What do you think?
Rate this book
Elvis Cole and Joe Pike #13
The First Rule
When Frank Meyer and his family are executed in their home, the police begin investigating the secret life they're sure Meyer had. Joe Pike's on a hunt of his own: to clear his friend's name, and to punish the people who murdered him. What starts out as a simple trail gets twisted fast by old grudges, double crosses, blood vengeance, and a crime so terrible even Pike and his partner Elvis Cole have no way to measure it.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published January 12, 2010
About the author
Robert Crais
128 books4,258 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,101 reviews
June 3, 2016
A retired mercenary and his entire family are brutally murdered in what appears to be a home invasion robbery. This wasn’t just any ex-merc though. He was an old buddy of professional kicker of asses Joe Pike, and Joe promptly sets out on a revenge rampage. I do so love a good revenge rampage!
Robert Crais has done something off-beat in his modern PI series that usually stars Elvis Cole as the first person hero of the story with Joe Pike featuring as the bad ass buddy that might as well be put in a glass case with the words BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY stenciled on it. Crais has always done a good job of creating the sense of a real bond between Pike and Cole without explaining it, but by occasionally doing a book from Joe’s third person POV it adds a new wrinkle to the series that sheds light on Cole as well as the relationship between the two men.
An internalized no-nonsense character like Pike works best as a weapon to be deployed, and this is the kind of plot that utilizes him well with him instantly picking up a trail that leads to Serbian gangsters and going after them with the subtly of a brick through a windshield. Then we get Cole coming in at the edges of the story to do the detective work and back Joe up as needed. Not that he needs much of it.
My favorite part was when Pike starts to systematically hit the gang in the pocketbook by going after their sources of income, and that seems like what he’s best suited to do. When the story started adding twists and turns it started to feel more like an Elvis Cole book that could have used more of his point of view rather than just being the support staff. Frankly, I expected to see Joe Pike mowing through ruthless gangsters John Wick style in this and was a little disappointed I didn’t get more of that.
It’s still solid work by Crais, and an entertaining crime story overall. However, I would have preferred a bit more rampaging by Pike and a little less plot.
Robert Crais has done something off-beat in his modern PI series that usually stars Elvis Cole as the first person hero of the story with Joe Pike featuring as the bad ass buddy that might as well be put in a glass case with the words BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY stenciled on it. Crais has always done a good job of creating the sense of a real bond between Pike and Cole without explaining it, but by occasionally doing a book from Joe’s third person POV it adds a new wrinkle to the series that sheds light on Cole as well as the relationship between the two men.
An internalized no-nonsense character like Pike works best as a weapon to be deployed, and this is the kind of plot that utilizes him well with him instantly picking up a trail that leads to Serbian gangsters and going after them with the subtly of a brick through a windshield. Then we get Cole coming in at the edges of the story to do the detective work and back Joe up as needed. Not that he needs much of it.
My favorite part was when Pike starts to systematically hit the gang in the pocketbook by going after their sources of income, and that seems like what he’s best suited to do. When the story started adding twists and turns it started to feel more like an Elvis Cole book that could have used more of his point of view rather than just being the support staff. Frankly, I expected to see Joe Pike mowing through ruthless gangsters John Wick style in this and was a little disappointed I didn’t get more of that.
It’s still solid work by Crais, and an entertaining crime story overall. However, I would have preferred a bit more rampaging by Pike and a little less plot.
March 19, 2018
I've been enjoying Robert Crais' Elvis Cole mysteries, but apparently Crais felt the need to punch things up by featuring Elvis' best buddy, Joe Pike as the lead character. The Watchman was the first in the series to experiment with the new POV, and I found myself somewhat ambivalent about the results. The First Rule again follows Joe, with Elvis as a supporting character, with improved results.
In The First Rule, we meet a sweet domestic scene with Frank Meyer and his family, right before they are executed. I tend to dislike such an obvious sympathy-building scenario; I feel an author should use the perspective of the narrative and make us care because the protagonists care. But I persevered and was rewarded. Although the book jacket makes it seem like revenge is the only motivation, there are enough complexities and twists to it that it becomes something more than mere revenge thriller.
We learn a little bit about Joe's mercenary years--although not enough--when he worked on a team with Frank, as well as another man, Lenny. Jon Stone was one of their contacts for jobs, and he moves beyond a mere voice on the phone in this book to play an active role in the investigation. I kind of like the version of the Bad Merry Men that Crais gets to play with when he uses Pike's social (ha!) circles, and look forward to seeing more of the completely amoral Jon Stone in the Pike books. The resolution(s), for the most part, aren't ones that Elvis would have entirely supported, so I can see the appeal of the alternate POV.
On the thriller scale, I'd call it a solid 4.0 for genre. On the carol. scale, a 3.5, because they tend to be more lightweight books that don't arouse my collector instincts. But I'm more than happy my library has them.
In The First Rule, we meet a sweet domestic scene with Frank Meyer and his family, right before they are executed. I tend to dislike such an obvious sympathy-building scenario; I feel an author should use the perspective of the narrative and make us care because the protagonists care. But I persevered and was rewarded. Although the book jacket makes it seem like revenge is the only motivation, there are enough complexities and twists to it that it becomes something more than mere revenge thriller.
We learn a little bit about Joe's mercenary years--although not enough--when he worked on a team with Frank, as well as another man, Lenny. Jon Stone was one of their contacts for jobs, and he moves beyond a mere voice on the phone in this book to play an active role in the investigation. I kind of like the version of the Bad Merry Men that Crais gets to play with when he uses Pike's social (ha!) circles, and look forward to seeing more of the completely amoral Jon Stone in the Pike books. The resolution(s), for the most part, aren't ones that Elvis would have entirely supported, so I can see the appeal of the alternate POV.
On the thriller scale, I'd call it a solid 4.0 for genre. On the carol. scale, a 3.5, because they tend to be more lightweight books that don't arouse my collector instincts. But I'm more than happy my library has them.
December 22, 2021
In this addition to the Elvis Cole - Joe Pike series, the private detectives investigate a tragedy that hits close to home. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Frank Meyer and his family are killed during a home invasion and Frank's friend Joe Pike, an ex-mercenary and one of the toughest men alive, is out for revenge.
Joe is an expert in extracting information, covert actions, and combat and he soon learns that Frank's family and their nanny were killed by a gang of ex-cons working with the Serbian mafia.
Joe enlists the help of his partner Elvis Cole and other mercenaries and gets to work.
Joe expertly evades police surveillance to covertly enter premises, question people, gather information, and so on. Before long the story includes a prostitute, a baby, gangsters, the ATF, and illegal guns for sale.
There's plenty of rough stuff in the book and numerous bodies pile up before the climax. An exciting action thriller.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
August 21, 2022
Readers of Robert Crais first encountered Joe Pike as the silent partner and sidekick to Crais's series protagonist, L.A. private detective Elvis Cole. Then, in The Watchman, Crais gave Pike his own book, and now he gets a second.
The book opens when a vicious gang of home invaders assaults and kills the family of a man named Frank Meyer. Meyer attempts to resist the men, but he too is murdered. The police quickly realize that the killers are the same men who have committed the same crimes several times previously, but they have no real leads to the gang.
In this case, though, the killers have made a serious and probably fatal mistake because it turns out that Frank Meyer was a retired mercenary who used to work in a crew led by Joe Pike. Pike, of course, is outraged and is determined to seek vengeance for his fallen comrade. Naturally, though, he will do it in the calm, controlled and thoughtful manner which is Joe Pike's way.
Pike is not the police, of course, and so he is soon running circles around their investigation and is miles ahead of them. He discovers that the invasion gang is being run by a mysterious Serbian mobster named Michael Darko and that in this case, unlike the previous ones, Darko may have actually participated in the invasion and in the murder of Pike's friend. Pike's task will now be to determine the motive for the attack, track down the killers, and mete out justice. Along the way, he will recruit the help of Elvis Cole, who in a reversal, winds up being the sidekick on this mission.
To my mind, this was an adequate thriller, but not much more. There are a lot of twists and turns; there is plenty of action, and the body count is over the top. I find, though, that I still cannot warm up to the character of Joe Pike. I've complained before that the character basically appears to be superhuman. He can overcome any obstacle and any opponent. He slips in and out of tight places like a ghost in the night, always unseen, etc., etc., etc. And for me, at least, that drains all the tension out of these books because you know that Pike is always going to come out on top, often without breaking a sweat.
I realize that one could make the very same complaint about Jack Reacher, another series character that I always enjoy. The difference, though, I think, is that there's a certain amount of often understated humor in the Reacher novels and the the author doesn't strain to convince the reader that the character should be totally believable. We know that the character is implausible; it's like the reader is in on the joke, and so we happily (or at least I do) suspend disbelief and go along for the ride.
Joe Pike, though, is totally humorless. While you might love to hang out with Jack Reacher and shoot the bull over a beer or two, Pike doesn't give off that sort of vibe at all. Hiding behind the sunglasses that he never takes off, even at night, Pike is all business all the time, and the character is written in such a way as to suggest that the author really expects us to take him seriously. For the most part, I just can't. I like the Elvis Cole character and I basically tolerate Joe Pike. I understand that I'm in a minority here; judging by the reviews, a lot of other readers love this character, but he just doesn't work for me nearly as much as I would like.
The book opens when a vicious gang of home invaders assaults and kills the family of a man named Frank Meyer. Meyer attempts to resist the men, but he too is murdered. The police quickly realize that the killers are the same men who have committed the same crimes several times previously, but they have no real leads to the gang.
In this case, though, the killers have made a serious and probably fatal mistake because it turns out that Frank Meyer was a retired mercenary who used to work in a crew led by Joe Pike. Pike, of course, is outraged and is determined to seek vengeance for his fallen comrade. Naturally, though, he will do it in the calm, controlled and thoughtful manner which is Joe Pike's way.
Pike is not the police, of course, and so he is soon running circles around their investigation and is miles ahead of them. He discovers that the invasion gang is being run by a mysterious Serbian mobster named Michael Darko and that in this case, unlike the previous ones, Darko may have actually participated in the invasion and in the murder of Pike's friend. Pike's task will now be to determine the motive for the attack, track down the killers, and mete out justice. Along the way, he will recruit the help of Elvis Cole, who in a reversal, winds up being the sidekick on this mission.
To my mind, this was an adequate thriller, but not much more. There are a lot of twists and turns; there is plenty of action, and the body count is over the top. I find, though, that I still cannot warm up to the character of Joe Pike. I've complained before that the character basically appears to be superhuman. He can overcome any obstacle and any opponent. He slips in and out of tight places like a ghost in the night, always unseen, etc., etc., etc. And for me, at least, that drains all the tension out of these books because you know that Pike is always going to come out on top, often without breaking a sweat.
I realize that one could make the very same complaint about Jack Reacher, another series character that I always enjoy. The difference, though, I think, is that there's a certain amount of often understated humor in the Reacher novels and the the author doesn't strain to convince the reader that the character should be totally believable. We know that the character is implausible; it's like the reader is in on the joke, and so we happily (or at least I do) suspend disbelief and go along for the ride.
Joe Pike, though, is totally humorless. While you might love to hang out with Jack Reacher and shoot the bull over a beer or two, Pike doesn't give off that sort of vibe at all. Hiding behind the sunglasses that he never takes off, even at night, Pike is all business all the time, and the character is written in such a way as to suggest that the author really expects us to take him seriously. For the most part, I just can't. I like the Elvis Cole character and I basically tolerate Joe Pike. I understand that I'm in a minority here; judging by the reviews, a lot of other readers love this character, but he just doesn't work for me nearly as much as I would like.
November 23, 2012
A retired mercenary Joe Pike used to work with is murdered along with his family, seemingly by a home invasion crew. Joe Pike springs into action. When signs start pointing to an arms deal involving Serbian organized crime, Pike starts wondering if his old friend was mixed up in something he shouldn't have been...
The First Rule was another exciting outing featuring Joe Pike and Elvis Cole with Pike taking center stage and kicking ass. I can't say too much about the plot without blowing too much. Pike gets caught between the ATF, and two rival Serbian crime lords. Chaos ensues. Pike comes out on top.
The second Joe Pike solo adventure was better than the first, The Watchman. While I still never felt Pike was in jeopardy, the story had more twists and showed that Joe Pike has a softer side. Pike taking care of a baby was surprisingly touching.
That's about all I have to say, I guess. It was a fun read and a nice way to spend a couple hours. Three easy stars.
The First Rule was another exciting outing featuring Joe Pike and Elvis Cole with Pike taking center stage and kicking ass. I can't say too much about the plot without blowing too much. Pike gets caught between the ATF, and two rival Serbian crime lords. Chaos ensues. Pike comes out on top.
The second Joe Pike solo adventure was better than the first, The Watchman. While I still never felt Pike was in jeopardy, the story had more twists and showed that Joe Pike has a softer side. Pike taking care of a baby was surprisingly touching.
That's about all I have to say, I guess. It was a fun read and a nice way to spend a couple hours. Three easy stars.
January 2, 2020
Joe Pike is a former mercenary (amongst other things) and when one of his former colleagues, Frank
Meyer, is brutally murdered in his own home together with his wife and their two sons Joe knows he must track down whoever is responsible. He will not allow the person or persons to live, he owes this much to a man who was one of Pike’s team back in the day. It turns out that a gang of Serbian criminals are responsible for the murders, they’ve carried out a series of home invasions in the area and have a track record of leaving bodies in their wake. But why choose this house and these people to rob and kill? From information Pike obtains, it seems that the targets are usually figures somehow tied up in organised crime but Pike doesn’t believe this to fit with Frank and his family.
I’ve previously favoured the books which focus on Elvis Cole in this series, finding Pike to be too much of a one dimensional, monosyllabic character. But I’ve warmed to him lately. It seems that though he’s feared by his foes and undoubtedly a stone cold killer he’s also much loved by dogs and babies – yes, that’s a real surprise! And as I continue to learn more about him (I’m reading this series in reverse order, so it’s a little fragmented) I am seeing more hidden depths. He has a little of Eisler’s John Rain about him, in that the killing itself doesn’t bother him, it doesn’t weigh on his mind. Like Rain he’s also a thinker and a planner and, most importantly, he’s more inclined to listen than talk. I like that in a man.
As Pike closes in on his prey the plot thickens and more bad guys come into focus. Cole and another repeat character, John Stone, are introduced to assist and a rather complicated plan is concocted to trap all of the main villains in one sting operation. Will it go to plan? In truth, you know it won’t work quite as intended but you also pretty much know what the ultimate outcome will be. It’s not a book to test the brain or stimulate esoteric thought, but as a piece of plain escapist entertainment it works pretty well. I’m sure to be back for more.
Meyer, is brutally murdered in his own home together with his wife and their two sons Joe knows he must track down whoever is responsible. He will not allow the person or persons to live, he owes this much to a man who was one of Pike’s team back in the day. It turns out that a gang of Serbian criminals are responsible for the murders, they’ve carried out a series of home invasions in the area and have a track record of leaving bodies in their wake. But why choose this house and these people to rob and kill? From information Pike obtains, it seems that the targets are usually figures somehow tied up in organised crime but Pike doesn’t believe this to fit with Frank and his family.
I’ve previously favoured the books which focus on Elvis Cole in this series, finding Pike to be too much of a one dimensional, monosyllabic character. But I’ve warmed to him lately. It seems that though he’s feared by his foes and undoubtedly a stone cold killer he’s also much loved by dogs and babies – yes, that’s a real surprise! And as I continue to learn more about him (I’m reading this series in reverse order, so it’s a little fragmented) I am seeing more hidden depths. He has a little of Eisler’s John Rain about him, in that the killing itself doesn’t bother him, it doesn’t weigh on his mind. Like Rain he’s also a thinker and a planner and, most importantly, he’s more inclined to listen than talk. I like that in a man.
As Pike closes in on his prey the plot thickens and more bad guys come into focus. Cole and another repeat character, John Stone, are introduced to assist and a rather complicated plan is concocted to trap all of the main villains in one sting operation. Will it go to plan? In truth, you know it won’t work quite as intended but you also pretty much know what the ultimate outcome will be. It’s not a book to test the brain or stimulate esoteric thought, but as a piece of plain escapist entertainment it works pretty well. I’m sure to be back for more.
September 3, 2018
A great revenge thriller with plenty of unexpected twists and turns, all topped off with an absolutely fantastic ending. A superb entry in the series.
November 2, 2020
4 Stars
An excellent Pike and Cole novel, with Pike leading.
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Typical Elvis Cole business shirt
Full size image here
Good start, interesting setup.
55% Pike and Walsh
Best scene ever by Crais. 5-stars.
The last quarter of the book is overly complicated, confusing for a while, but the climax resolves well.
And a very surprising ending 😊
Notes and Quotes:
The organized criminal gangs from the fifteen republics of the former Soviet Union are governed by what they call the Vorovskoy Zakon, the thieves' code, which is comprised of eighteen written rules. The first rule is this: A thief must forsake his mother, father, brothers, and sisters. He must not have a family, no wife, no children. We are his family. If any of the eighteen rules are broken, the punishment is death.
-
"Show me his family."
"You want to see what they did to his wife and his kids?"
Pike wanted to see. He wanted to fix them in his mind, and have them close when he found the men who killed them.
-
A nice little Ruger .380
Full size image here
Pike didn't mind. He took a slow, deep breath, paused, then emptied his lungs, taking exactly as long to exhale as to inhale. He focused on the camera. He emptied his mind of everything except the camera, and breathed. There was just Pike and the camera and whoever was on the other side of the camera. Then there was just Pike and the camera. And then only Pike. After a few breaths, he felt himself float, his chest expanding and contracting with the rhythm of the sea. His heart rate slowed. Time slowed. Then Pike simply was. Pike had spent days like this, waiting for the perfect shot in places that were not as comfortable as an LAPD interview room.
.
An excellent Pike and Cole novel, with Pike leading.
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
Typical Elvis Cole business shirt
Full size image here
Good start, interesting setup.
55% Pike and Walsh
Best scene ever by Crais. 5-stars.
The last quarter of the book is overly complicated, confusing for a while, but the climax resolves well.
And a very surprising ending 😊
Notes and Quotes:
The organized criminal gangs from the fifteen republics of the former Soviet Union are governed by what they call the Vorovskoy Zakon, the thieves' code, which is comprised of eighteen written rules. The first rule is this: A thief must forsake his mother, father, brothers, and sisters. He must not have a family, no wife, no children. We are his family. If any of the eighteen rules are broken, the punishment is death.
-
"Show me his family."
"You want to see what they did to his wife and his kids?"
Pike wanted to see. He wanted to fix them in his mind, and have them close when he found the men who killed them.
-
A nice little Ruger .380
Full size image here
Pike didn't mind. He took a slow, deep breath, paused, then emptied his lungs, taking exactly as long to exhale as to inhale. He focused on the camera. He emptied his mind of everything except the camera, and breathed. There was just Pike and the camera and whoever was on the other side of the camera. Then there was just Pike and the camera. And then only Pike. After a few breaths, he felt himself float, his chest expanding and contracting with the rhythm of the sea. His heart rate slowed. Time slowed. Then Pike simply was. Pike had spent days like this, waiting for the perfect shot in places that were not as comfortable as an LAPD interview room.
.
November 6, 2013
A Serbian home invasion crew kills one of Pike's guys and his family because they were just there when the crew comes to steal a child the family's nanny is protecting. They leave no prints or DNA. When Pike hears of it the crime scene is fresh. It is just a matter of time before Pike chews through the police investigation, the Serbian mafia, and double-crossing from his sources. Superbly paced. And with a good dose of Jon Stone included. A great read.
November 22, 2012
Pike and Cole live interesting if somewhat morbid and difficult lives...
Here a good friend of Joe Pike and his entire family are brutally killed, this is something (predictably) that Joe isn't about to walk away from.
I like these books, but I've got to say Joe is an unusual guy...maybe unique. He's probably the only ex-cop, ex-mercenary, partner in a P.I. firm, tough as nails adventurer...bodyguard....etc. who's also a zen vegetarian. It can kind of give you whiplash. Still, I think I'm more a Pike fan than a Cole fan, but that's just me. LOL
Anyway we've got another good entry in the series here with Pike facing nasty odds and (again) emotional wounds (though he'd never talk about it or show it...of course). Lots of action some pretty good story telling and characters that stay true to themselves (pike and Cole so far have always been Pike and Cole, this is a good thing). I can recommend these as enjoyable junk food for the mind, what I usually call brain candy. You'll get your required dose of shootouts, brutality, unfair death, righteous retribution and all sorts of other goodies, enjoy. 4 stars.
Here a good friend of Joe Pike and his entire family are brutally killed, this is something (predictably) that Joe isn't about to walk away from.
I like these books, but I've got to say Joe is an unusual guy...maybe unique. He's probably the only ex-cop, ex-mercenary, partner in a P.I. firm, tough as nails adventurer...bodyguard....etc. who's also a zen vegetarian. It can kind of give you whiplash. Still, I think I'm more a Pike fan than a Cole fan, but that's just me. LOL
Anyway we've got another good entry in the series here with Pike facing nasty odds and (again) emotional wounds (though he'd never talk about it or show it...of course). Lots of action some pretty good story telling and characters that stay true to themselves (pike and Cole so far have always been Pike and Cole, this is a good thing). I can recommend these as enjoyable junk food for the mind, what I usually call brain candy. You'll get your required dose of shootouts, brutality, unfair death, righteous retribution and all sorts of other goodies, enjoy. 4 stars.
October 2, 2020
What a great gift I gave myself a couple of days ago. During this Covid-19 isolation I've been re-reading favorite book series and that was the day I began the Elvis Cole, Joe Pike stories by Robert Crais. I didn't think I had read this book before but it seems I had just totally and completely forgotten it. Ahh, the memory is a fragile thing.
A series of home invasions have happened in and around LA and the police have found a link to various types of criminal activity to be the underlying reason for the killings. Frank Meyers was one of Joe Pike's guys when Joe was still running contract mercenaries as a business. Joe can't believe that Frank was into anything illegal but that's how the police are reading the situation. The only thing to do is for Joe to investigate Frank to find out because the Frank Meyers he knew wouldn't be involved in gun running.
This story kept spinning around and around on itself until it was twisted into a spiral of crime and deception that was hard to pin down. Crais made me believe in characters and then showed me I had put my belief in someone I shouldn't have. Joe managed to get into and out of tight scrapes pretty much whenever he wanted to. After reading one of these books I often wonder why we bother to put locks on our doors when somebody like Pike or Cole could get in practically on a whim. Anyway, lots of characters who were pretty much either very bad or very hard and the description of someone as one-of-the-good-guys might make you question which side of the line that person actually belonged on. Super good story, loads of action, favorite characters filling up all the pages and a satisfying ending. What more could I ask for?
A series of home invasions have happened in and around LA and the police have found a link to various types of criminal activity to be the underlying reason for the killings. Frank Meyers was one of Joe Pike's guys when Joe was still running contract mercenaries as a business. Joe can't believe that Frank was into anything illegal but that's how the police are reading the situation. The only thing to do is for Joe to investigate Frank to find out because the Frank Meyers he knew wouldn't be involved in gun running.
This story kept spinning around and around on itself until it was twisted into a spiral of crime and deception that was hard to pin down. Crais made me believe in characters and then showed me I had put my belief in someone I shouldn't have. Joe managed to get into and out of tight scrapes pretty much whenever he wanted to. After reading one of these books I often wonder why we bother to put locks on our doors when somebody like Pike or Cole could get in practically on a whim. Anyway, lots of characters who were pretty much either very bad or very hard and the description of someone as one-of-the-good-guys might make you question which side of the line that person actually belonged on. Super good story, loads of action, favorite characters filling up all the pages and a satisfying ending. What more could I ask for?
March 17, 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.
October 12, 2014
It is official, I am in love with Joe Pike. Sure he is one very scary dude, who has his own rules for right and wrong.
Right - Once you have cracked his outer core and become a friend you are a friend for life, even if you haven't talked to him in years and years.
Right - If you try to pull one over on him, he will mess you up.
Right - If you are an innocent, you will be protected at all costs.
Wrong - If you kill a friend for no reason he will come after you until he gets you.
These are the major rules in Pike's life that apply to this book. A friend he worked for 10 years ago dies in a home invasion. Due to the criminals who did the crime, it taints Pike's friend and Pike needs to clear his name and lay his friend to rest.
While investigating the crime Pike enters into the Serbian underworld of LA. Pike has a way that makes people talk and he gets things done faster than the police or FBI, which brings him to their attention. I also thought the female FBI agents actions at the end were great, what a classic move to get what you wanted without it coming back on you.
I found it interesting how Pike went about getting the Serb's attention. I think when he was doing this he was having fun. I also loved Pike with the baby. It surprised me how much he took to him and protected him. I loved the end and the name that he gave him.
Right - Once you have cracked his outer core and become a friend you are a friend for life, even if you haven't talked to him in years and years.
Right - If you try to pull one over on him, he will mess you up.
Right - If you are an innocent, you will be protected at all costs.
Wrong - If you kill a friend for no reason he will come after you until he gets you.
These are the major rules in Pike's life that apply to this book. A friend he worked for 10 years ago dies in a home invasion. Due to the criminals who did the crime, it taints Pike's friend and Pike needs to clear his name and lay his friend to rest.
While investigating the crime Pike enters into the Serbian underworld of LA. Pike has a way that makes people talk and he gets things done faster than the police or FBI, which brings him to their attention. I also thought the female FBI agents actions at the end were great, what a classic move to get what you wanted without it coming back on you.
I found it interesting how Pike went about getting the Serb's attention. I think when he was doing this he was having fun. I also loved Pike with the baby. It surprised me how much he took to him and protected him. I loved the end and the name that he gave him.
October 28, 2022
2nd reading - Lots more of Joe and Jon Stone, with a little of Elvis. One of Joe's former service buddies is murdered, along with his family. The au pair caring for an infant is mortally wounded, and the missing child is the key to this tragedy.
Pike lets nothing stand in the way of repaying evil for evil, but shows compassion when the baby is in the picture.
1st reading - Really good Joe/Elvis/Jon story, with Eastern European gangsters, mistaken identities, guns, drugs, Compton hoodlums, and a baby. Joe shows his tender side.
Pike lets nothing stand in the way of repaying evil for evil, but shows compassion when the baby is in the picture.
1st reading - Really good Joe/Elvis/Jon story, with Eastern European gangsters, mistaken identities, guns, drugs, Compton hoodlums, and a baby. Joe shows his tender side.
August 1, 2022
Another really good story about two of my favorite detective characters, Joe Pike and Elvis Cole. These stories are always good and this author is excellent at helping you understand their mind set. This is a story about a kidnapped child that has all kinds of people involved in the story. Russian gangs, stolen weapons from China, and lots of other stuff but Joe and Elvis sole the kidnapping and get the child to a good home. Always love these characters.
August 22, 2022
This is the second Joe Pike novel. For those of us familiar with the author's Elvis Cole series, we know Joe as a taciturn, mysterious, fearless warrior. When Elvis finds himself in a serious bind, he calls on Pike, who never fails to deliver. Pike is a great supporting character, his calculated and intermittent presence in the earlier books only adding to his mystique. As a leading man though, Joe comes across too often as a very one-dimensional, indestructible superman and a Jack Reacher, (Lee Child's hero), wanna-be.
The First Rule opens with a home invasion that turns deadly; the victim - one of "Joe's guys" from his previous mercenary life - and his family brutally murdered. Joe, of course, takes this personally and the story turns into one of revenge. Pike takes on the "Russian/Eastern European mob" while staying one step - or ten - ahead of the law and his adversaries - Pike's uncanny and instinctual prescience pointed out repeatedly in the narrative. Elvis plays a small, but critical role, assisting Pike in his quest to right this wrong.
The good news is that the The First Rule is a fast, entertaining and engaging read, and I found it more enjoyable than the previous Pike entry, The Watchman. The not so good news is that it doesn't measure up to the author's previous Elvis Cole books. The First Rule is predictable - literally from the opening scene - isn't as nuanced as the Cole novels, and Joe simply isn't that "deep" of a protagonist. (Joe assuming a "care-taker" role near the end of this book would make Frank Capra squeamish). Reading the Pike books one gains a new appreciation for the Child/Reacher series, for Crais - a favorite of mine and no slouch in my opinion - doesn't bring the gravitas to Pike that Child has to Reacher.
An okay book for this genre, but sub-par for this author.
The First Rule opens with a home invasion that turns deadly; the victim - one of "Joe's guys" from his previous mercenary life - and his family brutally murdered. Joe, of course, takes this personally and the story turns into one of revenge. Pike takes on the "Russian/Eastern European mob" while staying one step - or ten - ahead of the law and his adversaries - Pike's uncanny and instinctual prescience pointed out repeatedly in the narrative. Elvis plays a small, but critical role, assisting Pike in his quest to right this wrong.
The good news is that the The First Rule is a fast, entertaining and engaging read, and I found it more enjoyable than the previous Pike entry, The Watchman. The not so good news is that it doesn't measure up to the author's previous Elvis Cole books. The First Rule is predictable - literally from the opening scene - isn't as nuanced as the Cole novels, and Joe simply isn't that "deep" of a protagonist. (Joe assuming a "care-taker" role near the end of this book would make Frank Capra squeamish). Reading the Pike books one gains a new appreciation for the Child/Reacher series, for Crais - a favorite of mine and no slouch in my opinion - doesn't bring the gravitas to Pike that Child has to Reacher.
An okay book for this genre, but sub-par for this author.
December 26, 2012
A satisfying thriller featuring Joe Pike, a man of action who draws on his skills as an ex-mercenary special ops soldier and ex-cop and his drive to achieve justice within or outside the constraints of law. What puts him on the path to war this time is the murder of his friend from his mercenary days along with the man’s family by a set of home invaders. Step by step, Pike homes in on Serbian organized crime figures, aided by the sister of a nanny who was killed in the crime, another ex-mercenary, and his detective friend and partner Elvis Cole. Pike’s courage and crafty boldness are a pleasure to experience. A kidnapped baby becomes a compelling part of the plot, as does his chess game with police and FBI interested in keeping Pike from messing up their investigations of the illegal arms trade.
This one was close to 4 stars for me, but the bad guys weren’t fleshed out enough as real people. I liked it about as well as another Joe Pike tale The Sentry, but not as well as Taken (one that features Pike and Cole on a nearly equal basis). I like a lot of the Cole dominated novels more because of their infusion of humor.
This one was close to 4 stars for me, but the bad guys weren’t fleshed out enough as real people. I liked it about as well as another Joe Pike tale The Sentry, but not as well as Taken (one that features Pike and Cole on a nearly equal basis). I like a lot of the Cole dominated novels more because of their infusion of humor.
June 27, 2010
Solid second Pike book.
February 7, 2013
A good story of what happens when criminals mess with the wrong people. Although a bit longer than necessary, the ending is well written. 9 of 10 stars.
August 27, 2017
I have read the first 16 Robert Crais books and this one was my favorite.
Happiness is having more by this Author left to read.
Happiness is having more by this Author left to read.
February 27, 2018
Another top drawer effort from Robert Crais .
Violent and gripping , this is one that will keep you up late till it's finished.
Violent and gripping , this is one that will keep you up late till it's finished.
July 12, 2010
I've turned to Crais before when I've been wishing I could read a Micael Connelly, but the last couple books I've read have been terrible. This is little more than a Bruce Willis action/revenge movie. The character Joe Pike is a cipher; an impossibly adept killing machine who kills without compunction and will do anything to achieve his goal--oh and hey, it is all justified because he saves the kid in the end and the bad guys get it.
I love mysteries and can enjoy crime fiction, but books like this make me despair as an anarchist. I firmly believe that the stories a society tells itself help shape not only the character and ethics of that society but inform or even justify the actions taken in that society. So what effect has the tens of thousands of cop shows, books, and movies where the "ends justify the means" and violence against the "scum" isn't worth an ethcial qualm? Do you get a country with the more people incarcerated than in any other country? When a disproportionate number of the bad guys in fictional stories are black or other people of color, does this lead to a society where blacks and other people of color are locked up at disproportionate rates? Do you get cops that will gun down people like Sean Bell or Oscar Grant? A country that will invade two countries and slaughter tens of tens of thousands with little protest or reaction from its society? After all, Saddam was a "bad guy" right?
Sigh.
I love mysteries and can enjoy crime fiction, but books like this make me despair as an anarchist. I firmly believe that the stories a society tells itself help shape not only the character and ethics of that society but inform or even justify the actions taken in that society. So what effect has the tens of thousands of cop shows, books, and movies where the "ends justify the means" and violence against the "scum" isn't worth an ethcial qualm? Do you get a country with the more people incarcerated than in any other country? When a disproportionate number of the bad guys in fictional stories are black or other people of color, does this lead to a society where blacks and other people of color are locked up at disproportionate rates? Do you get cops that will gun down people like Sean Bell or Oscar Grant? A country that will invade two countries and slaughter tens of tens of thousands with little protest or reaction from its society? After all, Saddam was a "bad guy" right?
Sigh.
February 9, 2022
A good one for Joe Pike fans. I like him, but not as much when he's the main character. He's not really very entertaining like Elvis Cole. But this one was interesting because it told a bit more about his background, and showed some of his hidden personality - can you imagine Pike taking care of a baby?
It was still a fun read, if you like the super-hero style of character that can always come out on top. And there was a bit of Elvis Cole to keep things light and interesting.
It was still a fun read, if you like the super-hero style of character that can always come out on top. And there was a bit of Elvis Cole to keep things light and interesting.
October 26, 2018
Loved this 13th book in his Elvis Cole series and 2nd book in his Joe Pike series!!!
March 6, 2021
The second book I read from Crais. Enjoyed the first book I read called The Wanted, hence planning to read the series. The plot was a little bit too long and the main character was a bit too perfect for me. Otherwise, a great read!
December 13, 2018
There have been a string of home invasions in Los Angeles, but the latest target was Frank Meyer. He and his family have been found murdered in the aftermath, and their nanny has been rushed to the hospital, barely clinging to life. However, this time, the gang behind the crimes has made a big mistake. Frank was one of Joe Pike's men from his days as a mercenary. Even though the two haven't spoken in years, Pike still feels that loyalty and sets out to avenge his friend. Can he figure out why they were targeted and who is responsible?
I tend to think of Joe Pike as the strong, silent type, probably because he famously doesn't like to talk. The plot of this book shows us a different side of the character. He's still not a talker, but he is much more active and driven in his quest to avenge his friend. Unfortunately, the result didn't quite work for me. Part of it is me since I'm not a fan of revenge stories in general. The book is dark and violent, even for this series, and the twists weren't as good, some of them feeling forced into the story. Since it was the next in the series for me to read, I'm not sorry I read it, but it isn't author Robert Crais at this best. I suspect the fans who love the character of Joe Pike will enjoy this book more than I did.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I tend to think of Joe Pike as the strong, silent type, probably because he famously doesn't like to talk. The plot of this book shows us a different side of the character. He's still not a talker, but he is much more active and driven in his quest to avenge his friend. Unfortunately, the result didn't quite work for me. Part of it is me since I'm not a fan of revenge stories in general. The book is dark and violent, even for this series, and the twists weren't as good, some of them feeling forced into the story. Since it was the next in the series for me to read, I'm not sorry I read it, but it isn't author Robert Crais at this best. I suspect the fans who love the character of Joe Pike will enjoy this book more than I did.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
March 6, 2021
Very much a Joe Pike book and pretty much the spiritual sequel to The Watchman. Cole's in this one but he's very much the sidekick and we're riding with Pike solo for the vast majority of the story. This is always an interesting change because unlike Cole, Pike is one of the least funny motherfuckers on the planet. He's never unlikable, but he is often inscrutable and for the most part, cold (which is utterly fair when you're aware of his backstory.) Still, there's a lot to be said for Crais' ridiculous skill with plot and story propulsion. By now I assume you've noticed the three stars but in the time-honored tradition of the Goodreads Coward I'm gonna say this was really more of a 3.5.
Book's about an old mercenary buddy of Pike's getting murdered in his cozy suburban home along with his family and their au pair by some very nasty characters. Ostensibly it looks like a break-in after whatever nice suburban families keep in their houses (jewels and shit? I never saw any in the houses in the 'burbs I lived in with my parents, but it was always hard to pin the tail on the donkey on what part of the middle class spectrum we were on at any given moment) but obviously this is a crime thriller so as always Things Are Not What They Seem. What is obvious is that someone just killed one of Joe Pike's old war buddies so it's obvious bad guys are gonna get unceremoniously shot in the head at some point. Speaking of buddies, Only Crais could keep including the trope of "main character in trouble just before buddy steps/jumps/climbs out of nowhere and starts blasting motherfuckers" and not bug me with it.
Because Pike is more of a heat-seeking missile than traditional detective type like his partner Cole, this one is not really what I'd classify as a mystery. There are some unanswered questions but they're not really the priority in this one--this is really more about Pike finding the dudes that killed his buddy and his family and, again, unceremoniously shooting them in the head with his by-now-rather-iconic Colt Python. It really can't be understated how awesome and badass it is seeing basically one dude taking apart a major crime syndicate through a lifetime of hard years and training and a complete and utter lack of giving a fuck. At this point this is light years beyond stating the obvious but Pike is a perennial literary hardass for the fucking ages. With that obviousness aside, the previous Pike-oriented book had moments of Pike being sensitive and remarkably soft and this one was no different.
This has very little to do with the book but I remember that Lee Child and Crais have (or had, until Child retired from writing the Reacher books and gave them to his like, little brother or some shit?) a longstanding friendly feud over who would "win", Jack Reacher or Joe Pike. A couple things have to be said before I address this very serious issue: One, this is a really ridiculous and nerdy "my dad could beat up your dad" type of literary debate. Two, I love really ridiculous and nerdy "my dad could beat up your dad" types of literary debates. I don't lose any sleep over this one, but I will say that sometimes when I'm really bored and in a certain mood I wonder. I gotta say though, the more I read of each I'm becoming more convinced that Pike would take it. There's just something to be said on the difference between stepping out of the shadows and shooting people in the head versus marching in the front door and giving an intimidating speech.
So yeah, more good stuff! I really only give this a three because I know as reliable and well-written and plotted and detailed as this one is I know he can not only do better (the early Cole/Pike novels) he can do a SHITLOAD better (L.A. Requiem, The Last Detective.) Another thing dragging this one down is the relative lack of mystery I mentioned earlier. There's definitely some twists in this one and some disturbing questions posed initially that have to be unraveled, but really within the first like 20 pages you know what happened and who did it and again, you also know the perpetrators are unquestionably stone-cold fucked. At this point, as much as I like Pike and am glad to spend some time with him away from Cole's unyielding smartassery it's pretty clear the really golden stuff is when they have a more even (or at least more Cole-centric) mix in the narrative.
Book's about an old mercenary buddy of Pike's getting murdered in his cozy suburban home along with his family and their au pair by some very nasty characters. Ostensibly it looks like a break-in after whatever nice suburban families keep in their houses (jewels and shit? I never saw any in the houses in the 'burbs I lived in with my parents, but it was always hard to pin the tail on the donkey on what part of the middle class spectrum we were on at any given moment) but obviously this is a crime thriller so as always Things Are Not What They Seem. What is obvious is that someone just killed one of Joe Pike's old war buddies so it's obvious bad guys are gonna get unceremoniously shot in the head at some point. Speaking of buddies, Only Crais could keep including the trope of "main character in trouble just before buddy steps/jumps/climbs out of nowhere and starts blasting motherfuckers" and not bug me with it.
Because Pike is more of a heat-seeking missile than traditional detective type like his partner Cole, this one is not really what I'd classify as a mystery. There are some unanswered questions but they're not really the priority in this one--this is really more about Pike finding the dudes that killed his buddy and his family and, again, unceremoniously shooting them in the head with his by-now-rather-iconic Colt Python. It really can't be understated how awesome and badass it is seeing basically one dude taking apart a major crime syndicate through a lifetime of hard years and training and a complete and utter lack of giving a fuck. At this point this is light years beyond stating the obvious but Pike is a perennial literary hardass for the fucking ages. With that obviousness aside, the previous Pike-oriented book had moments of Pike being sensitive and remarkably soft and this one was no different.
This has very little to do with the book but I remember that Lee Child and Crais have (or had, until Child retired from writing the Reacher books and gave them to his like, little brother or some shit?) a longstanding friendly feud over who would "win", Jack Reacher or Joe Pike. A couple things have to be said before I address this very serious issue: One, this is a really ridiculous and nerdy "my dad could beat up your dad" type of literary debate. Two, I love really ridiculous and nerdy "my dad could beat up your dad" types of literary debates. I don't lose any sleep over this one, but I will say that sometimes when I'm really bored and in a certain mood I wonder. I gotta say though, the more I read of each I'm becoming more convinced that Pike would take it. There's just something to be said on the difference between stepping out of the shadows and shooting people in the head versus marching in the front door and giving an intimidating speech.
So yeah, more good stuff! I really only give this a three because I know as reliable and well-written and plotted and detailed as this one is I know he can not only do better (the early Cole/Pike novels) he can do a SHITLOAD better (L.A. Requiem, The Last Detective.) Another thing dragging this one down is the relative lack of mystery I mentioned earlier. There's definitely some twists in this one and some disturbing questions posed initially that have to be unraveled, but really within the first like 20 pages you know what happened and who did it and again, you also know the perpetrators are unquestionably stone-cold fucked. At this point, as much as I like Pike and am glad to spend some time with him away from Cole's unyielding smartassery it's pretty clear the really golden stuff is when they have a more even (or at least more Cole-centric) mix in the narrative.
March 14, 2010
First Sentence: Frank Meyer closed his computer as the early winter darkness fell over his home in Westwood, California, not far from the UCLA campus.
Joe Pike receives word that, Frank, one of the members of his former mercenary team has been murdered, along with his entire family and the nanny, in a violent home invasion. The police and FBI want to know what Frank was into.
Pike knows he Frank was clean but, along with the other members of the former team and his friend, PI Elvis Cole, are dedicated to find the killers and elicit their own form of justice. This becomes particularly true when Pike realizes Frank wasn’t the target, but only collateral damage.
In general, I am a big fan of Robert Crais and the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series. I liked “The Watchman” which gave us more information about Pike’s past. But I don’t think Pike works as a lead protagonist.
Pike works as Cole’s backup, sometimes known as the “psychopathic sidekick,” because he is an enigma. He doesn’t do friendship, in the classic sense of the word but, by heaven, he does loyalty and he has a code by which he leads his life; and that makes him work as a character.
I appreciate Crais wanting to stretch the character of Pike, but it just didn’t quite work because of problems with the story and the writing. First, if Pike has said “Sh.” one more time, I’d have taken out whatever virtual weapon—I am so NOT a gun person—and shot him. Second, Pike formed a relationship with a baby that, even allowing for the metaphysical, stretched credulity beyond the point of belief. But third, and most important, Pike broke his own rules. The situation did not call for it and it didn’t make sense. The one thing that did hold true, was Pikes tribute to his fallen comrade, which I appreciated.
Crais did give the story an element of place, but there also seemed to be a large assumption that the reader is familiar with the environs of Southern California/Los Angeles. I do find it interesting; i.e., unbelievable, that whenever there would be a car chase, there was no traffic to slow them down.
It was, as always, an exciting read with lots of action and some good twists to the plot, but it was far from Crais best work. I’m certain I’ll read his next book, but I may not buy it in hardcover.
THE FIRST RULE (PI-Joe Pike/Elvis Cole-LA-Cont) – Okay
Crais, Robert – 2nd Joe Pike
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780399156137
Joe Pike receives word that, Frank, one of the members of his former mercenary team has been murdered, along with his entire family and the nanny, in a violent home invasion. The police and FBI want to know what Frank was into.
Pike knows he Frank was clean but, along with the other members of the former team and his friend, PI Elvis Cole, are dedicated to find the killers and elicit their own form of justice. This becomes particularly true when Pike realizes Frank wasn’t the target, but only collateral damage.
In general, I am a big fan of Robert Crais and the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series. I liked “The Watchman” which gave us more information about Pike’s past. But I don’t think Pike works as a lead protagonist.
Pike works as Cole’s backup, sometimes known as the “psychopathic sidekick,” because he is an enigma. He doesn’t do friendship, in the classic sense of the word but, by heaven, he does loyalty and he has a code by which he leads his life; and that makes him work as a character.
I appreciate Crais wanting to stretch the character of Pike, but it just didn’t quite work because of problems with the story and the writing. First, if Pike has said “Sh.” one more time, I’d have taken out whatever virtual weapon—I am so NOT a gun person—and shot him. Second, Pike formed a relationship with a baby that, even allowing for the metaphysical, stretched credulity beyond the point of belief. But third, and most important, Pike broke his own rules. The situation did not call for it and it didn’t make sense. The one thing that did hold true, was Pikes tribute to his fallen comrade, which I appreciated.
Crais did give the story an element of place, but there also seemed to be a large assumption that the reader is familiar with the environs of Southern California/Los Angeles. I do find it interesting; i.e., unbelievable, that whenever there would be a car chase, there was no traffic to slow them down.
It was, as always, an exciting read with lots of action and some good twists to the plot, but it was far from Crais best work. I’m certain I’ll read his next book, but I may not buy it in hardcover.
THE FIRST RULE (PI-Joe Pike/Elvis Cole-LA-Cont) – Okay
Crais, Robert – 2nd Joe Pike
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780399156137
May 20, 2010
Robert Crais is a great storyteller as is Lee Child. I am always up for anything featuring Crais's hunky creation, Joe Pike or Child's equally appealing Jack Reacher. These guys are the epitome of men's men...that is not to say that women don't find these guys appealing too. I certainly do. Both protagonists are loyal to a fault and both take care of business in that strong, silent but deadly way that I love to read about. (I must have a Bruce Willis gene buried somewhere deep in my DNA).
In THE FIRST RULE, Joe Pike is the star quarterback carrying the ball with P.I. Elvis Cole running interference. Pike used to be a military contractor (read mercenary) who worked with a guy named Frank Meyer. When Meyer and his family are murdered during what appears to be a home invasion robbery, Pike is drawn into the search for the culprits. As Pike races around Los Angeles following leads and bent on finding the answer to why Meyer and his family were targeted, this seemingly straightforward murder investigation becomes a convoluted case involving kidnapping, illegal arms sales, confrontations with members of a Serbian organized crime group, lies, betrayals and brutal scenes of murder and mayhem. (ALPO anyone??). Just know that when Joe Pike goes after the bad guys, he does it with a vengeance.
Under Crais' steady hand issues like friendship and loyalty are addressed and Pikes more complex human qualities are exposed. Yep, we finally catch a fleeting glimpse of the kinder, gentler side of Joe Pike and it is heartwarming. Pick up a copy of THE FIRST RULE today. Guy or gal your sure to enjoy this action packed ride with a couple of guys named Joe and Elvis.
In THE FIRST RULE, Joe Pike is the star quarterback carrying the ball with P.I. Elvis Cole running interference. Pike used to be a military contractor (read mercenary) who worked with a guy named Frank Meyer. When Meyer and his family are murdered during what appears to be a home invasion robbery, Pike is drawn into the search for the culprits. As Pike races around Los Angeles following leads and bent on finding the answer to why Meyer and his family were targeted, this seemingly straightforward murder investigation becomes a convoluted case involving kidnapping, illegal arms sales, confrontations with members of a Serbian organized crime group, lies, betrayals and brutal scenes of murder and mayhem. (ALPO anyone??). Just know that when Joe Pike goes after the bad guys, he does it with a vengeance.
Under Crais' steady hand issues like friendship and loyalty are addressed and Pikes more complex human qualities are exposed. Yep, we finally catch a fleeting glimpse of the kinder, gentler side of Joe Pike and it is heartwarming. Pick up a copy of THE FIRST RULE today. Guy or gal your sure to enjoy this action packed ride with a couple of guys named Joe and Elvis.
November 7, 2013
Another Joe Pike ass-kicking - very fun!
In this one Joe's former brother-in-arms, Frank Meyer, is murdered in his home along with his entire family, wife Cindy and two young sons, Little Frank and Joey. The only survivor of this home invasion is the family au pair, who later dies in the hospital of the gun shot she took to the face. Joe wants to find out what happened because the police are making it sound like Frank was into something nasty, illegal arms trading, and Joe knows this can not be true. He tries to get in to see the nanny before she passes away and is confronted by the girl's older sister at the hospital. Rina tells Joe that the reason the Meyer family was killed is because her sister was helping hide Rina's baby, the child of a Serbian mobster, and the father of the child wanted to get him back and take him back to Serbia. She asks Joe if he can help her get her son back and punish the killer, Michael Darko.
Lots of twists and double-twists in this one. Elvis Cole is on hand to help Joe (and for comic relief, I think Elvis is funny) and they also have the help of Joe's old cronies from they were all in mercenary business together. If you like tough-guy action thriller mysteries, these are for you.
In this one Joe's former brother-in-arms, Frank Meyer, is murdered in his home along with his entire family, wife Cindy and two young sons, Little Frank and Joey. The only survivor of this home invasion is the family au pair, who later dies in the hospital of the gun shot she took to the face. Joe wants to find out what happened because the police are making it sound like Frank was into something nasty, illegal arms trading, and Joe knows this can not be true. He tries to get in to see the nanny before she passes away and is confronted by the girl's older sister at the hospital. Rina tells Joe that the reason the Meyer family was killed is because her sister was helping hide Rina's baby, the child of a Serbian mobster, and the father of the child wanted to get him back and take him back to Serbia. She asks Joe if he can help her get her son back and punish the killer, Michael Darko.
Lots of twists and double-twists in this one. Elvis Cole is on hand to help Joe (and for comic relief, I think Elvis is funny) and they also have the help of Joe's old cronies from they were all in mercenary business together. If you like tough-guy action thriller mysteries, these are for you.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,101 reviews