Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This was the first book I read totally on Kindle for iPhone. It was weird not intuitively knowing how far into the story I was at any given time. Overall, a great bus/BART read. Easy to get quickly absorbed into the story and, at the same time, stop reading when I get to work.
Joe Pike, former Marine, former LAPD Officer, and former mercenary works cases that others are incapable or unwilling to take. In this outing Pike is asked to project a spoiled Paris Hilton type character (Larkin) after she witnesses something she shouldn’t. The plot is rather simplistic (conspiracy, cover-up) and the “twist” was telegraphed halfway through the novel. The glimpses into Pike’s past were interesting and the more enjoyable portions of the novel, as were any interactions involving the private detective Elvis Cole. I found the other characters flat, boring, and very predictable. Pike reminds me quite a bit of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.
I'd read this a long time ago. What a great book. It let's you into a little bit of Joe's life and what makes him who he is. Also, as always, the relationship between Elvis and Joe is so cool. They don't have to question…the other is always there.
Vintage Robert Crais...in the style of Robert B. Parker, but not as ponderous, a little more light-hearted. In this first novel with Joe Pike as the main protagonist, Pike takes center stage again. Called in to protect a spoiled rich girl, his example of stoic self-discipline inspires her to a better way of living. Along the way, he fights bad guys, solves a corporate conspiracy, reunites father and daughter, alienates federal officers, and (with Elvis Cole's help) generally navigates mucho mayhem to bring things to a satisfactory conclusion.
While I like seeing things from Pike's ultra self-contained perspective, I must admit that I enjoy the Elvis Cole perspective better...he seems more approachable, a more reasonably balanced approach to life.
While I like seeing things from Pike's ultra self-contained perspective, I must admit that I enjoy the Elvis Cole perspective better...he seems more approachable, a more reasonably balanced approach to life.
This book is to Dad Airport Reading fiction what Danielle Steel is to Chick Lit.
Finally! A wider glance into the life and history of Joe Pike. Thank you, Bob, it's been a long time coming.
I loved The Watchman. Every peak into Joe's history adds another layer of connectedness to this series.
Loved it!
I loved The Watchman. Every peak into Joe's history adds another layer of connectedness to this series.
Loved it!
Joe Pike takes center stage. Very smooth, lean thriller. I raced through the book but in the end I do think I prefer Elvis's first person POV.
While Elvis Cole is on the mend, an associate of Joe Pike's calls in a favor. Joe is tasked with protecting a young heiress from the people trying to kill her. Things go south when there is a leak at the Department of Justice and Pike finds that the only people he can trust are Elvis Cole and himself...
Joe Pike takes the lead in this Robert Crais offering and gets saddled protecting a Paris Hilton type heiress named Larkin Barkley. As with [b:L.A. Requiem|297186|L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole, #8)|Robert Crais|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328900044s/297186.jpg|1026877], Joe Pike's past is explored as the case unfolds. I loved the way the relationship between Pike and the spoiled heiress develops as they find they have things in common.
It's a nice change of pace to have Elvis Cole in the supporting role and have Pike take the lead. It's an exciting tale with a much higher body count than most Crais books so far. That should be expected, though, when the enemies are linked to South American drug cartels.
With Pike as the central character, Crais developed the normally silent Pike into a multidimensional character and kept The Watchman from devolving into a mindless action-fest. I don't really have much more to say on that front. It's Pike being Pike with Elvis Cole in tow.
While The Watchman was an enjoyable read and a nice change of pace, I'll be glad when Elvis Cole takes center stage again. 3.5 stars.
Joe Pike takes the lead in this Robert Crais offering and gets saddled protecting a Paris Hilton type heiress named Larkin Barkley. As with [b:L.A. Requiem|297186|L.A. Requiem (Elvis Cole, #8)|Robert Crais|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328900044s/297186.jpg|1026877], Joe Pike's past is explored as the case unfolds. I loved the way the relationship between Pike and the spoiled heiress develops as they find they have things in common.
It's a nice change of pace to have Elvis Cole in the supporting role and have Pike take the lead. It's an exciting tale with a much higher body count than most Crais books so far. That should be expected, though, when the enemies are linked to South American drug cartels.
With Pike as the central character, Crais developed the normally silent Pike into a multidimensional character and kept The Watchman from devolving into a mindless action-fest. I don't really have much more to say on that front. It's Pike being Pike with Elvis Cole in tow.
While The Watchman was an enjoyable read and a nice change of pace, I'll be glad when Elvis Cole takes center stage again. 3.5 stars.
I was looking for a good audiobook and so I searched Audiofile Magazine. I can’t remember exactly why this title caught my eye since this novel was totally out of character for me. Crais writes hard boiled, suspense filled crime novels and my usual crime novels are more cozy mysteries than adrenaline filled adventures. I have read an occasional Dennis Lehane or James Lee Burke, but not for a long time and I don’t think those authors are quite so hard boiled.
I may have to change my usual plea that I can’t stand suspense so I don’t read any. I usually say that I couldn’t even deal with Lassie back in my childhood. However, Joe Pike and Elvis Cole were well worth meeting. I liked their attitudes, their humor and the way they worked well together.
I had no trouble suspending my disbelief with this tale. It was violent, scary and full of twists that had me very concerned for the heroes and the woman they were protecting. However, Crais hooked me. So I was ready to drive almost anywhere so I could listen to more of the story.
I think this would be a good story for people who read Lee Childs, Robert Parker or Harlan Coban. I know that I have found Dennis Lehane’s books to be also adrenaline filled and so if you read him, you should try Crais.
Mysteries that I have read that might have some things in common with Joe Pike:
Black Cherry Blues
Christine Falls
The Comedy is Finished
Fifty to One
Penumbra
None of these are the best matchups for Crais, but he is not my usual read.
I may have to change my usual plea that I can’t stand suspense so I don’t read any. I usually say that I couldn’t even deal with Lassie back in my childhood. However, Joe Pike and Elvis Cole were well worth meeting. I liked their attitudes, their humor and the way they worked well together.
I had no trouble suspending my disbelief with this tale. It was violent, scary and full of twists that had me very concerned for the heroes and the woman they were protecting. However, Crais hooked me. So I was ready to drive almost anywhere so I could listen to more of the story.
I think this would be a good story for people who read Lee Childs, Robert Parker or Harlan Coban. I know that I have found Dennis Lehane’s books to be also adrenaline filled and so if you read him, you should try Crais.
Mysteries that I have read that might have some things in common with Joe Pike:
Black Cherry Blues
Christine Falls
The Comedy is Finished
Fifty to One
Penumbra
None of these are the best matchups for Crais, but he is not my usual read.
After finishing the last Crais book I read, [b:Lullaby Town|22209|Lullaby Town (Elvis Cole, #3)|Robert Crais|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348618628s/22209.jpg|1253858], I wrote in my review:
It was told from the third-person perspective, which nicely differentiated it from the Elvis Cole series, and let Joe Pike, while in focus, maintain a lot of his mystery. It also broke up the formula of the previous books by leading with an action scene, and weaving the mystery throughout in the background, leaving Joe's mission to protect socialite Larkin Barkley in the forefront.
The few flashback scenes to Joe Pike's time as a LAPD boot also added depth and substance to the story, tying his current actions to his past experiences.
I would also like to see more of the enigmatic Joe Pike, who is easily the most interesting character in the entire series.So, basically, this is the book I was asking for. And you know what? It delivered.
It was told from the third-person perspective, which nicely differentiated it from the Elvis Cole series, and let Joe Pike, while in focus, maintain a lot of his mystery. It also broke up the formula of the previous books by leading with an action scene, and weaving the mystery throughout in the background, leaving Joe's mission to protect socialite Larkin Barkley in the forefront.
The few flashback scenes to Joe Pike's time as a LAPD boot also added depth and substance to the story, tying his current actions to his past experiences.