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Crais published his very first novel in 1987. The Monkey's Raincoat introduced mystery fans to Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, a pair of L.A. private investigators who would become his most-beloved recurring characters. Crais's transition from screenwriting to novel-writing was an astoundingly smooth one. The Monkey's Raincoat earned him nominations for the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, and Macavity awards, winning both the Anthony and Macavity for "Best Novel of the Year." Crais's publisher was so overjoyed by the novel's success that he encouraged Crais to keep the Cole/Pike team going. "I started writing these books to get away from writing other people's concepts, like TV and movies," Crais told Barnes&Noble.com. "I never expected to write these guys as a series...but the book proved to be so popular and the characters were so popular that my publisher wanted more." What followed was a series of bestselling mysteries, including Stalking the Angel (1989), Free Fall (1993), L.A. Requiem (1999), and last year's The Forgotten Man.
Although the series was not part of Crais's original plan, he still seems to hold the Cole and Pike team closer to his heart than anything he has previously written. He explained, "The characters have deepened, and I think they kind of reflect what's going on with me and the world as I see it." When asked about whether or not we can expect to see the crime-solving buddies on the big screen anytime soon, he said, "I think I would have a difficult time in the collaborative process when other people suddenly put their fingerprints on Elvis and Joe," further illustrating his personal feelings for his P.I. team.
As much as Crais loves his series, he does occasionally write novels outside of the Cole/Pike world. His latest, The Two-Minute Rule, tells the story of career criminal Max Holman, a recently released-from-prison bank robber who finds himself hunting an entirely different kind of criminal after his son is gunned down. The book has since raked in positive reviews from such publications as Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, and The Library Journal. While The Two-Minute Rule does not feature Cole and Pike, Crais fans will notice one significant similarity between his latest novel and his famous series -- the Los Angeles setting. "I can't think of a better place to set crime novels because of what Los Angeles is. Los Angeles is the main where the nation goes to make its dreams come true. When you have a place like that where so many people are risking their very identities, not just money and cash, but they're risking who they are because it's their hopes and dreams, when you have that kind of tension and that kind of friction, you can't help but have crime."
Fortunately, Crais will never have to succumb to such friction and tension since, for a success story such as he, Los Angeles completely lived up to its promise of being the city of dreams.
"My first job was cleaning dog kennels. It was especially, ah, aromatic during those hot, humid Louisiana summers, but it prepared me for Hollywood."
"My fiction is almost always inspired by a character's need or desire to rise above him-or herself. No one is perfect and some of us have much adversity in our lives; it is those people who struggle to rise above their nature or background that I find the most interesting and heroic."
"Fun details? Like Elvis Cole, I have a dry sense of humor. Sometimes I am so dry that people don't know I'm kidding and think I'm being serious. I enjoy this because their reactions are often funny. Also, I wear beautifully colored shirts like Elvis Cole, only I was wearing them before him. People will say, ‘Look, RC dresses just like Elvis Cole,' and I'll say, 'No, Elvis Cole dresses like me!' I also wear sunglasses like Joe Pike, but not indoors and not at night."
"Elvis Cole wrote two episodes of television. No lie. It happened like this: I had written episodes of Miami Vice and Jag that were rewritten by person or persons unknown -- changed so badly that I didn't want my name on them, so I used Elvis Cole's name as a pen name."
If you're a fan of Robert Crais than you already know this book is fabulous. The action is fast paced, the dialog is never disappointing and Elvis and Joe will keep you mesmerized. Not usually a fan of diverse perspectives during a novel, this definitely worked here. I can honestly say I couldn't put it down. While this can be read as a stand alone, I highly recommend starting at the beginning of the Elvis Cole series to get an in depth understanding of the characters and their motivations. You won't be disappointed. If you're a fan of James Lee Burke and John Sanford, you have to pick up Robert Crais!
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.SpideyGirl
Posted January 26, 2012
Another great addition to a great series. Fast paced hard to put down. Recommend the whole series which I have read more than once and only gets better. Who can't love the Elvis and Joe characters tough but compassionate and honorable.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.HarleyBob
Posted January 29, 2012
This is a Great Book! I've read all of the Elvis Cole books by Crais (well, all that are available as eBooks), all of them are great. I've just broken down and ordered the three paperback books of this series that for some reason have not been released in an eBook format. The Elvis Cole series by Crais is much enjoyed by myself; just as much I enjoy the Harry Bosch books by Michael Connelly; both authors have their own great detectives to write about (Crais' Elvis is a little more irreverent then Connelly's Harry, (but one's a cop and the other isn't so that fits). My suggestion; buy this book, you will not be disappointed.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I am always so excited when Robert Crais releases a new book - I just know I'm in for a night of great reading. Yes, a night - because once I start, I can't stop until I turn the last page. Crais' latest book - Taken - was no exception!
A group of young people, partying out in the desert by an old abandoned plane. Two of them - Jack and Krista - decide to hang back after the others have left. They unexpectedly find themselves witness to a local coyote (human smuggler) unloading his cargo. And things go from bad to worse when the coyotes and their load are hijacked - and kidnapped - including Jack and Krista.
Krista's mom calls in Elvis Cole - self proclaimed World's Greatest Detective - to help her find her missing daughter. She's received a ransom request, but thinks it's a joke - they've asked for only five hundred dollars. Elvis calls in his partner and best friend Joe Pike. When Elvis goes missing too, the kidnappers don't know who or what's coming for them - Joe Pike.
Crais has created two of my favourite recurring characters in one series. Elvis is full of snappy one liners and really, he never stops talking - even when he should. Joe Pike - well, he barely speaks at all. Both of them are dangerous men, but Pike - he's in class of his own. With Elvis in trouble, Pike calls in a fellow mercenary this time - Jon Stone. Stone is a great addition to this cast. He's just as tough as Pike, as chatty as Cole and bored when he hasn't got a 'situation' to work on.
Crais has taken an issue that has been in the headlines and exposed it's dirty underbelly - human trafficking is very real. His scenes are gritty, painting realistic pictures of what may befall those looking for a better life.
Taken is told in a unique format. The storyline snaps back and forth telling the story from the view of Jack and Krista, Elvis and Pike. The narrative is told in non linear fashion - the timeline jumps to before and after each was taken. This absolutely ratcheted up the tension (and the speed at which I turned pages!)
Why do I love this series so much? The plotting is great, the action non stop and the characters are fantastic. And at the bottom of it all for me - Joe Pike. Who isn't holding out for a hero? Jack Reacher fans will love Pike. If you're looking for an action packed read, you will have found it with Taken. (By the way it's already #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list!)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 31, 2012
CRAIS, COLE AND PIKE...............MESS WITH ONE AND............
ANOTHER EXCELLENT WORK BY CRAIS. THEY JUST KEEP COMMING.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 24, 2012
Loved it! My only complaint was that the shifts in time and characters' perspective occurred a little too frequently; my addled middle-aged brain lost track of things a couple of times.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 28, 2012
I Also Recommend:
Talk about an enjoyable read. This novel has it all: Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, innocent young adults, a determined parent, evil men and women with no sense of morality, and bajadores - ruthless bandits who prey on other bandits. Mix them all together with drugs, weapons, the buying and selling of victims, and brutal murder and you have the ingredients for compelling novel.
Add the painstaking detective work, the genuine humanity, the nerve-racking tension, the thrilling action, and unbelievable suspense that only a talented writer like Robert Crais can bring to this novel and you have a thriller that you won't soon forget.
Taken is the fifteenth Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel and it's the first to feature them both equally. While I've enjoyed the last two books that had Joe Pike in the starring role, this novel ratchets up the tension by having Cole lead early and Pike take over in the second half.
The story centers on a young Latina and her Anglo boyfriend who are kidnapped by bandits along the Mexican border. These criminals are the worst of the worst - preying on other criminals figuring they can't or won't go to the police. This novel centers on bajadores who steal immigrants bound for the United States. This people kidnapping business is a rampant but often ignored problem along the Mexican border.
The mother of the kidnapped woman hires Elvis Cole to rescue her daughter. Cole soon discovers what has happened to her and he enters into a risky arrangement with a Korean organized criminal. It's a desperate move and Cole knows it.
"I was now in business with a Korean gang known for extortion, brutality, and violence, and about to put my trust into a drug cartel known for torture and mass murder. I told myself it was worth it. I told myself I had no choice. I lied to myself, and knew I was lying, but chose to believe the lies."
When the plan doesn't work out, Cole is seized by the bajadores and Pike must come to his rescue. With backup from fellow mercenary Jon Stone, Pike follows the trail left by his captors and holds nothing back from search for his best friend. The feds are also on the hunt for Cole and Pike must find him first before the federal agents make mistakes that could blow Cole's cover - and his life.
This is vintage Robert Crais weaving one of the most suspenseful thrillers I've read in a long time. This is a book you'll want to savor but if you're like me, the tension will build so quickly that you'll be unable to put it down. I finished it in a weekend. With fewer things to do, I'd have been done the same day.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 30, 2013
This was my first Robert Crais book and will not be my last. It kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat. I didn,t want it to end, but knew that it had to. I can,t wait to start the entire series, i have to make up for lost time. I don,t know how I missed this brilliant writer and his wonderful characters.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 12, 2012
Best Book Ever
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Like all of the Cole and Pike books. Stone seems to be a good addition, too. Can't wait to read more of him. I swear, I fell in love with Cole and Pike even harder with this one.
Why do I read them so fast then get upset when they are done?!?! Arghh!
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 20, 2013
GOODNIGHT AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!
Just kidding lol
Tomboy(DemonWolfGirl) out
PEACE
Anonymous
Posted March 31, 2013
Great story and it calls attention to a truly horrible and real problem. I'm from southern California, I glad this book brings this to light.
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Posted March 24, 2013
I think around chapter 37 or so the author left out a scene...........very confusing toward the end. Disappointed.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 20, 2013
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 19, 2013
Wanna do it?!;)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 20, 2013
Want to chat
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 21, 2013
Yes abree
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 26, 2013
While the book addressed human trade from a different perspective, I found the plot to at times become clouded and then too circumstantial and contrived at other times. The fact that the girl had been doing an article on this type of crime, the fact that the boy's aunt was well connected, the fact of whom the one hostage killed is----these examples and others cut into the believability of the story. But hey, it's ficion and addresses a current network of crime so it is still a decent read.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 23, 2013
Wanna chat...
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 21, 2013
Hi
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