::READERS REVIEWS::

Top Notch Mystery - In this installment, Elvis Cole is forced to re-examine a series of murders when the suspect found was helped freed by Cole years earlier. During a fire evacuation in Los Angeles, police stumble upon the body of Lionel Byrd. It is an apparent suicide, but at his feet is a photo album of seven girls brutally murdered. Years ago, Cole helped Byrd go free for Debra Repko's murder because at the time of the murder, Cole found a videotape showing Byrd at a bar. Cole doesn't believe that he helped a guilty man go free, but feels compelled to find the truth.

I've read an Elvis Cole novel previously, so I'm up to speed on whom the characters are. Crais used to inject more humor into his novels, but this is still a solid thriller. There were enough twists and turns to keep me sufficiently interested, and many characters were repeaters to bring a level of comfort and familiarity. I would definitely recommend it.

Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais - If you're a Robert Crais fan - you've already read this and it's excellent! As usual, Crais never disappoints!

Robert Crais, where have you been? - It's amazing that I never read any of his books before this one. I came across this by chance and decided to take a chance.

I really liked it. It's your basic LA private eye mystery, but Crais is a good writer and the book flows smoothly. It was easy to read and I like the characters. Medium paced, but the important thing was that the book was easy to follow and read. I can't get enough of LA murder mysteries as I'm a great fan of Michael Connolly's Bush series. In fact, it might be that I like this book so much is because Elvis Cole lives in the same city and the books are very similar. In fact, Elvis Cole meets Harry Bosch at the Hollywood station in one chapter. He doesn't get mentioned by name, but if you're a Harry Bosch fan, you'll recognize him right away. Elvis even lives in the same area, on the same road I think and has the same pet.

All in all, I enjoyed the setting, the mystery and the characters. Since then, I've actually read 3 more and I've ordered 4 more in this series so I'm a definite fan.

Chasing Darkness: An Elvis Cole Novel - A fire in Laurel Canyon brings about a grisly discovery of the body of a man accused of being a serial killer. Although acquitted the pall of suspicion continued to haunt Lionel Byrd.

A photo album with the murder victims is found by Lionel's body and it looks as if he was guilty after all. Elvis Cole becomes suspicious, because he's the one who checked out Byrd's alibi for one of the murders. Byrd couldn't have done it, but who set him up and murdered him?

Doubt begins to plague Elvis-what if he made a mistake and Byrd was the killer? Cole determines to find the truth.

It's another great story from Robert Crais. Well plotted as usual and it kept me turning the pages trying to figure out who the serial killer was. So far his stories haven't disappointed me; they've only made me want to read more of his work.

A review of the audiobook - Unabridged audiobook
6 discs
7 hours
Read by James Daniels.


In my mind, Robert Crais has the second best series in fiction going right now, just after Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series (his latest is Nine Dragons (Harry Bosch). Solid, quirky, oftentimes funny, good detective stories throughout.

Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike are on a dark, depressing case this time. Three years earlier Cole had proven that a man could not have committed a horrific murder. Now, that man is found dead with evidence that he committed not only that murder but 6 others. Cole is sure that his work in the original case is correct and this man is being set up after his death and the real murderer is still wandering the streets. Cole and Pike start to pull on some loose threads and soon they have more trouble than they bargained for.

This one is not as good as other Cole novels such as The Last Detective (which was so good that I pulled the cassette from my car in the garage and literally ran to the tape player in the house to see how one scene was going to end!). This one starts out rather slowly but it builds to an ending filled with twists and turns followed by even more twists and turns. This is a book that gets better as it goes along.

Highly recommended.

Great Read! - If you read one Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel by Robert Crais, you have to read them all!

Pike has left the building - Other reviewers have mentioned that Pike plays a minor role in this one, and that is a shame. But Elvis Cole is still a great character and here an old case comes back to haunt him. Evidence provided by Cole freed a man now discovered dead in the LA fires and it looks like he actually was guilty of a number of gruesome murders. And the Police and the relatives are gunning for Cole. At the same time, senior police officers seem to be hindering the investigation and keeping the truth from everyone.

Well I enjoyed it, good characters, witty dialogue and a twisting plot. The usual quality stuff from the author, maybe not up to the quality of his best works, but still entertaining.