Rating: 
Summary: The finest novel Robert Crais has written.
Review: I have enjoyed each of Robert Crais' Elvis Cole novels and have always looked forward with great anticipation to the next, often agonizing over those times when Mr. Crais takes two years between books. I had listened to an interview with Mr. Crais where he confided how excited he was about his new novel (untitlted at the time) but now to be published as "L. A. Requiem", which would detail a great detail about Joe Pike's background. I was able to get hold of an advance copy of the book and, without resorting to the hyperbole that is so common regarding author's whose works have been critically acclaimed I can say that this is not just the best book Mr. Crais has written but the best novel I have read in a long time. In a time when too many novelists with a successful and selling series character are content to stand pat with their characters and merely go through the motions of cranking out another story, Mr. Crais has challenged both himself as a writer, and also the characters he has created, plumbing emotions and feelings in a unique, descriptive style, similar to the prior novels, yet more poetic, with his confidence in his writing apparent in every line. In this novel, at least in my mind, he refreshes the "private eye" style, reinventing and embellishing the characters of Elvis, Joe, and Lucy, while adding to the foundation of the series, moving it forward, but, like real life, with a question as to what the future will hold. This is the type of novel that you will want to put down, only because you don't want it to end, particularly if we have to wait two years for the next one. If you read these reviews, Mr. Crais, bravo to your courage in letting your characters grow and change and engage us as readers as well as providing a complicated and thoughtful plot.
Rating:
Summary: A blockbuster!
Review: In this powerful novel, Robert Crais transcends the crime novel with a work that is sure to be a breakout sensation! A bookseller friend raved about this novel, and she was right! It is a masterwork that moved me to tears, surprised me with plot twists, made me laugh, and kept me riveted to the pages. I've enjoyed all of Crais' work, but L. A. Requiem is breathtaking. Don't wait for this book to be published. Beg, borrow, or steal a reading copy NOW. If this thing doesn't win the Edgar, they should stop giving them!
Rating:
Summary: This is a must read for all mystery fans
Review: What a great read, This is his best work to date. You get a real look at Joe Pike, who has always been something of a shadow to the wise cracking "worlds greatest", Elvis Cole.If you like mysteries, this is right up your alley, if you've wanted to try one, this is the one to try.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: If you've been following Elvis and Joe Pike you'll love this book. Its the best in the series so far. Every third chapter or so is a memory from Pike, telling the story of how he became the man he is. Don't miss out.
Rating:
Summary: Joe Pike's Story is Crais' Finest Work
Review: I'm a big fan of mysteries, of detective series in particular. However, I'm not such a big fan that I'm willing to stay with an fading author, hungrily reading whatever slipshod effort is put under my nose. I've sadly given up on Cornwell, Grafton, Parker. They have failed to keep their characters fresh. The plots are boring, predictable or unbelievable. Robert Crais is the reason I read mysteries. I received an Advanced Reading Copy of L.A. Requiem, and I can happily report that Crais has written his best work to date. This is a blockbuster, a tightly written novel with memorable characters. Crais' trademark dialogue is at its crispiest, spitting like a grease fire and dishing twice the heat. This is the story of Joe Pike. You'll find out what made him who he is and Crais will answer many of your questions. He won't answer them all, and that's the way it should be. This is not a story that wraps up like an episode of CHIPS, with Elvis, Lucy and Joe smiling at each other in freeze frame. It is not an easy time for any of them, and you will be left wanting more. You will also be out of breath, flushed with excitement and satisfied to your mystery-loving core. If you are a fan of Crais, you will absolutely love this book. If you aren't a fan, you're about to become one.
Rating:
Summary: Who is Joe Pike?
Review: A friend's daughter is missing and Joe Pike asks his friend Elvis Cole to help him find her. Along the way we discover that the missing girl and Joe Pike had once been an item and that is just the beginning of what author Robert Crais reveals about the enigmatic, silent partner to his gregarious wise-ass hero, Elvis Cole. It was time in the series to do something more than another fast-paced, wise-crack laden, plot-driven Cole/Pike adventure. Not that the novel is slow and humorless, but here Crais has decided to round out Joe Pike, giving him more background and history to explain some of his mystery. It's a cracking good story at that. Adding depth to his characters will only add to the future novels, and he does the same for Elvis Cole in The Last Detective. Plus here we get the horny SID criminologist, John Chen, thrown in, and a complex and nasty mystery behind it all. Well worthwhile for fans of the series. 5 stars for them.
Rating:
Summary: Hot, Hot, Hot
Review: This is the best in the series so far. Crais really outdoes himself with this one. We finally get a lot of answers to the mysterious (and almost mystical) Joe Pike. Awesome!
The one disappointment is the love of Cole's life - Lucy. She finally gets moved out to L.A., and bad stuff starts landing all over Joe. She shows herself to be petty, selfish and jealous. A completely inadequate mate for the heroic Elvis Cole.
Maybe he'll move on to someone who understand him. Please!
Rating:
Summary: Who is Joe Pike?
Review: A friend's daughter is missing and Joe Pike asks his friend Elvis Cole to help him find her. Along the way we discover that the missing girl and Joe Pike had once been an item and that is just the beginning of what author Robert Crais reveals about the enigmatic, silent partner to his gregarious wise-ass hero, Elvis Cole. It was time in the series to do something more than another fast-paced, wise-crack laden, plot-driven Cole/Pike adventure. Not that the novel is slow and humorless, but here Crais has decided to round out Joe Pike, giving him more background and history to explain some of his mystery. It's a cracking good story at that. Adding depth to his characters will only add to the future novels, and he does the same for Elvis Cole in The Last Detective. Plus here we get the horny SID criminologist, John Chen, thrown in, and a complex and nasty mystery behind it all. Well worthwhile for fans of the series. 5 stars for them.
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: I stumbled upon his Elvis Cole series by accident but after reading Indigo Slam I immediately bought the rest of his books and wasn't dissapointed. This one is definately one of the best in the bunch because it goes more in depth about Joe Pike and his past and I always liked him. He is one cool customer. I have to say that at times, Elvis's character is a little too wussy for my taste but he is definately likeable and this novel just like most of the others is a page turner.
Rating:
Summary: His best work
Review: Without a doubt, L.A. Requiem is the finest thing Robert Crais has written, and I consider that high praise, as he is one of my favorite authors. If you have been reading his books, Requiem will be a great payoff for you, since it brings to a head much of what has been building in the previous six Elvis Cole novels. If this is your first Crais book, rest assured you will like this book enough to want to go back and read the rest. Despite Joe Pike being the character the plot is about, Elvis still remains central. Nearly every page is viewed through his eyes. Tha pages that deviate, when we see and learn about Joe's past, are among the most interesting in the book. Also, without giving too much away, the scenes with the killer are most revealing and in some ways creepy. Elvis remains aloof, but genuine, a much better protaganist than the typical Superman fantasy. Elvis can't beat up fifteen ninjas, pull a gun out of an extremity, shoot a sniper from 300 feet, and then anounce he has, in his head, completed the DNA test and found the real killer. The one problem I would say I have with this book is it gives up too much. Too many things happen and when it is all said and done, in many ways, Crais has ruined the series. The follow-up, The Last Detective, felt lacking after the carnage of this entry, naked without much of the mystery and buildup. Thankfully, it still tackled a major piece of character development, but left the series with absolutely no steam for the next book. It is possible you could simply read the series and consider "Detective" the final chapter. Also worth checking out is Crais's Hostage, soon to be made into a movie by Bruce Willis. It is a great stand-alone novel.
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