photographs of brutally murdered women in his lap. Detectives soon pay Elvis Cole a visit, blaming him for finding the alibi that set the man free after murder number five. Elvis is racked with guilt and tries to find out what he can about the murdered man and his album. Unfortunately, a LAPD chief has the investigation wrapped within a week. Elvis continues to dig, weaseling information in any way possible, from bribes to families to a little B&E.
This is one of the first times I've deliberately jumped around a series instead of reading each book as it came out or going back to read in order. It's interesting; the things that I enjoyed about book three are still here, but there's been a shift. Elvis is not quite as much of a charmer as he is in the earlier books, and seems uncharacteristically moody and affected by guilt. There are still moments where he is compassionate and gentle, but are fewer, as is the humor. I'll miss it if that's the case for subsequent books.
Plotting was interesting. Initially I felt as if Elvis' involvement hung on the thinnest of pretexts, but I ended up appreciating the various methods Elvis uses to remain involved, always a challenge when one's lead is a private detective. Crais had a couple of fat red herrings, one of which I fell for. I especially enjoyed being surprised because it felt reasonably plausible.
There were also some moments of solid atmospheric writing. I definitely had the feel of the dry heat and the L.A. landscape.
"Our office was a good place to be that morning. There was only the tocking of the Pinocchio clock, the scratch of my pen, and the hiss of the air conditioner fighting a terrible heat. Fire season had arrived, when fires erupted across the Southland like pimples on adolescent skin."
"The canyon behind my house was pleasant during the midday hours, with a slight breeze that brought out the hawks to search for rabbits and mice. Somewhere below, a power saw whined in the trees, punctuated by the faint tapping of a nail gun. Someone was always building something, and the sounds of it were encouraging. They sounded like life."
Another solid entry into a series with above average writing. Sadly, though this one did involve both a serial killer and a cat, Crais is smart enough to keep the focus on the mystery and the character interplay, not reliving each murder. Very enjoyable because of the plot twists and solid writing.
Rounding up from 3.5 stars because it deserves it on the P.I. Detective Scale
November 20, 2012
A man Elvis Cole cleared for murder years ago turns up dead with a photo album of seven female murder victims in his possession. Did Cole help clear a killer? Why is the task force still working if the case has been closed? And what is the glory-seeking police chief trying to hide? That's what Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are trying to find out...
I have to admit, I had my doubts about this one at first. I should have known Crais had pulled the wool over my eyes yet again when I thought I knew who the killer was about halfway through.
Chasing Darkness continues the saga of Elvis Cole. It's not as weighty as the last three books, more of a run of the mill case. Cole, with help from friends Joe Pike, John Chen, Carol Starkey, and some of the other regulars, works to figure out if he helped clear a serial killer, leaving him free to kill again.
Like I mentioned before, Crais had me off in the wrong direction for a good portion of the book. Still, when the cops are like Marx and Munson, it's easy to assume the worst.
For an Elvis Cole book, Chasing Darkness is surprisingly light on gun play and for the first time in a while, neither Cole nor Pike end up in the hospital. Hell, it doesn't even have the usual Cole and Pike ending of a shoot out with the bad guys. Still, it was quite an engaging read. There were some tense moments when Elvis did some illegal things during the course of the investigation.
Any complaints? Only that I wish Elvis would cut Lucy Chenier out of his life and set up house with either Carol Starkey or Joe Pike. Four stars.
I have to admit, I had my doubts about this one at first. I should have known Crais had pulled the wool over my eyes yet again when I thought I knew who the killer was about halfway through.
Chasing Darkness continues the saga of Elvis Cole. It's not as weighty as the last three books, more of a run of the mill case. Cole, with help from friends Joe Pike, John Chen, Carol Starkey, and some of the other regulars, works to figure out if he helped clear a serial killer, leaving him free to kill again.
Like I mentioned before, Crais had me off in the wrong direction for a good portion of the book. Still, when the cops are like Marx and Munson, it's easy to assume the worst.
For an Elvis Cole book, Chasing Darkness is surprisingly light on gun play and for the first time in a while, neither Cole nor Pike end up in the hospital. Hell, it doesn't even have the usual Cole and Pike ending of a shoot out with the bad guys. Still, it was quite an engaging read. There were some tense moments when Elvis did some illegal things during the course of the investigation.
Any complaints? Only that I wish Elvis would cut Lucy Chenier out of his life and set up house with either Carol Starkey or Joe Pike. Four stars.
March 26, 2015
Elvis Cole was instrumental in clearing Lionel Bird after he was accused of brutally murdering a young woman. Three years later Bird commits suicide and leaves behind a photo album that indicates that not only did he kill the woman that Cole investigated, he also murdered others before and after that.
Oops.
Cole reexamines the evidence he gathered and is still convinced that Bird was innocent of that crime. So where did the pictures of the dead women come from? And why is a LAPD task force led by an ambitious deputy chief declaring the cases now closed but still secretly gathering evidence? Is Cole just grasping at straws to avoid admitting that he screwed up and potentially got some innocent women killed? With the help of his trusty partner Joe Pike, Elvis is determined to get answers and refuses to quit even when confronted with pressure from the cops and angry family members of one of the victims.
This one comes at a point when Elvis and Joe had spent several of the previous books working cases with intensely personal angles to them with severe consequences. The set-up for this seems like it’d be another in that line with Elvis starting out understandably upset that he might have inadvertently helped a murderer go free to kill again, but that angle sort of fades away in the second half of the book. In fact, it’s a little odd how this one starts out with Elvis having so much personally invested, but then it turns into what could be considered an almost routine investigation by Cole and Pike’s usual standards. It’s almost as if Crais started writing this and decided to scale back how much it’d personally impact Cole by the end of it.
There’s also some loose ends and things that don’t make a lot of sense plot wise.
It’s typically solid work from Crais, but it almost seems like he started one book and then turned it into another that wouldn’t put Cole through such a wringer this time out so it never reaches the kind of highs I’ve seen from this series at its best.
Oops.
Cole reexamines the evidence he gathered and is still convinced that Bird was innocent of that crime. So where did the pictures of the dead women come from? And why is a LAPD task force led by an ambitious deputy chief declaring the cases now closed but still secretly gathering evidence? Is Cole just grasping at straws to avoid admitting that he screwed up and potentially got some innocent women killed? With the help of his trusty partner Joe Pike, Elvis is determined to get answers and refuses to quit even when confronted with pressure from the cops and angry family members of one of the victims.
This one comes at a point when Elvis and Joe had spent several of the previous books working cases with intensely personal angles to them with severe consequences. The set-up for this seems like it’d be another in that line with Elvis starting out understandably upset that he might have inadvertently helped a murderer go free to kill again, but that angle sort of fades away in the second half of the book. In fact, it’s a little odd how this one starts out with Elvis having so much personally invested, but then it turns into what could be considered an almost routine investigation by Cole and Pike’s usual standards. It’s almost as if Crais started writing this and decided to scale back how much it’d personally impact Cole by the end of it.
There’s also some loose ends and things that don’t make a lot of sense plot wise.
It’s typically solid work from Crais, but it almost seems like he started one book and then turned it into another that wouldn’t put Cole through such a wringer this time out so it never reaches the kind of highs I’ve seen from this series at its best.
March 4, 2021
I do like the plot as whether Cole, through his investigation helped an alleged killer avoid prison. LAPD has evidence and believes Cole did help the suspect resulting in more homicides.
This was a quick read, but one that my interest kept drifting away. I'm giving three stars as I know Robert Crais can tell a better story.
This was a quick read, but one that my interest kept drifting away. I'm giving three stars as I know Robert Crais can tell a better story.
August 20, 2018
Robert Crais' books are the literary equivalent of Dark Chocolate HobNobs ! Very addictive - once you've finished one, you want another straight away - and best enjoyed with a nice cup of tea !
Chasing Darkness was no exception and another top notch addition to this excellent series. Highly recommended.
Chasing Darkness was no exception and another top notch addition to this excellent series. Highly recommended.
April 27, 2020
As fire rages in the hills close to Los Angeles the fire team starts to move house to house, instructing people to evacuate. But at one address a neighbour shouts a warning that there may be someone still inside. It soon becomes clear that the resident won’t be going anywhere. The body of a man is found and along side is a photo album containing pictures of women - each of them have been brutally murdered. So starts this mid-series book featuring private eye Elvis Cole and his sidekick Joe Pike.
Shortly after this grim discovery, Elvis receives a visit from a couple of rather unfriendly police officers. It seems that the man found dead in the house had been a suspected of the murder of one of the women pictured in the album. The stinger is that it was Elvis, working for a local lawyer, who’d come up evidence which ‘proved’ he was elsewhere at the time of the murder. Now that evidence is being questioned as police believe the scene the fire crew had stumbled across represented the suicide of a serial murderer. Could Elvis indirectly be responsible for the murder of two woman the man went in to murder after his release?
Elvis believes he got it right at the time, but what if he’s wrong… he knows he’s going to have to somehow revisit his actions in this case. In truth, this isn’t the most exciting adventure I’ve come across in this series. Cole has some good lines and meets some interesting and amusing characters along the way but it all takes a long time to build up any real momentum. Pike’s involvement in this tale is minimal. The saving grace here is that in the last section it does come together pretty well and there’s an exciting and satisfying climax. So it’s one for fans of the series but if you’re new to these books I wouldn’t start here. A three star offering.
Shortly after this grim discovery, Elvis receives a visit from a couple of rather unfriendly police officers. It seems that the man found dead in the house had been a suspected of the murder of one of the women pictured in the album. The stinger is that it was Elvis, working for a local lawyer, who’d come up evidence which ‘proved’ he was elsewhere at the time of the murder. Now that evidence is being questioned as police believe the scene the fire crew had stumbled across represented the suicide of a serial murderer. Could Elvis indirectly be responsible for the murder of two woman the man went in to murder after his release?
Elvis believes he got it right at the time, but what if he’s wrong… he knows he’s going to have to somehow revisit his actions in this case. In truth, this isn’t the most exciting adventure I’ve come across in this series. Cole has some good lines and meets some interesting and amusing characters along the way but it all takes a long time to build up any real momentum. Pike’s involvement in this tale is minimal. The saving grace here is that in the last section it does come together pretty well and there’s an exciting and satisfying climax. So it’s one for fans of the series but if you’re new to these books I wouldn’t start here. A three star offering.
December 3, 2011
I admit I am reading these books out of order, but it hasn't hurt. I like Crais' spare writing style, yet how he writes description beautifully, bringing Los Angeles to life for me as I listened. I was a bit disappointed with how quickly it ended, leaving me with some questions about why the killer was operating. The same narrator as The Watchman, and he does the Cole/Pike books perfectly well, so I shall not complain.
I exhaled a dreamy sigh whenever Pike came around. He is utterly lickable. (Did I write that in my review? Pausing to drool...) Back to the review... I am quite fond of Elvis too. I don't feel that I know him as well as Pike, but that's my fault for reading these books out of order.
It was very awesome to see Carol Starkey from Demolition Angel again. She seems a little better adjusted, but smokes like a chimney. I enjoyed the banter between her and Elvis.
This one is a low four because of the sparse detail on the killer and how it wraps up. I think the characters are a strong point for me with this series, and the mystery part is sort of an added bonus, so I can can still rate this one well. It's a four because I really liked it for the reasons I mentioned. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
I exhaled a dreamy sigh whenever Pike came around. He is utterly lickable. (Did I write that in my review? Pausing to drool...) Back to the review... I am quite fond of Elvis too. I don't feel that I know him as well as Pike, but that's my fault for reading these books out of order.
It was very awesome to see Carol Starkey from Demolition Angel again. She seems a little better adjusted, but smokes like a chimney. I enjoyed the banter between her and Elvis.
This one is a low four because of the sparse detail on the killer and how it wraps up. I think the characters are a strong point for me with this series, and the mystery part is sort of an added bonus, so I can can still rate this one well. It's a four because I really liked it for the reasons I mentioned. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
April 24, 2023
I must have read this book when it first came out because I have a copy on my shelf, but I didn't remember the story so got it on audible. It's one of the shorter Elvis Cole books, less than 8 hours to listen. Again, there isn't a Robert Crais book I dislike. Joe Pike takes a back seat in this story -- he's there, but not in a prominent role. It's really about Elvis Cole questioning whether he'd made a mistake two years ago when he helped get a guy off on a murder charge when he found evidence that cleared him. The story moved at a quick pace and even though the story was complex with a lot of players, since Cole was the focus he kept the players in focus for readers. The resolution was bittersweet. It also revolves around a theme I often write about -- how violent crime impacts the families of the victims.
November 12, 2017
Apparently, my expectations were much too high going into this story. "Chasing Sorrow and Misery," might be more appropriate. 1 of 10 stars
October 5, 2022
3rd reading - Three years earlier, Elvis had helped a top-notch attorney prove Lionel Byrd hadn't murdered a prostitute. Now, Byrd is found dead from a suicide, and a memory book of photos may prove he killed the pro - and six other girls, too.
Cole embarks on a conscience-provoking tour of that case. If he was wrong, two other women were killed after it. During his attempts at the truth, he is met with resistance from the top echelon of a crime task force created when the album was found.
I enjoyed the procedural here, with Pike, Poitras, John Chen and Starkey helping our hero put things right.
1st reading - Good Elvis/Joe story with the customary twists, not as much action as usual.
Cole embarks on a conscience-provoking tour of that case. If he was wrong, two other women were killed after it. During his attempts at the truth, he is met with resistance from the top echelon of a crime task force created when the album was found.
I enjoyed the procedural here, with Pike, Poitras, John Chen and Starkey helping our hero put things right.
1st reading - Good Elvis/Joe story with the customary twists, not as much action as usual.
August 11, 2008
Lionel Byrd is found dead in his home, apparently of suicide, when Los Angeles' law enforcement officers are evacuating people due to fires in the area. The death in and of itself wouldn't be alarm-setting, but the photo album full of pictures of dead women is a problem.
Lionel had been accused of murdering one of the women, Yvonne Bennett, in the book a few years earlier. Elvis Cole found evidence that set him free. Now the Los Angeles police department is saying that Elvis got two more women killed by helping to set Lionel free in the first place - the two women murdered after Yvonne.
Elvis is SURE that the evidence he found three years ago was legitimate, and something hinky is going on. When more oddities start popping up, Elvis sets out to prove what actually happened once and for all.
Crais is back in true form with Chasing Darkness. The best statement I ever heard made about Robert Crais was, "Crais on a bad day is better than most writers on their best days." Let me assure you that Chasing Darkness WASN'T a bad day!
From page one, Crais starts building up a theme of corruption in reality. There are evils destroying the world around Elvis. First the fires are burning his city. Then he receives news that his exterminator has found termites at his house, corrupting the foundation. A ransacking break-in even results in Elvis' Mickey Mouse phone being broken. Crais has to glue him back together, but you can still see the cracks...the damage. And the corruption continues to build up to the ultimate level of law enforcement and the government.
As is the case with any Crais novel, the plot constantly feeds you twists and turns. It is pointless to try to predict the ending to a Crais novel because he'll get you. You are down to the last twenty pages or so and you know he's leading you down the final path...the one to the answers, and you know he's fed you enough information to figure out the "who done it" and then IT TWISTS AGAIN! GOTCHA!!
Crais is a master of the character. Have you ever noticed the theme with my reading preferences? One must have great characters for me to really connect. Crais' characters always manage to take up residence inside my head for days, sometimes weeks, after I've finished reading one of his books. They are so real for me that they become a part of my world in a sense. No matter how many of Crais' books I read, I never tire of hearing about Joe Pike. And something as simple as "[Pike's:] machine picked up with a beep. Pike doesn't have an outgoing message. You just get the beep" says oceans about Joe. He didn't play a very big role in this novel, but when he is present, he fills the room.
Crais never needs a lot of words to build a character. John Chen in all his paranoia, returns in this novel and Crais describes him: "Chen was tall and skinny, and watching him get out of the wagon was like watching a question mark unfold. He studied the surrounding buildings as if he were checking for spies, then hurried to my car." Holy Cow! Who doesn't conjure up a vivid image from a description like that?
I found Crais allusions to The Wizard of Oz very fitting for this theme. They played right into the idea of reality and what one sees and believes. He's another author who doesn't waste a word when he's writing. It all works toward the theme of the book. Is it any wonder I had to finish this book in one day?
Chasing Darkness is another stellar performance from Robert Crais.
Lionel had been accused of murdering one of the women, Yvonne Bennett, in the book a few years earlier. Elvis Cole found evidence that set him free. Now the Los Angeles police department is saying that Elvis got two more women killed by helping to set Lionel free in the first place - the two women murdered after Yvonne.
Elvis is SURE that the evidence he found three years ago was legitimate, and something hinky is going on. When more oddities start popping up, Elvis sets out to prove what actually happened once and for all.
Crais is back in true form with Chasing Darkness. The best statement I ever heard made about Robert Crais was, "Crais on a bad day is better than most writers on their best days." Let me assure you that Chasing Darkness WASN'T a bad day!
From page one, Crais starts building up a theme of corruption in reality. There are evils destroying the world around Elvis. First the fires are burning his city. Then he receives news that his exterminator has found termites at his house, corrupting the foundation. A ransacking break-in even results in Elvis' Mickey Mouse phone being broken. Crais has to glue him back together, but you can still see the cracks...the damage. And the corruption continues to build up to the ultimate level of law enforcement and the government.
As is the case with any Crais novel, the plot constantly feeds you twists and turns. It is pointless to try to predict the ending to a Crais novel because he'll get you. You are down to the last twenty pages or so and you know he's leading you down the final path...the one to the answers, and you know he's fed you enough information to figure out the "who done it" and then IT TWISTS AGAIN! GOTCHA!!
Crais is a master of the character. Have you ever noticed the theme with my reading preferences? One must have great characters for me to really connect. Crais' characters always manage to take up residence inside my head for days, sometimes weeks, after I've finished reading one of his books. They are so real for me that they become a part of my world in a sense. No matter how many of Crais' books I read, I never tire of hearing about Joe Pike. And something as simple as "[Pike's:] machine picked up with a beep. Pike doesn't have an outgoing message. You just get the beep" says oceans about Joe. He didn't play a very big role in this novel, but when he is present, he fills the room.
Crais never needs a lot of words to build a character. John Chen in all his paranoia, returns in this novel and Crais describes him: "Chen was tall and skinny, and watching him get out of the wagon was like watching a question mark unfold. He studied the surrounding buildings as if he were checking for spies, then hurried to my car." Holy Cow! Who doesn't conjure up a vivid image from a description like that?
I found Crais allusions to The Wizard of Oz very fitting for this theme. They played right into the idea of reality and what one sees and believes. He's another author who doesn't waste a word when he's writing. It all works toward the theme of the book. Is it any wonder I had to finish this book in one day?
Chasing Darkness is another stellar performance from Robert Crais.
January 5, 2022
This was a fast and fun read, although not as much humor as many of the previous books.
In this story, a man that Elvis helped get off by proving he could not have committed the crime is later believed to be guilty, but Elvis doesn't believe it. There are a few things that make it unlikely, but the case seems to be signed, sealed and delivered. Even the lawyer that Elvis worked for at the time now believes the man did it. The police don't want Elvis to investigate at all, but he lives by his own rules. Besides, everyone thinks he got a killer off who killed again, and are not too happy about it, so he needs to clear his name. Several twists later, he figures it all out.
In this story, a man that Elvis helped get off by proving he could not have committed the crime is later believed to be guilty, but Elvis doesn't believe it. There are a few things that make it unlikely, but the case seems to be signed, sealed and delivered. Even the lawyer that Elvis worked for at the time now believes the man did it. The police don't want Elvis to investigate at all, but he lives by his own rules. Besides, everyone thinks he got a killer off who killed again, and are not too happy about it, so he needs to clear his name. Several twists later, he figures it all out.
May 5, 2022
Really one of the stronger entries in this already incredibly consistent and entertaining series. I don't know if I'd put it up there with the classic one-two punch of L.A. Requiem and The Last Detective but it was somewhere around there. Mystery/crime novels don't get any more readable than this and Cole and Pike couldn't be more likable or have a stronger bromance, although sometimes I do miss a lot of the Spenser-esque smartassery that the earlier books had.
March 19, 2022
I'm not sure why, but before Chasing Darkness, I only read one other novel by Robert Crais. I read a fair amount of crime fiction and Crais is one of the better known authors in the genre so it is strange that I hadn't read anything by him.
For the most part I enjoyed the novel. I liked the Elvis Cole character and I appreciated that this PI actually does a reasonable amount of detecting. I find that a lot of the time the PI's in this type of novel tend to stumble onto the solution of a crime rather than actually solving anything.
I gather this is not the best example of the author's work (I have been meaning to read Monkey's Raincoat & LA Requiem - but haven't yet). I may not be a regular reader of the author, but even I can tell that Crais is just going through the motions here. The solution to this mystery when revealed has a pretty significant hole in its logic and there are some annoying unresolved issues that seem to have been forgotten by the author.
All in all, I found Chasing Darkness to be a quick, entertaining read. It's not great, but an enjoyable diversion. I plan to read one of his earlier novels so that I can experience Crais at his best. Even so, based on this effort and even if he is underperforming here (which I assume he is) he's still an author worth reading.
For the most part I enjoyed the novel. I liked the Elvis Cole character and I appreciated that this PI actually does a reasonable amount of detecting. I find that a lot of the time the PI's in this type of novel tend to stumble onto the solution of a crime rather than actually solving anything.
I gather this is not the best example of the author's work (I have been meaning to read Monkey's Raincoat & LA Requiem - but haven't yet). I may not be a regular reader of the author, but even I can tell that Crais is just going through the motions here. The solution to this mystery when revealed has a pretty significant hole in its logic and there are some annoying unresolved issues that seem to have been forgotten by the author.
All in all, I found Chasing Darkness to be a quick, entertaining read. It's not great, but an enjoyable diversion. I plan to read one of his earlier novels so that I can experience Crais at his best. Even so, based on this effort and even if he is underperforming here (which I assume he is) he's still an author worth reading.
October 7, 2020
4.5 stars
Crais' control of plot, pacing and dialogue are VERY good here, almost 5-stars. This and the first Joe Pike (leading) book are his best by far. (so far)
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
This is one of the best Elvis + Joe so far. Complex and twisty, with interesting characters and a believable plot. You know from the beginning the police "explanation" has to be wrong, but the truth is actually much different.
Well done, Robert Crais!
Notes and quotes:
(It's truly amazing how many police conspiracies appear crime noir. It's unrealistic.) I wrote that as a note early on, but I was very wrong!
A picture isn't a part of the experience like a more traditional trophy it's a composition outside of the experience. The photographer chooses the angle. He chooses what will be in the picture, and what won't. If the picture is a world, then the photographer is the god of that world. This dude got off by being God. He needed to take the pictures because he needed to be God.
-
The darkness frightens me, but what it does to us frightens me even more. Maybe this is whyl do what l do. I chase the darkness to make room for the light.
Robert Crais
Full size image here
There are at least two of Robert's works that he wrote from the heart, with visible love and wonder and care, my very favourites:
1. The Man Who Knew Dick Bong
My review of the collection of short stories by authors honouring Marlowe: Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe
2. Suspect about the detective, Scott, and his dog, Maggie. Robert took the 2 month dog handling course at LAPD before writing this book, and he told me personally how much he loved it. I could see how special this experience was to him.
My review of Suspect
.
Crais' control of plot, pacing and dialogue are VERY good here, almost 5-stars. This and the first Joe Pike (leading) book are his best by far. (so far)
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
This is one of the best Elvis + Joe so far. Complex and twisty, with interesting characters and a believable plot. You know from the beginning the police "explanation" has to be wrong, but the truth is actually much different.
Well done, Robert Crais!
Notes and quotes:
(It's truly amazing how many police conspiracies appear crime noir. It's unrealistic.) I wrote that as a note early on, but I was very wrong!
A picture isn't a part of the experience like a more traditional trophy it's a composition outside of the experience. The photographer chooses the angle. He chooses what will be in the picture, and what won't. If the picture is a world, then the photographer is the god of that world. This dude got off by being God. He needed to take the pictures because he needed to be God.
-
The darkness frightens me, but what it does to us frightens me even more. Maybe this is whyl do what l do. I chase the darkness to make room for the light.
Robert Crais
Full size image here
There are at least two of Robert's works that he wrote from the heart, with visible love and wonder and care, my very favourites:
1. The Man Who Knew Dick Bong
My review of the collection of short stories by authors honouring Marlowe: Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe
2. Suspect about the detective, Scott, and his dog, Maggie. Robert took the 2 month dog handling course at LAPD before writing this book, and he told me personally how much he loved it. I could see how special this experience was to him.
My review of Suspect
.
December 3, 2008
I believe this is my second or third P.I. Elvis Cole yarn. Very enjoyable read. Solid detective story, vivid setting, good action scenes. I'll be looking to read deeper into the series.
August 13, 2008
I've enjoyed watching the Elvis Cole character evolve through the many books Robert Crais has written. Like many other private eye types, Elvis has a personal code of honor, a faithful side kick, and a solid footing in a specific geographic place: Los Angeles.
This Elvis outing was more plot than character driven, but was a good read during a rainy New England weekend. There's a depth of history to the players in this series by this point, but I prefer it when Mr. Crais develops the back stories of his characters more.
Elvis has to redeem himself in this book. That's often the underlying story line in many of titles of this series. This episode has him almost doubting his work and self worth by exposing a previously cleared suspect as the most probably murderer. Elvis works hard to find the truth, and a little bit more of himself while he's at it. His best friend Pike is definitely in the background in this outing, and his enigmatic past sometimes adds some spice to these novels.
I would recommend any of these Elvis Cole books, but I would suggest the reader tackle them in order to get the full benefits of the stories told.
This Elvis outing was more plot than character driven, but was a good read during a rainy New England weekend. There's a depth of history to the players in this series by this point, but I prefer it when Mr. Crais develops the back stories of his characters more.
Elvis has to redeem himself in this book. That's often the underlying story line in many of titles of this series. This episode has him almost doubting his work and self worth by exposing a previously cleared suspect as the most probably murderer. Elvis works hard to find the truth, and a little bit more of himself while he's at it. His best friend Pike is definitely in the background in this outing, and his enigmatic past sometimes adds some spice to these novels.
I would recommend any of these Elvis Cole books, but I would suggest the reader tackle them in order to get the full benefits of the stories told.
July 24, 2008
It's good to have ELvis Cole back. I really missed him. Crais's book, however, is more about the journey, not the final destination. For fans of the series, it's great to revisit Cole's quirks and humor plus many of the past characters have cameo appearances. The story is standard, but well done. The ending seemed a bit, forced, rushed and unresolved, but I'm still recommending it. It's a quick read. It's a must for Crais fans. Newbies, I'd start at the beginning of the series or at least with L.A. Requiem.
August 20, 2019
Elvis Cole and Joe Pike represent a great California detecting duo with chic scenery and clever dialogue setting the stage for Crais' creative talents.
February 28, 2024
Writing this review as I read the book..
Elvis Cole is being accused of something I really don’t think he did. He’s in an adversarial role with the police in this installment.
The side characters we love are back. Starkey and Lou Poitras. I’m still waiting for the Harry Bosch/ Elvis Cole crossover book. That could be super interesting!
Back to this book…
A serial killer found in Laurel Canyon but not all is what it seems. Twists and turns and a bunch of red herrings and you finally get to the truth. The ending on this wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped. An abrupt end and left me feeling meh.
Elvis Cole is being accused of something I really don’t think he did. He’s in an adversarial role with the police in this installment.
The side characters we love are back. Starkey and Lou Poitras. I’m still waiting for the Harry Bosch/ Elvis Cole crossover book. That could be super interesting!
Back to this book…
A serial killer found in Laurel Canyon but not all is what it seems. Twists and turns and a bunch of red herrings and you finally get to the truth. The ending on this wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped. An abrupt end and left me feeling meh.
August 21, 2013
CHASING DARKNESS (Pub. 2008) by Robert Crais was my first read by this author, and is Crais' 15th novel. It was a good read in the fairly classic P.I. who-done-it style. I picked this story up at the recommendation of several Goodreads folks, as well as my favorite author.
Crais' writing style is strong, the prose and the story flow easily. It mostly held my interest all the way through, admittedly with a couple slower spots, but not enough to call it boggy.
The story opens in California, with a fire blazing in Laurel Canyon, and two cops going door to door to make sure all the residents have evacuated. They come to an unkempt home and have reason to believe the resident is still inside, so they go in. They find the man, shot through the head in an apparent suicide move, with a picture album full of viciously murdered women laying at the dead man's feet.
Elvis Cole, the P.I. in the story, gets pulled in because the suicide victim turns out to be a guy he helped get off of a murder charge years ago, along with the city's leading defense attorney. But the suicide and the photos in the murder book don't ring true to Elvis, so he sets out to get to the bottom of it.
The story has some interesting twists, a couple red herrings and a surprise who-done-it twist at the end. The climax has a good amount of tension, action and what's-gonna-happen, along with a satisfying, although somewhat sad, ending. I like the Elvis Cole character, all though he doesn't have any distinguishing features or character traits, IMO, and his sidekick, Pike, is only vaguely in the picture on/off.
All in all, it was a good read, but not a great read. I base my 5-star ratings on whether I would gladly read a book again, and CHASING DARKNESS doesn't quite get there for me. I don't regret the time spent reading it, but nothing about it will live in my memory, there were no unique snatches of dialogue or insightful thoughts, no major or vivid action. But it's a good story told in the standard P.I. vein, and worth reading at least once.
Crais' writing style is strong, the prose and the story flow easily. It mostly held my interest all the way through, admittedly with a couple slower spots, but not enough to call it boggy.
The story opens in California, with a fire blazing in Laurel Canyon, and two cops going door to door to make sure all the residents have evacuated. They come to an unkempt home and have reason to believe the resident is still inside, so they go in. They find the man, shot through the head in an apparent suicide move, with a picture album full of viciously murdered women laying at the dead man's feet.
Elvis Cole, the P.I. in the story, gets pulled in because the suicide victim turns out to be a guy he helped get off of a murder charge years ago, along with the city's leading defense attorney. But the suicide and the photos in the murder book don't ring true to Elvis, so he sets out to get to the bottom of it.
The story has some interesting twists, a couple red herrings and a surprise who-done-it twist at the end. The climax has a good amount of tension, action and what's-gonna-happen, along with a satisfying, although somewhat sad, ending. I like the Elvis Cole character, all though he doesn't have any distinguishing features or character traits, IMO, and his sidekick, Pike, is only vaguely in the picture on/off.
All in all, it was a good read, but not a great read. I base my 5-star ratings on whether I would gladly read a book again, and CHASING DARKNESS doesn't quite get there for me. I don't regret the time spent reading it, but nothing about it will live in my memory, there were no unique snatches of dialogue or insightful thoughts, no major or vivid action. But it's a good story told in the standard P.I. vein, and worth reading at least once.
September 19, 2017
Elvis Cole returns front and center in this volume, with Joe Pike and Carol Starkey in strong supporting roles. In Chasing Darkness Elvis is faced with an honor-bound detective’s nightmare. In the midst of a wild-fire and the associated evacuation a man, soon identified as a former murder suspect Cole helped exonerate, is found dead in his home, apparently of a suicide. Unfortunately for Elvis, there is strong evidence found during the preliminary investigation that the dead man was in fact the murderer he was accused of being. To compound the issue, said deceased suspect claimed two more victims after Elvis’ investigation assisted in freeing him three years earlier.
After a few moments of self-doubt, our honor-bound hero – and the “World’s Best Detective” – rehashes his old investigation and starts a new one to justify his past actions and solve the current mystery. And very quickly, Elvis – with Pike and Starkey along for the ride – finds himself embroiled in a tangled web of murder and police/political corruption. Chasing Darkness is a very fast-paced, engaging gumshoe mystery with Elvis uncovering one clue after another. There are also enough interesting characters, twists and turns – including the conclusion - to keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.
The one fault I found with this book is Elvis’ use of connections when he’s stymied and needs valuable information. All of our favorite fictional PIs know somebody on the “inside”, but Elvis/Crais relies on this “technique” a little too often here, making repeated calls – the DMV, tax-assessor office, Hollywood agents, etc. – when “stuck”. Granted these “quick answers” keep the story moving, but after the sixth or seventh time, it does strain credibility.
That said, Chasing Darkness is very engaging/entertaining and I enjoyed the read.
After a few moments of self-doubt, our honor-bound hero – and the “World’s Best Detective” – rehashes his old investigation and starts a new one to justify his past actions and solve the current mystery. And very quickly, Elvis – with Pike and Starkey along for the ride – finds himself embroiled in a tangled web of murder and police/political corruption. Chasing Darkness is a very fast-paced, engaging gumshoe mystery with Elvis uncovering one clue after another. There are also enough interesting characters, twists and turns – including the conclusion - to keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.
The one fault I found with this book is Elvis’ use of connections when he’s stymied and needs valuable information. All of our favorite fictional PIs know somebody on the “inside”, but Elvis/Crais relies on this “technique” a little too often here, making repeated calls – the DMV, tax-assessor office, Hollywood agents, etc. – when “stuck”. Granted these “quick answers” keep the story moving, but after the sixth or seventh time, it does strain credibility.
That said, Chasing Darkness is very engaging/entertaining and I enjoyed the read.
August 30, 2020
This book leapt directly into enthralling from the first minute. I got tired of serial killer books 15 or 20 years ago, but this was a really different angle on a serial killer. Instead of glamorizing the killer as most stories revolving around them do by thrusting the reader into their heads (ew!), the killer and the exact nature of his crimes had a secondary role to figuring out what was going on with the police and their handling of the crime. Good and twisty the way Crais always plays it.
Highlight: Male emotional care-taking which is never shown in detective stories because male detectives are always emotionally remote and damaged and they like it that way. Pike knows that Elvis has had a *very* rough couple of days so he gets Lucy to call Elvis, because he knows that is what Elvis needs to be right in his head and heart. I appreciate that Crais shows high emotional intelligence in his stories rather than affirming emotional damage is more interesting.
One note of warning to animal lovers: Elvis gives his cat beer which really really pissed me off and made the story after moment less enjoyable. I *guess* Crais was being humorous or showing Elvis’s quirky side but ever since college I cannot take alcohol and animals lightly.
PS I’m appreciating the new Audible Plus benefit of including some books in membership without using your credits because my library can’t get licenses for streaming audiobooks for the Cole and Pike series.
Highlight: Male emotional care-taking which is never shown in detective stories because male detectives are always emotionally remote and damaged and they like it that way. Pike knows that Elvis has had a *very* rough couple of days so he gets Lucy to call Elvis, because he knows that is what Elvis needs to be right in his head and heart. I appreciate that Crais shows high emotional intelligence in his stories rather than affirming emotional damage is more interesting.
One note of warning to animal lovers: Elvis gives his cat beer which really really pissed me off and made the story after moment less enjoyable. I *guess* Crais was being humorous or showing Elvis’s quirky side but ever since college I cannot take alcohol and animals lightly.
PS I’m appreciating the new Audible Plus benefit of including some books in membership without using your credits because my library can’t get licenses for streaming audiobooks for the Cole and Pike series.
September 8, 2016
Robert Crais is becoming one of my new favorite authors--I'm putting him right up there with Michael Connelly and Lee Child. This was my first Elvis Cole book, and he's a terrific complement to Joe Pike--more emotional where Pike is removed, more verbal where Pike is a brick wall. They work terrifically together and it makes sense they're friends. The plot kept me engaged and was quickly paced--at 270 pages, I zipped through it super fast. Cole makes a connection (for good or bad) to the people he's investigating--he makes them human--which is why he's involved in this story in the first place (about a man he helped acquit as a serial killer 3 years ago being found, an apparent suicide, with pictures of 7 murder victims). You know something is fishy, but not quite what, and I was surprised at the end when the killer was revealed. I thought they spoiled it too soon, but not so!
I've got the first 2 Joe Pike's waiting for me on my dresser (I cleared out my local branch of the Robert Crais books) and I know I'll enjoy them just as much.
I've got the first 2 Joe Pike's waiting for me on my dresser (I cleared out my local branch of the Robert Crais books) and I know I'll enjoy them just as much.
January 7, 2014
I have always enjoyed the stories, characters, and humor in the Elvis Cole series, and this one is no exception, but perhaps not my favorite. Police believe they have found the body of a serial killer, and it's someone Cole cleared in one of the murder cases several years ago. He knows he was right then, and he must now determine the identity of the actual killer. A good read, as usual.
May 26, 2021
This was a really good mystery. I like this author and I enjoy his character Elvis Cole. This was mystery set in LA where someone Elvis knew was murdered and he tried with help of police to get to the bottom of what happend and of course there were several twists and turns where you never expected the real outcome of the story until the end. Definitely recommend.
October 11, 2019
“... maybe this is why I do what I do. I chase darkness to make room for the light.”
Elvis Cole.
Another great book in the series.
Elvis Cole.
Another great book in the series.
April 13, 2019
3,5 / 5
March 21, 2013
Ok, a few rambling thoughts on Robert Crais. Who is this guy, where'd he come from, how'd he get so popular? Well the first thing to know is that Crais is not from California at all. He is a native of Louisiana, grew up in a blue collar family, and read his first crime novel The Little Sister when he was 15. And that's all it took. Chandler gave him his love for writing. Other authors that have inspired him were Hammett, Hemingway (seems like that's true of all the crime writers), Parker, and Steinbeck (huh?).
How'd he get so popular? In short: television and L.A. Requim. Robert Crais has a very impressive resume as a screenwriter for such television series as Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice (damn, I loved that show too!), Cagney & Lacey. But what hits home the most with Crais himself is his work on the 4 hour mini series Cross of Fire which is about the Ku Klux Klan and is probably more relevant to his home state of Louisiana than it is to Hollywood. Following a growing dissatsifaction of a screen writer's constraints, Crais began writing novels. L.A. Requim, which is the 8th Elvis Cole novel, is what landed him as an author that defied all genres and in it outsurpassed even the legendary Ross Macdonald.
Enough about Crais, the guy's good. So, what about Elvis Cole? Naming someone Elvis had to have been a fairly deliberate decision. To me the name seems iconic, Warholish, Disneylandish, a bit theatrical if not cynical. In fact his novels and trinkets therein are suffused with cultural icons: Spider Man mug, Jiminy Cricket (latent fantasy of wanting to be Peter Pan?), and his yellow Corvette. Even his slogan seems hamstrung with Hollywood's obsession with icons: Elvis Cole is The world's Greatest Detective! But in reality there's nothing ridiculous about Cole: he's tough, honest, ponders morality and ambiguity and hypocrasies while staring out the balcony window in his office.Yes, he's cynical, a smart ass, a comic relief in many ways...but behind the seeming humor lies a Dan Wesson .38, the Vietnam War, martial arts and his biggest gun of all: Joe Pike.
Joe Pike, the avenging angel, is a tool used sparingly by Crais. Use him too much and you wonder why he isn't the main character (we know Crais has struggled with this as he produced 4 separate novels featuring Pike as the hero); use him too little and you start wondering why the big guns aren't being pulled out by Elvis. What you want to do is increase the anxiety level of the reader towards the hero, not get the reader frustrated with him. Crais handles this expertly...and uses Pike to increase the anticipation in readers.
The Elvis Cole novels should be considered hard boiled detectives primarily in that Crais deviates from the traditional Romantic tradition found in detective stories and crime fiction by introducing Cole as a detective with a decidedly cynical attitude towards the emotions (i.e. apprehension, horror, terror, and awe such as are found in other crime and thriller stories). And yet, we find sprinkled throughout the books insightful observations of the world as seen through Elvis's eyes. In the following passage, Elvis observes the effects of dry brush fires raging through L.A.:
Picture the detective at work in his office, fourth floor, Hollywood, as the Devil's Wind freight-trains down from the desert. Though dry and brutally harsh, the desert wind is clean. It pushes the smog south to the sea and scrubs the sky to a crystalline blue. The air, jittery from the heat, rises in swaying tendrils like kelp from the seabed, making the city shimmer. We are never more beautiful than when we are burning.
Like I said, it really came together following the publication of his 8th Elvis Cole novel. Pike his side kick, Lou Poitras (Cole's detective friend) gruffy as ever, shifting view points, a relaxation of Cole's zany character...it all came together following L.A. Requim. So, believe me. All in all, you will not be disappointed with the Elvis Cole series. There are a lot of these novels so sit back and enjoy! I most certainly did.
As with all series reviews, this one covers all the Elvis Cole books. So if you've read this review of mine than you've read 'em all.
How'd he get so popular? In short: television and L.A. Requim. Robert Crais has a very impressive resume as a screenwriter for such television series as Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice (damn, I loved that show too!), Cagney & Lacey. But what hits home the most with Crais himself is his work on the 4 hour mini series Cross of Fire which is about the Ku Klux Klan and is probably more relevant to his home state of Louisiana than it is to Hollywood. Following a growing dissatsifaction of a screen writer's constraints, Crais began writing novels. L.A. Requim, which is the 8th Elvis Cole novel, is what landed him as an author that defied all genres and in it outsurpassed even the legendary Ross Macdonald.
Enough about Crais, the guy's good. So, what about Elvis Cole? Naming someone Elvis had to have been a fairly deliberate decision. To me the name seems iconic, Warholish, Disneylandish, a bit theatrical if not cynical. In fact his novels and trinkets therein are suffused with cultural icons: Spider Man mug, Jiminy Cricket (latent fantasy of wanting to be Peter Pan?), and his yellow Corvette. Even his slogan seems hamstrung with Hollywood's obsession with icons: Elvis Cole is The world's Greatest Detective! But in reality there's nothing ridiculous about Cole: he's tough, honest, ponders morality and ambiguity and hypocrasies while staring out the balcony window in his office.Yes, he's cynical, a smart ass, a comic relief in many ways...but behind the seeming humor lies a Dan Wesson .38, the Vietnam War, martial arts and his biggest gun of all: Joe Pike.
Joe Pike, the avenging angel, is a tool used sparingly by Crais. Use him too much and you wonder why he isn't the main character (we know Crais has struggled with this as he produced 4 separate novels featuring Pike as the hero); use him too little and you start wondering why the big guns aren't being pulled out by Elvis. What you want to do is increase the anxiety level of the reader towards the hero, not get the reader frustrated with him. Crais handles this expertly...and uses Pike to increase the anticipation in readers.
The Elvis Cole novels should be considered hard boiled detectives primarily in that Crais deviates from the traditional Romantic tradition found in detective stories and crime fiction by introducing Cole as a detective with a decidedly cynical attitude towards the emotions (i.e. apprehension, horror, terror, and awe such as are found in other crime and thriller stories). And yet, we find sprinkled throughout the books insightful observations of the world as seen through Elvis's eyes. In the following passage, Elvis observes the effects of dry brush fires raging through L.A.:
Picture the detective at work in his office, fourth floor, Hollywood, as the Devil's Wind freight-trains down from the desert. Though dry and brutally harsh, the desert wind is clean. It pushes the smog south to the sea and scrubs the sky to a crystalline blue. The air, jittery from the heat, rises in swaying tendrils like kelp from the seabed, making the city shimmer. We are never more beautiful than when we are burning.
Like I said, it really came together following the publication of his 8th Elvis Cole novel. Pike his side kick, Lou Poitras (Cole's detective friend) gruffy as ever, shifting view points, a relaxation of Cole's zany character...it all came together following L.A. Requim. So, believe me. All in all, you will not be disappointed with the Elvis Cole series. There are a lot of these novels so sit back and enjoy! I most certainly did.
As with all series reviews, this one covers all the Elvis Cole books. So if you've read this review of mine than you've read 'em all.
November 5, 2022
Another excellent investigation with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. This is the one about an apparent suicide of a serial killer.
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