Rating: 
Summary: Intense, Emotional. Revelatory. (Literature)
Review: If you haven't read any of the Elvis Cole mysteries, you will enjoy meeting "The Last Detective." If you are familiar with Elvis, the wisecracking private eye, and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike, you may be surprised by the somber tone of the newest installment of Robert Crais's excellent series. Either way, strap yourself in. This is one hell of a read. Continuing the themes (and form) of "L.A. Requiem," Crais explores the past of his protagonist, fleshing out two of the more complex characters in genre literature. Cole and Pike are revealed in scene after tension-filled scene. The subtle moments never slow down the plot. From the dread-filled prologue on, "The Last Detective" is relentless. And no tidy endings. There are real consequences for everyone. The best "thrillers" convince the reader to share the "thrill." Crais runs that through an amp, turning up the volume until we cringe, because- and here's the trick- we care about his characters. "The Last Detective" gave me an emotional hangover that lasted two days. Part mystery, part thriller, part Greek tragedy, this book takes an honored place on my "favorites" shelf.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it fair to review a half-read book? Yes!
Review: Please note the rating is provisional - I suspect it will bump up to a five by the time I finish... I have been waiting a long time to read this book, a continuation of the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series. In addition to the resolution of the mystery and the smart-ass humor, I've always appreciated how the friendship of Elvis and Joe has been explored in each book. The Last Detective further develops the character of Elvis Cole: the mysteries of his upbringing and his Vietnam experiences, all filtered through the search for Ben Chenier, son of Cole's girlfriend, Lucy. So far, I have already been moved to tears by descriptions of the young Elvis, the battle scene is harrowing, and although I hope for a happy ending, I can't see where Crais is leading me in this story. I'm grateful for that fact. He also has a way of making the reader care about his characters, even those who might only appear for a few pages. They grow and develop; no cardboard people here. He even makes LA look good to this native San Franciscan! Be sure to read (or re-read) LA Requiem; events in The Last Detective are influenced by the previous book. And if you have never read Robert Crais, begin with The Monkey's Raincoat and read the series in order. You'll read straight through and I promise you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Action packed kidnapping tale
Review: One of the things Crais uses to add tension in this excellent book is the use of a running timeline. Each chapter begins with a reminder of how long it has been since 10 year old Ben, the son of Elvis's girlfriend, has disappeared. Elvis Cole feels particularly responsible, since Ben was under his care at the time. Then the kidnapper starts communicating mysterious messages referring to Elvis's Vietnam experience. The ending of this exciting tale is stunning. The motive behind the kidnapping turns out to be very dramatic, and the final scene with the kidnappers is one of the most exciting ones ever written. You will not be disappointed with this fast paced book.
Rating:
Summary: A one sitting page-turner!
Review: Private investigator Elvis Cole and his longtime girlfriend Lucy Chenier are having a tough time making their relationship work. Lucy left her life in Louisiana to be with Elvis in Los Angeles even though she knew the transition would be a hard one, especially for her ten year-old son Ben, but she never dreamed the violence of the city would touch her. While Lucy is away on business, Elvis is left in charge of Ben, and after a week of quality bonding time, Ben disappears without a trace. Confused as to what has happened, Elvis believes the boy ran away, until a mysterious phone call explains a much more sinister scenario... The caller states that he has the boy and it's payback for what Elvis has done. Now with the help of his partner Joe Pike and LAPD Detective Carol Starkey, Elvis must race the clock to save Ben and the key to doing this is a long buried secret from his past. The highly anticipated 'The Last Detective' is easily the best novel yet from Robert Crais, and that's saying a lot! From page one I was held captive by the gripping plot, well drawn characters and shocking twists. Readers of the previous Cole novels will see this as his best outing, and fans of 'Demolition Angel' will welcome the appearance of Carol Starkey. Robert Crais is one of our finest writers of suspense fiction, and with each new novel he gets better and better. With a writing style that is sharp and smooth, pacing that is pitch perfect and plots so tight and suspenseful, Crais creates novels that are intense reading experiences. Expect to see 'The Last Detective' on all the bestseller lists. This truly is a MUST read page-turner, one that I finished in one sitting. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: The Last Detective Better Not Be!
Review: Bob Crais has done it again! I have long been an Elvis Cole fan and have watched him get better and better since "The Monkey's Raincoat". "L.A. Requiem" was a bell-weather book for Cole and his enigmatic sidekick Joe Pike. Then just to prove he could, Crais wrote two terrific stand alone books with nary a mention of Cole or Pike. With "The Last Detective", Cole and Pike are back with a vengeance. As Cole and Pike race to rescue Lucy Chenier's son Ben we see some of the old wisecracking Elvis, but also see him in a new light. This book fills in some of Cole's backstory in much the same way that "L.A. Requiem" did for Joe Pike. Also present are some pretty scary mercenaries, Lucy's former husband, Richard, and his goons from Baton Rouge and an incredibly drawn Carol Starkey, fresh from "Demolition Angel." Crais throws in enough twist and turns to keep you guessing right up to the end. As always, his eye for detail and ability to describe action scenes is unparalleled. His shift between characters and narrative styles is so smooth, you hardly notice. Serious fans of this genre will laugh out loud at the insider joke Crais throws in on page 95 when Elvis Cole crosses paths with an unidentified Harry Bosch! "The Last Detective" takes it's title from a throw-away line uttered by Lucy Chenier and one can only hope that Crais didn't mean it literally!
Rating:
Summary: A six stars writer
Review: Definitively RC is a six stars writer, the way he explains what are thinking all the characters at the same action in the book is excellent, the way he combine the characters of L.A. Requiem and Demolition Angel and explain them the easiest way so you don't have to read these books to understand this one is also excellent.
The story of the kidnap and the way everybody is related to that won't let you put the book down until you finish it, but when the book is done, you will ask for more.
Rating:
Summary: Cole moves along
Review: Robert Crais has had an arc to his career that has been interesting, to say the least. Crais started out writing cute, relatively straightforward, violent private eye novels. He's sort of grown into a more serious novelist, an introspective, careful writer whose characters are deep and interesting. He mad the break some years ago with L.A. Requiem, which gave us a good deal of background on Joe Pike, the partner of the main character and narrator of the books, Elvis Cole. Since, he's written a couple of stand alone novels. This latest book is a return to Pike and Cole, and it's the companion to L.A. Requiem, except this time we learn stuff about Cole rather than Pike. Several books ago, Cole developed a girlfriend from New Orleans. Lucy has a son, and they moved to L.A. to be with Cole. Elvis is watching the son, Ben, one day, and he goes to do something; when he returns, Ben is nowhere to be seen. When Elvis begins to look for her, he becomes convinced that the people who took Ben are more clever or well-trained than any one else initially suspected. The one quibble I had with the book was the switching points of view. I don't like this writing technique. I know that it's difficult to write from the first person perspective, and I know this is a stylish choice to make, and a big temptation: it allows you to tell the story with more dimensions to it. It doesn't matter to me: I still hate it. Other than that, I enjoyed the book immensely, and would recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A riveting plot
Review: One of the most eagerly awaited novels this year is the latest by Bob Crais. It is another in the Elvis Cole series. Bob has taken a hiatus from the series in which he wrote two stand alones. However, Carol Starkey, the FBI heroine of DEMOLITION ANGEL returns.
Elvis is watching Ben Chenier, the ten year old son of Elvis' girlfriend, Lucy Chenier. While playing in the back of Elvis' house, Ben is kidnapped. The person who abducted Ben calls and blames the kidnapping on revenge for something Elvis did in Vietnam. Working with his partner, the mysterious Joe Pike, as well as, Carol Starkey of the FBI, Cole will stop at nothing to get Ben back safely.
A riveting plot, overall strong characterizations and realistic descriptions make this one of the more gripping reads of the year. There is not much new or original in the ideas used in the story. Kidnappings have a vast representation in the mystery and crime genre. The plot of this book really is nothing special. It is the use of familiar sympathetic characters and the smooth lyrical writing that sets this work apart. THE LAST DETECTIVE should prove hugely popular with the book buying public. It is good to see Elvis Cole and friends back again.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Crais' best
Review: I have read nearly all of Crais' novels, and found this the least enjoyable. Not only was it very dark and lacking in humor, but the plot was simplistic and the person ultimately responsible for the kidnapping was faily obvious early on.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Storytelling Masters
Review: I've read all of Robert Crais' work in the last few months, but had put off reading L. A. Requiem and The Last Detective because I knew the relationship between Lucy and Cole was deteriorating. Considering that Robert Crais is the author, I should have known better. I whipped through LAR and am almost done with The Last Detective and think they are probably the best of the series. One reason is that you learn so much more of the background of Pike in LAR and about Cole in the Last Detective, which goes far towards explaining why these characters are the way they are today. There are some sad and heart wrenching moments in both books, but I was riveted throughout and would give 10 stars if I could. Elvis and Joe can move next door to me anyday.
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