Robert Crais has written another fast paced, highly entertaining thriller with two terrific characters in the lead- Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books featuring either of them- you'll be quickly swept into the plot here. This time around, the pair are searching for two teenagers - Tyson and his girlfriend- and all the while trying to beat another team who are doing the same thing- but lethally. Tyson's no angel but he doesn't deserve what the bad guys have in store for him. The narrative perspective shifts back and forth in this but it's always clear who's speaking and the device is actually a plus. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Crais is, as always, a great storyteller. The is perfect for travel.

The Wanted follows longtime Robert Crais character Elvis Cole as he investigates a series of wealthy home burglaries. He's not the only on e interested. Two hard guys who identify themselves as police are ready to kill to obtain a laptop stolen from their employer. As Cole's path begins to collide with the two bad guys, he enlist Joe Pike for assistance. The usage of Pike in this novel seemed degrading to Pike! If he came across as that hard and sullen in novels where he is the main character, I doubt that the series would have the following it does. I am one of those followers, and I was very pleased that the publisher and NetGalley chose to give me an ARC of the novel. I did enjoy it overall and recommend it.

Another great entry to the series. I'm not typically a reader of thrillers but I like Elvis Cole enough that I put up with the tension (I know - that's what most people read it for!). Hard to put down, I read it pretty much straight through. Great characters, good descriptions of LA, always intricate plots.

Elvis Cole and Joe Pike try to find 2 kids who stole the wrong thing from the wrong guy. Fast paced,great book

Private eye Elvis Cole and his partner, Joe Pike, make a great team - reminiscent of the late Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Hawk. Together, they can take on the world. But when they bump up against a trio of teens who specialize in upscale burglaries, they may have met their match.

For much of the first half of this book, Elvis takes solo center stage. He's hired by Devon Connor, whose son Tyson has been deviating wildly from his usual sweet self. It seems he's acquired some cash, expensive clothes and other high-end items, and his mother wants to find out if he's into the illicit drug business. As it turns out, it's worse; he and a couple of friends have been getting their jollies (and plenty of flashy trinkets) by invading the homes of the very wealthy, taking what they like and reselling what they don't want to keep.

With the cooperation of Tyson's mother, Elvis works out a deal through which Tyson will turn himself in with minimal consequences - but the deal goes south when Tyson goes missing. Around the same time, one of the teenage cohorts ends up dead - and while at first blush it looks to be a case of road rage gone horribly wrong, the bullets in the body tell a much different story.

Now, Elvis knows that Tyson and the third teen, an exceptionally maniculative girl, are sure to be the next targets of two highly accomplished hit men who apparently have been hired by one of the burglary victims. He calls in his partner Joe to help find the kids, but for a time the trail doesn't lead much of anywhere except to more dead bodies. When they finally start to close in on the teens, so, too, do the hit men. Who will get to them first results in a not-so-merry chase that kept me turning pages all the way to the end.

All in all, another excellent installment in this series - one of my favorites. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on December 26, 2017

Elvis Cole is hired by a concerned mother to figure out why her son Tyler has so much money. It doesn’t take Elvis long to figure out that Tyler and his two friends have been committing burglaries. Mom isn’t pleased, but before she has a chance to kill her son, two thugs named Stems and Harvey are trying to find him so they can kill him first.

Stems and Harvey are using police credentials to search for a stolen laptop. They have a surveillance picture that shows the face of one of the thieves, but they tend to kill the people who see the picture. Stems and Harvey are leaving a trail of dead bodies and, the reader assumes, that trail will soon lead them to Tyler.

The plot involves Elvis’ effort to keep Tyler alive while discovering the reason the bad guys are trying to kill him. Series regular Joe Pike returns to lend a hand ... a very strong hand, usually shaped into a fist.

As always, Robert Crais populates the story with engaging characters. Comic relief comes from Tyler’s girlfriend Amber, who is an equal balance of endearing and crazy. Stems and Harvey exchange entertaining banter when they aren’t killing people. Pike is Pike (he doesn’t say much). Amber’s dysfunctional mother, Tyler’s caring mother, and the bad guy who lurks behind the scenes for much of the novel are the other key characters.

Crais always keeps the story moving, making The Wanted a quick read. It can easily be read as a stand-alone novel by readers who are unfamiliar with the series. Elvis Cole fans, on the other hand, will appreciate Cole’s reunion with Ben, the son of Cole’s former girlfriend. Elvis Cole novels are always infused with warmth when bodies aren’t dropping, but not to the extent of sappiness. The Wanted doesn’t stand out as compared to other novels in the series, but it delivers the kind of easy entertainment that Crais’ fans expect.

RECOMMENDED

Another winner from Robert Crais. I love his Elvis Cole series, especially when Joe Pike shows up to lend a hand. Recommended for fans of Lee Child and Harlan Coben. A great addition to this wonderful series.

Devon Connor is a single Mom. Her son Tyson has been wearing some very expensive clothes and flashing a lot of cash. She is concerned about how he is coming up with so much money. She wants to hire Elvis to find out what her son is up to. She has no idea what kind of trouble her son is really in. He is part of a team of young teens committing high end burglaries and they have stolen from the wrong person. Now not only are the police after the gang, but some very dangerous people are looking for them. Elvis needs to find them first to keep them alive.

This book is fast paced and held my interest all the way thru. There was not as much of the sarcastic humor you usually find in an Elvis Cole book, I missed that. I love the Elvis Cole series and this was a good addition to the series, but it could also be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

“The Wanted” by Robert Crais is number seventeen in his “Elvis Cole” series. Even though Elvis and Joe continue from previous books, new readers can jump right into this book without any problem.
Devon Connor hires private investigator Elvis Cole to find out how her “troubled” son is getting so much cash and expensive clothes. She fears drug trafficking, but the truth is much worse. The investigation drags everyone, Cole, Pike, the mom, the son, and his friends, into a pit of trickery, peril, and murder.
Several points of view drive the action. Readers follow Cole’s first person narrative as he tries to separate fact from fiction. Third person descriptions follow other players they play a deadly game of hide-and-seek. The body count rises, and the answers seem out of reach. Every shift in the narrative brings to light new information, more clues, and increasing problems.
The structure is fast-paced, and serious. As a result, Cole is all business with only a hint of his usual sarcastic, funny self. Of course, the yoga, the food, the Corvette, and the cat are still there, but in less conspicuous roles. Pike is, well, Pike, what little there is of him.
The plot is multifaceted, and Los Angeles, itself, plays a part as the frantic search takes readers through various suburbs and into downtown clubs and offices. The supporting characters make this a compelling novel. The normal lives of teenagers (clueless, publicity-obsessed), parents (both good and questionable), and the computer nerd (socially inept), deteriorate into chaos, as brutal hit men close in. The clock ticks; everything becomes more frantic, and yes, it ends with a HUGE bombshell.

I liked the book, but would have liked more of Cole’s usual funny and charming side. However, this complex plot just did not have much time for hilarity. Crais includes some hints of what might be to come by including with an interesting relationship along the way and a visit from a character from the past. (No, I will not spoil it)

I received a copy of “The Wanted” from Robert Crais, G P Putnam’s Sons, and NetGalley in exchange for my impartial review. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to both new readers and Elvis Cole fans.

Devon Connor is a single mom to her son, Tyson, who she believes has gotten himself into a great deal of trouble. Tyson seems to have quite a few expensive items lately, along with secret stashes of cash. She calls Elis Cole in to get to the bottom of things and save her son before it's too late..

Elvis quickly discovers that Tyson is actually one in a group of three young people who are breaking into high end houses while the owners are out. Unfortunately, Elvis is only a half-step in front of some very bad dudes that are also trying to find the threesome in order to obtain an item that should have never, ever been taken. Elvis must find Tyson and convince him to turn himself in before the bad guys catch up.

One of the author's signature moves is to make the bad guys as interesting and filled out as the main characters. This is fully evident in "The Wanted". The two hired killers named Harvey and Stemms who are out to find the burglars have already killed and have no problem killing again. They will not be stopped until the missing item is securely in their hands.

Then Tyson and his girlfriend disappear. When the action gets too hot, Elvis calls in his friend Joe Pike for assistance. The action gets hot and heavy to find out who locates Tyson and his girlfriend first.

As always, Crais's novel is deftly written and thoroughly plotted out. Elvis and Joe continue to fascinate and engage my interest, and I love how they once again bring the bad guys down..

I love Elvis Cole! This book keeps you guessing and is full of adventure. The chase has twists and turns that are hard to figure out.

While we sit and wait and anxiously look forward to the new Elivis Cole book each year or two, it has never been a disappointment. This will be the closest ive come to be disappointed. Struggled to give it four stars, should probably have given it three. But i love Elvis and Pike, and that maybe is the problem with this book, just not enough of them. No further character development here, Pike had a minuscule role that left me disappointed to say the least. If this was the first Elvis and Pike book i had ever read, would probably not even be a three star book. book very predictable, knew what was going to happen, but he could have gotten there with giving more. I think the more i say here, the more i feel stupid in giving it four stars, but just cant get myself to give it.........It is an Elvis Cole book after all

This brings both Elvis Cole and Joe Pike together to find out who is trying to kill their client's teenage son. The boy's mother originally hired Cole to find out where her son was getting a lot of money. It was quickly discovered that he was part of a three-person theft ring.

It took me awhile to get into this book. If I wasn't a big fan of Robert Crais I would have given up. But, after a few nights of only reading a few pages then moving on to something else, I committed finishing it. I wouldn't say it was the author's best book, but I (eventually) still liked it, The plot was rather weak and a lot of the writing uninspired, but I like the author enough that I would still recommend it.

Let’s just get this out of the way: I have been a diehard fan of Robert Crais/Elvis Cole/Joe Pike for THIRTY YEARS. Seriously, when The Monkey’s Raincoat was published in 1987, I was working in a public library, grabbed it as soon as it came in, and was HOOKED. Since then, this has been one of the most reliable series in the mystery genre – consistent as in “OMG, <blank> has a new book coming out! YAY!” So I was happy to receive a copy of The Wanted from G.P.Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley in return for my honest review.

In this latest installment, a single mother named Devon Cole comes to Elvis Cole because she is concerned about her teenage son, who suddenly has cash, which makes her suspect he might be dealing drugs. Devon’s mom reveals that her son Tyson has serious anxiety issues and has been failed to succeed at several schools, finally landing in an alternative school. His mom first notices he is wearing new shirts from Barney’s, an extremely expensive store. Tyson tells her that one of his friend’s parents runs a studio’s wardrobe department and got them a great deal.

After the shirts, Tyson acquires an Xbox and a new computer with three monitors. Elvis discovers hidden cash totaling tens of thousands of dollars, and a Rolex watch worth upwards of $20,000. So clearly he is up to SOMETHING. The truth is that he and two friends have been burglarizing the houses of rich folks, getting lots of cash and new clothes in return. As it turns out, the Rolex provides a clue for Elvis, as it is registered to a specific person, and with that clue, Elvis is off and running. But the happen to steal the wrong thing from the wrong house, and one of them is murdered.

The victim, who REALLY wants his property back, hires two killers named Harvey and Stems, who are frantically looking for Devon and his girlfriend. Elvis, determined to find Devon and the girl before the bad guys do, brings in Joe Pile and Jon Stone.

In addition to just absolutely loving Elvis, I love Robert Crais’s writing, including structure, setting, character and plotting. The structure is terrific, going between Elvis Cole and two hired killers, Harvey and Stems. Each time the story shifts to another character’s point of view, we get another clue. The various areas of Los Angeles are familiar, and well described as Elvis searches for the missing teens at places including “…celebutante clubs with a squad of paparazzi camped at the door…”He not only captures the vibe of Southern California, he is great at describing people: one potential witness is “a flea market regular, this older woman with sun-scorched skin and liver spots…” and Devon “…carried herself with so much tension she might have been wrapped with duct tape.” Elvis is his usual intuitive self: “…something about her bothered me, but I wasn’t sure what.”

Then there is the scene where Harvey and Stems are passing time in the car, discussing the movie Psycho while staking out a house, watching for Elvis: one guy’s take is “The message was women are powerless. Here’s this lunatic, he’s stabbing her, what did she do, the chick in the movie? Just stood there. So what’s being modeled? Whatever some guy does to a woman, they’re supposed to take it. That’s the message.”
The plot is complex, as the story races forward at a pace that kept me up til nearly dawn when I got to the final reveal that felt just right.

Robert Crais is one of the very best mystery writers out there, and although there are recurring people and places in this series, this story can be read as a standalone. I had huge expectations for The Wanted, and it met (or exceeded) them all. Five stars!

I was very excited to get an arc from NetGalley and Penguin Group of the new Elvis Cole novel, and pretty much raced through this - it's just hard to stop reading anything written by Robert Crais. What's not to love? Perfectly plotted and action packed story, the greatest detective ever and his intimidating but quiet partner, and just the right touches of Cole's sense of humor, loyalty, and humanity. While I enjoyed the Pike novels, it is so great to have them back together in this book. Highly recommend the whole series! 4.5 stars!

Reading a new Crais novel is a reason to rejoice in and of itself, but when it!s as entertaining and fun as the latest, it!s even better. The action moves, and the characters are human and nuanced- and it’s entertaining as ever!

It's been awhile since we had a new Elvis and Pike book, and this was a good one. 3 kids robbing the rich and they picked the wrong house. Elvis and Joe to the rescue. Definitely worth the wait. Thank you Netgalley it is a good one.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the eARC.
Tyson's mom, single mother Devon Connor, is suspicious of her son's acquisitions, items he couldn't possibly afford, including a Rolex, as well as stashes of large amounts of cash. Terrified he's involved in dealing drugs, she turns to Elvis Cole for help in determining what's going on.
Cole contacts his friend Sherry Toyoda, who confirms the watch is on a list of stolen items. It seems Tyson is part of a gang of burglars.
There are 2 experienced hired killers, Harvey and Stemms, who are on the hunt for the burglars, who have obviously targeted the wrong home. These men are deadly serious and will kill without compunction. Cole enlists the help of Joe Pike when Tyson and his girlfriend vanish and the race is on: who will find Tyson first?
The book offers 2 threads, Cole and Pike's. and Harvey and Simms'. it's quite the ride!
This series is one of the best around; Cole and Pike are a remarkable fiction duo and the writing is unparalleled in all the books. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would, so I will give it a 5+. Hated to finish the book and say 'hope to see you soon again' to the guys; can't wait for the next in the series!

A classic Crais book that's full of suspense. Great read.

Once again Crais writes a want-to-read-it-in-one-sitting story with funny, deep and sometimes scary characters and a plot that weaves seemlessly between light and dark. Forgot how much I miss Joe and Elvis together