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chartsh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
stevem0214's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best Elvis Cole books yet. Great ending!!! I could not put this book down and read it in two days.
"It was about protercting the people he loved no matter the cost: nothing was worse than doing nothing; not even death. The bear might beat you, but you still had to stand. Joe Pike would stand."
"It was about protercting the people he loved no matter the cost: nothing was worse than doing nothing; not even death. The bear might beat you, but you still had to stand. Joe Pike would stand."
papidoc's review against another edition
3.0
Vintage Robert Crais...in the style of Robert B. Parker, but not as ponderous, a little more light-hearted.
rcoz's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one,a compelling read that would be a great vacation book. You’ll want to pick it back up and keep reading in between dips in the surf. If you know Cole and Pike, it’s easy to understand their motivation and anticipate their course of action. As the book nears its conclusion the artist uses an interesting means of upping the tension as well as providing a truly omniscient narration. The author shifts the point of view from one character to another, doing what I would consider a two steps forward and one back approach. He has one character describe the scene and action to a certain point, the backs up a bit and shifts to another character. Each overlap serves to provide a more complete view of the action taking place. I really enjoyed this and was caught up by the revelations presented in each shift in point of view. I’m not done with Robert Crais.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
When his girlfriend's son is kidnapped right out from under his nose, Elvis Cole goes into overdrive to find him. Ben's kidnappers seem to be tied to Elvis's past as a Ranger in Vietnam, forcing Elvis to relive his early days. Can Elvis and Joe find Ben before the kidnappers kill him?
Crais keeps the momentum going from [b:L.A. Requiem|297186|L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole, #8)|Robert Crais|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328900044s/297186.jpg|1026877] and once again, Elvis and Joe wind up in the soup. Instead of Pike, The Last Detective focuses on Elvis' past, from never knowing his father to his "free spirited" mother to his days in Vietnam. His relationship with Lucy is further strained and he runs on fumes trying to get Ben back. I felt like LA Requiem was Joe Pike's defining book and The Last Detective does much the same for Elvis.
Crais did a good job with the supporting cast, as per usual. Lucy Chenier's husband Richard has been a douche since he was introduced and he takes it to new heights in The Last Detective. Carol Starkey, the main character of [b:Demolition Angel|241937|Demolition Angel|Robert Crais|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1344368484s/241937.jpg|1945124], is in charge of the investigation, making me wish I'd read that book before this one. However, the villains of the piece were among the worst yet. When Joe Pike admits to being scared, you know things are pretty bad.
Speaking of Joe Pike, his aura of invincibility is gone after LA Requiem and he knows it. I'll be interested in seeing him recover in the next couple books.
That's about all I have to say. Elvis and Joe are outgunned but still manage to come through. Changes rock the supporting cast that will affect the series for books to come. I've got no complaints.
Crais keeps the momentum going from [b:L.A. Requiem|297186|L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole, #8)|Robert Crais|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328900044s/297186.jpg|1026877] and once again, Elvis and Joe wind up in the soup. Instead of Pike, The Last Detective focuses on Elvis' past, from never knowing his father to his "free spirited" mother to his days in Vietnam. His relationship with Lucy is further strained and he runs on fumes trying to get Ben back. I felt like LA Requiem was Joe Pike's defining book and The Last Detective does much the same for Elvis.
Crais did a good job with the supporting cast, as per usual. Lucy Chenier's husband Richard has been a douche since he was introduced and he takes it to new heights in The Last Detective. Carol Starkey, the main character of [b:Demolition Angel|241937|Demolition Angel|Robert Crais|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1344368484s/241937.jpg|1945124], is in charge of the investigation, making me wish I'd read that book before this one. However, the villains of the piece were among the worst yet. When Joe Pike admits to being scared, you know things are pretty bad.
Speaking of Joe Pike, his aura of invincibility is gone after LA Requiem and he knows it. I'll be interested in seeing him recover in the next couple books.
That's about all I have to say. Elvis and Joe are outgunned but still manage to come through. Changes rock the supporting cast that will affect the series for books to come. I've got no complaints.
mkersten1026's review against another edition
5.0
Love this book. New author for me. Really enjoying
bookhawk's review against another edition
4.0
Crais has truly created a fantastic series with Elvis Cole as the centerpiece. The abduction of Cole's girlfriend's son leads to a frantic pace of detective work, action, and important views into Cole's past. This was a high 4 star and nearing a five star. Highly recommended.
wegmarken2006's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
lwalker77's review
5.0
Fantastic book! Elvis Cole’s girlfriend’s son is kidnapped. Elvis and Joe Pike try to find the child. A few twists along the way. Also, you get to know Elvis and Joe a little better. I’m a huge fan of this series and Robert Crais. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
henrik_w's review against another edition
4.0
Elvis Cole has been taking care of his girlfriend Lucy's 10-year old son Ben for a couple of days while she has been out of town. The same afternoon that Lucy is coming back, Ben disappears. We soon find out that he was kidnapped while playing in the small canyon behind the house.
The Los Angeles police are called in, but in parallel Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike conduct an investigation of their own. There are almost no leads at all, but Elvis and Joe go to work on what little they have. To complicate things further, Lucy's wealthy ex-husband Richard flies in with investigators of his own.
This is a real page-turner novel, with good detective work by Elvis and Joe. A kidnapping case makes for a good thriller, and the sense of urgency here is heightened by the chapter titles, each stating the hours and minutes that Ben has been missing for.
This was the first novel by Robert Crais that I've read, and it left me wanting to read more by him.
As it happens, this book has a lot of similarities with The Hard Way by Lee Child, which I read not long ago. Both books are kidnapping dramas, featuring ex-military men as the investigators (and both of them feature atrocities committed in Africa). In both of them, the protagonists track the kidnappers by working the few clues available - something that in my mind is done very well in both books. And they both feature action-packed final show-downs (they wouldn't be thrillers if they didn't).
I liked both of them, but with a slight edge for THE HARD WAY. So if you liked this one, check out THE HARD WAY by Lee Child as well.
The Los Angeles police are called in, but in parallel Elvis Cole and his partner Joe Pike conduct an investigation of their own. There are almost no leads at all, but Elvis and Joe go to work on what little they have. To complicate things further, Lucy's wealthy ex-husband Richard flies in with investigators of his own.
This is a real page-turner novel, with good detective work by Elvis and Joe. A kidnapping case makes for a good thriller, and the sense of urgency here is heightened by the chapter titles, each stating the hours and minutes that Ben has been missing for.
This was the first novel by Robert Crais that I've read, and it left me wanting to read more by him.
As it happens, this book has a lot of similarities with The Hard Way by Lee Child, which I read not long ago. Both books are kidnapping dramas, featuring ex-military men as the investigators (and both of them feature atrocities committed in Africa). In both of them, the protagonists track the kidnappers by working the few clues available - something that in my mind is done very well in both books. And they both feature action-packed final show-downs (they wouldn't be thrillers if they didn't).
I liked both of them, but with a slight edge for THE HARD WAY. So if you liked this one, check out THE HARD WAY by Lee Child as well.