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Summary: About Elvis's chronology
Review: I haven't read The Last detective yet, but I'm concerned about an error in the Publisher's Weekly review. It says we haven't seen Elvis since Indigo Slam. That's incorrect, but other people may have that misperception because IS was recently re-released after years out of print. The last Elvis book was LA Requiem, and, as others have said here, LOTS happened in that book to change Elvis and Joe Pike's characters. So, if you are the kind of person who likes to read stories in order, make sure to read publication dates carefully. It's worth it, to get Elvis's story straight in your head...happy reading!
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Summary: Fan-freakin'-tastic
Review: I could not stop reading! This is the first Robert Crais book I have ever read and can't wait to get my hands on the rest. Few books make me actually cry and cheer.
Damn, this was good!
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Summary: Great Book
Review: Wow, I was totally blown away by The Last Detective. This is easily the best book I have read this year, and one of the best detective novels I have read in the last 5 years. After two stand alone novels, Demolition Angel, and Hostage, Crais goes back to his signature character Elvis Cole and delivers a powerful story you will not soon forget. The Last Detective has everything you look for in a crime novel, plot, suspense, twists, dialog, character development, and action. Robert Crais again proves he is one of the top authors in the genre.
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Summary: Wonderful....as usual
Review: I really enjoyed this book so much. I am such a fan of Mr. Crais's and especially his Elvis Cole books. This one does not disappoint. I loved that Mr. Crais gave us more glimpses of Elvis and Joe, and we know that deal Joe made will come back and haunt him...
Great, exciting read.Another excellent addition to this great series.
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Summary: Robert Crais does it again!!
Review: What can I say about Robert Crais and his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series that I haven't said before? In my opinion, he is simply the greatest author out there and I knew I didn't have to wonder about whether I would enjoy THE LAST DETECTIVE. It was simply excellent! Elvis is watching his girlfriend Lucy's 10 year old son Ben while she is out of town, and in a matter of minutes he vanishes. After searching for him and having no luck he gets a phone call from someone telling him that the boy has been kidnapped as "payback for what he did." Poor Elvis has no idea who this person is and contacts the police, but you can bet he is determined to find Ben himself with Joe Pike's help and of course there is never a dull moment. I read it in less than a day because I could not bring myself to put it down. Robert Crais reveals a part of Elvis that we've never known, and around that writes an excellent story that gives the reader an example of how important having family and friends in our everyday lives is. Although it is filled with the usual suspence of a Crais novel, it is at the same time a touching story. Add this novel to your MUST READ list now. If you are a Robert Crais fan, or have never read his novels before, you will not be disappointed.
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Summary: Great follow-up to L.A. Requiem
Review: The Last Detective is both the most satisfying and most emotionally draining novel I've read in the past few years. Crais's clear and straightforward writing is a perfect match for the most intense Elvis Cole story he has told. Crais combines the first-person perspective of a private eye novel with the third-person perspective of a thriller, as he did in the highly regarded L. A. Requiem. In The Last Detective, the combination allows Crais to enhance the emotional depth of the story without sacrificing any of its momentum. As a fan of first-person storytelling, I'm often skeptical about an author's decision to leave the protagonist's point of view. But The Last Detective would tell a much smaller story if limited to Elvis's vantage point. Elvis's experience is still the core of the novel, though. He's hobbled by his own vulnerabilities, and even the relative weakness of partner Joe Pike (still recovering from wounds received in L. A. Requiem), when up against a villain more skillful (and certainly more ruthless) than he. One of the novels more chilling moments is when Elvis first realizes what kind of man he's facing. Fair warning: the book is quite violent (though far from the most violent I've read), and focused on a child in extreme danger. I thought Crais handled it well, and that both of those things drove the intensity of the novel. But it might not be for everyone. My wife, who has read the other Elvis Cole novels, does not plan to read this one.
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Summary: This book delivers!
Review: Elvis and Joe are back. Elvis has his girlfriend's 10 year old son as a house guest until she returns from a trip, when Ben is kidnapped right off Elvis'back deck. The plot thickens from there and you are in for one hell of a ride. Carol Starkey returns from Demolition Angel; she hasnt softened a bit. She and Elvis bond; Joe Pike is back from an Alaskan trip where a grizzly almost gets our Joe! The last few chapters of this book are worth the price of admission and nail biting. Robert Crais remains 'the man'! Excellent book - try to put it down!
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Summary: BRILLIANT!!!
Review: I first stumbled across Robert Crais and his hero Elvis Cole (yes I know goofy name, but all will be explained) a few years ago. As an avid reader, it was one of those moments where I put down the book (Monkey's Raincoat) and knew that I had discovered a new favorite author. This guy just knows his stuff. His latest "The Last Detective" is no exception. Elvis is caught in a frantic struggle to rescue his girlfriend's young son, and his captors are as good as (or maybe better than) Joe Pike and Elvis himself. As you are nearing the last chapters of this book, find a quiet place and turn off the phones....and take some deep breaths!
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Summary: A Solid Mystery - A Mix of Patterson and Connelly
Review: The Last Detective was the first Elvis Cole book that I read. I enjoyed the author's previous two novels, Demolition Angel and Hostage, and I thought that I'd give this one a try despite the fact that I had not read any of the previous Elvis Cole books. Usually, if I'm reading a series, I like to read them in order, but I never felt lost or uninformed when I was reading this one, even though there are eight books before it. If you haven't read anything in this series, you can pick this book up and read it as a stand-alone - it's that good. This novel is plotted well and moves quickly. Probably the thing I enjoyed the most about it was the idea that the kidnapping was solved through realistic detective work rather than convoluted coincidences and luck. Also, I usually don't like books that revolve around a child kidnapping, since its really an easy way to create false suspense, but The Last Detective rises above the typical kidnapping story. Crais also switches point of view between at least four people throughout the story. The same event is seen through the eyes of several characters, though Cole is the only one who reads as in first person. There are not many authors who can pull this off, and the result for those who try is usually confusion and unnecessary repetition. However, Crais switches back and forth seamlessly and his use of multiple points of view actually adds to the story. It's interesting, for example, to read about the same event through the eyes of Cole, then get a different perspective on the same thing through the eyes of Ben, a child. This is a series that I now look forward to reading. The characters are worthwhile and compelling, especially Pike. I was often reminded of James Patterson's Alex Cross series, with the interplay between Cole and Pike comparable to that between Cross and Sampson. If you enjoy those books, you'd enjoy this one. While Patterson relies on action and violence, Crais' work contains more police procedural work. He's like a mix of Patterson and Michael Connelly. In all, this book is certainly worth your time.
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Summary: Thanks, Robert
Review: First, let me say though I now live in Copenhagen, I spent most of my last 20 years in Los Angeles. Before I moved, I bought all the Elvis books (though I had already read them all), so I could have a piece of L.A. with me here. So perhaps in a way I was waitng for the new Elvis Cole book more than most. I just received it in the mail this morning, 'bout noon, and I just finished it at 5:00! Wow! Although not the usual wisecracking Elvis (with good reason), perhaps, no definitly the best Elvis book yet. Amazingly intense. Great story on so many levels - the story itself of course, but also the depth of it. The story may be about a kidnapping (don't worry, you read about that in the first few pages!), but it is really "about" Elvis. I won't say much more about the story, cause since I'm the first reviewer (!), I don't want to spoil the enjoyment I had for anyone. So Go...Read it, enjoy it, and then read it again. Hmmm, if I start again now, I can probably have it done before bed time......! Stu Jay
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