Rating: 
Summary: Well worth waiting for...Bravo!
Review: It was worth the four-year wait for Elvis Cole to return in "The Last Detective" by Robert Crais. I read it in less than 24 hours.The plot catapults at a relentless pace. Down-to-earth, practical detective work is what solves the crime in this ticking clock child kidnapping. Since the child is the son of Elvis Cole's girl friend, the hunt is both personal and professional...and therefore all the more chilling, The point of view switches between the characters (Elvis is in the first person) is smooth as silk and most engaging. The reader learns the clues as they unfold for Elvis, going thru the stages of frustration to hope to possibility to solution with Elvis and his archangel Joe Pike. The supporting cast, especially Carol Starkey (from "Demolition Angel") is outstanding. We learn a lot of Elvis' past via flashbacks that propel the plot. The scene from his Vietnam days is as intense as any I have read. It is a compelling novel that truly showcases depth of Robert Crais as a writer. Highly recommended.
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: 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: Who is Elvis Cole?
Review: The 5 stars are for fans of the series, naturally. This entry concerns the kidnapping of Elvis' girlfriend, Lucy Chenier's, son Ben, ostensibly by someone seeking lethal revenge on Elvis. But author Robert Crais uses this background to reveal much more about Elvis than we have previously known, much the same as he did for Joe Pike in L.A. Requiem. While I note some reader's miss the wise-ass, wise-cracking humor of the earlier Elvis Cole books, which is definitely missing in this and the previously mentioned novel, what takes its place is a much more rounded portrait of our two protaganists, which I find not only gratifying but will be useful in appreciating future Cole/Pike adventures. I have only recently gotten into this series and Michael Connelly's excellent Hironymous Bosch novels, which share the same general territory (Hollywood/LA) and reflect each other while showing how two fine authors can cover the same turf and yet be very different reads. Matter of fact, Robert Crais gives the nod to his colleague in this novel, because that is surely Harry Bosch having a cigarette outside the Hollywood PD station who has a nodding acquaintance and conversation with his neighbor, Elvis Cole. At any rate, Crais has fun with this novel, shifting viewpoints and perspectives, and bringing Elvis a little more into focus. Good read.
Rating:
Summary: Who is Elvis Cole?
Review: The 5 stars are for fans of the series, naturally. This entry concerns the kidnapping of Elvis' girlfriend, Lucy Chenier's, son Ben, ostensibly by someone seeking lethal revenge on Elvis. But author Robert Crais uses this background to reveal much more about Elvis than we have previously known, much the same as he did for Joe Pike in L.A. Requiem. While I note some reader's miss the wise-ass, wise-cracking humor of the earlier Elvis Cole books, which is definitely missing in this and the previously mentioned novel, what takes its place is a much more rounded portrait of our two protaganists, which I find not only gratifying but will be useful in appreciating future Cole/Pike adventures. I have only recently gotten into this series and Michael Connelly's excellent Hironymous Bosch novels, which share the same general territory (Hollywood/LA) and reflect each other while showing how two fine authors can cover the same turf and yet be very different reads. Matter of fact, Robert Crais gives the nod to his colleague in this novel, because that is surely Harry Bosch having a cigarette outside the Hollywood PD station who has a nodding acquaintance and conversation with his neighbor, Elvis Cole. At any rate, Crais has fun with this novel, shifting viewpoints and perspectives, and bringing Elvis a little more into focus. Good read.
Rating:
Summary: Cole and Pike are Back!!!!
Review: The last two Elvis Coles had been almost boring because of the taming effect his new relationship had on him. But this one brought him back with a vengeance . . . with Pike struggling to come back from serious injuries from the last outing. This gave the excellent character Joe Pike a lot more depth. Thoroughly enjoyable.
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