Well-paced private detective mystery which starts slowly but quickly builds into a page-turner.

It wasn’t until I finished reading The Wanted by Robert Crais that I realised that this was one of many in a series featuring private detective Elvis Cole and his silent side kick Joe Pike. So not having read one of them before certainly doesn’t make it difficult to follow, so quite easily can be read separately. This is a positive as it is sometimes difficult to read a book in a series when there is an assumption that you have prior knowledge of the characters.
This was a fast moving story that held your interest for most of the time. Must admit that the two really bad guys in this story had a few chapters that I felt could have been deleted and that wouldn’t have detracted from the story - for example if the reflection back on a night playing music with a young lad in the past was supposed to add depth to their characters I don’t think that succeeded. I found myself skimming this chapter as I was keen to find out what happened next!
I did like Elvis Cole who comes across as a tough but sensitive guy. Joe Pike a man of very few words but moves quickly when required. The other characters were probably a bit stereotyped like the computer geek, The Carl, the bullied main character Tyson, the wild ‘child’ girl Amber and Devon Connor the very caring mother of Tyson who while threatening ‘to kill him’ when she finds does quite the opposite!
The story is intricate but moves along quickly, holding your attention as you follow the mystery.
I haven’t read anything written by Robert Crais before but I certainly enjoyed his writing style and the inclusion of light banter and humour into the characters and the storyline.
An excellent read. Highly recommended.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Simon & Schuster (Australia) for a copy to read and review.

Many many years ago I stumbled across the first book featuring the funny and enigmatic Elvis Cole, and it was love at first book! I have been a huge fan of the series since, and they are the type of comfort books I turn to when I feel a bit book-jaded. Crais always delivers a solid mystery, and Elvis’ quick wit and dry humour put a permanent grin on my face whilst reading. And of course the books would not be complete without the silent, loyal and indestructible Joe Pike, who always manages to get Elvis out of trouble when the going gets tough. I love them!

As usual, Crais has nailed the art of delivering an action packed mystery that tests all of Elvis’ detecting skills. I am not going to get into the story, as the blurb contains all you need to know, so allow yourself to get swept up by the action just as I did. This is one of those rare books that can be read as a stand-alone, even if you haven’t read the previous 16 books in the series (although I highly recommend reading them all, they are great!). There is enough background to understand Elvis’ and Pike’s relationship, and most of the other characters are either new or play a peripheral role where previous knowledge is not essential.

Crais tells his story from the different characters’ POVs, including that of the “bad guys”, in short concise chapters that move the narrative along at the perfect pace, giving just the right amount of clues to keep the reader guessing but hinting at things yet to come. Each of the narrators has a unique and interesting voice, which is a hard balance to achieve, and kept me hooked from start to finish. I love it how Crais combines the private detective story with the cat-and-mouse game of a fast paced action thriller, and a police procedural as an aside – with three genres rolled into one, what more can you want? Cole and Pike are a fictional partnership that really works and carries the story, and I was happy to have them both included in this latest instalment. I admit I prefer the books in the series that have Elvis as the main character and Pike as his side-kick, since I adore Elvis’ humour and it is a huge factor of enjoyment for me.

All in all, if you haven’t discovered this great detective series yet, The Wanted is a perfect opportunity to take the plunge. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed, though it may add quite a few new books to your TBR list. Another irresistible read from Crais, who has certainly made a name for himself in the mystery genre and is one of my go-to authors when I feel a bit book-jaded and just want a great read. Highly recommended.

Fiction - Crime

Score : 8/10


I always get excited when a new Elvis Cole and Joe Pike comes out because they are so far and few between these days. It was vintage Cole and Pike with Elvis being brought in by a mother to find her missing child who was part of a group of teenagers breaking into expensive LA homes. When they rob the wrong family who send killer thugs out to get the group, Elvis does what Elvis always does, brings in bad ass Joe Pike to help him save the day. Hooray.

A great read as always, thank you Mr Crais!

The Wanted Robert Crais
Elvis Cole # 17. Joe Pike# 6
Robert Crais comes up with another compulsive read in this, the latest in the long-running Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series, with seamless narrative, great cliff hangers, characters that arouse our sympathy or horror, and - not least Elvis and Joe - two inimitable “soft-boiled /hard-boiled” private eyes who’ve seen the worst side of life and are still willing to risk their lives for the best of it.
Full disclosure - I’d read anything with Elvis and Joe in it, and I was indignant when I saw recently that a reviewer had called Elvis “flaky.” “No way!” For this reader, Elvis is quirky but admirable, and his latest outing in The Wanted doesn’t disappoint.
I have to declare I’ve read lots of the Elvis Cole series – not all of them – but a lot – and I love Crais’ idiosyncratic main man. Him and Joe both – they’ve decided what they will and won’t tolerate and they’ve crafted lives for themselves that may often be imperilled and insecure, but allow them to remain true to their heart’s call.
Crais said in a recent interview that he’s “never spent five minutes trying to decide if Elvis is hard-boiled or soft-boiled. I don’t think there needs to be a laundry list of rules as to what detective fiction should be . . . I’m a story teller, and I’m using the books to explore things that I want to explore. I just hope that the books are entertaining.”
I think this statement sums up what’s great about Elvis Cole in general and The Wanted in this particular instance. . . Crais is a gifted story teller, and his tale has a free flowing freshness that’s remarkable when you recall this is Book Number 17 in the series. If there is a “soft and “hard” boiled to it, I think Elvis would be the former, and Joe the latter – but who cares? They are both compelling heroic figures.
Crais has continued to “break the mould” in the “hard-boiled” genre anyway – a trend he started with his 1999 break out book LA Requiem when he experimented with combining different genres within the detective novel. Dropping the classic first person viewpoint, Raymond Chandler style, he introduced different points of view, combined aspects of the police procedural and suspense thriller and gave himself freedom to allow more outside influences to impact his story – and influence Elvis and Joe.
That’s nearly twenty years ago, and he’s continued on that path ever since. The Wanted opens from the baddies view point and it’s clear within the first few pages that as villains, Harvey and Stemms are truly nasty pieces of work – smart, inventive, totally ruthless and amoral, with a huge but anonymous bankroll behind them. Elvis is flying solo, his client San Fernando Valley solo mum Devon Connor with predictably modest income who hires him to find out where her teenage son Tyson got the Rolex watch she found in his bedroom.
An apparently simple story of teenage burglary spins off into something much more sinister – a kind of 2017 version of the ‘Bling Ring’ of delinquent teens rip off rich people’s homes as some sort of crazy adventure and get caught in a deadly whirlpool after they steal a laptop without realising it contains encrypted explosive evidence related to a controversial murder case.
What ensues is classic Elvis Cole – another entertaining thriller with insight into the venality of LA celebrity, enough vulnerability and poignant parental failure to make it real and human as well as enthralling action …. Crais has no need to be concerned about “hoping they’re entertaining.” The Wanted is a Five Star roller coaster!!!.

A Robert Crais novel is always a sure fire great read. He covers the same LA ground as Michael Connelly (wouldn’t a joint book from those two be great,) and his characters Cole and Pike are as welcome reads as Bosch.
When solo mum Devon asks Elvis Cole to help her find her missing son, he has no idea the path it will take. It soon appears two other people are after the son as he unwittingly has something they want.
Tyson has fallen in with two other teens who are robbing the rich and selling the goods at the flea markets. When one of the teens is murdered and another stall holder also killed, Cole enlists his sidekick Pike to help out, they must find the two kids and keep them safe whilst looking for the laptop the crims seem to be after. Page turning stuff.

Really enjoyed this even though it was book #17 in the series.

Wow, what a great story. Robert Crais is certainly one of my favourite Authors, and I’m glad I came across his Elvis Cole series back in the early 90’s. Joe Pike and Elvis Cole are such great characters, and they work so well together. I loved the way this plot was put together, and the way Elvis moves through with the investigation, along with his quick wit and dry humor. It’s definitely entertaining, and well worth the 5/5 Star rating.
Elvis Cole is pretty certain that 17 year old Tyson is probably doing something illegal, with all the money stashed inside his bedroom. After all there aren’t too many teenagers around with thousands in cash hidden away that aren’t legitimately working, or their parents are filthy rich. Tyson’s mum, Devon Connor knew her son had issues, but she really had no idea what he was up to when he wasn’t home, especially not breaking into people’s homes. It’s unfortunate for Tyson and his two friends that they picked the wrong house to break into, and take something that the owner will do anything to get back. The three of them are quite oblivious to how much their lives are in danger, and it’s up to Elvis and Pike to try and keep them alive. From start to finish, this is a fabulous story. Do yourself a favour and read this book, it really is that good.