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Summary: We Finally Get To Know Pike
Review: If you read a lot of Elvis Cole novels you realize that they are heavily centered on Cole. Finally Robert Crais has given us a novel that takes a peek into the life of Cole's partner Joe Pike. We know from previous novels that he was a former police officer and military man. However Crais never bothered in telling his story, making him out to be a mystery man. It was cool for a while but after nine novels it was time too expand the Joe Pike character.The start of this novel is different from most. It does not take place in Cole's office, but on the streets of Los Angeles when Pike was a cop trailing a known child molester with his partner. Then it jumps to the present with a missing persons case involving one of Pike's ex-loves. The father hires Pike and Cole to keep an eye on the police investigation, headed by a officer who hates Pike. The search leads to death, corruption, redemption and new loves and lost loves .... This is by far one of the better Cole novels. Even thought you can't go wrong with any of them. The look into Pikes past was great and well done by Crais. I wonder if when Crais started this series that he planned on leaving Pike's past hidden until much later. Either way it was a wonderful read. If you are new to the Cole series I do suggest not jumping in with "LA Requiem", but go back and read a few of the older novels and come back to this one.
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Summary: One of the best!
Review: I was in the library one day and happen to see this book. I had never read anything by Robert Crais before so I checked it out. What a lucky day for me. It was one of the best books I have every read. Robert Crais is truly one of the best authors I have ever read. Elivs and Joe Pike are great characters. I went right out and picked up all his books on Elvis and I was not disappointed. But LA Requiem is his best. He only gets better.
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Summary: Interesting crime mystery thriller
Review: The murder of Karen Garcia, the daughter of a powerful Hispanic successful immigrant unleashes a whirlwind of stories unresolved in the past which begin to resurface after lying dormant for a long time. From this point Mr. Crais conceive this consistent and very neat "whodunit "crime story with LA flair which did not let go until the very end and with a rich character drawing encompassing private investigator Elvis Cole, former policeman and close friend Joe Pike and antagonist stubborn Homicide Robbery Department detective Krantz. The most attractive feature of this book is to guess who has committed all the crimes and the author ingeniously drop some elements to make you think. The big surprise, the culprit. The ending, although a little sloppy does not disappoint and stays in line with the whole story
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Summary: You REALLY must read this book.
Review: This book was my first introduction to Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. I, too, stumbled on to Robert Crais by accident. Thomas Perry took me to Michael Connelly who mentioned Robert Crais. Once I read this book, even though Joe Pike is exposed to some degree, I had to know more, so I read more. I purchased all Robert Crais' books, read them in order (although that is not necessary) and loved each and every one....immensely. We should all be so lucky to go through our lives with friends like these two. The friendship of these two men is put to the test, and of course, prevails.
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Summary: Get this book now!!!!
Review: I've been lazy about leisure reading, but since my first year of law school has come and gone, I had no excuse but to pick up my next mystery to read. The book was L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais. Ever since I read his first book, The Monkey's Raincoat, I've loved Crais style of suspense and humor. But as one critic noted, this book is on an entirely different level than any of Crais' other works! This book is clearly much more thought out. There's a lot more police procedural aspects to L.A. Requiem, and Crais' linking of one shred of evidence to the next twist in the investigation is both credible and meticulous, without being tedious. There's not much I can say about the plot without ruining the story for everyone. But I will say this: Crais delves deep into Joe Pike's (Elvis Cole's mysterious friend and partner) past and psyche through flashbacks and ties them in nicely to the mystery Cole and Pike are currently engaged in in L.A. Requiem. I'm a veeeery slow reader. That being said, I finished this book in one weekend. That's how hooked I was. If you're into Michael Connelly-type books, you'll probably like this one, too.
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Summary: This Elvis Could Be "The King", Too!
Review: I discovered the Crais books kinda by accident. I have been a big fan of Robert B. Parker's for many years and was told that if I liked Parker, I would like Crais. There is a similarity as both detectives have powerful sidekicks with pasts that are only alluded to. In LA Requiem, we find out a lot about the mysterious Joe Pike, our hero Elvis Cole's sidekick. This book is a lot grittier than the previous Cole books and at first, it was rather a turn-off. As I read more of the book, I couldn't help but get involved in the story and felt that the more serious tone really suited this particular tale. Elvis is still a smartass but, he really gets involved in his friend's plight and his romantic interest takes an unexpected turn. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes modern day detective fiction. I would suggest that anyone who hasn't read one or more of the earlier books in this series should do so before reading this one.
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Summary: Worthy Heir to Ross MacDonald and Raymond Chandler
Review: L.A. Requiem is one of those rare detective mystery thrillers that transcends the genre into becoming a fine novel. Mr. Crais has taken on one of the most difficult challenges any mystery novelist can in L.A. Requiem and pulled it off extremely well. He has developed a complete, rich characterization for Joe Pike, Elvis Coles's (the self-described "world's greatest detective") detective partner, based on disclosing no contemporary internal thoughts by Pike and almost no dialogue involving Pike. Instead the character is built through a series of flashbacks into the violent, troubled past of Joe Pike that show how his personal values and strength were forged. At the same time, Mr. Crais has built a rousing tale with lots of action, conflict, a love story, and a particularly dense mystery that is unveiled through intricate development of police procedures. The book's only drawback is that it draws upon an excess of depravity, violence and gore, putting the book squarely also in the same category as the most noir of the Raymond Chandler works. If you miss this book, you cannot consider yourself to be a serious fan of top mystery writing in the classic style of the tough guy, but honest, P.I. The flashbacks are connected to Pike's troubled relationship with his former police partner. From those same days, a former girl friend mysteriously disappears and is eventually found murdered. Her father asks Joe to help find the killer, and Elvis joins in as well. This is a bad time for Elvis because Lucy Chenier has just moved from Baton Rouge to Los Angeles with her son to be closer to Elvis. Soon the investigation puts their relationship on an awkward footing. At the same time, the police seem to be stonewalling. What could be their motive? Before long, great danger is revealed that connects back to the past in unexpected ways. Finding the killer and keeping loved ones safe turns out to be an almost impossible challenge. You'll be rooting for Elvis and Joe, and feeling your heart pound as the tension builds . . . and builds . . . and builds. I recommend that you start the book early in the day, because you will probably not be able to put it down. The book is also noteworthy for providing great character development of two members of the police. The plot is particularly rewarding for its ability to test major characters to explain who they are and what they stand for in ways that no amount of dialogue could ever do. After you finish this book, I suggest that you ask yourself what principles you stand for that you would back to the death. Hopefully, you will never be tested in that way, but this book will undoubtedly raise that issue in your own mind. Do the right thing!
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Summary: Wow....
Review: Not only has Robert Crais written the best Elvis Cole novel yet, but with "L.A. Requiem", he's written one of the best thrillers hands down. For so many Crais fans, myself included, the character you can't wait for is Elvis' partner, Joe Pike. This book is a valentine to him. The plot, that has more layers than an onion takes us back to Joe's days as a cop, and gives some clues to what made him the man he is today. Elvis' relationship with Lucy Chenier also takes some turns I didn't expect showing sides to both characters we haven't seen before. More than just a beach read, this book deserves it's place as a classic mystery, and fascinating character study. One that you'll be turning the pages desperate to get to the surprising conclusion.
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Summary: hope and humility
Review: I came away from this book feeling more hopeful about the world and humbled by Elvis Cole's heroism. Crais and his alter ego, Cole, seem to grasp that heroism lies in the tiny acts of decency and conscience that no one sees and for which one isn't likely to get much credit. Cole is warm, modest and human. He keeps faith, with honor. He's vulnerable. He hurts. He feels regret and remorse but never loses his sense of fairness and compassion. Women love Cole, and it's not because he's a hunk or flashy or sexy or knows how to drive women crazy. It's got to do with strength and kindness and humor and self-possession and a type of purity that doesn't come along very often.
Sobek mistakenly thinks Cole's girlfriend is Paulette, and that's insightful, in a way, as Cole and Paulette, who both love Joe, have in common a charisma that set them apart from the other characters, even Dolan who wants it but doesn't seem to know where to find it and Lucy who neither wants it nor knows where to find it. I admire Elvis Cole and the heart and mind that created him.
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Summary: One of the best mysteries ever written
Review: This story has everything. A well-thought-out, suspenseful, and unusual mystery, convincing police procedure, and complex, riveting character development. I'm no judge of the accuracy of police procedure because everything I might know about it I learned from mystery novels and the nightly news. What matters for me is that the characters are multi-faceted and complicated, that their thoughts, feelings and behaviors hang together, and that they grow and change during the story. In other words, for me, if the characters are believable then the story is believable. This novel made the characters as real as any living person I know. The one character I found hard to understand at times was Lucy. Her priorities were not always realistic to me; for me, the potential death of a friend will always take priority over any comfort I might need. However, I was so completely caught up in this story that I was stunned and disturbed for days after finishing the book. Because of the changes Elvis Cole and Joe Pike experienced in this novel in themselves and in their relationship, I NEED to know what happens next to them.
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